Bionicle: Next Generation

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To be updated soon!

This post has been edited by Lewa Krom on Dec 22 2010, 09:26 PM

Those are pretty good. I beleive there was one member working on a 3D organic style model a while back (he posted a screenshot of a work in progress), I'll check the archives and see if I can locate the member.

I know I'd love to get involved because most of my designing is heavily 3D based, but my only problem is the program. Is it easy to use? And how well do you have to know the program for it to work smoothly?

Are you already good with a 3D program? If so, you don't need to switch programs because Blender (the program the majority of us are using) is highly compatible with other 3D programs.

I've just gotten a semi-good feel for the program now. It's very overwhelming to look at coming in but if you use the tutorials (specifically the Wikibooks one) it isn't as hard as it appears. For Blender to work smoothly, you probably need to know it rather well. You at least have to be able to know the basics. You don't have to be an expert and if you get to a problem, we have people who might as well be experts.

I hope you join.

We have set up a non-BZP "official" BNG forum located at this address: www.bionicle.net.tf Check it out, if you want.

BTW, sorry EW about the large images.

-LK

OK. LK. Lewbacca. Lewa Krom. Starter of the Krom Club. You know who I am.

HI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For those of you who don't know, I'm Neelh, Song Mananger (By Typo, Snog Manager or Smog Manager), and the main singer for BNG. I've been with it since I saw the original topic.

While only a couple of people have shown interest in our project from this site, I thought I'd announce to everyone that BNG will be hosting a Blender Academy to teach people who want to learn about 3D modeling and animation. Please contact me if you would like to enroll.

Is it a specific date, or can we just do it at any time?


As I'd like to enrol, dependant on date hehe.

It's over the course of the entire summer. There are no exact dates for actual lessons - whenever you can fit them into your vacation schedule. My estimation is that it'll probably take five weeks (only weekdays) for an hour's worth of work (+/-) a day. But that's just my guess.

We'll start up the "academy" in early June.

Ok. i'll try and appear for it.

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Credit to Cherixon for banner[/center]

We are forming the Bionicle: Next Generation: Support Group. While the Blender Academy deals with one-on-one training in Blender, we are also doing something a little more broad. By joining the BNG: Support Group you are given access to many things including...

•Beta testing the Bionicle Arena game due out by January 2011
•Have a custom character appear in the Bionicle Arena game
•Be the first to see the movies we create and give us your opinion before it is released to the general public
•Monthly BNG newsletters (if you want)
•Appearance in the BNG comic series being written by Lewa Krom
•Be eligible for the BNG Writer's Club (coming soon)
•More in the works!

All we ask in return is that, once a month you try to complete a unit in Blender 3D: Noob to Pro tutorial all the way through Unit III. After that, you'll be able to join BNG as a modeler or animator. If you need assistance, we have some experts who would be glad to take the time to help you (*cough* glares at Phantax for no particular reason ).

If you really want to become a primary modeler/animator or help with a game, you can finish Unit IV in the tutorial and then take this brief tutorial if you're interested in game making: Blender 3D: Blending into Python

By doing one unit a month, you get full membership in BNG as well as any and all benefits that come with it! From someone who's taken most of the tutorial, I can say it's not incredibly difficult and you actually feel like you're getting the hang of it by halfway through the first unit.

Also, current BNGers. I'll be making a mandate of this upon those who I'm are not busy this summer (Busy meaning Nusua or Krayce - they amongst a few others will be exempt from this mandate) to also do the same work that the members of our Support Group will be doing. As I have been quoted "I have a dream that one day everyone will be able to 3D model and 3D animate."

By learning this stuff, I'm not asking you to be particularly good at it, just being able to understand things when people talk about meshes and baking and stuff like that as well as being able to help render something should somebody need you to do it.

So with that: It's summer. That's roughly 3 months of free time. Chances are you could finish the 3 units by the end of the month by putting in less than an hour a day. I'm not asking for much. Just a minimum.

And who knows - maybe BNG will be more successful than anyone thought before!

This post has been edited by Lewa Krom on Jun 17 2010, 05:33 PM

With any luck Lewa Krom is still stopping by here every now and then. To be honest I dont think Ill wind up being much help, but I do have a computer with some musclepower, so maybe Ill be able to pitch in one way or another. Keep passing me any major updates on BNG and Ill at least try to give you guys some news page coverage.

I try to check pretty often. Thanks for being supportive of our project. I might take you up on the offer with your "musclepowered" computer

Also, because I just realized we haven't updated our progress here lately:

Jaller in Cart

Twilight Takanuva

Tahu Lava Surfing Test

Bordakh

Street in Ta-Metru

Matoro - Metru Nui Version

We hopefully will be getting our first trailer of The Empire up soon as well as some other treats to tide us over until the release of The Empire (Release Date: Spring-Summer 2011)

This post has been edited by Lewa Krom on Nov 3 2010, 09:14 PM

I'll be on here, too, so feel free to ask me questions as well.

-L

This post has been edited by Lunekk on Nov 4 2010, 01:35 AM

Every time the mouse falls on the floor it manages to close my broswer window, its bad enough ten random other things keep doing it too >_>

Anyway, the work looks impressive so far, especially the Ta Metru street.

My computer is a year, maybe two years old, but it does have an ati quad core, four gigs of ram, and a 512 MB video card. Its also running a software raid 0 for a secondary drive, and I cant find another ati radeon hd 4850 to pair with the original in crossfire mode, but it should at least be able to handle a rendering program fairly well.

Couldn't view the png's, but the others look pretty impressive, particularly Jaller.

This post has been edited by Takal on Dec 12 2010, 09:09 PM

Woah-- I love that Takanuva model!

All this stuff is really kool. Good luck on your project.

New Takanuva and Takua Desktop Background

Credit to Omegalucas of BNG

Well done on the Takua/Takanuva pic. I still like the Jaller one the most, though.

This post has been edited by Takal on Dec 12 2010, 09:09 PM

We are now hiring for new positions. If you are interested in joining Bionicle: Next Generation please look over these and then PM me if you are interested in a position

Translators - We are accepting translators for versions of our films in other languages. You must be capable of having relatively good grammar in that language. Being fluent is preferred. We will take up to 3 people per language.

Website Design - If you are talented with managing websites, creating webpages, etc. this job may be for you. Positions are limited.

Script Editors - Responsible for editing scripts and weeding out any corny lines as well as improving upon dialogue. Positions are limited. Please provide examples of your previous works.

Voice Managers - Responsible for piecing together actors audio clips. Must have proficiency in Audacity or other voice editing program.

Also looking for people who have experience working on Wikis.

We still have positions open for other parts of the projects.

Artists are needed for concept art, storyboards, and an all new comic series collaboration with Mata Nui Inc. If you are interested in working on any of those or all of those you may want to consider working for us. Space is unlimited.

Modelers, animators, or Blender novices. All are welcome! If you feel that you are not very good at the moment, we can help you improve along the way. Space is unlimited.

Musicians of all sorts from singers to composers to people who play musical instruments are needed. Space is unlimited.

Film editors, sound editors, picture editors, all are needed.

-Lewa Krom

This post has been edited by Lewa Krom on Nov 23 2010, 02:02 AM

I downloaded that desktop. It looks awesome!

Alright, just so you guys know, the audition period for Onepu, Mavrah and Nuparu is still open.

Im having some difficulty trying to open the file to do the rendering for you guys. I downloaded and installed everything okay but blender seems to see everything but the file folder you need me to work with, any ideas?

UPDATE: Some random stupid feature of Windows 7 prevented me from opeing the file in blender, but I've got it fixed now. I should be able to get it rendered in a day or so if I can properly read the instructions. If not Ill post a note here and PM lewa Krom.

I had my computer running for a good 12 or so hours and it didnt seem to be finished, in fact it seemed to be stuck rendering the same screen. I accidentaly click the X trying to minimize it, and it closed down without giving me an "are you sure?" message box. I can seem to get the "recover last session" feature to work either, nor can I seem to locate the actual render it had just been working on, can this be fixed or does the whole thing have to be restarted?

Okay, I've got somone else rendered it. The next animation I send you (this one will be larger) I'll try to get those bugs fixed in the next animation (a 4-5 minute movie). I'm sorry for not getting back to you right away. It should be ready in a week or so and the bugs should be fixed this time.

Thanks for the help and support and I'm sorry about the problems with this past animation.

I just hope I didnt set you guys back by much in the process. As far as bugs during rendering go, is there anything I can look out for when checking up on the rendering process to make sure everythings working correctly? I know video rendering takes a long time, butwas the 12 hours + my computer spent on camera-one normal, and is there a way to safley take advantage of my quad core without overclocking it?