Back into the Magic.

Tests: lighting, color and texture.

Using the RGB lighting setup, I have added my own textures to the lighting, and am pretty stoked for the results.

Black and White Textures

.

Textures against blue sky BG.

Started to assemble first layer in scene in After Effects.

Uploaded on Youtube. Link below

http://youtu.be/2GYH8un5PrE

 Faster to use a Turbulent Displace on Single rendered image, then to animate in Maya. 

Have decided to work on first layer of scene. Show below. 

Will Render out many Clouds in Maya applying the different textures I did the tests with, assembling in After Effects. 

The Creation of Clouds.

Completed first Cloud.

Will not have trouble creating many to make the scene I'm attempting.
Have decided to use two different cloud types.
One for the front layer of the scene, and the cloud above for the second layer of scene.
Render time is long.

Will Continue to build more clouds to make a scene then experiment with lighting and texture.

The tests with the Maya Clouds as applied to 2D backgrounds look good. I feel I will be able to add
the dimension I am after. It's going to look great when I animate the clouds.

Below are the test made with the emfxclouds.
The last one with the red circle around the cloud shows me the potential of mixing the 2 'D's'. (2D+3D=<3)

Also made clouds with a simple maya fluid container. The render time is a fraction of what the emfxcloud script is. 

Below are the tests made against photoshop Bg's applying various layer blends.

Next phase will be to build two layers of clouds using the emfxcloud script in maya, and start to build reference picture below. 

Will have to spend some time on the lighting.

Project Proposal

Experimentation with 3D clouds and textures combined with 2D hand drawn elements.

1. R&D weather effects in Maya Dynamics, Particles
2. Maya Fluid Dynamics, Rain Effect 3. Maya, Vapor, smoke, using 3D Fluid Container

Objective: The main aim of the project is to create realistic cloud, rain and smoke effects in dynamics. Attempt to trick the eye into perceiving an infinite depth.

Research will will done into achieving a combination of textured 3D clouds as shown in the illustration below.

Expected Results: 
While compositing in After Effect I hope to bring together my textures created in Photoshop, with the cloud effects created in Maya. This is where I will experiment and hope to achieve in animation what I have illustrated below.

I also hope to create a transition that will be smooth and interesting. Leading from the deep color to that of a uniform starry night.

Composite: will be done in After effects where textures and color effects will applied

Programs : Photoshop, After Effects, Maya.

Software Resource List : 
Maya Script: emfxCLOUDS 

Script download link.

creativecrash.com/maya/downloads/scripts-plugins/dynamics/c/emfxclouds-cloud-generator

Reference: Visual Objective

Links

Clouds

http://vimeo.com/28378410

Rain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOvS1jWVFZI

Fluid Container

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=r9BGARKpU5o#t=1051

R&D tests

Week 4: Start Cloud Tutorial

Week 5: Expand on Tutorial, work the cloud sequence into a scene close to the reference image provided above. Research if I bring in many layers of clouds into AE, and animate each layer differently, with different timings, will I be able to achieve an interesting effect?

I will test to see if I can adjust the dynamics in Maya I can simply render out many different layers from the original. 

Week 6: Continue to build scene, experiment with applying photoshop textures in Maya, or if it will be easier with masks in After Effects. 

Week 7: Apply textures and begin to R&D lighting and color. 

Week 8: Render tests

Week 9: Animate clouds and possibly render

Week 10: Finalizing the cloud effect and bring into after effects. 

Week 11: Continue testing in AE. Experiment with different effects and try to surprise myself.

Week 12: Camera Move, additional lighting. Finish, I hope.

Part 2 (if I finish the first quickly, or possible next step)

Apply 3D clouds and vapors to second scene.

Examine in depth the possibilities combining vapors, smoke, with after effect masking and textures.

Examine Photoshop textures applied to planes, and terrain, in Maya.

R&D generative art and possibilities applied to animation.

Pipeline : Time Frame