Lei Feng Network (search "Lei Feng Network" public concern) : Author of this article Li Si, technical director of optical and digital VR project.
VR now seems to be a hot topic, but there is no accident in the country has become an invisible puzzle, just like Bitcoin full of geek spirit came to this magical land has become a speculative tool.
In a staggered environment, the team that really develops VR content is actually very handful. During this period, the powerful and powerful companies may wait and see. I think this is the right choice. If you let a big company create, you may not be able to create anything. Game companies with technical strength are focusing on how to sell more equipment. Project-oriented small and medium-sized 3D technology companies are struggling to cope with various customers and maintain cash flow. Therefore, it is really rare to come up with a VR content that looks a little bit like a VR. What do you think? Everyone says that in VR, there is no Come out something.
But understandably, after all, it is a new thing. Everyone has a similar starting point and time. Communication and learning together during this period have become a matter of business. In order to share the progress of our recent progress with the content development fellows, first release a review piece (click on the video ) to participate in the CHINAJOY exhibition, in order to share ideas, share learning, and watch together.
Let's take a look at the development of a VR DEMO.
Let's take a look at a few of the previous art settings: Art settings are the first link in the script's technical execution process, whether it's in video, games, or VR, and provide visual guidance for subsequent sessions.
Here's a brief introduction to the development process that everyone may care about:
1, on the development of a certain amount of time required for VR DEMO60 days ago a book called "UNITY From Getting Started to Proficient" was put on the desk of our conference room. We also wondered whether this development time was a good thing and whether it was easy to be considered as another "China speed." "The stuff that comes out."
Later, we replaced the UE engine. Of course, the UE may be very happy. You see how efficient our engine is, how effective it is, how convenient the blueprint is, how easy the mall resources are...
In addition, it should be pointed out that in fact, the 60-day period did not start on a zero-based basis. Our team is older and basically 30+. It has accumulated 10 years of basic 3D art experience and has long played the role of Party B, resulting in technology. Landing and time are better conceptually. In addition to this, we are creating something for ourselves. Everyone has invested in it thoroughly. So I said that it was a strange and happy time. Of course, the price paid was also very high. We did not pick up any new business orders during this period.
Its practicality is really not important. We have also seen various clever articles about the above-mentioned gods. We have discussed whether VR development uses UE or UNITY. The opinion is almost one-sided to UNITY. Similar to UE, it will fall out of the pit... But we thought for a while that we were still suitable for UEs, and now we are still relatively happily alive. Did the story of “The Little Horse Cross the River†have been read?
I recalled the tools we used before: MAX and MAYA. Both are good, see what you do, if you are doing architectural animation, use MAX, because fast; to do character-based animation movie, use MAYA, action module is easy to use, which is conducive to team collaboration.
In addition to its implementation in the UE has been particularly hard to do, to see his official tutorial, the mall is a look at a lot of effort, and blueprints this tool is also particularly suitable for the visual team to use.
But looking at the official number of the UE's public account each time the amount of reading is so small that it touches people. There is an interesting contrast with the fiery VR themes in China. I really don't know what to watch.
There is also a relatively big problem that the UE will have fewer people. We can only spend our time trying to figure it out. The ready-made people are not easy to find. This method is called death.
I think our advantage is still in the visual design. For example, we think different scenes. The Vive handle as an interactive tool should also have different themes. So there are all kinds of beautiful handles. I think I can go to the official mall.
Now I think that the origin of VR content development in China can be divided into several types:
The first is a panoramic video with a relatively low technical threshold . Most of the previous generations were actually made before. The previous name was usually the director.
The second is a game company . The advantage is that it is similar to VR in terms of procedures and work flow. It is easy to make technical transitions. However, if you want to pursue visual effects, it is better to be the next-generation game. All of them are mobile online games, and the next generation is mainly outsourcing processing.
The third kind is the former CG industry . It is ours. The advantage is the pursuit of visual comparison. There are some foreign companies that have done a good job before. This is also the way before, but it needs to be upgraded technically. Transformation, but fortunately, the underlying principles are similar, one can understand.
The fourth is a program/team . The advantage is that you can develop code that compares to the X, write the shader you want, and get the features you want. The place where you need to work hard is how to get things done.
Finally, there is another way to say that you are doing VR.
Blueprint is a visual module programming developed by UE to improve work efficiency. This thing helps us very much. Without our DEMO, we can't come out.
Give a chestnut:
In the second half of DEMO, your arms turned into wings. You flew your wings and flew toward the sky. You came to a salt lake with water and sky, and your wings turned into feathers floating in the sky... a romantic scene.
To achieve this thing you need to use the help of the blueprint, of course, we are very grounded in the label, can understand to read.
Is it something like this:
Everyone has different styles of nodes, which is an elegant style.
In short, this is a full-blown DEMO without a single line of code. Doesn't it sound big enough? In fact, why is the UE development blueprint not to allow you to focus on the things that help the final result? The process that suits your team is the right one.
5, another technical point: PBR process
The PBR process is still referred to as the game industry borrowing from the CG industry, but what is embarrassing is that we rarely even have UVs in the late stage of the CG industry due to the type of project.
The PBR material system allows objects to display more realistic textures and rich details in the engine. This is also a common material system for this generation of game engines. Artists draw textures and maps in accordance with the logic of the real world light when working. Material. Substance Tools series software based on this system integrates mapping, material, shader and other systems from the original multi-software tools into a complete system. At the same time, the flexible workflow greatly saves the production time and facilitates the serialization of texture materials. Iterate and update to make the material mapping work more intuitive and efficient.
Using the software Substance painter, this process is much better than our previous year's PS and MAX flattening textures.
6, more technical dry goods:Because there is no way to write too many technical gadgets in the article, or else it will become a tutorial... Follow-up We will release a dry, non-trivial documentary. It may take up to half an hour. It records the entire development process. Today, there is a trailer (click on the video to watch ) . The style is quite different. It is a criminal investigation, but the positive film may be replaced by a literary freshman...
The following is a part of artistic creation
Technology is very important, but in the face of a new audiovisual experience, the creation of Very is important, but it is also a difficult point in the VR experience design.
7. Topics about VR experienceThis is actually a relatively unpopular subject. Most of the VRs that can be seen now are the subject of gun shooting. I feel that we seem to be more interested in cultural subjects . Plus we have several colleagues who are aviation enthusiasts. This theme.
We noticed that there was a foreign team doing the Apollo moon landing experience on STEAM and downloaded it to learn. However, we think he gave us some wrong experience. This team I think is a bunch of bored engineers. Too boring, can not stand. Cultural output is something we are good at. It may have something to do with previous work experience, and we should use new technologies to do something meaningful. Daguai must be there, but it would be wrong if Daguai were all.
My own conclusion is that the best theme is your own favorite, in-depth study, and then is suitable for VR expression is a good theme.
From a creative point of view, before the director took a camera and asked you to see where it was, there was something montage about you; but in the world of VR, you are the participants, and the director needs to guide you to see He wants you to see and participate.
Since 2008, we have participated in the planning and implementation of a number of live events. I think this experience is in fact connected with VR. In a large space, where is the movement, which gives light, how to guide the line of sight, and promote the plot Development is a matter of exquisiteness and fun.
So I think VR's visual language is not a film, but a live event or performance.
From the technical process point of view, the original synthesis and editing posts were retired, but there was no total retreat, but it was only a change of platform, UE actually added a non-linear editing, you can also have a post-filter or something, Really interesting.
There are roughly 20 or so people involved before and after, and most of the people will concentrate on the position of the 3D art material, which is similar to the distribution of game development personnel. There is a director. Our honest Pu An teacher comes to co-ordinate the entire project and grasps it artistically. Then I and other colleagues will work together to push forward from the technical process.
At the root level, it may be a bit big to start this topic. The advantage is that the entire audition language will be explored more thoroughly and thoroughly. The downside is that it leads to a lot of resources to be done, although we have been particularly good at doing it for the past decade. Quantity, selling a great team. However, in a limited period of time, it will lead to the accuracy of some resources still not being adequately implemented, and it will be better if there is more time. It is expected that the pits that could not be climbed out are actually very lucky but are not met. They are always fierce and fortunate. For example, they began to think that so many objects will surely come out in the end, but they are still good at frame rate through reasonable loading and hiding. In fact, the engine's carrying capacity is better than we thought.
Small experience: first use the general graphics tone, because taking into account to be released to STEAM, you can not ask everyone's video card is very good, we are the general distribution of the GTX960, 970, need to transfer to most of the levels are very smooth, Finally, the last GTX 1080 on the display was even better. Although I wrote it, it was very good.
Reminder: If you do things yourself, then do a good job of copyright matters, don't use them, buy the music you bought, if it is not the best greet for business, call it, do not learn CCAV...
