Music

[Muvlo]

I've started an image with the theme of music. I don't know what the final image will be yet, but here are a few test images of various possible elements for the scene.

(Not 100% ZBrush. I used Corel PhotoPaint to make the alpha for the stand and the texture for the music.)

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1011458377hhw.jpg http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1011459363pgz.jpg

Hope you enjoy. :)

[rhom]

A beautiful start.If this is an indication
of what the finished product will be I'm looking forward to the unveiling.

[robotalk]

Excellent -- It looks like you've taken such care with the total reality of the details that your project will be a flawless joy to view when completed :tu: :tu:

[Muvlo]

Thanks for you comments! :)

Also:
Could somebody take a look at these files? I can't get them to load into ZBrush, it gives me an error message.
musicscroll.ZTL (http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_file-1011463977rfr.ztl) and musicpeg.ZTL (http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_file-1011464004feg.ztl).

It is also not loading a ZBR recently saved. Hmm.

Thanks for any help. :)

[ed_the_atom]

No sorry mulvo they don't load.

[aurick]

A very nice start, indeed! It's going to be fun to watch this one develop.

I couldn't load them, either. It's possible that Pixolator or Davey will manage to figure out what happened, though, and fix the problem for you. (Knowing Pix, he's probably already looking at it. LOL)

Keep up the good work!

[Muvlo]

Well, thanks for trying anyway. :)
I've just tried again, saving and reloaing, and it works now. Odd. :)

Here is another test, for a bow.

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1011467584pxp.jpg

[DeeVee]

This image should turn out to be one of the classics if you continue as you have started. Congratulations on what you have contributed so far. That bow is, as juandel would say, fantasticio !

[Stonecutter]

The start is very impressive, and I hope the warm tones you have on the parts you've posted are an indication of the mood....I feel a Late Victorian, oil painting type of lighting would really rock with these sort of cues! Wonderful start, and thanks for the preview!
:cool: :tu: :tu: :tu: :cool:

[drjjwow]

looks like a very cool project here muvlo.. sorry to hear about the ztools not working but im glad that you were able to fix them.. cant wait to see the final image..

[Ron Harris]

hiyas Muvlo, I sense a masterpiece coming on....the teasers you gave us look very delectable...keep us posted for sure... :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool:

[filament9]

Nice! This one should be a classic image - no pun intended. :tu: :tu: :tu:

[banez]

cool im into clasical insterments...
you might export it as a OBJ for a back up :tu:

[Muvlo]

Thanks all. This is lots of fun for me. I've done this type of thing in both Rhino3D and Maya, but ZBrush has so much flexability that it makes a day of work in one of the other two happen in minutes. :)
(BTW Dr., I actually didn't get the tools to load, I meant that other tools now work. :))

I do have a question. :)

I'm working on the bridge right now.
I found a nice template to help me with the shape. I got all ready to make it, and:
"Hmmm. I don't have a clue how to do it!"

The problem is this:

A plane with the a texture that has black could be transparencied. The problem with this is I now have a very very flat bridge.
A really bridge is not made out of paper. :D

Any ideas? :)

[Stonecutter]

How about making an alpha from the shape, applying it to a high-rez plane as a mask, inverting, hide points, and offset in Z?

[DM]

This looks an impressive begining, I'll be awaiting the final unveiling.
Dave

[white rabbit]

it looks like it's going to be beautiful. keep up the good work and keep us in the loop.

[Muvlo]

Thanks for the comments DM and White Rabbit. :)
Ah, Stonecutter, oh Bolt of Brilliance, I think that what you say should do it! By having two copies of what you've discribed, back to back, it will be as a whole. :) Thanks! (Oh Brilliance has graced you...) (Do I sound excited?) (I guess I'm just happy to know where to go...) (Is it correct to put all of these comments-within-parentheses together?)

[Muvlo]

Here is a picture showing the bridge on an incomplete violin body:
http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1011551822vwv.jpg

Here's another question:
How do I make the f-holes? (F-Holes are little 'f' shaped holes on both sides of the bridge.) I can't seem to get a nice cut look from the body. Suggestions? :)

[kelly_b_c]

I would suggest creating an alpha mask in the shape of the f-hole. To get the smooth edge you will have to increase the mesh density in the area of the f-hole. Then apply the alpha to that area and use z-subtract or even z-move to create the hole.

At least that should get you started in the right direction. The biggest thing will be to increase the mesh density in the area of the f-holes. My opinions.

-edit
by the way, this stuff looks great so far! I truly appreciate music and the instruments used to create it.

[brn]

Great work so far. I'm looking forward to watching your progress and seeing the finished product.

[drjjwow]

kelly is right muvlo i would use a alpha as well or i would just fake it with a stencil..

[Stonecutter]

Exceedingly cool Bridgework.... :rolleyes:
Ya' know, it would be nice if, at some point you were to put ALL these little pieces in thumbnail together so we could have a 'collage' of the seperate parts...

With the lighting you're using, so warm and golden, these parts are all pieces of art already! :tu: :tu: :tu: :tu: :tu: :tu: :cool:

(EDIT In regard to your question about the F-Holes, this is going to sound off the wall, but remember I'm a painter, and cut me some slack....How about placing the violin in the final position it's going to be in, making an Alpha of your F-Hole template, using it with 'Flat Color' material and painting your holes? You would leave ZAdd off, paint with MRGBZ on, or just RGB, and when you were done, you would turn ZAdd on, paint the smooth ridge around the hole, and 'Voila!'...F-Holes...
You could adjust the light and shadow within the black shape of the holes with the shading enhancer brush to suggest light and shadow within..
I Told You It Was Off The Wall... )

[Muvlo]

Well, here is what I've ended up doing for the f-holes:

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1011570535fab.jpg

I used the simplebrush with an alpha of an f to paint on the hole. I then applied it to the model with TextureMaster. :)

[Stonecutter]

That works for me!! :tu:
I might go around the holes with a single layer brush, low Z-Intensity, and a fairly large size to bring the 'rounded-edge' look to the holes, but this is looking superb, man! :tu: :tu: :tu: :cool:

[Stargo]

Nice images, Muvlo :tu: :tu: :tu:

stargo
___________
My homepage (http://www.juergenkilp.com)

[kelly_b_c]

Hey, that works too!

My real comment is on the wood material (or is it a texture?) you have there. That is a great likeness, did you make that wood material yourself? It is great.

[Muvlo]

Here's an update:

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1011597742qpg.jpg

The tailpiece and body still need more modeling work. Plus the tuners.

About the texture, Kelly, I used TextureMaster. I positioned the model facing me and painted it a base redish-brown. Then, using (I think) Alpha07 (the one with dots) I SimpleBrushed on color variations. Then the Smudge brush to streak it. A material with a fair amount of Specularity was aplied. I modified its graph so the Specularity spreads out a bit. And that's pretty much it. :)

[dOb]

Wow, wow... What a beautifully modeled instrument it is... I wish I could play :(

[drjjwow]

that looks so awesome im sure glad your using zbrush for this image well aleast some of it... keep us updated..

[DeeVee]

You are making fantastic progress. I wish you continued success with this project.

[Ron Harris]

this piece is really coming along great....though I hadnt commented on it I had been watching its progress...it will be a thing of beauty to say the least... :tu: :tu:

[robotalk]

These instruments are lovely--I admire your work --this is going to be a fine picture when you complete it--as are all the samples :tu: :tu: :tu:

[Muvlo]

Thanks for the comments. :)
I must now set out to remake the scroll. (First picture in the thread.) I'll be more careful about saving procedures. :)

[Muvlo]

Here is the partially complete Scroll version 2.0:

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1011638330tft.jpg

The scroll is still a bit wobbly looking, so it need more modeling work. And it needs peg holes. :)

[Stonecutter]

Fascinating to watch your methods, Muvlo, as well as to see your fine results...
Maybe you might want to apply an 'Optimize' to the scroll? I think that would smooth it out, and then you could refine the curve...
I DO hope you put a thumbnail collection together! :tu: :tu: :tu: :cool:

[Smiles]

Muvlo
Your work here is simply amazing! I cant wait to see the finished piece. Thanks so much for posting your progress! :) :) :)

[Muvlo]

Updated image with a better, more accurate, and optimized scroll. (Thanks Stonecutter.) :)

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1011660827onc.jpg

Still to do... let us see...
:b2: Better textures for scroll, neck, bridge, and body.
:b2: Smooth out some modeling problems on various parts.
:b2: Create pegs. (These are just standin models.)
:b2: Create fine tuners.
:b2: Create strings.
:b2: A lot more stuff I haven't even realized I need to do yet. ;)

[DeeVee]

Nice update, I think that the colouring is a lot more realistic also. I await the next installment of this project.

[PusGhetty]

Beautiful modeling... a tough object to model in any app! Has a hand carved look! Very nicely done! :tu: :tu: :tu:

[Stonecutter]

Hey Man, that scroll is mucho improved! :tu:
The ambition in taking on a project of this complexity will pay off bigtime!
I like to think of it this way...The higher you aim the better, because if you aim for the stars and miss, you land on the roof...
If you aim for the roof, and miss you hit the ground. Setting the bar so high merely means that your 'failure' will be more significant than a success in a less ambitious project...

Personally, I have no doubt of your success!!! :tu: :tu: :tu: :cool:

(An Edit: Muvlo, pardon a smartass here, but I was thinking...On the body of the violin, have you considered masking the outer surface of the body, and doing an 'inverted inflate'? My thought is that if you stop the masking short of the edges top and bottom, you could create that little 'edge' the body has on the top, and the bottom...I know I'm not explaining this well, so if you don't understand my fractured syntax, get in touch, and I'll explain more clearly!)

[Mentat7]

I love it Muvlo!! Being a violinist I can especially appreciate the artistic renderings of both the instrument and sheet music. Very nice!

[Muvlo]

Thanks for the comments. :)

And a big thanks to Stonecutter for that idea. I understand what you mean, and my previous attempts at this have failed. I shall go try your idea and see what's to be seen. :)

[Muvlo]

Great! It works! I won't post a picture yet, I want to refine it first, but thank you indeed for that suggestion. :)

[juandel]

Muvlo, amigo, you are up to make some of the best classical music i ever looked at :D no, seriously: i am in a flabberghasted state of mind since the first peeks you shared - absolutely wonderful project! :tu: :tu: :tu: :tu: etc. etc.

- juandel