3D at DLB – Part Two
Two weeks ago, I described how DLB uses 3D modeling to give its projects that extra-special sauce. Today, I’m going to take you back into the kitchen and show you how it’s done.
Before things get rolling, I should say that I’m only going to provide a 1,000 ft. view of our process. This is for two reasons: 1.) every project is different, so the best I can do is provide a summary of the steps we take, and 2.) this needs to fit into a digestible blog post, so I can’t be too verbose with my details (lest I venture into QED territory). If there is enough demand, in the future I can write up something more in-depth.
In general, there are four steps to generating a graphic from a 3D object the DLB way:
1. get a model, 2. render the model, 3. vectorize the rendering, 4. style the graphic.
We’ll cover steps 1 and 2 today and finish off 3 and 4 in future posts.
Step 1- Modeling
First things first, we need a model. If you’re interested in making your own, there are plenty of free modeling packages out on the web. SketchUp is a good place to start learning if you are a beginner. Blender is another option. It’s a bit more challenging, but offers a more comprehensive range of features.
If modeling isn’t your thing, there are a number of free models to be found on the web. Just be sure to respect their owner’s copyrights if you are going to use them for commercial or personal gain.
TIP: If you’re modeling or looking for a model, it’s best to go for a more exaggerated or simplified look than something that looks detailed or realistic. Emphasize the most important aspects of the object; focus on legibility, especially if you’re going to use them for icons.
I won’t go through the actual steps of making or loading a model as it’s beyond the scope of this tutorial. Rather, let’s assume that you’ve got your model and go from there.
Step 2- Rendering
- Once you have a model, the first thing to do is set up a camera view. How to do this varies depending on your software, but in any case, create of viewpoint that you want to turn into a 2D asset.
We’re going to create a rendering from this view, but first we need to do a little prep work. Typically, renderings have a finished look, but we don’t want that for this tutorial. We’re going to use the 3D model to create a clean graphic that we’ll finish in Photoshop later.
- In order to make it easier to read the model’s geometry, create and apply some colored materials to the different pieces of your objects.
We’re not looking for accuracy, just high contrast. Each piece should stand out from its neighbors. This is going to make it much easier for us when we vectorize it.
- Give it a test rendering and inspect your work. If you can’t read the edges of an object, you may need to explode some faces and apply more contrast materials. Adjusting the scene lighting for higher contrast might help, as well.
- Once everything is looking good, render your camera view to a fairly large size, lossless image (start at say 800 x 600, .tif format). The bigger the image, the easier it will be to work with later—especially if you have fine details in your model.
The image on the left is rendered close to the actual asset size. The image on the right is rendered much larger, which should make it much easier for you (or the computer) to trace.
Now we’re ready for step 3. See you back soon.
Have a great 4th of July!
