Playing with discreet Balloons

By Filipe M. Deschamps
Web: Open Site
Software used: 3ds Max


Intro

The focus in this project was the composition between real and virtual elements. For the virtual elements I used
discreet 3ds max 6 and post produced with Adobe Photoshop CS.
Actually, this is a very simple composition and the hardest task was creating the virtual balloon.
From the creation of the balloon, the hardest task was the sailcloth shader. Unfortunately a bug in 3ds max 6 was
ignoring the shader super sampling when a Blend Material was used. After I found a workaround, everything worked as
expected.
Below you will find the two primary elements: on the left a real photo available at maps/backgrounds directory in
3ds max and the virtual balloon on the right.



In relation to the model of the balloon, everything was started constructing a sequence of Shapes simulating the
main format of the balloon.



After that, I transformed this object into NURBS and created the surface of the balloon as shown below.



Then I modeled the small sailcloth close at the bottom of the balloon with NURBS to and initiated the construction
of the basket with its rubber edge. This edge was modeled from a Shape Box.



Continuing the modeling of the basket, I added definition and details, like the iron structure formed in its majority
from primitives and Splines.



I finished the details of the basket creating the inferior red rubber, the rope around the basket and the ropes
holding it.



The last modeling process was the ropes that are between buds of the sailcloth. Using the tools in NURBS of 3ds
max I accurately extracted the lines that skirted the balloon, horizontal and vertical lines, and created a solid structure
from this.



The last modeling process was the ropes that are between buds of the sailcloth. Using the tools in NURBS of 3ds
max I accurately extracted the lines that skirted the balloon, horizontal and vertical lines, and created a solid structure
from this.



During the construction of the model I had already started to create the materials. They aren't complex. The most
complex material is the sailcloth and it was composed mainly by two maps: a Gradient Ramp applied to the Diffuse
channel, which I defined the blue coloration with the white central stripe and one another Gradient Ramp applied to the
Bump channel with thousands of repetitions to simulate the specific aspect of the canvas. This material was mixed with
another material that has discreet logo.
In this situation the Super Sampling was essential to keep the pixels quality and definition.



For the final scene illumination, I used an Omni on the left projecting a blue color, a Spotlight on the right
projecting a light yellow color and a Skylight with Light Tracer simulating a global illumination.




I pasted the balloon to the landscape photo and started correcting its coloration for a better fusing with the
environment. Then I created its shadows from a copy of itself, totally black with a lower opacity. After that, I used the
Diffuse Glow filter to simulate Specular Bloom effect also produced by Glare shader of mental ray. This filter blows up the
clearest areas of the image affecting their illumination.
Next, I applied a Noise filter to break some of the balloon CG aspect and tunned the general color, contrast
brightness of the image.



I finished the project with a little joke. I included a black edge, the MTV logo to the right, the legend and a
television channel simulating a removed frame from a video clip in television.