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Charles Smith

Portfolio: Art & Animation
Engineering + Chocolateering

 

If you think orcas are cute, you're not a seal.

I've been interested in Pacific Northwest Native American iconography for a while, and I took it upon myself to make a fanciful 3D version of their whale.

This was rendered with "ToonShader" to give it that Illustrator look.
Shot of the 3D whale in the maya interface.
   
 

Anijam

The idea here is that a bunch of people start out with a certain scene, and they each animate a segment that ends with the same image it started. Here's my bit from an anijam at the university of Michigan late 2005.

Still
Animation (~1 meg .wmv)

The video seems to work best if you save it locally first (right click, save as...).

   
 

Fused Deposition Machines and Character Modeling

My pal Dan Chapman has a wonderful little self-published martial arts comic book whose Japanese title translates to "Way of the Idiot." I took some of his sketches, created a surface skeleton using splines, and then some of 3D Studio's surfacing tools to place NURBS patches and apply materials as appropriate. The results are shown below. Since I had access to a Fused Deposition Modeling Machine (FDM), I simply had to make myself a physical model.

After finding out that my father-in-law loves gorillas and owned stock in the company that made the FDM machine, I had another go at character modeling. This time, I used an alternative technique, making the gorilla (on the right) by taking a box, manipulating its faces, and applying a global 'smooth' modifier.

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NURBS model of KARATEGUY
FDM model
Gorilla (lookout Peter Jackson!)
   
 

Giant, Nuclear-Powered, Megalomaniac, Tamagotchi-Possessed Ant

That is a character in a friend of mine's web-comic dealing with the wacky antics of a group of nuclear engineers and Berkeley. This is a flash animation advert I cooked up years ago.

(External Link)
   
 

Star Diver

My interpretation of a StarDiver, a starship which uses the gradational well of massive stellar bodies to activate its FTL drive. The concept is from an old sci-fi story a friend wrote. Done in 3DStudioMax with no post-processing.

Hope the FTL works soon...
   
 

Architectural Visualization

The Berkeley Manufacturing Institute's new prototyping lab (grand opening in January 2001) provides undergraduates hands on experience with injection molding, solid freeform fabrication, and advanced CNC machining. The Ford Foundation generously provided funds for the design and construction.

  • I used 3D Studio to do the pre-visualizations (Below)
  • Worked with the Berkeley faculty and staff to determine best use for the space
  • Collaborated with Noll & Tam Architects on fleshing out the design
  • Worked with the general contractor to troubleshoot problems during construction
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View from above.
View from above redux.
Fake students at work.
They built it!

Dan Chapman helped out by providing the 2D sketches of the people.