Shiala: The Mirage Anniversary

• Tomorrow marks a full year since I released my first subscription-based animation. In celebration, I now re-release it for free (minus the bonus content). No, not everything will go free eventually. Just this one since it was the first.

Crossing the Line: Release

Somewhere on Illum, Samara, an Asari Justicar, finds herself in an unusual situation; but at least she isn't alone?

• This is the Free Release video. An alternate angle/side will be finished later today or tomorrow and posted for Tier 3 (Investor) Subscribers.
• The alternate angle is full length as well. This is 'technically' a double release. I had thought it was shorter, but Crossing is actually average length for my videos so far.
• This is Part 1. Later additions will be added in time, showing more progression with the situation. Most things I create have that concept in mind; sequels. Due to locks and constraints, I'll have to remake the machine again for them, but that shouldn't be too much of an issue.
• I've stopped using the 3, 2, 1, intro bit. It's not really suitable for all things. Fallout or Old Style Film, sure, but future settings like Mass Effect? Comics? Not so much.
•  I was going to list Likes/Dislikes, but my opinion matters not now. Hopefully you like it more than dislike.

Weekly WIP #11

•  Constraints are so useful if you can sort how to use them well. The chain, for example, in Samara preview isn't animated. No keyframes. It's all locks and constraints. Several other bones are like that. I've used constraints before, but not to this extent or effect. It's much better now than before.

•  Still working on a blush for her. I keep getting it too long on the sides and it wraps around and into her ears, or too short and it never goes off the nose. Not sure if I can get one on the chest or not. The shape of the texture, before it gets wrapped around the model, is one I'm not familiar with. Daz3D ones? Got it covered. This one? Gonna take a bit to get correct.

•  Decided that some window background for this was in order. Miranda had it; Ships flying around. A sun coming into view from behind a planet.

"If it's not in the camera view, it doesn't matter."

• I keep telling myself this and I still spent 2 hours working on something that well...wasn't in view anyways. Have to rein myself in more on things like that.

• The preview video of Samara was crated a bit earlier this week. Her movements as of right now are far, far better. Even still, the ones there are pretty good, I think. Certainly gave me a good baseline to go off. And...

• Yes this will have sex sounds. Maybe not moans or groans, unless I find some that sound close enough to Samara. Game grunts, like when they get shot or smacked, usually sound like shit. Not always though. Mostly due to them being recorded in some way as the game is played rather than the game file itself.

Weekly WIP #10

•  Samara. I wonder how many people guessed correctly. People on Discord might have thought Kelly, as I've mentioned her several times on there since Sancus Program: Miranda release or Tali because she's one of my favorite characters. Surprised? Excited? I hope so.

• Model ported/created by the wonderful Stealth2111, who also created the Shiala and Aria T'loak from The Mirage animation.

• The machine (bottom left picture and not finished) has more pieces to it than any previous, even the 'Ramma' Jam', and is going to end up with the most moving parts as well. I've been working more with constraints, like the chains on Ashley Graham Black Menagerie. Source Filmmaker likes to crash when you screw those up though, so it's been a battle. Am I winning the battle? Maybe. I'd like to think so.

• The 'Viewers Area' (bottom right picture) I'm not sure exactly how I want to set it up. A bar? Club? Some penthouse living room? Leaning towards club; shocking I know since I like club themes. The two Asari are there for height/size reference. I thought that statue was bigger...

• All the same it's taking a bit to get together, but they usually do; Get the idea for the machine stuck in my head, then hunt through thousands of models for pieces to use, even if that means hiding 90% of a model for that one little part, then sorting how they go, then editing textures to match, and then seeing if all that will even look/move/respond at all how I imagine. Thankfully they usually do for the most part.

• Samara's movements are certainly the most realistic I've managed, and I am proud of how well she moves already. Next week I should have a small clip of some of that to show. I don't want to spoil everything all at once. Small doses.

• Oh, and the music is still cooperating.

Weekly WIP #9

• There isn't a lot to show visually this week, but that isn't lack of progress. The music took a lot longer to sort than usual. I must have gone through the folders 3 full times, checked sites for new things a dozen or more, and even at one point tossed all the ones picked in favor of others. It's sorted now though.

• Which means the animation has started. The 'main character', who will for now still remain anonymous, is set to the first songs timing as well as the entire camera setup for the first section.

• Trying that as a new thing: camera first. Instead of animating and fighting to get the cameras to work well for it, I'll camera it all and animate in the view/angle it provides. I have a vivid enough imagination to see it all, so that might actually be the better method.

• Asari architecture is very smooth and sterile, so lots of plain grey sleek things. Some plants too though. I haven't a clue what that statue thing in the first picture is from. It looked interesting and somewhat 'Asari', so I gave it a glowing orb and a pedestal and retextured it to silver from gold.

•  A couple of the Asari soldier/guards and a wonderful arm binder by Josh Kreille on SFMLab. They make fantastic models. I use them often.

•  And that's about it. Progress is going about as well as usual, now that the music is cooperating. I had been working on a Halloween animation, the one in the graveyard scene I built, but it's on hold. Crossing the Line has my focus, much to the joy of all you Mass Effect fans, I'm sure. To be honest I like it more anyways.