The Next TG Video by me?

[danielsangeo]

Greetings, everyone!

First, I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has purchased or will purchase "De Lune" and/or "A Strange Case..." from TGComics.com! You all have been a godsend to me! English does not contain within it the words to express my gratitude to all of you! Even if you haven't purchased the videos and are supporting me on my Patreon, that's also a great help! Or even just leaving a note on one of my usual haunts, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

So, what's next with me for TG video creation? Well, originally, I had wanted to take the time after putting "A Strange Case..." up for sale to hunker down and start learning new 3D software to amplify my TG video creations rather than using the software I've been using. However, this is taking more time than I had hoped and the TG video bug is biting.

I want to make more TG videos!

However, I also want to research 3D software. Rather than alternate my time between the two goals (it is said that multitasking reduces efficiency), I thought I'd leave it up to you all.

What would you rather see me do? Devote my time to learning new 3D software or make more TG videos using the software I've been using?

The way I look at it, here is the pro and the con for learning new 3D software:

Pro: Better TG videos!
Con: It might be a year or more before I would even start working on the videos as there's a LOT to learn!

So, what do you want more? Better videos, but not soon? Or more videos sooner? Leave a vote in the poll so I can gauge what you all want! And, if you want to, leave a comment if you want to say more! Once again, thank you all so much! You are all awesome!

www.strawpoll.me/12569533

[Red Parrot]

Your work is amazing and I'd gladly pay for more of the same quality. (And that's what I voted.)

But PLEASE don't fall into the trap of thinking you can't improve without learning new software. The camera is not the photographer. The oven is not the chef. And you are more than a software version.

You are an artist. Not a programmer.

If you want honest feedback I'd say that you could stand to work on your lighting. Study and steal ideas from the masters. It's how you get better.

But here's the great thing: You can do that now while working on projects in your current software.

So keep working, keep practicing, and keep improving. But do it in an actual project that brings you joy to work on. I learned SO many technical tricks while working on my videos. They kept getting better as I did each new one. Had I spent those two years just learning those effects before finally making a single video at the end I think I would not have had nearly as much fun.

[Chiaroscuros]

I'd say keep trying to improve with what you've got. Maybe brainstorm with Surody!

It seemed in some ways the new video was better than De Lune but less detailed - maybe you can apply what you've learned on both to make the next even better!

-C

[danielsangeo]

Thanks for your kind words!

@Red Parrot: There are some problems with the current software which is creating an artificial ceiling in what I can do.

First: The graph editor in Poser is absolutely abominable:
http://orig04.deviantart.net/703d/f/...eo-db30aaf.png

In this link, you can see four options. Only four. Spline, Break Spline, Linear, and Step. This is really a huge handicap.

Here's Blender's:
http://img14.deviantart.net/c2c1/i/2...eo-db30aab.png

Not only does it have the four options Poser has, you have much better finesse and control over the splines including possibility of controlling ease-ins and ease-outs, sharp splines, gradual splines...and not only that, but you can see all the parameters at once! This is tremendous where it comes to seeing how parameters (such as rotate and translate) work in tandem. Seeing only one spline at a time is like trying to create a 2D Disney animation without being able to have "onion-skinning".

Now, this could potentially lead to what I call "spaghettification", but really, for 3D animators, that's super important. You can hide the splines you're not using at the time for better visual representation of the animation. This is what is available in Blender, in Maya, in 3DStudio, and almost every other 3D animation software package out there.

Sure, I can finagle each and every frame to get the ease-ins, ease-outs, spline-breaks with ease-ins, and whathaveyou, but it's still going to come out looking rather derpy in the long run without a severe amount of fiddling. "I just want to open the hand from a fist--why is it taking three weeks to do so?!"

And the other problem with using Poser (and even DAZ Studio) is that they aren't going to be doing what I want very well. Both Poser and DS are for character posing and animation (the former less so than the latter). Their rendering is getting much better but it still doesn't hold a candle to the renderers available to other packages such as Blender and Maya.

It's the difference between this and this. The differences, in my mind, are really stark. The former looks great, but is not as good as the latter, in my mind. The latter is what I hope to accomplish for my TG videos eventually. This just isn't possible with the toolset I currently am using.

I go to Bob Ross, who created stunning landscapes (ANOTHER thing I want to be able to do and Poser/DAZ can't really do well) with his toolset of paints. If you gave him some dirty dishwater and told him he could only use the dishwater to create a painting, I'm sure he could've done it, but it would not have come out as beautiful as he was capable of doing. 3D animation packages are the toolset, but if your toolset is lacking, you're not going to be able to do what you want as well.

@Chiaroscuros: Could you go into detail what you mean by "better...but less detailed"?

[Golvanious]

Just the opinion of a random somebody here.

Judging by the poll results, I'd say we know where this thing is leaning already. But one thing you said really stuck out as being of note to me:

"the current software which is creating an artificial ceiling in what I can do."

I've been an admirer of your work for quite some time, so just knowing that there's only so much you can do because of the tools at your disposal, well, that's just a bit frustrating. You're quite skilled at what you do -- and that ain't ass-kissing, either. I don't see why you should be restrained in any way because of some arbitrary limit.

The way I see it, I'm gonna toss my hat into the "learn the new software" ring, primarily because of the massive potential. Sure, by your own admission, it could be a while before we see the results of all that toiling, but if the rule of quality vs quantity is to be adhered to, I think the results could be well worth the effort. If you can already do what you do with these tools, who knows what kind of amazing things you'd be able to achieve by becoming knowledgeable with a superior set of tools.

That shit would be legendary.

[Dayn]

I'm interested in purchasing both Strange case, and De lune. Problem is, Tg comics uses payment methods that I've had issues with in the past, specifically orbital pay.....as it refuses to recognize my billing address.

Any other way I can get these?

[LunaticWard]

I've been working on this problem myself. I'm going the Blender route, but I'd like to use content from DAZ, especially the Genesis 3 figures.

[transformative]

Danielsangeo, as one of the oldest artists in the community I hold you in the highest regard. A number of artists that have started after you have already disappeared, but your work stands the test of time. I have been a fan of yours since the days of the siren's song and I say go with your best judgement, it's gotten you this far. If you think you'll be alright until you can learn this new software and that's what you want to do have at it. If you don't want to wait that long to put out something new go ahead and do a video. You might even be able to do both you could do something like a mini series, put out a short vid every now and then while on breaks from studying. That way you could still put content out AND learn a new program without having to do both at the same time, you could even end the series with a short vid on the new 3D program. Granted there would still be big gaps between content, and the videos themselves would be shorter but I have no doubt they'd be of the same quality. Could be a best of both worlds scenario, I'm just spit balling here though...

wow, this post is longer than I was planning on making it. sorry about that ^_^;

TLDR: go with your gut, you'll still have me as a fan either way.

[Amazeroth]

It is never wasted time to learn something new. I tried to work with 3D Max a while ago and it need a lot of time and many things to learn. It is something different to work with Poser or Daz3D, much harder in many things.

But, if you want to try it, why not. As Artist it is always important to be open for something...new.

[Red Parrot]

Originally Posted by danielsangeo

Thanks for your kind words!

@Red Parrot: There are some problems with the current software which is creating an artificial ceiling in what I can do

It sounds like you already know what you want in which case the poll was polite, but seriously, screw us and our opinions. You just do what you need to do.

[Brianxavier]

So we sneak you into Pixar's animation studio and "have at thee!"... that would be nice... hehe

Time to crack the books, Danielsan! Your going back to animation school! Wait what you already did that? ;D

--Xavier

[genderhazard]

Originally Posted by danielsangeo

Well, originally, I had wanted to take the time after putting "A Strange Case..." up for sale to hunker down and start learning new 3D software to amplify my TG video creations rather than using the software I've been using. However, this is taking more time than I had hoped and the TG video bug is biting.

I saw this video some time ago and it made an impression on me. I offer it as inspiration.

Originally Posted by danielsangeo

I want to make more TG videos!

ok, so do that.

1. Deconstruct the skill - decide exactly what you want to do when your done. Then look into the skill and break it down into smaller and smaller pieces. - the more that you can break down the skill the more you are able to decide what are the parts of the skill that would actually help you get to what you want and then you can practice those first.

2. learn enough to self correct. - get three to five resources.

3. Remove practice barriers

4. Practice at least 20 hours

Originally Posted by danielsangeo

What would you rather see me do? Devote my time to learning new 3D software or make more TG videos using the software I've been using?

This is procrastination. What do YOU want to do?

What do your current tools not allow you to do that you want to? (i.e. Why do you want new 3D software?) - "I just want to open the hand from a fist--why is it taking three weeks to do so?!"

If the new software is more efficient perhaps you should switch and focus on that as the first skill.

BTW-Since you asked for opinions, I have a potential 3rd option that I have not seen be done in a TG story. (i.e. a story pitch that might kill two birds with one stone.)

What if you used both programs in a Auto-TG story. An artist is creating a simple TG rendering in Poser but the manipulation of the poser figure begins to effect the real artist rendered in Maya or the program you wish to use that had more photo realistic skin tones.

or the poser figure represents real life an puts on a VR head set and there is a first person transformation in maya.

Just a thought.