How to Create Props for the Sony FX-300 Jackal from the 1970s

Introduction

My name is Isabelle NOWAK. I am 23 years old and still a student. I resumed my studies after 3 years of law and am currently in the second year of general at New3Dge school. It was thanks to a friend that I discovered this environment. When I saw her working on her graduation project at ESMA, she inspired me, and I started without questioning myself.

It was with my school that I discovered everything, and it was them who taught me everything. Programs are designed to make learning as seamless as possible, so that makes sense. Sometimes, two weekly courses cover the same topic, which is very effective. However, classes are usually like small interventions with the same subject all week. At the end of these courses, we have homework to do. We talk about many different things, and we rarely do the same thing two weeks in a row. I've never been able to push a prop like I did with the Sony FX-300 Jackal. I usually do a lot of different projects, but what interests me the most is character design.

The Sony FX-300 Jackal TV Project

It was during my year that I decided to make the Sony. In addition to the homework to be done, each semester we also have a complete project to do: a semester project. We are given several choices like asset game, asset VFX, chara, etc. For this second project, I chose the asset VFX. I did a lot of research on Pinterest to find different objects. After my selection, I ended up choosing what attracted me the most and waited for my supervisor to validate my subject. Then, we have one follow-up per month to show the progress but without receiving any feedback. We progress by ourselves on the project. Finally, we have to return it after 2 months.

References

When I find my subject, I look for as many references as possible.

Generally, this kind of object is for sale on sites. There are many different points of view in photos, but the most important aspect is having high-quality references to see all the details and close-up photos. Sometimes, I also check if the asset has already been created in 3D to see the texel density, wireframe, and how others have built it. The research work is vital because without solid references, building the project can be difficult.

Modeling

Modeling is one of my favorite parts. I start with blocking to place all the elements in the right places and see the general proportions. It is important to make a lot of increments to go back if necessary. For the hard surface of my object, I used 3ds Max. It's very intuitive and easy to use when you know it. So it's pretty quick to model it.

However, before all that I always make a pass on Photoshop to draw by hand the topology on my references, to understand the mesh, and think in advance how to model. That's how I observe and then I get the result I want. Sometimes, even though I think in advance about the topology, I go wrong several times and start again until the result pleases me. Once the overall shape of my asset is realized, and it looks good to me, this is where I start all the details. But you have to think in advance about how to embed the details. Often the first time it does not work and you have to start again, it can happen several times until you find the right way.

Unwrapping

Later, I used Rizom to unwrap my model. It is software that we learned in the second year, which is very effective and much easier to use than the UV editor of 3ds Max. Especially for the Sony, I had to repeat parts of my object several times because the UV did not necessarily look good or they were deformed. This is what took me the most time with the making of decals for all the writings of the object.

Texturing

For texturing, I always make a first pass with a pre-shading to see beforehand if the first materials please me. Spoiler alert: they all changed afterward! I work in compartmentalized ways; for example, I do texturing on one side, then move on to another, and so on. Once this is done, I start again in the same way by gradually pushing the shaders further. I move forward with a global vision until the result satisfies me. To do all this, I use a combination of Substance 3D Painter and V-Ray. I use Substance 3D Painter to create masks that I export and then import into V-Ray, where I finally work on all the textures. Despite the references, sometimes I detach myself from texturing or push the weathering to ensure the object looks good. It becomes complicated not to overdo it and ensure subtlety during these moments.

What is great is that in my school there is a lot of support and if we need advice, it is very easy to get feedback from other students. Whether it's people from my class or higher, there's always someone nice to help. In this case, for the texturing of my Sony, it is a friend of mine who helped me to push it to the maximum. I had made a lot of progress on the shaders and, by asking him for help, he helped me make my project glow up, sometimes with simple tricks. That's what's great about New3Dge. I also have other friends who helped me a lot with the whole project. We must always move forward with feedback from people outside the project. This gives a new look to the work.

To come back to the creation of masks in Substance 3D Painter, it's a fairly repetitive part because if the Map is not visible enough, there are too many details or what does not work well, you have to do a lot of back and forth between Substance 3D Painter and V-Ray. However, this is what allows us to refine the work gradually.

For textures, there are universal principles to know, and it is through practice that we understand them. For example, a conductive material, such as metal, reflects colors significantly, whereas a non-conductive material, like plastic, does not reflect color. These are tricks that enhance credibility and, from the beginning, simplify the research and understanding of the object.

The biggest challenge in the texturing of the Sony was the green/brown metal that is most present on the object: find the right shade, recreate the small asperities, reflections or even find the right bumps. It was very complex to work with.

The look dev of lighting and setup is the one I like the least! Indeed, this is where I am the least strong. Nevertheless, it is a process to which I give a lot of time. First of all, it is important to mention that to work on shaders, you must first create a studio set-up. This is essential because it allows for the realization of the best possible shader. It is a classic setup with a light grey/medium cyclo, a RIM, a KEY, a FILL, and an HDRI. There are also shaderballs nearby: Black, grey, white, and chrome to showcase how the studio looks and how the lights react.

Lighting & Rendering

After the whole texturing phase, it's interesting to keep the studio renderings to show how the shaders worked. Subsequently, I have fun making additional renderings with different lighting that are not "classic" like those I could explain previously. However, the object must be highlighted and it must also highlight the elements that we have wanted to show. The lights must be there to emphasize the details but it is important that they do not crush others. It is a meticulous work that requires a lot of attention.

Without good lighting, the object will be great, but it will not do as well as it deserves. This part can be repeated as many times as necessary. It is a very long phase that requires a lot of time because it is necessary to launch renderings with each change to see how the lights react to the object. For renders, I always release several AOVs: diffuse, lightmix, normal & bump, specular, and ID. It is all these images that allow me to modify my object in post-production.

Once the images are out, I go through Photoshop to modify them, mask fusion, modifiers, or camera raw filters. Everything is good to use. Personally, I use the camera raw filter a lot to change saturation, whites, grain, and many other things. It's a fun and creative part. However, I don't use it too much to avoid losing subtlety.

Conclusion

Finally, in my opinion, the important parts that make props attractive are the texturing and the dev look. Without the careful work of these steps, a topic that could be great on all other points, would not come out as much as it should. Our school teaches us a lot about this and I see it as I learn. In my opinion, if we ask for feedback and people answer: "it's ok" it means that there is not the expected effect because when we show props (or others) that we have worked on, it should be "yes, I see that", "super this element there comes out very well", etc. When you present your project and what you want to show is not mentioned, it is not enough. You have to know how to guide the eye of the person reading the image. This is very difficult to do, especially without the theory.

If I had to give advice to beginners, it would be first of all not to let go. Developing the eye, understanding the concepts, and integrating them is a very long process that must be maintained. It is quite normal that at first, this world is huge compared to what we imagined. But it is through perseverance that we learn and evolve. Moreover, the second advice I give is, in my opinion, the most important: ask for feedback.

Relying on someone for corrections creates discussion and evolution. Indeed, when we turn to a person it is to have corrections because some details and certain approaches are no longer visible to us. We spend a lot of time on a project, it is normal that from a certain point, there are details that escape us or strengths that we no longer see. So a fresh look at the work allows the project to evolve. Sometimes it also happens to "disagree" on a point. This is very interesting because we must not forget the advice given. They may not be appropriate for the subject, but they will always be used in another case. You have to know how to surround yourself, in addition, having feedback allows you to learn new things or to see from another angle details that block you. It is essential to have a break.

To conclude, to carry out a project, props, enviro, chara, etc, is a long work, it is necessary to start it while thinking and while asking the right questions in advance, also while choosing its objectives and knowing what it brings us, otherwise, one can quickly get lost. But you also have to remember to have fun because this is partly why you do it. Thanks for reading!

Isabelle NOWAK, 3D Artist

Interview conducted by Gloria Levine