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Details a Save Point tech demo

I guess I should know better by now than to just post a video with no text. They get zero responses typically. The above was our first test of using UE5, a beta technology most are saying is the "Future of filmmaking" many of the backgrounds in the "Mandalorian" are made using this platform, and the internal synergies that it offers, in addition to unprecedented technical advantages, are pretty massive.

Are there any other filmmakers here that are starting to use UE5 in their workflow? I think this is the most promising development for indie filmmakers in a decade. Kind of surprised to be the only one talking about it.

In 2010, this would have been a 4 day render for me. This clip was rendered in 3 minutes. The platform has tools for integrating live camera data, and with enough education, you can get similar results to the Mandalorian at your house. The software is free.
 
The visuals are super realistic except for the human figure. Honestly if he wasn't in frame it would fool the eye. Perhaps people or integration of said people is the hardest? Though even multi-million dollar films still have fake looking fire/flames/explosions/smoke. So kudos for the SUPER realistic topography. Awesome!
 
This was actually the first demo we made using the new system. The detail comes from rocks and cliffs that were actually photoscanned in from the real world. Somewhere out there, are rocks and cliffs that look exactly like these. The human characters are the most difficult part. This one came from an early version, where the characters could not move or talk yet. We'll never get fully believable humans, since no studio has yet at any budget, but the ones we use now are a lot more detailed, if not fully realistic.

The main thing that helps us make this level of detail possible is a new technology called "nanite" which is currently only in beta release. The short version is that this tech allows us to have infinite detail on screen without render time spiraling out of control.
 
Do the scans include the same camera moves? In that case it is stock footage so I don't think so. Not sure how all that works.
 

You just have to take a lot of still pictures of the entire 360 surface, and then special software combines it into a 3d model format. Once in the 3d engine, you can use whatever camera moves you design.
 
Cool, yeah I'm aware of that technology it just looks so tedious when covering such a large landscape. Trying to imagine all the time taking those iniatial pics.
 
It's not as bad as it probably looks, in example on the ground it's just 8 rocks that were scanned, and then I randomized the size a bit, made 3 million copies of them, and then poured them onto the ground plane. The Cliffs are a lot more work, but again it's just 7-8 cliffs glued together in various formations and relighted to create the illusion of unlimited cliffs. I think it took me 5-6 hours to make the landscape from scratch and then another 2-3 hours to set up the lighting and camera moves. This was a really simple one since it was the first one I created in the new engine. The newer ones like the spaceport can take weeks to perfect.
 
Oh, is that all?

:abduct::abduct::abduct::abduct::abduct:

I have 2 million, 999 thousand, 995 abduction faces to go.....


Nice work, Nate!
Thanks, lol, it's not as hard as it sounds. Think of it like a fire hose filled with gravel, and you can just spray it onto the ground until it piles up how you want. The cliffs, big rocks, statue head, etc have to be placed individually though. The skies and light take a good bit of work each time. Where it gets crazy difficult is building a city. Do you have any ideas how many light poles and mailboxes are in a metropolitan city? Unfortunately, I now know that. I've been placing trash bins, post office boxes, fire escapes, awnings, stop signs, etc for what seems like an eternity. Fortunately, I can reuse a lot of the work when creating new cities. Finished parts can be copy pasted like in windows.

I'll be putting out a new dalies reel soon, went on vacation for the first 2 weeks of January, and then got really sick for about 3 weeks right at the end of the vacation, so that's why there hasn't been any new material for about a month. Pretty sure it was covid. Got all the shots, but still got pretty sick, super low energy for like 20 days. Just now fully recovered.
 
Thanks, lol, it's not as hard as it sounds. Think of it like a fire hose filled with gravel, and you can just spray it onto the ground until it piles up how you want. The cliffs, big rocks, statue head, etc have to be placed individually though. The skies and light take a good bit of work each time. Where it gets crazy difficult is building a city. Do you have any ideas how many light poles and mailboxes are in a metropolitan city? Unfortunately, I now know that. I've been placing trash bins, post office boxes, fire escapes, awnings, stop signs, etc for what seems like an eternity. Fortunately, I can reuse a lot of the work when creating new cities. Finished parts can be copy pasted like in windows.

I'll be putting out a new dalies reel soon, went on vacation for the first 2 weeks of January, and then got really sick for about 3 weeks right at the end of the vacation, so that's why there hasn't been any new material for about a month. Pretty sure it was covid. Got all the shots, but still got pretty sick, super low energy for like 20 days. Just now fully recovered.
awnings and stop signs are what interns are for.

glad you made it thru the covid stuff okay. until they can cure the common cold we are gonna be dealing with this every year. the new normal.
 
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