TNG Visual Effects

3D SCANNING SERVICES

October 2014 - Vol 4

Issue 10

WHERE'S OUR NEXT SATELLITE LOCATION?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Trick or treat,

give me something red to eat.

I'll give you my arm for your brains.

PLEASE VOTE FOR US!

We've applied for a Mission Main Street grant for small businesses to help further our business. We're asking for your help to move onto the next round. We have 2 weeks left to gather enough votes. All you need to do is click on this link, that will redirect you to your Facebook page, and click on VOTE NOW! That's it. You won't need to fill out a survey. Thanks in advance for all your support!

TNG VISUAL EFFECTS USA & CANADA

TNG Visual Effects, Los Angeles, and TNG Visual Effects Canada, Inc., is a 3D scanning company in the entertainment industry that specializes in the creation of photo-realistic digital assets. Many characters, vehicles, cars, sets, props, animals, sculptures, and other items have been added to our scope of work since inception in 2009.

Our team knows how to work with producers, directors, coordinators, A-list talent, and other agencies, making the most of their precious time and ensuring a successful project. TNG's work is always guaranteed. We are also highly noted for our ability to travel at a moments notice for a project. Exclusive use of highly mobile scanning systems allow for TNG to perform scans in practically any location.

OU R 3D SCANNING WORK

TNG Scans Sony's PS4

A NOTE FROM OUR FOUNDER

Nick Tesi

Happy Halloween to all those ghouls, ghosts, and zombies running around our streets asking for a trick or treat! What a fun time of year. Any Halloween parties out there having a costume contest? Bring us the winner to scan!

We are doing more in 3D scanning to give you better models and are getting deeper into cars and products to expand our markets with our talented scanners and modelers plus our mobility. It is a challenge, but a well worth effort to move forward in our business, and to share the skills and technology we have to offer.

We are always researching new technology and software to keep the quality of our service at the highest level, and to accelerate our pipeline. We do our best to provide a great product to our customers.

We continue our search for partners who are synergistic to our service. Together we can help our customers save more while using better products. Contact us for more information.

TESTIMONIALS

LOOK WHO'S TALKING ABOUT US

"Nick and TNG have provided an important service for the Visual Effects team on Sleepy Hollow throughout Season 1. TNG's scanning mobility has proven essential to enable scans to take place on location in North Carolina, to be used later by VFX artists back in California. The quality of the mobile scan models is indistinguishable from the more ideal scanning conditions of in-studio scans. We look forward to future work with Nick and his team."

-Eddie Bonin-

VFX Producer

Sleepy Hollow

SCANNING THE ENDEAVOUR

Capturing Space Shuttle

Endeavour

In September of 2012, the space shuttle Endeavour left Kennedy Space Center in Florida and began a 3 day journey on top of a 747 into LAX (the Los Angeles International Airport) to be displayed at the California Science Center. It was a fantastic affair and left many of the city's inhabitants with a memorable and lasting impression.

The Endeavour exhibit has been on public display for the last two years and has been an inspirational and educational experience for many viewers. The Endeavour will be displayed in a vertical position to symbolize its flight into space. It was in operation for nearly two decades.

Magnopus along with TNG Visual Effects were given the rare opportunity to board the space shuttle and capture the inside before it was sealed off permanently. We gathered as much data as possible in preparation for a variety of augmented and virtual reality experiences that will be designed to inspire future generations, and enrapture visitors from around the world. In addition to the photography and 360� videography, Nick Tesi and the team at TNG scanned the inside in great detail using LIDAR and other 3D scanners.

This data will provide us with total coverage within the shuttle, and nearly limitless possibilities in the final project.

Article courtesy of Ben Grossman

3D SCANNING FOR EPISODICS

Mark Kolpack talks
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and working in VFX

As a VFX Supervisor working in television, it often requires the ability to think very quickly due to lack of time and much smaller budgets while still delivering feature level work for television. On my current show, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., I'm now producing Visual Effects that have to compliment and hold up to its counter part and big brother, the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That is a tall order when it comes to television, but one that I love since it challenges me to create visuals that push the art and technology farther than previously thought possible.

The work that we produce is complex in nature and is always evolving. It ranges from environmental augmentation using matte paintings to digital doubles for our cast members and guest actors to fluid and FX based simulations, as well as our 1964 Corvette named Lola, the C-17 Bus, Quinjet, Deathlok, Nano Copters, and a whole host of one-off based assets.

One of the our commonly used techniques is our Digital Doubles. I began using them back in 2006 on Heroes at a time when this type of asset was limited to feature films. Back then almost everyone thought I was either crazy for trying it or it was just not possible, but that did not stop me. Well it did work and the relationship that began with Nick Tesi and his team back then is still going strong today.

TNG is my main vendor for my actor scans and they too improve their techniques to help their clients to produce better and more realistic doubles that will hold up to close scrutiny. TNG understands my schedule and tight turnarounds and gets my cleaned up geo and the textures ready within a few days of actors being scanned. This is huge to me considering the additional work that then has to go into the models once I get them over to my VFX house. Having this type of partnership is vital for me and TNG pulls it off time and time again.

3D SCANNING VEHICLES

Creating a CG Car for

a Commercial, Film Prop, or

Video Game

The process to create a computer generated image (CGI) involves hardware and software to produce a quality product. A 3D scanner is first used to capture the model, and then the raw data is processed into 3D modeling software such as Autodesk Maya or exported from AutoCAD. The high resolution data from the scan or CAD file is then optimized for CGI.

Let's say the body of a vehicle is scanned and the scan or CAD data has higher than 2 million polygons. It then needs to be retopologized to a much lower resolution. A max amount of polys for any vehicle should be between 100,000 polys and 200,000 polys, depending on how close to the camera a shot was taken as polygon density varies. Whenever scan data has holes, all geometry needs to be cleaned up and or retopologized. One tool we use for this (others are available) is ZBrush. When CAD data is used, inner parts that are invisible to the camera need to be deleted to make the file lighter.

In the data prep stage we also start to create UV

space for the geometry. If materials such as fabrics are hand painted, there should be a greater focus to get an even UV space so no stretching occurs. We use Headus UVLayout for creating the UVs.

After the base model is done, we make sure to check the normals and nonmanifold geometry. We then export the data to Maya for polishing the model.

To scan the exterior of a vehicle takes approximately a week or so, based on detail. If the interior also needs to be scanned, add an additional week or more depending on the level of detail and coverage needed.

The product is normally delivered with UVs and textures/shaders, but can be customized to our customers specific need.

5 ATTRIBUTES TO LOOK FOR IN A VENDOR

$$ They are quick to respond to your call, text, or email.

$$ They understand your needs and ask relevant questions.

$$ They do what they say they're going to do and in the time frame they commit to.

$$ They are more concerned about a win-win solution.

$$ There is a 100% guarantee for their service.

THANK YOU

Thank you for taking the time to review our newsletter. If you have any questions, or would like to consider TNG Visual Effects in your next bid, please contact us.

Nick Tesi

Founder & President

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