Animate an Iceberg Turning into a Desert Island

Oct 15th in 3D Art, Animation, Autodesk 3Ds Max, Fluids, News, Particles, Rendering, Shaders by Evan Schaible

In this hour long video tutorial, we will follow the complete process of animating a 3d iceberg as it transforms into a desert island. We will take an in-depth look at using the many complex features of dreamscape, in conjunction with hand painted displacement maps and animated meshes, and even go over some of the more classic principles of animation.

Author: Evan Schaible

Evan Schaible is a fluids/particle artist and technical director from Los Angeles. Being currently unemployed, he is looking for full time staff work, as well as honing his own skills by doing freelance technical direction, visual effects, and occasionally even motion graphics and visualization. He runs a training website that can be found at: www.ParticleFlow.net, and his blog can be found at: www.evanschaible.com.

Blog Action Day 2009

This post is part of Blog Action Day 2009, a worldwide initiative started by Envato founders Collis and Cyan Ta'eed, now being run by Change.org. Blog Action Day exists to change the conversation on the web for one day by uniting thousands of bloggers around one important issue - this year, Climate Change. It's not too late to register your blog and participate.

Final Effect Preview

Climate Change

Climate change is already happening, and represents one of the greatest environmental, social, and economic threats facing the planet today, particularly in the Arctic, where permafrost is melting, glaciers are receding, and sea ice is disappearing at an alarming rate. Because the Arctic plays a very special role in the overall global climate, these changes will not only affect local indigenous lifeforms and ecosystems, but the rest of the world as well.

For more information on how the climate has changed in the Arctic so far, what future changes are expected, and most importantly...what we can do to help, visit http://www.greenfacts.org/en/arctic-climate-change/index.htm.

Full Video

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Note: click the 'Monitor' icon to view tutorial in full-screen HD.

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User Comments

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aido October 15th

Looks like a cool tut, but since the final product is an animation it would be cool to show a video in the final effect preview…
i shouldnt complain!
awesome tutorial and subject matter!
( Reply )
Philo October 15th

Will check it out this afternoon!
Preview would be great indeed
( Reply )
1. Evan Schaible October 15th
  
  If you watch the tutorial, I begin by overviewing the rendered animation, so in essence the tutorial includes with it a video preview of the final effect (something I always do).
  - Evan
  ( Reply )
enatom October 15th

cg toots ?
( Reply )
Evan Schaible October 15th

There is a final animation rendered, but due to the HUGE render times, the best I could do is 100 frames at 320×240 resolution, which made the animation abnormally fast. Due to the deadline however (which WE JUST BARELY MADE) there was not any time to render something larger, or longer.
I want to say also, I believe that tutorials are suppose to give you knowledge that will feed your creativity, not creativity to boost your ego and portfolio (not accusing anyone who commented), therefore I have purposefully left many options open, and maybe even some final touches wanting in this training video in order for you guys to take it one, or many steps further.
Hope you enjoy this one, and I will hopefully have more up soon.
- Evan
( Reply )
David W. October 15th

Man Evan, your work is tops!
( Reply )
1. Evan Schaible October 16th
  
  Then why can I not find a job….
  ( Reply )
  1. MovieMaker October 17th
    
    Did you try craigs list ? You’d be suprised at what you’d find there.
KeMo October 17th

I hope you great anther Video tutorials to DreamScape
( Reply )
e-sushi October 17th

Freezingly hot!
Thanks for posting this thing (even when I’m a bit late discovering it).
( Reply )
Nixon October 19th

Hey there,
i really liked this tutorial the result is looking very nice:)
However tho i don’t have a 3ds max for use I think many of the techniques can be used within other 3d packages aswell so it was very informative in general terms of modelling/ setting up such a scene.
Thanks for the tutorial and good luck with your further projects!
( Reply )
Yepyep October 27th

Hello,
Where do we find the images to create the iceberg??
Thank you in advance
( Reply )
Chris Austin December 7th

do i need dreamscape in order to do this tutorial?
( Reply )
Jeevan December 10th

Thanks for sharing this great tutorial
( Reply )
roxana February 2nd

Where do we find the iceberg_2 image ? please help
( Reply )
ibrahim February 5th

thanks youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
( Reply )