Visual Interface of NXN alienbrain Studio. © NXN Software.

Blackie notes that once the cycle of design for a series/film/game has started, it establishes a pattern that is hard to alter in mid-project. "I've experienced both kinds of projects -- the type that becomes a mix of every kind of media, such as pencil sketches, paintings, parts of 3D FX, and rough previs sequences, as well as the kind that is all 3D from the start, with consistent files and configuration control. The latter approach is far better, but it has to be that way from the start. Once the fast pace of the production starts, it's hard to go back and re-organize. It's like the saying, you get so busy fighting alligators, it's hard to remember your real objective was to drain the swamp."

Blackie makes extensive use of digital actors as well as virtual set pieces. "We digitize all of our main actors -- we make digidolls from them, with detailed faces and hair, hands, and bodies. If a scene is too dangerous for the real actor, such as falling out of a plane, we use his virtual stunt double. We may also use the digidoll version for certain sci-fi vfx, such as having the character become semi-translucent." Digital sets have an advantage that goes beyond merely being cheaper to build than practical sets. "If we blow up a real brick wall, say, and then have to go back later and do more shots around it, it's great to have a digital version of that wall, so we don't have to rebuild it," Blackie notes.

Working with different communities of practice can be as challenging as working with different graphics formats. "Set builders are totally different creatures than animators," says Blackie. "The production designer has to be able to talk to both, as well as to the other groups, such as the fx, vfx, props, set dressing, set design, wardrobe and prosthetics people that he supervises. He has to be a jack-of-all-trades, and understand the tools the different groups are using, and what their needs are. After a while, you get into a real relationship, and get a common vocabulary -- with some people, I almost feel like we speak in beeps and pings." Unfortunately, many people are not cross-trained in other disciplines, so that they can understand what the other teams are doing. "The schools are not teaching across disciplines as much as they should," he notes. "Online courses may help with that, with up-to-date courses to help in cross training. I'm finally seeing people facile in five or six different software programs, and I believe that's the trend of the future."

Eric Schumacher, marketing manager for NXN, points out that alienbrain manges the total production cycle of each asset.

He commonly uses 3ds max to create his digital sets, as well as a quick modeling tool named Rhino, which (like max) can also interface with popular CAD formats such as DXF/DWG and IGES (more at www.rhino3d.com). "Translating between file types is never totally seamless," Blackie says. It's like sending something out to the printer -- you have to decide on what size and color level and dpi you want for the particular application, and then keep checking on the results."

Building a DAM to Control the Flood
Different types of digital models and files also present challenges for storage and management. Anyone who has shoe boxes full of old photographs in the garage will appreciate how hard it can be to find graphic media quickly in a fast production environment. Munich-based NXN (www.nxn-software.com) offers the popular alienbrain digital asset management (DAM) product line, which includes Studio (for gaming, simulation and many 2D/3D animation apps) and vfx (for large visual effects projects) modules.