#also I intended to use YouTube like that and post videos of the process but filming is a lot and so is editing so

[corpsepng]

Ok I decided to do both (draw and write) and I’m going to wait until I’ve finished all 5 but these character cards are going to be SICK. I’m already proud hhhhh also thinking about posting updates on the process (writing and drawing) lmk if that would be fun for other people too

[olderthannetfic]

Knitting question!

Intellectually I know failure is fine. I'm a beginner! I'm learning! Mistakes are part of the process! But I find it really hard not to be demotivated by projects not turning out how I want

I spent all this time and materials on this and it's just kinda shit?

Did you experience that/have any advice?

--

I definitely experienced that when I first tried knitting. I don't remember, but I suspect it's why I drifted away from the craft for nearly two decades.

I have a couple of semi-failures from my current re-entry into knitting. I intend to frog or partially frog them and re-knit, but there are other projects I care more about that are taking priority so far.

Right now, I love watching youtube videos with little tricks to improve one's knitting or deep dives into technical matters. I find information on fiber fascinating. I think that has helped me avoid many of the problems I experienced the first time around. Even if I run into an issue now, I can probably redo the project to make it how I want.

I think the first thing to figure out is how it's kind of shit. Yes, yes, you're a n00b, but there are lots of reasons projects turn out shitty. Some issues require a lot of practice. Many issues require reading a blog post explaining some technical thing and instantly upgrading your knowledge.

--

For example:

When I first got back into knitting, I got some pretty green yarn and made a Medieval-looking hood. I had no clue how alpaca behaved or that it would be waaaay too flowy for the look the pattern was supposed to have. I was also knitting the pattern with the wrong size of yarn, needle, etc. It turned out way too big for me and a formless blob. It was also itchy.

A year or two later, I threw it in the dryer, and now it's an epic rainy day hood. It's mostly not itchy because the felting stuck down all those hairy ends. It has a lot more body now because it's felt instead of flowy hand-knit alpaca. (And, hey, it's even more Medieval since those hoods were often felt but not often knitted as far as I could tell.)

What went wrong here was mostly that I knew fuckall about fiber. I knew I was making it in some randomass size and didn't really care that it was too big, but I didn't know it would slither off of me due to alpaca's drape. I didn't need practice: I needed someone to tell me how alpaca behaves.

--

Example 2:

I knit that Owls sweater and didn't like how it had no shaping... so I winged it. I ended up with really bizarre shaping because 1. I had no idea what I was doing and 2. I didn't close the underarm holes until the very end, so the sweater appeared to fit when I tried it on.

I could open the underarms back up and knit a separate piece for them, but I realized that I dislike the fabric overall. I knit it on a too-big needle (in my opinion). I thought I liked that looseness in my swatch, but I have changed my mind. I was also worried about running out of yarn (since it's a used yarn that I won't find again), but I had tons left over. I also think I want it more cropped. The yarn has a sort of nasty texture but beautiful color, and I knit quite a tight (and thus scratchy) sweater. I don't think I wet blocked it though, so that might fix the texture.

What I should actually do here, assuming I don't just get rid of the thing in favor of better yarn, is frog it and reknit from the top down, reversing the pattern and not having a phase with the underarms open like that. I should also knit it at a tighter gauge but with a little more positive ease, and I should trust that the stretchiness of wool will make it conform to my body just fine without a lot of shaping. Before any of that, I should wet block it and see how the texture changes.

I don't really consider this a permanent failure. I like the Owls themselves. I can easily just knit this again and get a sweater I want to wear... possibly a cardigan, now that I think about it. The yarn is a relatively robust wool that will be fine being frogged and reused, and knitting it gave me more experience with finishing a whole sweater. My various fuckups taught me things about both knitting and my personal taste.

I guess it could be demotivating because it took a while, but on that bigass needle, it really didn't take that long. I would probably always have knit multiple sweaters from this pattern. I see more than one in my future anyway.

Experience was an issue here, but it wasn't experience with the literal act of knitting. My tension was fine. It was more that I fucked around and found out.

--

Example 3:

I made a self-drafted BTS sweater out of another batch of used yarn that I'll never get more of. I love the body. the sleeves are too tight in the upper arm, and my bizarre-ass design for the top of the body means that the sweater wants to be a boat neck but also fit differently in the sleeves and... gaaaaah. The tight sleeves don't feel bad, but what they do do is make the whole sleeve slide down my arm weirdly because of the fit issues around the boat neck.

Part of why the upper arm area is so tight is that I was worried I'd run out of yarn (which I did) and I wanted a balloon sleeve rather than a straight one. The yarn is so stiff that the balloon part is weird, and the two other purple yarns I added for the lower sleeve look weird. I should have reversed their order because one matches too well, and now it just looks like I ran out and had to add a last inch in a random other yarn. I have most of those two skeins left hanging around and a sweater that fits strangely.

Also... it needs hand washing but is shaped and sized to be worn against bare skin, so it gets stinky after a few hours of wear because I am a sweaty, sweaty person.

In this case, I wouldn't redo the body: this silk blend will look less nice after frogging, and I already roughed it up a lot knitting the damn thing the first time. I knit it starting at the top, so the weird fit across the shoulders is mostly here to stay.

However, I'm pretty sure the bad fit on the sleeves can be fixed by ripping back and adding a bunch of width up top. I can also start with the flowier other two yarns and maybe have bands of this stiffer one that I used in the body. I suspect the weird body fit is fixable by changing what the sleeves are supposed to be doing.

This is another case of fucking around and finding out, so I'm not too disappointed in it. I did wear it to Yoongi's concert too, and it was gorgeous, if too hot.

I do realize now that I hate boat necks, but I think I can put up with this one if the sleeves aren't constantly sliding out of place.

And if fixing the sleeves doesn't rescue this, I might attempt some surgery one of these days, but that's more of a pain in the ass, so that will definitely have to wait.

--

Now, my guess is that your "kind of shit" is not "I freehanded a sweater two seconds after getting back into knitting because I'm a crazy person, and I messed up the shaping".

The more common problems are things like:

Not realizing that you should block or not blocking aggressively enough, so your stitches look way more uneven than they need to, the shape is weird compared to the example pics in the pattern, etc.

Using assy bind-offs so the edge looks amateur instead of polished. (You can go back and fix this.)

Failing to swatch, and now you've knit the wrong size.

Picking a fiber that just cannot do what you want it to—usually seen in people trying to avoid wool and not getting that 99.999999% of trendy patterns are written specifically for wool. I have an ancient sweater from college that looks nothing like the example in the book because all I could afford was big box store acrylic. Never again the plastic horror!

Buying patterns from a size 0 lifestyle blogger aspirational knitwear designer with no boobs and a great photographer, then feeling dumpy when trying the thing on under crappy lighting. This one usually requires a little more self confidence and some bust darts.

Making things in plain stockinette in a light color and smooth yarn like cotton that shows EVERY SINGLE TIME your tension wasn't machinelike. This is unfixable. Don't do this.

--

If you're using mohair or alpaca, frogging may be more trouble than it's worth, but you often can reuse the materials. Granted, you've still sunk that time in, but the materials don't always have to be wasted. That might help it feel more like time you spent practicing and less like a complete disaster.

I'm a very product-focused knitter, so I don't really have practice pieces. I'm knitting to have a Thing and I want to wear that Thing, so I get the disappointment if you don't end up wanting to actually use what you've made.

But that also helps me not get totally demotivated. I still want that Thing and now I have a clearer idea how to make it.

So... what are these "kinda shit" projects anyway? What about them do you not like?

[perfectlypanda]

Twist Me to the Left by @grapefruittwostep

My foray into learning bookbinding using Zutara fanfiction continues! This time I wanted to see if I could figure out a process that would let me print covers instead of using bookcloth. I'm really pleased with how it turned out and I'm excited at the flexibility this will give me with cover design.

Speaking of the cover: The CDs on the back cover is free clipart from here. The look of the colored spotlights in the background was meant to just be inspired by the cover of This is How You Fall in Love, but comparing the two in hindsight my spotlights are much more similar than I intended. If the book wasn't already complete (or if this wasn't just a private copy for my personal library) I'd go back and make changes to differentiate the art more, but since I can't I want to make sure that credit is given where it's due.

Katara wears a blue dress since she's described as wearing blue dresses/ skirts several times, and then her turquoise chucks. Her arm tattoos are a bit less extensive than they are described as being. In the book, Zuko mainly wears black band t-shirts, but I wanted to bring in a little more color to his look so he has a red shirt instead. His guitar is red with a flame sticker that's the logo of his dad's company.

I followed the video series for a rounded, case bound book by DAS Bookbinding on youtube. I also took inspiration from @omfgreylo’s fanfic book binds for things like including a page with the AO3 details and a QR code that leads to where the story is posted.

I'm very excited about how this turned out, and can't wait to keep working through my list of Zutara fanfics I want to bind! If you haven't read Twist Me to the Left then you should go do that. Thank you again for letting me bind your story @grapefruittwostep!

[curio-queries]

I saw Jungkook's documentary this weekend and have just a few thoughts. If you're avoiding spoilers, don't click the cut!

The Hybe Documentary Format

So...as a reminder to you all, I do not have professional expertise in the film industry. I'm just a very discerning consumer. I also haven't seen Hobi's documentary and I watched Road to D-Day while I was quite ill last year so I only vaguely remember some bits. (I'll definitely be getting back to those sooner rather than later though as research for a series of posts I'm developing.) That being said, I think we have enough data points to state that Hybe has absolutely no interest in filmmaking techniques outside of music videos.

I did mostly enjoy my experience seeing this film yesterday and I'm always grateful for any amount of footage the members are willing to share with us but this 'documentary ' was worse than Jimin's Production Diary. Any of you that managed to make it through my rambling review will know how dissatisfied I was with that.

I Am Still is not a documentary, it's a mixture of showcase footage and behind-the-scenes clips, most of which has already been divulged in the various episodes and shooting sketches on YouTube. Honestly, if you're not able to see the film, just go rewatch all of the bangtantv content for JKs solo period and the showcase and you'll be up to speed with 85% of what was in the documentary.

There are definitely some expansions to the storylines featured in the bangtantv content; mostly being anything that wasn't overtly optimistic. For example, we learn a little bit more about just how sick JK was during the Seven/3D promotions. That content likely was pulled from the bangtantv edit because it would have put a damper on the promotions and given certain 'fans' a focus to fixate their vitriol. But overall, it feels more like an extended version of existing content rather than a new work. At least JPD didn't continually feed us footage we'd seen before.

I'm someone who gets completely bothered by previews spoiling content so I didn't watch any of the promos until after I saw it and I am so glad I skipped them because most of the 'original' scenes of the film were featured in least one of them. Alas, that's a separate issue of which I'm definitely in the minority.

Was There No Structure?

Kinda. Like JPD, there is a semblance of a structure: Attempting to follow the chronology of release activities for JKs GOLDEN album through the lens of JKs staement trying to prove that he is still worthy of everything he was being hailed as during the BTS group activities but I don't feel this was successfully executed. It jumps round enough and isn't very successful in explaining the events if you didn't already know about them. The film starts with the SEVEN performance at GMA and footage that we've already seen of JK recording SEVEN, not mentioning anything about the music video or really how JK got involved with the song in the first place. The rest of the story beats have similar missing points.

They have a vague narrative with the 'I Am Still' points but that's mostly carried by subs and a couple of moments that JK mentions himself. I'm not saying it's not true or wasn't top-of-mind for JK during this process but it's not the main point of many of the moment/messages he shared with us during this time period so it feels a little disingenuous since everything else jn this film really only makes sense if you've already seen quite a lot of behind-the-scenes content.

Honestly, it makes me question the intended audience. Obviously, they know that ARMY will shell out whatever we need to when there's new content from our members but most of us will have already seen all of the bangtantv content so we are already familiar with the most of the footage in this film. I genuinely don't think this was produced in such a way to be palatable for audiences not familiar with BTS so who does that leave? Our friends and family that are peripherally aware of the content but haven't learned the basics of JKs album? ARMY with short term memories only?

But again, it seems this film was compiled by an editing team and not lead by a director with experience in crafting a documentary. The only new footage that Ican guarantee was captured with the express purpose of being included in this film was the few clips of JK talking in the practice room with the albums displayed by him. But we all know that's where all of the promo clips were gathered as well. I have issues with that approach as well but I'll leave this point alone for now unless anyone is interested.

Suffice it to say, all of these suppositions over the past year about how JKs documentary was getting special treatment or even questioning about investment in a project up front are dead. This was a product assembled with bits of what they already had completely in-house which was sold for distribution.

So, Did We Learn NOTHING?

No, there are a few Golden nuggets (see what I did there?). I can't recall everything having only seen it once (and having a rather disruptive audience - I swear there were only dozen or so ppl in my theater but I forget how obnoxious teenagers can be. I'm glad they're enjoying and supporting but we really didn't need light sticks flashing during a film and how many times does one person need to get up to answer their phone during this runtime? Three according to the row in front of mine.)

Anyway, something I thought was interesting to learn was that Standing Next To You was initially recorded the day after JK heard it for the first time. And hearing a little more about how JK yearned to perform that song definitelygot me thinking a little more about it. We can't reach any conclusions just with this little nugget but it does open the door to some theories. Like perhaps they were initially planning to have JK record two separate albums? SEVEN and 3D would be the singles of the first and JK would perform them as we saw but perhaps STNY was originally planned to be the single of the 2nd album that would release while he was in the military and thus be unable to perform it? Maybe JK loved STNY so much that everything was grouped into one album and Never Let Go was the only track held back for ms? Definitely some theorizing space to be had now.

Final thoughts?

Similar to my thoughts on the GCF: Budapest (which I feel would have had a much better reception if it had been labeled as a bangtan episode rather than a GCF), I AM Still should not have purported to be a documentary. It was much more similar to the annual Memories compilations. But the general public would not have shelled out the $25 to go to a theater to watch a Memories DVD so alas, we have our content packaged as a ~documentary~...

Did my view on the music change at all? Not because of the documentary. We're coming up on the year anniversary of GOLDEN and it's still definitely not my favorite. I completely understand why some people like it but it's just not to my taste. The overall impact falls a little flat for me. Too much breadth and not enough depth. I came into my musical soul during the 00s emo phase and will always be a sucker for music that absolutely drips in an emotional way rather than catchy songs vaguely referencing heartache and love. Again, just a matter of viewpoint.

I do think most of these songs stand much better being shuffled amongst other artists in a Playlist and several of them are significantly better when JK sang them live but I still won't be listening to them regularly. I wholeheartedly believe JK completed his task of proving himself as an extremely dedicated and versatile singer and performer. He's definitely got some solid points added to his resume after this project.

[motsimages]

I recently started handspinning wool and boy is there a difference between the English speaking world and the Spanish speaking one.

I am working with wool because my parents have like 15 sheep and I don't want that wool go to waste (it still goes to waste, I am way too busy). I took a spinning workshop 3 years ago and that is it.

Handspinners of Tumblr seem to all buy superfancy dyed yarn all well ready to be spun. Meanwhile I washed my own wool, I clean it and comb it myself. It is superdirty because they sheared the sheep late, and since I didn't use soap, it is very greasy. 100% merino wool though, poorly selected.

This could be a me thing, but I look on YouTube for tips on how to spin with a drop spindle and if I look in English, it's all professionally recorded videos of 30 something year old women with the best equipment and materials explaining it didactically. They do not work the wool from the sheep, they buy it. Sometimes they are medieval reenactors. Occasionally there are some men recorded less professionally.

If I look for it in Spanish, the only professionally recorded videos are Eugenio Monesma documentaries of old women showing how it's done from the shearing, but most of the time is old Latin American women recorded by a family member showing how they do it. If you are lucky, they also explain the process (from the shearing as well). There are so many women from the Andes that the video titles are in Spanish and I think Quechua? I might have more luck learning Quechua to find more videos about this.

In a way, handspinning seems to be becoming a usual hobby in the English speaking world, whereas in the Spanish speaking world it's merely a folkloric curiosity, some rare historical knowledge. I guess I should look for this in other languages and see how it's going in other countries.

Anyways, you can check @motshila to see my very slow progress and hear my complaints in Spanish. I only have one post in English because I needed some help/info but I intend to just post in Spanish.

[kaiserouo]

Hello! In this post I will describe the details of making a render of Apex Legends stuff (namely the video you're watching) so you can make a photo / video to your liking! Even if you don't wanna render things, I think you might still find the process interesting, OR, especially, the tools useful in you future work.

Why am I doing this? Because I'm taking a train and I'm bored. Also there's too little Bloodhound content here. Maybe someone will actually do some cool rendering of them after this.

Idea

Do you know in training mode, Bloodhound will wait for you indefinitely like a puppy with their cute little look-around motion?

Precious footage of Houndy on Youtube

I want them to be my background. So the most important requirements are:

3 Bloodhounds looking around and waiting like that of training mode. (why only 1 if you can have 3?)

Firing range background.

Looks overall good or something (e.g., lighting, motion not synchronized, 1920x1080 for my computer, etc.)

Let's get started.

Model

Well, there won't be multiple Bloodhounds waiting for me in the firing range in-game. I am also not intended to mod R5Reloaded just for this. So we'll use Blender to pose them.

First we need the model. The details of how to use Apex Legends model in blender can be found in this tutorial I found. Basically you just need Blender, semodel + seanim loader, Legion+, and the game itself. You COULD find archives of some models on the web, but manually extracting will guarentee that you can get everything you need.

Reddit Apex Legends model tutorial

Apex File Archive (by Biast12)

Model name list (may be incomplete)

I made an auto shading addon btw

There are a lot of tutorials of how to use Blender. I will not include the details here.

We need:

Models of 3 Bloodhounds (pilot_medium_bloodhound, bloodhound_v21_pilot_level03_w, bloodhound_v21_heroknight_w)

Animation of them waiting indefinitely (mp_pt_medium_training_blood_idle_A_0.seanim)

The names are a bit weird. You can just try to import all the models / animations to find what you want.

Background

Map files are large and hard to load. In my case I never even imported any map in Blender successfully. Fortunately we are looking for a still image background.

I used R5Reloaded's photo mode (or something like that) to get a clean picture. Quite a lot of steps to get a background picture, I know. I used R5Reloaded for other things at that time so this was the most convenient way for me ironically.

R5Reloaded does has a lot of potential, though. Maybe you can use it on other stuff afterwards.

R5Reloaded official page

But if we just make a render in Blender and composite the result with this background, the perspective will certainly not be aligned and the result will look very weird. Probably need a disgusting amount of time just to adjust this stuff.

Thankfully, by the theory of perspective and projective geometry, we can calculate the focal length, the height and the angle of camera all from a single image by your favorite subject: math!

...I mean, by fSpy. We have computers. We don't do the math that others already did for us.

fSpy official page

After getting the parameters of the camera, you can import them into blender directly. The camera from fSpy already has the background image composited so you won't need to do much else in Blender.

Posing & Lighting

We have almost everything we need. So just:

Import all models and camera (from fSpy)

Shade the models and adjust size / position / orientation so it looks good on camera

Import animations on model and adjust the keyframes s.t. they don't do the exact same motion every frame.

We are using the existing animations so posing won't be a problem. If you want to make your own pose you might need some more proper rigging. Not expert on this so that's all I will say.

Now we need the lighting. The lighting environment in the firing range is not really available to us if we don't have the skybox or the map file. Maybe you can find the skybox in Legion+ or archive, but I use lights in Blender instead.

Namely, a sun light to simulate the light from the sun, and a plane light at front for overall light adjusting (probably also simulates reflection from the ground and the environment).

And wait for like half an hour for Blender to spit out all 285 frames and we're done! I let Blender store each and every frame as an image and use ffmpeg to composite them all into a video because I thought I need the high resolution images for something else. Blender does have a setting to just output a video without the intermediate result if I recall correctly.

Conclusion

This is definitely not a complete guide on how to do rendering pieces of work with Blender. I myself am not even well experienced in this kind of stuff. But I think the process is fun and the result is rewarding, especially when seeing your favorite character moving on your background.

I hope you do check out the reference of tools and tutorials above. After all, as an artist (kind of), having the model is like possessing THE absolute reference for a character. Very recommended for every artist to learn how to use Blender and search for models. In 2024 a lot of games are in 3D and there WILL be someone on the web sharing how to extract models from the game or simply gives out the entire archive. You name it! Apex Legends, Titanfall, Destiny, even Ultrakill has like a 1GB blender file for high quality models, if you just google for that ever so slightly.

...Welp actually you can just treat this post as a huge Bloodhound advertisement. The end.

[darlingpoppet]

any updates on wtdf? i hope u have a wonderful day 💕

Hi anon! Thanks so much for checking in! And thanks for doing it on tumblr, this is a good opportunity to push me out of lurk mode and refill my queue while offering some much needed updates!

Anyways, the short answer is: WTDF chapter 8 is coming along, albeit more slowly than I intended, and it might still be another month or two before it’s finally done.

The longer explanation is this: Chapter 8 is another doozy like chapter 4 was… if you read the notes for chapter 4, or read my other WTDF-related posts here on tumblr, then perhaps you’re familiar with the fact that completing that chapter was also a protracted process that juggled a different fic project with a fixed deadline, a bout of writer’s block, and inspiration wandering to some different one-shots before ultimately getting me back on-track. I’m a bit sorry to say that I seem to be unintentionally experiencing an exact repeat of last year 🥲💦

In April, when I was still on-track to finish the chapter within my self-imposed deadline, a friend asked me to pinch-hit for their zine, and I was happy to put all my own projects on the back burner for a couple of weeks while I helped out a friend in-need. Once that project was finished at the end of April I immediately got back to work on WTDF, but less than two weeks in (right around the time Hades II Early Access dropped, so I was already a little bit distracted lol) I got saddled with a leadership position preparing for an event at my kid’s kindergarten, which took up 100% of my free time as well as the complete use of my hands (because A LOT of crafting was also involved lol.) So for the rest of May, zero writing got done (though I listened to a lot of podcasts and youtube video essays during that time, I’m thinking of making a rec list sometime of the stuff I enjoyed just for fun!)

And now here we are toward the end of June and the chapter still isn’t done. Even now I keep huffing the copium by telling myself I can finish it by the end of the month, but I’m gonna be honest: all of the interruptions & delays have left me struggling to get back in the right headspace for this story & at this point I admit that I seem to have fallen into another writer’s block 🥲 The last couple of weeks have been me making incremental progress while also trying to refill my cups.

I really hoped I could finish it this month because I’m already planning on doing camp nanowrimo in July to FINALLY finish the draft for the dreamers AU that has also been in the works for over a year now. And tbh that’s the story that I’m now daydreaming about as I start to get myself back into the writing zone. So I think I just gotta Trust The Process on this one and strike the iron where it’s hot for now, because at least I can point to my experience last year and give credit to my fics Closest & Flourishing for giving me the needed momentum to finally get WTDF Ch 4 over the finish line (followed by a streak of productivity that lasted me pretty much up until this point!)

So while I’m sorry that this means WTDF Ch 8 is gonna continue to be delayed a bit longer, I also think it’ll be worth it in the end when I have both these projects finished and I’m feeling good about the direction the inspiration is taking them. FWIW a lot of the ideas & themes I’m thinking about for the dreamers AU—such as prolonged periods of transition, coming of age, and the liminal qualities of queerness & gender identity—they are helping ideas coalesce in my approach to WTDF Ch 8, which, as I may have mentioned before, is a treatment of the Skyros arc. It’s actually fitting that I’m working on these projects both at the same time because I think they’re actively making one another better, which means I’m getting even more excited to complete & share them! The dreamers AU seems likely to be split into two parts at this point, so it makes sense to me to sandwich the WTDF update in between those. I can never really make concrete promises about my publishing schedule anymore, but for now at least, that’s the plan.

Anyways sorry for the longwinded & possibly boring explanation/list of excuses. But I appreciate your ask, it means a lot to know that people care 🥹🙏 Thank you everyone for their patience so far!!! I know I’m slow haha but everyone has been nothing but kind & understanding about it <3

You have a wonderful day as well ❤️

[rin-and-jade]

This question touches upon the notion of “traumagenic” and “endogenic”; as well as The Theory of Structural Dissociation. The Theory of Structural Dissociation seemingly supports endogenics as it states that there are “natural born” systems. They would be “endogenic” because they're not born from trauma, (as those who are “traumagenic” are).

I recently had a discussion with someone in a yt comment section about those two terms and they pointed me to you, so I just want to see what you think.

I believe in endogenic systems; because why would a book (the DSM) made by those who don't even experience plurality determine whether something exists or not? And as systems, those who are heavily categorized and misunderstood or looked down upon because they don't fit the singlet category, I feel as though we should embrace different forms of neurodiversity.

My questions are: what is the real line between "traumagenic" and "endogenic"? Are systems who were born as a system and weren't exasperated by trauma (like an endo) any less valid or real than those who were exasperated by trauma (traumagenic)? Or because of that theory, if that's how all systems work, aren't all systems "endogenic"?

Before reading: Long post. This purpose is to discuss and look at things in another pov, not intended to debate current beliefs/opinions. TLDR Provided. Last notes at bottom.

To clarify first, im in a neutral stance between the endo and traumagenic community as i focus more on the better of living for any kinds of plural people. Your question did seemed interesting and i had ever discussed this by myself on free time, so i do got some answers for you!

The line between these two are its origin and functionality, to put it in my opinion. The unique thing about plurality is that, i can totally see it being possible that it can exist outside of trauma.

Well, let me explain it to you like this:

An intact personality is where multiple facets are cohesive, and these facets that gives you that said personality is your identity. It's how you see yourself, and act like who you know. Basically, it's how you can act differently in different situations be it at school, at home, at somewhere else etc.

The thing about where personality is located in our brain has been a complex topic for scientists, if i remember correctly, there wasn't a specific spot for it as our brain has multiple areas with different functionality, and these regions cooperating creates a tangible output like how you react, or your typical behaviors.

I kept finding singlets discussing things that looks like really mild system things, and especially from this one youtube video (im so sorry i couldn't provide the link, it has been months ago i had watched but it discussing this too by a doctor or something. lmk if i have to find it again) quotes that the brain fools us into thinking theres only one 'kind' of us, not by it's exact words but close. These people can have different levels in terms of sense of personality unity btw, so not all singlets are the same either.

Now the origin and functionality for a traumagenic is different, because these states are being separated, and compartmentalized due to trauma. The presence of amnesia blocks the other side's of selves sometimes to severe degrees, now acting independently. There is also proof that the grey matter and the communication between regions are different, compared to a healthy brain (i can find the links for this too if needed). Well, you could read more about DID if needed.

So no, neither are less valid, but that doesn't mean both works the same or have the same processes either. Which means, not all systems are endogenic by origins.

Lastly, this is from what i had learnt and connect the dots over many sources i had read to ensure a wide perspective, nuanced understandings in topics. I am fully aware if some of you seem to disagree or see my views as wrong,, we have our own pov's ofcourse. i don't want to fight about validating my pov alright? Im also open to feedback/extra questions, im as well aware of the existence of fake/bad endos and do not support them.

TLDR: There are real life experiences and proof that supports the idea of being plural in mild/different ways, or ways that are different to traumagenics due to the complexity of the brain. Neither are the same in terms of how it functions and where it came from. Neither are also less valid.

- j

[not-available-for-comment]

Reading your wastewater post makes me, another person who has always been interested of the historical ways humans got rid of their waste, wish more people can tell me more facts. I know it is also sad that most ignore this part of society but if more people knew about it would help alleviate some of the modern water crisis issues. And how people to this day do not have safe ways of disposing human waste. Like my question mostly is that human waste used to be such a good compost but does eating certain things and medicines contaminate it so it’s unusable as such?

As a former entomologist as well I always wondered if dung beetles would be interested in human dung as well…

I watched a video on YouTube about how night soil men existed until the 20th century in Japan. It’s just a fascinating topic to me.

Hey hey! Sorry it took me a while to get to this. I am both 1) very behind on asks 2) often short on spoons. But nightsoil and "humanure" are interests of mine too, and I have some time to kill, so let's see what we can cover!

First of all, composting toilets are totally a thing, and common in RVs and off-grid housing. Here's a decent guide to using commercially purchased models, and here's one that focuses on building and using a homemade composting toilet. Note that both sources say to use the resulting compost on non-edible plants only. I would tend to strongly agree with this. Even municipal wastewater plants, which have the ability to monitor the composting process very intensely and precisely, can struggle to make food-grade compost with their waste. It's not impossible, and I'd be really interested to know if there is something fundamentally different about the nightsoil process that makes it easier, but for your average Joe in a non-nightsoil culture I'd say it's an excellent rule of thumb.

There are some additional considerations when using humanure on food crops. In cultures that have good access to oral medication, we are discovering that some oral medicines can end up in wastewater in high enough concentrations to affect the environment. I don't necessarily consider that a reason not to use humanure at all, but it's an additional reason why I wouldn't necessarily want to put it directly on my lettuce. Speaking of lettuce, there is some evidence that E. coli, particularly the O157 strain, has the ability to actually penetrate the cells of some lettuces, so applying possibly extra-germy compost to leafy greens in particular is a no for me, dawg. (I know this is older research, so if any biologists/botanists/food safety people want to chime in please feel free.)

That said, I don't think that saying humanure shouldn't be used on food crops is the same as saying it's useless. Trees are a potential beneficiary. I would personally feel comfortable using it in soil restoration in an area where I didn't plan to grow food crops for several years. (Though you'd have to be careful not to contaminate drinking water or nearby food crops when you applied it.) I'd use it in a flower garden in a heartbeat. Flowers and ornamentals are important to the human spirit even if you can't eat them (setting aside for now the ones you can...).

As an interesting aside, human urine is actually much more useful and easily treated on its own than it is after it's been mixed with *polite cough* solid waste. Every so often a designer comes out with a toilet intended to separate the two at, er, point of origin so that they can be treated differently. (The difficulty of course being that the rest of the wastewater collection system is not set up to separate them, and is significantly more costly and time-consuming to update than a toilet.)

That said, urine is fascinating in its own right as well. It may be safer to apply aged urine than treated wastewater as a fertilizer, in part because aged urine breaks down into ammonia. One of my favorite uses of aged urine/ammonia is in cycling new aquaponics systems to encourage them to develop the beneficial microbe base they need to run as a self-sustaining system. I also suspect that a lot of gross-out recipes for various older cloth and leather treatment processes, like turkey red, that "even included human urine!" were not the result indiscriminate pissing on your work but a chemically sound application of ammonia or similar compounds. (Any bigger dye nerds than me who want to weigh in PLEASE do!)

Having rambled a bit, I think my most succinct answer to your question is that there is tremendous potential in using human waste as fertilizer, but western culture has largely rejected it for so long that we just don't have the scientific basis (or, possibly, the cultural memory) to consistently produce food-safe compost from it *at this time*. I'm super excited to see how much interest there has been in changing this over the past 10-ish years that I've been vaguely involved with the industry, but I don't think we're at the point where it's usable *in that specific capacity* just yet. That said, even if you're not applying it to food crops, I think it's always worthwhile to learn more about where the industry is going and what the latest research is. I genuinely consider this such an exciting and fast-moving field, and I'm always excited to meet people who are interested in learning more!

Thanks for the ask!

[wallblaster]

How to make an AI Cover: The Longform Post

A friend of mine is in need of a detailed instruction for how to make an AI cover based on the only method we both found to work. So I'll be posting it here for both ease of creation, and to aid anyone else who might see this post and wants to learn how to do this themselves.

STEP 1 (or 2): Find your voice

Before anything, you must first either choose a voice or a song to use. One will determine the options available for the other because certain voice types to better with covering certain songs' vocalists. If, for instance, you tried to get a character with a british accent to sing a song in Spanish, you may run into issues with the voice not only sounding odd, but also having gaps and glitches where the voice AI was not trained to make certain noises associated with Spanish that are not associated with british English.

STEP 2 (or 1): Find your song

Songs are much more widely available for download on sites like Mp3Juices.io, so we will be using it to find our song. This will also allow me to walk you through how to download a song from Mp3Juices.io because it is less simple than is used to be.

I will be using the song Eleanor Rigby by Dirt Poor Robins because it is voiced by a woman. We will see just how well the voice types match up, but I cannot be sure just yet.

Click the Play button to watch the video being pulled from YouTube just in case it isn't what you're intending on downloading. The download button will allow you to choose whether you want to download the video or the sound of the video. In this case, we will be downloading the audio.

When you click "Download MP3", it will extend the section to provide 2 buttons. Both buttons will take you to the exact same place. A new tab where you can find the video or audio to download.

The website should look something like this. Unfortunately, the script glitches out with certain video links, and so, it stays frozen as seen above. What should be seen after what looks like a video player is this:

If you click on the circled button with three dots, it will provide a small menu with two options: either alter the playback speed, or download the audio. We will want to download the audio.

Unfortunately, this doesn't download the file as an MP3 like one would expect when clicking a button and being taken to a website, both of which say MP3 on them. Instead, this little troublemaker downloads all of your music files as M4A files. So what you'll need to do next is go to cloudconvert.com to convert the file from M4A to MP3 as shown below.

Uploading the file should result in the webpage looking like this:

Press the Convert button on the bottom right, and an audio track will pop up with a download button. Press that, and you have your MP3 file.

STEP 3: Edit Samples

If you have collected your samples of voice clips of whichever character you intend to recreate, it is time to begin editing your samples. Many samples will require very little editing, but others may require up to a couple of hours worth of work. The sample I am working with will require a large portion of work because every time Uzi is on screen is not every time she speaks.

SIDE STEP: Audacity

For all audio editing processes (of which there are many), I am using a program called Audacity. It is free for download, and allows users to record from both their headphones or their microphone. However, it may be difficult to get it to do that. So the following section will be a tutorial on how to set up Audacity for recording audio from the computer.

Once you have your audio set up, you can begin recording your music and/or the music that you intend to use in your AI cover.

STEP 3 (Continued)

To edit and clean up your audio, you want to cut out any and all sound from the audio file that isn't your chosen character's voice. Something important to keep in mind is that this does NOT include background music. We will address background music later, but for now, we do not need to worry about it unless it is too loud for the character to be heard.

In order to delete problem portions of the audio, you can highlight the portion of time in the clip by clicking and dragging over the track, and pressing the DEL button on your keyboard just above the Left Arrow Key.

Keep handling all of these until you have a track only consisting of your character's voice. Don't forget to get rid of all silent portions as well.

Once you are finished cleaning your sample audio, you are ready to extract it as an MP3 or WAV file. WAV files are larger sized, but preserve the quality of your audio.

PART 4: Separating Music from Voice

Now that you have your audio properly extracted, you need to specifically get the vocals of your music and voice clips. You can do that by using the following website called x-minus.pro/ai

STEP 5: Training your AI

Surprisingly, this is the most time consuming part of the whole process. First you will need to go to the following public Google Colab file. It contains a Python script that creates an instance of a website that will allow you to train an AI voice file, and then use that file to cover songs.

Once inside, press the play button on the first cell circled below.

This will gives you a warning prompt that the program was not made by Google. Run it anyway.

The cell's output will go through a lot of stuff, and some of it will look like links or other things. DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING YET. Eventually, the code will reformat itself to look like this:

Once it gets to this point, click the link at the very bottom of the cell, just above the textbox. It should be preceeded by "Running on Public URL: ". This link will take you to the instanced website called Grazio.

The URL opens to this page, but to build the AI, you will need to go to the "Train" tab circled in Red.

Once you have extracted the pitch, press the blue "Train Model" button circled in Yellow. This can take up to a couple of hours as it goes through 250 intervals of training. If you change the setting above it to a higher number, the voice will be more versatile, but it will take much longer to train. It will also take more time to train the more audio you have in your dataset.

Once the model is trained, press the "Train Index" button below the encircled "Train Model" button. This should only take a few seconds. Then you can press the grey "Download Model" button. This should output two files for you to download directly beneath the button. One will be a .pth file and the other will be a .index file.

STEP 6: The Final Stretch

We're almost done. Once your two files are downloaded, send both of them into a zip file by highlighting both of them, and right-clicking one of them, hovering your cursor over the "send to" menu, and then clicking "compressed (zipped) folder". You will upload this zip file to your Google Drive or other equivalent. This combined zip file is your voice ai.

You may have to refresh your google drive in order to see and/or access the file. Once you can access it, you must make it accessible via a shareable link.

Now you have a link to the file in your clipboard. Be sure not to copy anything else during this process. If you do, you can use WIN+V to pull up your clipboard which should have a list of things you've copied or cut recently. (WIN or Windows Key is located between the left CTRL and ALT buttons. If you do not have a Windows key, check your computer's settings for how to open the clipboard.)

Next, you will need to close the Grazio tab, and go back to the Google Colab page. You will need to create a new instance to ensure the program works properly. This is because training the voice causes a mess in the other sections of the website, and the instance only lasts for a limited amount of time. As a result, not restarting the instance may cause your work to be interrupted and you will have to restart anyway.

Once you are back in the Grazio page, you will need to go to the "Download Model" tab to the left of the "Train" tab we used earlier.

Go back to the "Inference" tab once the output box at the bottom reads "success". If it reads "error" or something similar, create a new instance, and try again.

Important note: uploading the vocals file will do the same thing as uploading voice samples in the "Train" tab in that you must wait for the file to fully upload before continuing to the next step. This is crucial.

Your output audio should look like this.

Unfortunately, sometimes your predictions for how the voice will sound are... bad. Take for example, Eleanor Rigby by Dirt Poor Robins covered by Uzi AI.

(Audio was too big to put directly in the post so listen to it on the Google Drive link below)

This completes the tutorial. If you want to reunite the lyrics with the instrumentals, all you have to do is import both your new AI generated audio and your instrumental track you downloaded earlier when getting the vocals for your song. Usually, you shouldn't need to alter them in any way for it to work, but if you have a good cover, using the reverb effect does wonders. After they're in the same Audacity project, all you have to do is extract that as a WAV file, and you're done.

[phanfictioncatalogue]

One-Shots (6) Masterlist

part one, part two, part three, part four, part five

A Match A Day in 1965 - nebulous-frog

Summary: Phil works at a diner with a sign that says "Matching soulmates daily since 1965” and he never really understood it until one day, he did. 

A Perfect Pair (ao3) - husbants

Summary: Dan, a struggling actor who works retail by day, and Phil, an ex-YouTuber-turned-porn-star, end up matched together on the new reality show, Perfect Pair.

Barbie Horse Adventures (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: Sometimes friends force you to get over your worst fears, sometimes you meet your soulmate in the process.

basically he’s gay (ao3) - waveydnp

Summary: dan posts his video and phil has a lot of feelings about it. they both do.

Beautiful Liar (ao3) - withawhimper

Summary: A devastating revelation from a cute stranger sitting in the bar where Dan is supposed to be meeting his boyfriend rocks Dan's world- but it turns out that might not be such a bad thing

Broken Like You (ao3) - TearDrop1234

Summary: Dan and Phil meet at a theater in a nowhere town. Their friendship is instant, but the rest not so much.

Cact us - dnpgays

Summary: Space!dan gets a new neighbour who just happens to be a cute boy with a love for plants.

Chez Nous - cityofphanchester

Summary: Dan’s stressed, Phil’s comforting.

Christmas Coming Out (ao3) - FandomFeels17

Summary: He didn't intend to come out to his mum in his future mother in law's kitchen at Christmas... But here he was, doing exactly that.

comedy = tragedy + time (ao3) - danisnopeonfire

Summary: He’s messy and bright and fantastic, and he is probably the best person to not-survive an apocalypse with.

dan is not a pianist (ao3) - Marranje

Summary: How Phil went from watching the pianist and youtuber Dan from afar to being by his side through the most important moments of their lives.

Dress Me Up & Watch Me Go (ao3) - phandomsub

Summary: Dan is sick of Phil's grumpy mood, so he takes matters into his own hands by pulling out a pair of pretty rompers.

envelop the lonely places (ao3) - cityofphanchester

Summary: Dan in his arms is like remembering how to breathe.

(reunion fic, dec '22)

every kiss is a cursive line (ao3) - phantasticworks

Summary: Iydlmp Dan and Phil through the months of trials and tribulations it takes to plan a wedding… and the wedding itself. (Sort of)

family (found) (ao3) - huphilpuffs

Summary: Dan reflects on his friendship with Martyn.

four hotel walls (ao3) - watergator

Summary: dan and phil are paranormal investigators from the 90s

(from the wings) i'll be watching (ao3) - moonanonymous

Summary: Phil is the assistant lighting director. Dan is the nutcracker prince. It's going to be a long day.

Little One - tinylester-blog

Summary: In which Dan falls in love with a tall boy that likes coffee and calls him 'little one'.

Oswald (ao3) - philsmeatylegss

Summary: Dan is an asshole, Phil goes through a tragic accident, and this somehow brings them together.

Also Phil owns a pancake restaurant.

Ripple - cafephan

Summary: Phil has a cheating boyfriend. Dan is a poet with a crush, facing an ultimatum.

sensitive (ao3) - intoapuddle, jestbee

Summary: "Do you like it?" Phil asks again. He doesn't know why he wants to hear Dan say it, but he does.

"I like it," Dan nods, tipping his back to bare his neck to Phil's teeth

Speak Now - phanlight

Summary: teenage!phan are best friends and phil has a crush on dan. phil also has a parrot and one afternoon when dan's at his house the parrot says "i love dan"

Stay (ao3) - Nefertiti1052 (Succubusphan)

Summary: Dan was mesmerized by the cute guy with the flowers he saw on the tube. Was it a bit much to search for him time and time again after that? maybe, but sometimes working hard for something works out in the end.

Stop - jilliancares

Summary: Dan and Phil are about to have sex for the first time but Dan gets nervous.

Stranger Danger (ao3) - intoapuddle

Summary: Dan thinks he's the most awkward guy on the tube until he spots a guy that seems to be in an even worse condition than himself.

the etiquette of a farmer’s market (ao3) - Fictropes

Summary: It starts with Phil destroying a supermarket shelf, it ends with the hot guy running the cheese stall.

The Urgency of Now - transdimensional-void

Summary: goth!Dan loves making out to music, and nerd!Phil is trying to figure out what it all means

trouble between you and i (ao3) - calvinahobbes

Summary: Phil can't stand the silence for another moment. "I don't want to break up," he says.

Uncle Dan (ao3) - Ragopamplina

Summary: Dan is a Lester. He knows it, but still, he enjoys little reminders.

We Could Never (ao3) - danielshands

Summary: Dan navigates the world while also contemplating coming out.

Yellow - washedoutgay

Summary: Please stop picking flowers from my garden au/ Dan really likes yellow and his cat really likes Phil

you look so good it hurts (in my favorite t-shirt) (ao3) - phantasticworks

Summary: Phil is gifted with a "Mega Dilf" shirt. Guess who picked that shirt out?

[acceptedguy]

Blog Post 16: 3D Printing, Phase 2: Project Development 

In this blog, I will share the progress on my 3D printing project, outlining the objectives and techniques involved in bringing this concept to life. Inspired by the visually striking and narratively rich world of Frostpunk, I aim to replicate and personalize the iconic generator, the lifeblood of humanity's survival in this harsh, frozen world. 

The world of Frostpunk is as harsh as it is beautiful to behold. The post-apocalyptic game, set in the 1800s, portrays humanity on the brink of extinction due to an ice age. Their only source of survival is the towering mechanical generators that produce heat by consuming coal. Humanity is forced to huddle and cling closely to these towers of reprieve to survive. Yet, while the game is based in a bleak world with nothing but pain and suffering as companions, it still manages to highlight the resilience and strength of humanity. Despite the odds heavily stacked against them, people struggle onward with nothing but hope and prayers to push them forward. 

For me, this game has been a benchmark for effectively creating environments, art styles, and atmospheres that reflect the narrative of the world itself. At the center of this world are the towering generators—the heart of humanity’s survival. In-game, the generators are not only marvels of engineering but also a testament to the harshness of the world itself. These generators must operate continuously to generate the necessary heat to keep the population alive. 

The heat produced by the generators, by burning coal to produce steam, is pumped through pipes laid throughout the city to heat homes and production buildings, including food facilities, laboratories, and more. With temperatures falling below -80°C, the odds of survival without the generator are slim to none. The game’s foundation relies not only on keeping the generator operational by securing enough resources but also on improving the generator’s efficiency and power to expand the settlement and increase the odds of survival. 

For my 3D model, I took inspiration from the original concept art of the generator created by 11-bit Studios, the creators of Frostpunk, along with other individual artists who have already created replications of the generator in both software and hardware form. As this was my first serious foray into the world of hard surface modeling, I also followed online tutorials like those from Polygon Runway, whose fantastic and informative YouTube videos provided helpful tips that made my work easier. But in general, I relied on my personal skills and problem-solving abilities, developed over the course of my career. 

After my initial research and audit, I finalized a few concept art pieces and replications that I intended to follow to create my own 3D printable version of the generator. However, I did not intend to simply copy and paste the work of others. I wanted to add my own additions to the generator that would remain faithful to the design but also give it a more personalized feel, making the project more meaningful.

I first modeled the upper section of the generator—the filtration system—in Blender. This part consists of a large cylinder with a narrow opening at the center. Several pipes are laid on its surface to circulate heat and steam, along with valves that regulate pressure. The top of the generator includes a platform with ornamental designs and a pressure gauge that displays the generator’s current pressure. 

The entire creative process required several techniques, including Boolean cutting and the creative use of array modifiers in Blender. I centered the entire structure around the world origin, which made the iterative process of generating assets around the upper section easier and ensured symmetry. Additionally, I added anchors around various pipes to account for the nature of 3D printing, which requires all objects to be connected in some form to prevent the pieces from falling apart during the printing process. 

For the lower section, I plan to use similar techniques to create the spherical boiler and its base heating portion. These parts demand creative thinking, not only because they require intricate 3D design but also because the generator’s functionality must be considered in their creation. 

I am fairly happy with what I have accomplished so far and excited about what lies ahead. While I was hesitant to attempt hard surface modeling at the start, I now look forward to completing the remaining sections and tackling even more challenging models in the future. 

[color-studios]

Hello! It's been a while since the last time I've posted on here. I'm having lots of personal issues related to my family at the moment, school has started up again, and I've been working day and night on my projects. But I think there are some things I should share! Firstly, I intend to begin a project soon that brings awareness to familial abuse, specifically focused on how it affects us long-term, as the effects are what make the events so terrible, yet they are rarely represented. This will be done through a game, and any profit from it will go toward therapy and, most importantly, moving away from my own abusive family. This is important, but not the only information I want to share. I want this post to be optimistic, so please don't view that previous statement as "This person is in a horrible situation" but rather "This person is actively working to escape their horrible situation". Now for something more positive that provides some context as to why I made this account and the things I intend to create. --- I've dedicated my entire life to my creations, and done so through many art forms. Maybe it has something to do with storytelling (including through visual art forms) being my special interest, but I've always paid great attention to art, writing, voice-acting, etc. and tried to understand the specific components of these art forms and how to use them efficiently. In doing so, I've noticed that the majority of advice we receive as artists (which again, refers to any art form) is typically not as useful as the professionals giving the advice intend it to be. It's difficult to describe these things, even as professionals, but even more difficult to describe these things in a way that others, especially that aren't professionals, will understand deeply enough to make use of that information. I've also noticed that lots of this advice tends to be heavily focused on beginners, making being and intermediate artist rather awkward. I intend to make content, mostly on YouTube (once I'm no longer living with my family, mostly because I can't record or even talk about art around them) for fellow artists where I provide advice from a new perspective, explaining the concepts in a way that not only teaches others what they refer to, but how to apply that knowledge efficiently (phrases like "show don't tell" are a good example of something not described efficiently by most teachers). I've created systems and diagrams that make planning, developing, and telling stories a much easier and more enjoyable process, removing the majority of the stress and confusion in the creation process, WITHOUT the use of AI or any other unethical things. I won't be making content as a teacher, but more-so as a peer. A fellow student that's simply sharing what they learned and that provides a platform where their peers can also share what they've learned. Sometimes, all you need is a fresh perspective to understand a common subject proficiently. Otherwise, these phrases go in one ear and out the other. I want to restore the love and energy in creative communities that modern drama and AI has stolen from us, and help people realize that they have the power to make their own dreams a reality. If any of this interests you, feel free to follow my account and I'll do my best to share what I can here, since I can't do so through videos yet.

[theodorobrejafmp]

2. Forefront Research -God of War Process

Another game series that has strongly influenced my art choices is God of War. While doing my research on the forefront games that I believe to have raised the bar when it comes to games art, I came across an article posted by Richard Leadbetter on Eurogamer, which analises in detail the 3D modeling of God of War 3.

Fig.1: The Making of God of War III Article by Richard Leadbetter

The original God of War 3 was released in 2010, it has been remastered in 2015 to match the level of current games platforms such as PS4 and PS5. Even though it may be considered old, the article still provides essential information regarding the studio production of the characters, which helps me get a deep insight of their work pipeline, as well as understand the technical evolution of the industry. Not to mention, at it's time of release, it was considered the world's number one videogame.

In the article, art director Ken Feldman states that "Kratos went from being a couple of megabytes to now, it would actually take two PS2s to fit his memory footprint all in there. He is always loaded in the game. The other thing is that he has many more weapons, too. He can load between all of those different weapons, so all that stuff is loaded with him also, and all the move sets", which underlines the dramatic evolution of the memory capacity artists now have in order to make the characters.

Fig.2: Character Sculpting Process

What I found very interesting is that both God of War 3 and the Diablo 4 cinematic I previously talked about, were animated manually, because "it was found that the animators themselves produced more effective work than basic motion capture from the actors offered". The technique they used to create the realistic muscle movement is called "blended normal mapping", which back then was something new, and now it became a standard practice.

For my future projects, I intend to dive dipper into the normal blending technique to create facial expressions for my characters.

Fig.3: Animation Simulations

Another interesting technique they created for the game is the dynamic simulation, used for animating parts of the characters such as hair, cloth or other organic parts such as gorgon's snakes, as Gary Cavanaugh states: "each of the snakes on the gorgon's head is independently moving. The animator did not have to individually pose all of these animations, but they do have control over the physics… it improves a lot of the workflow for animators".

Adding organic and simulated elements to the characters brings a lot of realism and makes the characters look more alive. So far, I stayed away from the complex simulations, and only with my major project I have started working with cloth simulation, which was a major step up for my characters.

In addition to the article, I have found a YouTube video by Game Lock, which shows behind the scenes of God of War 3 character art.

Fig.4: God of War 3 Character Art by Game Lock

In the video, they present their workflow from concept art, to 3D sculpting the models in ZBrush and the level of detail they were able to add in the game, once the technical hardware advanced. Moreover, their workflow shows pipeline elements such as using Photoshop to paint the textures over the UV maps. This technique is essential for understanding UV mapping and having clean topology, which my teachers also advised us to learn. Even though nowadays we use software like Substance Painter which can create procedural textures, knowing base techniques helps the 3D artist tremendously.

Following my research, I have also found an article which analyses the visual aspect of God of war Ragnarök, which is the latest game from the series, released in 2022.

Fig.5: God of War Ragnarök Visual Analysis Article by Rashid Sayed

In his article, Rashid Sayed says "God of War Ragnarök is an absolute beast when it comes to graphics", which is a statement considered by many other artists. In the section where he analyses the character models and animations, he mentions that the crucial thing that helped with the improvement of the quality of the models is the increased poly count of the base mesh. Seeing that nowadays the threshold of poly count for characters in games has increased dramatically from where it was when I first started sculpting, brings me comfort. Previously trying to achieve high-end realistic results, while having to keep the base model under 20 000 polygons, was really hard. As also mentioned in the previous article, rasing the bar of hair, cloth and physics simulations for the characters, was the key factor of their success in creating such high-end graphics for a game.

In addition to the articles, I have found a YouTube video by Gnomon, which showcases the process of rigging and animating the characters of God of War Ragnarök.

Fig.6: Rigging and Animating Process of God of War Ragnarök

I found it extremely useful to see their goals and mindset when creating the animations and the planning they did for the project. After watching this video, I understood many things about planning and managing the pipeline and what to keep in mind when working on the project. I implemented many of their goals in my own project, which helped me get my project closer to industry level.

Bibliography:

Fig.1,2,3: Leadbetter, R. (2010) The making of god of war III, Eurogamer.net. Available at: https://www.eurogamer.net/the-making-of-god-of-war-iii

Fig.4: Game Lock (2017) God of War 3 Behind the scenes character art. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7pUkpnAVwY

Fig.5: Sayed, R. (2022) God of war Ragnarok tech analysis – A visual spectacle on PS5?, GamingBolt. Available at: https://gamingbolt.com/god-of-war-ragnarok-tech-analysis-a-visual-spectacle-on-ps5

Fig.6: Gnomon (2018) Character rigging & cinematic animation in God of War with Erica pinto & Axel Grossman. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCpdVm2bWEI

[timetraveltasting]

IUS DIABONTANON IN PISCE FRIXO (c. 5th century)

My first Roman dish, the historical dish from Tasting History I tried today was Ius Diabontanon In Pisce Frixo, known in English as Sauce with Herbs for Fried Fish. While this dish, likely from the 5th century De Re Coquinaria of Apicius (a collection of Roman dishes), is fairly specific in preparation, it does contain the much-loved Roman herb 'silphium', which is said to be extinct nowadays (or perhaps growing in little-known places in the wild). Max suggests replacing the silphium with asafoetida, an herb which might be in the same family. This is one of those dishes that Max seemed to really enjoy, so I just had to make it. See Max’s video on how to make it here or see the ingredients and process at the end of this post, sourced from the Youtube description of the video.

My experience making it:

I made a change or two from the modern recipe below. I left out the asafoetida completely, partially because Max said it smells bad to store, and partially because it's hard to find. Further, I intended on frying the fish like Max suggests, but my largest frying pan wasn't wide enough to fit the length of fish I had, so I baked the fish instead. I also made two fish instead of one, without halving the rest of the recipe (turns out there was still plenty of sauce left, so this wasn't really an issue). In terms of other specifications, I used white wine vinegar, dried oregano, dried rue, fish sauce in place of garum or Colatura di Alici, and I reduced my own grape juice instead of using defrutum or Mosto Cotto. The type of fish I used was rainbow trout.

Having never made a whole fish before, I was a bit nervous for some reason, but they were actually very easy to season and cooked great in the oven (200 C/290 F for 20 mins). The herbs smelled absolutely amazing while I was crushing them together, and the grape juice reduced well to form the base of the sauce. The recipe took me about 30 minutes to make, and the sauce was one of the fastest parts. It didn't combine super well and there seemed to be too many dry herbs in there (which you can probably see from my photos), but upon serving, it didn't make a difference too much and seemed to dress the fish quite nicely. I did add an extra tbsp of olive oil to thin it out a little, as the white wine vinegar was quite pungent, and I wasn't sure if the German type I had bought was perhaps stronger than the ones in Canada I'm used to (and which are probably closer to Max's). Overall, I was super happy with the result - the fancy, well-dressed fish looked like Max's and, more importantly, looked pretty Roman!

My experience tasting it:

I served the fish with some boiled carrots, partially because I thought the carrots might go nicely with the sauce. My husband and I began the interactive adventure of carving the bones out of our fish. They were tiny and I definitely got a few mouthfuls of bones! The fish was delightful though - cooked perfectly and complimented so well by the sweet and sour herb-wealthy sauce. The sauce had a few chunks of dates, which balanced out the salt and pepper on the fish really well. I was quite worried the sauce would be too sweet, as there were several very sweet ingredients (honey, dates, and reduced grape juice), but the vinegar and fish sauce must have done a lot of work to balance that out. Max mentions that Roman dishes have some flavour combinations that are unexpected and unlike many modern flavours, and I definitely agree. It was a unique sauce, but in the best way. I will definitely make this dish again, and I can imagine it going especially well with red meats or perhaps stir-fried veggies. If you end up making it, if you liked it, or if you changed anything from the original recipe, do let me know!

Links to harder-to-find ingredients:

Mosto Cotto

Colatura de Alici

Asafoetida

Cumin Seed

Coriander Seed

Dried Rue

Ius Diabontanon In Pisce Frixo original recipe (c. 5th century)

Sourced from De Re Coquinaria of Apicius

Sauce with herbs for Fried Fish: Whatever fish you like, clean, salt, fry. Pound pepper, cumin, coriander seed, silphium root, oregano, rue, pound. Moisten with vinegar, add dates, honey, defrutum, oil, liquamen. Pour into a pot, let it boil, when heated pour over the fried fish. Sprinkle pepper and serve.

Modern Recipe

Based on De Re Coquinaria of Apicius and Max Miller’s version in his Tasting History video.

Ingredients:

1 whole fish or filet

salt for seasoning

½ tsp ground black pepper

½ tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp coriander seed

½ tsp optional asafoetida powder

1 tsp fresh oregano, add only half if you want to use dried

½ tsp dried rue, add twice the amount if you want to use fresh rue

3 tbsp red or white wine vinegar

3 minced dates

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp Mosto Cotto or reduced grape juice (reduce by half)

2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for frying

1 tbsp fish sauce or Colatura di Alici

Method:

Clean and gut the fish, then make several diagonal slices on each side and season with salt.

Add 1/2 an inch of oil to a frying pan and heat it over medium high heat. Then set the fish in and fry on one side, undisturbed. Then flip and fry the other side. Once browned, place on a wire rack to drain.

For the sauce, grind and mix the herbs, then add the remaining ingredients.

Transfer sauce mixture to a small saucepan and heat over medium low heat until boiling.

Serve hot and sprinkle with pepper.

[c-mccormick-svad-2022-2025]

(ARTS266) Project 3: Animation - A Work in Progress

This week, I began working on Project 3: Animation. The goal of this project is to create a three-second animation using the content developed throughout the semester. The final animation file will be saved and uploaded onto Basecamp in both GIF and MP4 formats. The file size should be 1080 x 1080 pixels, with a resolution of 72 dpi and RGB color mode.

I would like to share that the process of accomplishing this project is unlike any other I have encountered before. Perhaps it is because I tend to overthink my work or do too much research, which can be overwhelming. Or maybe it's because I have an idea that seems impossible to achieve with my limited skill set. Before Professor Dedas posted the project brief, I knew this would be a difficult project to complete simply because animation has a learning curve. I remember trying to learn animation a few years ago on my own, but I gave up after a few attempts with the software. However, this project has no shortcuts or workarounds, and I need to face the fact that I must learn how to animate. I'm not completely against the idea, but I'm a little overwhelmed that I only have a few class periods left to complete. Nevertheless, I have two weeks in total to learn, and I'm up for the challenge!

I plan to animate the geometric surface designs and illustrations I created for my merchandise project using Adobe After Effects. To achieve this, I have conducted visual research on Pinterest and Behance and watched multiple videos on YouTube. My goal is to animate every rectangle as a frame, and the shapes within each rectangle would animate to reveal three separate color palettes. Eventually, I intend to incorporate my studio name into the animation loop. I also hope to enter this animation project into some student design competitions in the future.

But I'm getting ahead of myself! Before learning animation, I must remind myself that it requires patience and hard work. I am ready to face the challenge and achieve my illustration goals for this project.