A few lines
Added 2024-01-30 13:34:06 +0000 UTCCurrently, the mocap session and voicing are taking place simultaneously.
I tried to postpone it until after the project, but I had to change the OS on the fly, for which I had to assemble a new config, and transfer all my licenses and settings to it bit by bit. Recompiling all my plug-ins for the new OS so that all my custom-nodes work. There are so many... ("the things you own end up owning you") Countless dependency errors and mandatory license upgrades. Despite the "lifetime" licenses you have already bought, you cannot remain a creator until you show a constantly renewed willingness to consume. So this was quite a process.
For Christmas, I received a greeting from the landlord, which stated that he was selling the apartment I've been renting for 11 years - I had 3 months to leave. So I can take the whole thing apart, take the kid and the wife, move and recalibrate it in the new place. But at least it will be built much more thoughtfully. In the meantime, I managed to buy 3 more cameras of the required type - so after I measure and calculate their lens correction, the coverage will also increase to 12.
I plan to put together technical videos soon, separately about the mocap and voicing process. Uncut footage, playblast, audio material is constantly being collected. But since I'm in the thick of it right now, I'm trying day and night to make progress and solve this situation at the same time...
Comments
Billing remains paused for September, no one will be charged.
aniel Szal
2025-08-31 12:30:39 +0000 UTCBilling will remain paused for the next month as well, no one will be charged. (To whom it may concern: The system warned me that 2 iOS in-app subscriptions will be cancelled because of this.)
aniel Szal
2025-07-30 20:10:35 +0000 UTCFirst of all, I want to personally thank you for your support. However, as I’ve been asking everyone over the past year, I’d like to kindly ask you to consider reducing or pausing your pledge. It truly means a lot to still have supporters, and I’m doing my best to keep everyone informed about the challenges, at least here in the comments. As I’ve been mentioning regularly (including a few days ago), the working-of video is still in progress. Once it’s ready, it will be shared in a new, separate post. So, even if anyone chooses to unsubscribe, they’ll still be notified about the post. I’m especially grateful for your long-standing support. Please feel free to check back whenever you think there’s something worth coming back for.
aniel Szal
2025-04-11 00:59:50 +0000 UTCHey, I really want to stay, and for now I plan to.... but you really really need to make a real update on things, not just reply to concerned backers in a thread. Please tangibly show me where my money is going. If I have to wait another month for an update video that was promised in January... it might be time for both of us to look into other endeavors...
Lunar Stain
2025-04-10 22:49:29 +0000 UTCYes, we’re making progress with the voicing, and meanwhile, I’m working on the making-of video for the entire last year, which I originally planned to post in January. Revisiting this period bit by bit, I’ve realized how many details there are to cover, and I’m trying to gather everything and piece it all together.
aniel Szal
2025-03-04 08:37:38 +0000 UTCEverything still good?
ruykwh
2025-03-02 22:48:42 +0000 UTCI am just checking to see if you are still alive!
polyfrank
2025-02-11 01:19:36 +0000 UTCHello guys, Quite a few of you who I’ve chatted with via DM might find parts of this comment familiar. I’ve referred to this period as the "Hardware mode." While it’s essentially a creative phase, and some aspects might be interesting to a few of you, so much time was consumed by the move, renovations, and setting up the technical things that instead of documenting it all, I impatiently started kicking myself toward just getting it done, making it work, and moving on. I could really use another version of myself to sift through the DCIM folders, string together the curse-free version of the lessons learned, and put together an expressive yet engaging timeline in Premiere. Throughout the development, there were countless moments where I began phases with uncertainty, and only after multiple iterations did something finally work. While they were necessary, looking back after finally succeeding, they often didn’t feel as exciting as I had initially imagined. I know, this is the classic downplaying that happens when you’re grinding away at something. And since the hardest work typically happens off-camera for everyone because it’s not that interesting, I started slipping into the mindset of, "Why would anyone care about watching me bungle with 3D printing, optical setups, soldering wires, or just in the middle of my living room surrounded by computers, grinding steel parts over a bucket of water." These aren’t as visually engaging as well-lit renders or as harmonious as, say, thoughts evoked by female anatomy. Working with the new VA – considering the previous one announced back in February on Twitter that she’d be stepping away from this field for a while, and I had to find someone new – has been a major source of motivation for me. Since I communicate with her via video, iterating on the scene line by line, it would make for interesting content. I’m sure many content creators would be tempted to post things like that, but it only makes sense to share them after the scene’s release. I’m hesitant to post content about this period and have mostly been present in the form of DMs and comment replies to avoid unnecessarily tempting people from behind the paywall - the pressure from the technical difficulties is more than enough. However, I’ve been mulling over your suggestions and have realized that, yes, I should put together a video about this period by January. It would be good to get some closure on it, before moving on to posts about character animations. Although this rollercoaster has drained my savings, I certainly have no plans to raise pledge prices. Everyone is welcome to support at whatever level they find suitable. I deeply appreciate your interest and your support, no matter the amount. That said, I encourage everyone again to reassess their contributions in light of what’s happened and either reduce them to a reasonable level or even pause them temporarily. Since I left my previous job to work on these projects, I can confidently say that I will finish this one and, of course, continue with new ones afterward. I’m far from burning out... Daniel
aniel Szal
2024-12-07 20:15:19 +0000 UTCDefinitely would second this! I think a bit of your tendency for perfection with your projects is also seeping into what you believe we're looking for in updates. Personally, even length updates on exact specifics or photos/gifs aren't necessary as much as maybe a development or setback you faced each week. I do find it fun to follow the progress as do many so it would be nice to get some of your thoughts and ideas on how things are going. On a somewhat related note, for what the advice is worth, I think many artists refine their skills well not as much by pouring so much into a single project, but releasing something that might not be their exact vision, but that offered them massive insight on how to fix their setbacks in the next project. Obviously, in the end this is just advice, so you're free to honor your vision and I am actually very grateful that, unlike quite a few creators in this space that charge exhorbitantly for nearly 2 year wait-times on single projects, it seems you're genuinely focused on the craft first and keeping the membership cheap, which makes it easy to stay on board. If you want to treat the patreon as a blog to just post even random updates, I think most would love to follow along!
ruykwh
2024-12-06 08:20:03 +0000 UTCHi, I onces was supporting this channel and then after long time not hearing much from you I was discouraged to pay anymore. Tbh I didn't read much of the comments here. Today I was just curious on if you are still creating stuff and found the comments on Kemono. Now I am back supporting you, because you seem to be getting back on track, though its just 1€ to see if something comes from it. I couldn't read the comments here too, because of the paywall. A seperate update post would be nice so everyone sees that you are still on it.I seriously respect that and can somewhat feel what you went through, 'cause I had something similar happen to me once and I know how that can pull one down. Had to live in and hop multiple shared appartments unregistered for half a year, because its almost impossible to find affordable spaces, while I was in my profeccional job training. So really, props to you for pulling through all of that and continuing to do what you love, but keep us somewhat updated on how its going from time to time. A small Studiotour with all that amazing setup maybe. Doesn't have to be with you real voice or anything, just something to let us know.
Scorgaia
2024-12-04 18:32:01 +0000 UTCWellness check!
znk41
2024-11-26 04:11:26 +0000 UTCThank you for being here and for your support up until now. Your encouragement really helped me through this tough period. I completely understand that you’re choosing to step away (you definitely don’t need to apologize for it), and I also understand that, from the outside, much of what I have to work on may look like worthless details. And wow, I definitely think what you said is worth considering: I’ll try to view the progress through that lens as well, to make sure that any potential personality flaws I might have don’t hinder or ruin the final result. When the scene is ready, you’ll still be able to check it out on Twitter, so you won’t miss the final result! I’m also sending this reply in a DM so that you don’t need to come back here just to read it.
aniel Szal
2024-11-08 12:49:46 +0000 UTCSorry to say, but after one year of no updates i am outta here. Another important reason is your explanations regarding your studio creation and the soundtrack of the videos. I guess you are bogged down in unimportant details instead of creating great things as before. Seems to be like some kind of grandeur narcisstic thing if you ask me, better check that out (no offense intended). As i said before, you have the wrong priorities in my opinion, but of course you must set your own ones and nobody else. But i'd say as a consequence it is also understandable that i don't have interest anymore in waiting years for a short video. Good luck to you and thx for your creations of the past.
MM3000
2024-11-07 10:22:53 +0000 UTCGood to hear you still have a lot of passion for your craft! Definitely make sure to take care of your health and not work too late.
ruykwh
2024-10-18 19:29:28 +0000 UTCHey Guys, thanks for checking in! After finishing the walls of my new studio - including the pretty sophisticated wiring - and marking all the calibration points, the next step was the 3D scanning. Considering that the 3D reconstruction of the markers in my previous studio was a terribly long and soul-crushing process, the plan to scan the new room this time seemed flawless. Admittedly, the scan was postponed twice due to a bunch of complications with the active markers built into the walls. When the day finally came and the industrial scanner was set up, the preview revealed that the passive markers painted on the walls weren’t showing up at all. At that moment, I had to come up with a quick solution, so I painted new markers over the existing ones with a different paint. These markers did appear, and we proceeded to scan at maximum resolution. Days later, when I received the pointcloud and started processing it, I realized that although the point density was massive, the color information was only saved for about every 100th to 200th point. Before I received it, somewhere in the process, the color was interpolated for the points in between, which results in blurry color data even with a high point density. This means the sampling for color is extremely sparse. A one-millimeter-thick line is easily skipped by the sampling, so at the marker positions, blurry vertical lines appeared, but the horizontal ones did not. On top of that, I measured a few distances and found that, despite the scanner’s official error margin of 10-12mm over 100 meters, I was getting a 12mm error over just 3 meters... The entire point cloud ended up in the trash. Rage quit > drinking for days > staring into the distance > new plan… "Got so far but in the end"... the solution had to be the old-school method: setting up perpendicular laser planes, establishing a coordinate system at the corners and edges, and performing around 400 sub-millimeter measurements. Despite several innovations, it’s still the same soul-crushing process as before. The important thing is that the markers were finally measured accurately. 39 active markers, 32 corner points, 51 cluster points. PETG printing is running 24/7 - new power supply and mount elements for the cameras are being made. Every day, the delivery guy shows up with some new little item I ordered that was still missing. After months of crashing in my son's room with all my gear and the workstation, I finally moved everything to the studio last week and set them up. So now the days are longer again, and I can finally work late into the night…
aniel Szal
2024-10-18 11:00:56 +0000 UTCHow's everything going?
ruykwh
2024-10-11 16:52:54 +0000 UTCWould you consider making a smaller project or two while in the middle of your more ambitious projects? Perhaps a minute-long video with 10-sec. animation loops. Because once this next cyberpunk project is out and viewed, I know myself and the rest of your supporters will be depressed to realize it will be another couple years before the next video…
Partyr0ck
2024-09-14 15:00:46 +0000 UTCThe renovation has been eventful, but it's finally done, and from a technical standpoint (painting, specialized cabling, and camera mounts/rigging points installation), the new studio is ready. However, we are now focused on the precise measurement of the volume's strategic points and markers, which is the most dreaded task that first came to mind back in December when I learned we had to move... We already scanned the new studio with an industrial Leica scanner, but since it turned out to be surprisingly inaccurate, my wife and I are now measuring all the markers using our tried-and-true but much more cumbersome laser measuring tools, following my old-school method. Although I wouldn't trust anyone else with this, she's taking on quite a big task at this stage of my work - she might deserve more credit for it... :/
aniel Szal
2024-09-07 22:25:15 +0000 UTCstill alive?
TheDax
2024-09-04 17:36:01 +0000 UTCplease make new videos~!!!
HO Pu
2024-08-24 15:24:43 +0000 UTCTake your time, because this level of work takes a lot of time. Especially if you have other things to do. Take care and see you soon :)
Den
2024-08-03 13:49:49 +0000 UTCHello Den, I'm glad to hear that you like the little I've managed to produce so far. I'm at the tail end of a hectic move and renovation, and I sincerely hope that things will pick up pace soon on the production front. Even though, after the almost half a year of snail-paced progress, it feels incredibly optimistic to think ahead like this, but yes, she is indeed on my list.
aniel Szal
2024-08-02 21:21:25 +0000 UTCYou are doing great mate! Hope you are going to be back again with something new. Any chance for Lara Croft video in the future? :)
Den
2024-07-27 18:05:11 +0000 UTCThe very last night of the teardown before moving the items that held out the longest: https://mega.nz/folder/em5kxCIL#bqDZIT9SgFTCUKFcUU5YYA
aniel Szal
2024-07-19 14:03:25 +0000 UTCGoPro Hero 3 cameras.
aniel Szal
2024-07-19 13:56:46 +0000 UTCDo you use Vicon or Optitrack cameras?
Dean Akin
2024-07-19 08:39:19 +0000 UTCI share MM3000 concerns. I don't mind you taking your time but maybe you should keep us updated so that I know if I should still support you or you've moved on from this.
Mildcatharsis
2024-06-28 23:12:39 +0000 UTCGreat to hear things are moving along. Even at a slower pace. Excited for the final product.
Connor Hicks
2024-06-25 22:42:38 +0000 UTCDefinitely agree with MM3000, you charge so little that money was never a part of the concern. I do also think that, while original music would be amazing, it was really your eye for realism and intimacy in your first vids that brought us here. I think it's also clear that after all this time, with your supporters, none of us are worried about the small price you charge and we are all more than happy to support such a dedicated creator like yourself! But there is definitely a desire by a lot of your supporters, myself included, to just know things are all right with you and maybe the ups-and-downs of the process you're facing, month to month.
ruykwh
2024-06-25 07:51:22 +0000 UTCI agree with MM3000, what made me interested was your exceptional eye for intamacy, facial expressions, and details. I definitely don't mind waiting for a polished product but, I beleive a monthly update would give supporters more confidence in this new project. I know I'll be here but I'm just thinking about everyone.
Dre
2024-06-24 19:45:46 +0000 UTCThanks for the info :) It is not about the money btw, you don't ask for much anyways. I would even pay much (much) more for your videos tbh. I just think you are a perfectionist in everything you do, and that can be a problem. You are concentrating so much on the musical side of the project for example, but i don't think - no offense - that your music is the thing that got people interested. You have an eye for intimacy and details, your videos are so unbelievably good. I would be very happy if you concentrate on that. But yeah, ofc you need to do *your* thing. Best Wishes for your life and thanks for sharing your talent with us.
MM3000
2024-06-23 10:22:39 +0000 UTCNo, the project is not dead. It is still progressing, even if terribly slowly. Over the past two months, I've only been able to work on it at night while being physically exhausted during the day from making the new place livable, where I need to move the studio. As before, I suggest everyone consider reducing or even suspending their support due to this. Personally, I absolutely do not plan to stop the project.
aniel Szal
2024-06-23 07:28:51 +0000 UTCSo half a year later still no message or information? Is this thing dead? Don't wanna be rude, but seeing your videos about music production and things you planned, perhaps it would would have been a better idea to focus on your strengths instead of doing everything. It is really sad you don't do videos anymore. Hope you are well.
MM3000
2024-06-21 19:29:41 +0000 UTCI've just discovered your content and I must say the realism is mind blowing. I can't even begin to understand how much work it much take to make these productions possible. Are there any artists you know that have creations like yours or that you would reccomend so I can build up a proper library, I don't know of any creators because I am new to VR and looking for advice
Steven Petrushonis
2024-05-23 06:48:02 +0000 UTCLong time fan of the previous works! So sorry to hear about that situation, on Christmas too, that landlord has no shame! Totally understand the wait that these videos take, it's definitely not hard to see this current project is your most ambitious yet by a long shot! Was curious about your thoughts on doing monthly updates, just in writing like this one. I don't think there's any rush on the project itself or how much progress you've made on the month to month, but it'd be great to get a pulse check on how you're feeling, struggles, and maybe ideas for your projects you think you can bounce off of open ears here in the Patreon.
ruykwh
2024-04-16 05:15:14 +0000 UTCI only recently found your amazing content, may I give one small piece of feedback for the future? (You probably already know this) Your current downloads (and therefore the renders themselves I guess) are 50 fps. As most VR headset have refresh rates around 60-72-90-120hz, none of which are a multiple of 50, I think that exporting your videos at a framerate that allows even framepacing would be really nice. I guess 60fps would be ideal as most VR setups can do either 60 or 120hz. However I realize it would be more expensive to render, just a suggestion to keep in mind. I've seen great results using AI interpolation from 30 to 60 fps for other similar content, perhaps it's worth looking into. Keep up the amazing work, can't wait for your future projects!
poot
2024-03-04 14:00:30 +0000 UTCI've just discovered your work and let me tell you it's the best I've seen so far, by a long stretch... you are a true artist, these are not robot girls, you make them alive... keep going!!!
JP
2024-02-14 06:26:05 +0000 UTCYour work is far too good not to remain patient for friend each step closer to a more stable life will make for all the diffrence in the future.
Jesse
2024-02-09 07:17:44 +0000 UTCLife happens
LockOn360
2024-02-03 03:08:53 +0000 UTCOh wow, I am really sorry to hear that. Such stressful stretches in life can have a high toll on one's mental health. I hope your family was/is able to give you the support you need. Ad Kotani said, take your time. I know that is easier said than done, but no good will come of it, if your real life responsibilities and this project make up all your waking hours. Take care man.
Loaker
2024-01-30 15:02:04 +0000 UTCTake you time, bro
Kotani
2024-01-30 13:42:49 +0000 UTC
