Uncategorized Archives - Punch Digital

17/10/2020 — No Comments

Jab Jab: New Podcast Episode – Forget Digital

In this episode of the Good Business Is the Best Art podcast, I speak to Vince from Rhode Creative as we talk about forgetting digital.

We chat about how Vince has been a professional graphic designer in both traditional and digital worlds, clip art CDs, pushing deadlines, and even the good old Argos catalogue, as well Vince give to us the best advises for promote your social media account!

Show Notes -

Vince can be found at

rohdecreative.co.uk

Facebook

You can also subscribe to future podcasts when we're live on Spotify and Apple Podcast.

And if you'd like to be a guest and chat about anything creative, then please drop us a line at hello@punch.digital

Stay creative!

Published by Dean in Uncategorized

Tags: creative, digital, Podcast

19/09/2020 — No Comments

Roll With The Punches: Let’s Collaborate

Punch Digital is keen to expand our network of reliable freelancers to help with a growing projects and work-load.

So we're looking to connect with freelancers who....

...are very competent in 3Ds Max.

or have great 3D modelling skills in other packages.

...create high-end illustrations, which may include products, architecture, brands, etc.

...can speak fluent English (UK based is preferred) and full-time freelance.

...can bring in new skills, such as animation, simulation, music and editing.

If you think you're a good fit for any of the above then please get in touch via collaborate@punch.digital with your portfolio, contact details and day-rate.

Thanks,
Dean

Published by Dean in Uncategorized

Tags: collaborate, PunchDigital

19/09/2020 — No Comments

Out For The Count: B&S Furniture

Over several months we worked with this client to accurately illustrate their new product ranges even before the furniture hit the UK docks, and there are also great options for this and if you have old furniture you can also remodel it using resin from SquidPoxy USA Epoxy Resin Supplier online.

A case-study of this project will follow in due course, but for now enjoy the final work, and if you're a Behance fan, checkout and appreciate the project here - https://www.behance.net/punchdigitaluk

interior product furniture bedroom cgi illustration visualisation

Published by Dean in Uncategorized

Tags: bedroom, cgi, furniture, illustration, interior, visualisation

28/11/2019 — No Comments

Development // 3D Scanning without a 3D scanner

Over the past month, we have had Daniel here on work experience.

During his time here, we set him the challenge of researching and developing a work-flow to capture real life objects in the form of a 3D scan, with the limitation of not having access to a 3D scanner.

The method to do this is called photogrammetry and isn't anything majorly new to the CGI industry, but it is something that we believe could be a very useful tool to have at our disposal.

Photogrammetry works by taking 100s of photos of a static object, and them loading them into a piece of software which can the turn the 2D images into a 3D object. It's very very clever, and is mind-blowing to even consider how the software does what it does!

In a nut-shell, photogrammetry isn't as straight forward as a lot of the manuals say. It cab be very fickle and requires an almost perfect scenario of flat lighting. However we did start to make progress, end with a successful scan of Huddersfield fines dough treats!

Dev // 3D Scan of pretzel doughnut & bun
by punchdigital
on Sketchfab

Our testing did take longer than anticipated, and the final results (so far) are by no means the end product, but we can certainly see the potential with this tool and workflow.

The advantages of photogrammetry are speed, accuracy and low cost. The downsides are mainly in the uncontrollable side of things such as lighting.

We will continue to develop this part of our work, and can see it being useful for interiors (maybe organic items such as food and soft furnishings) and exterior images for statues or maybe historic architecture.

We owe Daniel a massive thank you for his time with us, and we wish him well in his studies!

Thank Daniel!!

Published by Dean in Uncategorized

17/10/2019 — No Comments

Finished Friday // Strode Road // Architectural CGI Illustration

Strode Road // Architectural CGI Illustration

Finished Friday this week brings you Strode Road // Architectural CGI Illustrations.

Check out the full project here.

And if you'd like to know more about the project, are thinking about a CGI commission, or just want to friendly northern advice, then just drop us a line.

Contact details handily on the Contacts Page.

Published by Dean in Uncategorized

Tags: 3d, architectural visualisation, cgi, illustration

24/09/2019 — No Comments

4 Questions // A brief insight into Dean and Punch Digital

I got asked these 4 questions below, and they really made me think about different aspects of myself and how I got to where I am with Punch Digital. So delve into my background, what makes me tick, and why I decided to try and make an impact in the creative CGI industry....

What do you do?

I run Punch Digital, a small, but very capable CGI studio, which I’m very proud to be the front of.

Personally, I’m hands on with projects, clients and R&D, but as the business grows I want to hand some of these tasks to trusted employees and partners, under my direction of course!

My background is in creating marketing CGI illustrations, working for other firms, before setting up Punch Digital in 2012.

Who do you help?

Past clients include the likes of o2, Belling and Ford, and we’re just as comfortable working with small, local firms too.

Punch Digital / myself will work with a wide range of people and business, and have no real “ideal client”. Some of the most exciting and interesting projects have come from the most unusual clients, and what we try to do is make the business grow following the all the new Digital marketing trends!

On a personal level, I want to help folk break into the CGI industry. I feel people can be unprepared when it comes to landing their first job. The way I’m kicking this off is through a LinkedIn group - Helping folk break into the creative CGI industries, where I aim to offer advice, help and support to anyone who needs it!

What pain do you solve?

CGI imagery, animations and interactive apps are a great way to help folk visualise products, architecture and anything else.

The biggest pain we solve is to remove limitations.

Room sets aren’t restricted to studio walls; kitchens can be visualised in any interior imaginable.

Products don’t have to be manufactured, they can be illustrated from sketches and ideas, perfect for gauging interest, or even marketing for sales, before the expense of manufacturing.

Individual product variation can be shown, without the need to build and photograph each combination, through an interactive configurator. No more swatches or sample pots!

Ultimately, I want to make CGI marketing imagery as easy and as accessible as possible for anyone who sells a product, property or anything else!

Why do you do what you do?

I’ve always been a keen artist, even as little boy doodling in make-shift art folders. I must admit my fine art skills won’t win any awards, but it’s something I’ve enjoyed and pursued right up to Art A-Level.

I’m also great with numbers, figures and problem solving. Again A-Levels in maths and business studies helped build this passion.

Luckily, CGI imagery is a combination of artist flare, and technical ability. Figuring a small technical issue can almost be just as rewarding as building a beautiful illustration.

I believe what I and Punch Digital does is purposeful, helpful and adds value for our clients, helping them to market and sell their thing.

There’s no greater high than receiving an email or phone call from a client, thanking us for our hard work and success on their project.

I also love the constant evolution of CGI imagery. The CGI industry doesn’t stand still, advances in tech often push expectations to produce higher quality, speed and frequency of work, which is fine and part of the exciting challenges.

There are also amazing opportunities to explore and expand into new areas, such as virtual reality or augmented reality, with the aim of making this tech available, accessible and useful to clients, which is often the biggest, but very rewarding!

Ultimately I just love the mix of creativity, technical and innovative aspects of the creative CGI industry!

(Plus it’s less messier than being a plumber (sorry dad)!!)

Dean

Published by Dean in Uncategorized

10/09/2019 — No Comments

VR Hits The Arcades, and it’s an obvious hit!

Recently I blogged out the Alton Towers Galactica ride, which is a mix of a real roller coaster and virtual reality. I thought the initial concept was great, you could fly through virtual worlds, and experience the G forces from the roller coaster. However it seemed to me that the ride makers were really missing a trick by only having 1 virtual world, and ZERO interactivity.

I know how expensive creating virtual worlds can be, but I also know that with a digital format, such as virtual reality, the cost to make physical changes to hardware or equipment is zero.

Recently whilst on a break, I noticed Virtual Rabbids The Big Ride in an arcade. It’s essentially an arcade game, where you sit on a motion simulator, wear a HTC Vive, and experience virtual worlds, from pirate adventures to Christmas sleigh rides!

OK this game doesn’t give the same thrills as the Galactica ride or the blackout bingo app, and you can’t expect that from an arcade machine. However it does deliver an accessible, engaging, immersive experience without the need for a massive roller coaster.

It’s an obvious hit too. Out of all the arcade machines, Rabbids The Big Ride was by far the most popular, even though it was 400% more expensive than the other arcade games. OK perhaps the price and popularity are down to the uniqueness of the game, but it does go to show the appetite and willingness to give VR a go.

I personally see VR being a big hit in arcades, and might even spark a return to the arcades of decades gone by. I am still very much skeptical about VR. Will we ever overcome the social acceptance of the technology? It’s hard to convince people to wear a VR headset, and also hard to see how virtual reality can be anything other than a solo experience. But with a virtual reality arcade, I can see how a group of friends could use it in a very similar way to a normal arcade game, and that really does give me hope for the future of VR entertainment.

VR Virtual Reality

So is VR saved?

Who knows!

But I am glad that virtual reality is slowly becoming more and more mainstream, and being adopted in ways that actually give value though enhanced experiences.

Do I still think there's a massive social hurdle to overcome? Of course! But little steps like are paving the way.

Would you try a VR arcade game? Could you lose yourself in a virtual environment? Is VR the future of entertainment?

Drop me your thoughts!

Dean

Published by Dean in Uncategorized, Virtual Reality

Tags: 3d, animation, cgi, headset, Interactive, virtual reality, vr

24/07/2019 — No Comments

The July Newsletter

The July Newsletter is out

Head to...

https://mailchi.mp/983ae71e4ced/istgx2uajf-2096145

for a quick read. And hit the subscribe button to make sure you don't miss future editions!

Dean

Published by Dean in Uncategorized

23/07/2019 — No Comments

Digital Room Sets // Off-The-Shelf just won’t do!

I often get asked

"Do you have any room sets we could use?"

And the simple and honest answer is

"No"

There is ONE reason why. It's too much of a compromise, with little advantage.

Interior CGI Bedroom Luna Visualisation

Let me explain. Our digital room sets are built to visualise a product. A room set to visualise kitchen tiles will be built, lit, propped and designed to purposely visualise tiles.

To now use that set to visualise a dining table would be possible, but not ideal. We'd spend too much time re-jigging and re-arranging an old set. It's actually much better to start with a blank canvas, and can be more efficient too.

CGI Architectural Visualisation Visualisations Architecture Housing Development Animation Interior Internal KBB Bathroom

That's not to say that we can't re-use parts of the past digital room sets, such as windows, chairs or light fixtures. However the architecture of the room is best to be built from scratch.

Re-using and re-purposing digital assets can be used along side new and custom fixtures too. That way you have something unique, bespoke and tailored to you and your product.

Interior 3D CGI Visualisation Illustration Klio Office

So, if you're looking to use interior digital room sets to visualise a product, perhaps think about building one that suits your needs perfectly. Don't be fooled that using an off-the-shelf set will save you time and money, it likely wont.

Don't compromise!

Dean

Published by Dean in Interior, Uncategorized

Tags: 3d, Architecture, cgi, design, illustration, interior, kitchen, rendering, visualisation

16/07/2019 — No Comments

Virtual Reality // The Misunderstood Medium

Fantastic Tech

New tech is fantastic. It changes on a daily basis, and brings us new and exciting things.

But virtual reality can almost seem like it stumbles and trips way too often. Let's not forget that VR isn't anything new, Oculus Rift was funded on Kickstarter over 7 years ago!

Misunderstood

Like a stroppy high-school teenager, VR is misunderstood. It doesn't know what it wants to do in life, it's not sure where it belongs, and perhaps even a little confused about its upbringing!

Virtual Reality misunderstood

The issue

For me, virtual reality is often being shoe-horned into a situation that doesn't really fit, and it's really hurting it's reputation and potential. People think "VR, that's cool, how can we jump on this bang wagon" without really thinking about what they're trying to achieve.

VR is fantastic for occasions where the user needs to be isolated, such as training simulations. They can safely immerse the user in dangerous, expensive and complex situations.

However, I believe VR isn't great for social groups in many situations. That could be 1 person wearing a VR headset in a group of people, or several people each using a headset. There is a massive social issue for VR to overcome.

If you're the 1 in a group of many, and you're the only one in the virtual world, you are no longer connected to the group. You are alone. There's no two ways about it.

Again if you're in a group of VR users, you are alone.

Virtual Reality misunderstood

And this social and psychological issue is massive.

Trust.

Respect.

Relationships.

All of these things are tested every time you wear a headset in a social environment. How many times have you handed someone a VR headset, for them to wear it for 15 seconds, then hand it back? Or you wear a headset, and you become too isolated from the real world. These are the kinds of the big issues VR is facing.

The big VR fix

Well, is there a "fix"?

I think we need to really think about where virtual reality is used.

Maybe we just need to plough on, and try to make VR common place?

Or perhaps, as an entertainment platform, VR is already dead in the water, and we should look towards alternatives such as augmented reality?

This blog post isn't a dig at virtual reality, or those trying to use the medium for brilliant things, but I think content creators really need to take a step back, and figure out if virtual reality is right for their end goal and end users, before irreversible damage is done.

Dean

Published by Dean in Uncategorized, Virtual Reality

Tags: 3d, cgi, Interactive, virtual reality, vr

Jab Jab: New Podcast Episode – Forget Digital

Roll With The Punches: Let’s Collaborate

Out For The Count: B&S Furniture

Development // 3D Scanning without a 3D scanner

Finished Friday // Strode Road // Architectural CGI Illustration

Strode Road // Architectural CGI Illustration

4 Questions // A brief insight into Dean and Punch Digital

What do you do?

Who do you help?

What pain do you solve?

Why do you do what you do?

VR Hits The Arcades, and it’s an obvious hit!

The July Newsletter

Digital Room Sets // Off-The-Shelf just won’t do!

Virtual Reality // The Misunderstood Medium

Fantastic Tech

Misunderstood

The issue

The big VR fix

LIKE WHAT YOU SEE?

WANT TO KNOW MORE?