Welcome back to the Mkali’s Mission update blog. Today we’d like to introduce you to Montreal-based artist, Eloi Andaluz Fullà! Eloi has been our go-to guy when it comes to the destruction modeling in our remote studio’s project.
By using 3ds Max in tandem with some unique plug-ins, Eloi helped with the intricate pre-fracturing of the bunker for its destruction sequence. We spoke with Eloi to learn more about his experience on the project, his inspirations, and the importance of 3ds Max’s plug-in support.
Tell us about yourself!
I am a 3D artist. I have been working with ScanlineVFX in the FX department for the last 6 years now. I come from a village close to Barcelona, my main studies are architecture, since I started my studies in architecture, I moved to different visualization areas. I have worked in architectural visualization, advertising, mapping shows, rock shows, interactive installations, and now visual effects.
What drove you to become a 3D artist?
I was doing my first year at university for Technical Architecture and I needed AutoCAD. I got a CD with a student version of AutoCAD, coupled with a version of 3ds Max 2.0. I decided to install it to see if I was able to understand how a CG movie was done. After that, I was absorbed. Every day I would spend 4 to 6 hours trying to figure out by myself how this program works.
I finished my studies in architecture and ended up doing a Master’s in Structural Analysis, but as a side hustle I was also doing architecture visualizations for different studios. For multiple years 3D was a hobby, but then I realized I was able to make a living the same way I was doing it with my architectural studies. Around 2010 I decided to convert what was a hobby/side hustle to my main work.
Why do you use 3ds Max?
As said, it was my first contact with a 3D app. During my career, I ended up working with multiple products – AutoCAD, Maya, Inventor, Cinema 4D, Blender, Houdini. But 3ds Max combined with different plugins I found offers me the solution that adapts the best with my way of working. I can iterate very fast, the modifier stack is very versatile, and it has excellent plugins to work with.
Your job on Mkali’s Mission was to create the destruction of the bunker as it explodes, tell us about your approach to working on this?
First, I pre-fractured the building. I use the "Fastcutter" script by my friend Paul Fuller from www.effectivetds.com. It allows full control over the cuts and is totally art directable, with very nice details. For rigid body simulation, my usual tool of choice is “thinkingParticles”. It allows a lot of control with its rule-based workflows, and the "ShapeCollision" voxel system rigid bodies solver is the best solution I've ever tried. It's stable, it's fast, and just always works in creating a very realistic result that other solvers like Physx or Bullet have a harder time archiving.
Tell us about some of the challenges of working from home (Ex. Work/Personal time balance in the age of COVID-19). Do you have any advice to share?
In general, I like it a lot, and I think it's one of the positive aspects I will take from this pandemic. Less time commuting, more flexibility to spend on what you want. As a challenge, I will say that even if you can talk via telephone with your coworkers, it's not the same as being able to share or communicate in person with different people, the social part for sure it's one of the biggest inconveniences.
You have a long history of not only working in the 3d industry, but you have created many tutorials and are active on forums helping others, what drives you to be so active in the community?
While I was learning there was certainly way less information around, but I was able to progress thanks to other people sharing tips and techniques, so I wanted to contribute to people starting in a similar way.
If you could only listen to one band or musician for the rest of your life, who would it be and why?
I am not really a music person. While working most of the time I listen to YouTube videos as podcasts. From time to time I listen to different music, but really I have a wide variety of range, one day I can listen to electronic, the next day is ska, the other is BoneyM.
You must be a registered user to add a comment. If you've already registered, sign in. Otherwise, register and sign in.