The Torchbug

"CKeffer" (KefferCameron)
06/19/2014 at 09:35 • Filed to: None

Is this still going on and if so, how would I get my hands on it for a week in August? I'll be heading up to Vancouver for SIGGRAPH (it's a huge animators and computer graphics industry conference), and then afterwards going up to Victoria for a few days for a short vacation. There's always cool stuff to take pictures of/with at SIGGRAPH, and I thought adding the Torchbug into them would be fun.

Here's a hot rod Beetle for your time.

DISCUSSION (14)

Sn210 > CKeffer
06/19/2014 at 09:39

when in August? I'm hoping to get it from the 12-18th so I can take it to Pebble Beach week and the Concours. You can follow the torchbug's travels at LiveandLetDiecast.com; it just arrived in Portland OR before it hits Seattle and then goes overseas

EL_ULY > CKeffer
06/19/2014 at 09:40

It just arrived in Portland .

It will be headed on a European Tour starting July 1st. Once back in N. Murica, it will be going on a East to West movement. No list or schedule though (once back in NA). It is going from post to post requests. See rules here :]

Many events will be missed but it will also see many rad things. Too many awesome OPPOnauts and busy schedules/events to cement anything but the goal is to reach as many of you awesome dudes and dudettes as possible :]

RazoE > CKeffer
06/19/2014 at 09:40

I went to SIGGRAPH one year when I was in Art School. Bunch of nerds walking around. I was amongst my people!

philipilihp > CKeffer
06/19/2014 at 09:41

Try commenting here , since it's currently in Portland, OR. Updates will be posted to Liveandletdiecast.kinja.com.

Also, if you would like to be an author there, just let me know!

Burt > CKeffer
06/19/2014 at 09:41

We need more hot rod Bettles. All the hot rod Beetles, actually.

CKeffer > Sn210
06/19/2014 at 09:45

It would be the 10th -18th. So, if you've already got dibs it's all good. I didn't find out my employer is sending me on this trip until last week, so I do understand if there are others in line before me.

CKeffer > RazoE
06/19/2014 at 09:47

Oh it is definitely nerd central, and now I get paid to do that stuff! I do love my job more days than not :D

Sn210 > CKeffer
06/19/2014 at 09:53

well there's no line or list, so we'll see what happens!

CKeffer > Sn210
06/19/2014 at 09:55

Fair enough, both would get some pretty awesome shots :D

CKeffer > RazoE
06/19/2014 at 09:56

Oh and this year we'll be getting a production session followed by a Q&A session with the How to Train Your Dragon 2 team, followed by a private screening of the movie :D This is in addition to all the other production sessions, emerging tech, trade floor, and all the other awesome stuff that goes on typically at SIGGRAPH....now, if only I could convince my boss to send me to Autodesk U in Las Vegas as well....*sigh*

BaconSandwich is tasty. > CKeffer
06/19/2014 at 10:16

Awesome. I've never been to SIGGRAPH, but I do like to keep my feelers out there for what's coming down the pipe. (I'm not a graphics programmer or anything, but I do still try to keep current with what's happening in the game development industry).

Don't mind me asking, but what exactly do you do?

CKeffer > BaconSandwich is tasty.
06/19/2014 at 10:52

3d modeling, rigging, and post production work mainly with a little bit of animation here and there. I work for National Oilwell Varco, a company that produces oil rig equipment, in their rig solutions group. So I spend a lot of time taking engineering models out of programs like solidworks and inventor, reducing them down so that we can work with them, by removing internal structures, tiny bolts and nuts that would never be seen and generally just simplifying the model as much as possible by removing details that will never be seen, and then rigging them up with easy to use controls for my 2 coworkers to then use for animation purposes. I also build structures that we do no already have that will be unique to the project, such as cabins, derricks, platforms, ect, and generally set up the scenes before handing them off to be textured, lit and animated. And lastly I help out with post production work, which is basically taking the various passes that have been rendered out, combining them in a program called After Effects, and then tweaking things like color balance, contrast, ect so that the final video looks the way we want. The result is that our clients are able to see what the rig package they are buying looks like on their specific rig, and how it will all work together.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > CKeffer
06/19/2014 at 14:33

Nice.

I've done a bit of modelling in Maya, but my texturing, rigging, and animating skills are... not great.

CKeffer > BaconSandwich is tasty.
06/19/2014 at 14:36

Lol, it's a learned skill and a labor of love, not to mention very tedious. We use 3ds max here, but from the little bit I've done in Maya I'd say the principle is similar.