3D Made Easy
School’s Alex Oliver will introduce the popular 3D modeling program Google SketchUp, and show the audience some ideas for how to get started using the program. Specifically, Alex will show viewers:

How to quickly create common 3D objects [he’ll reference School’s SketchUp DVD training series here for full lessons on getting started in the program]
How to use SketchUp with the Google 3D Warehouse to create and share models with others [he’ll reference School’s SketchUp Show podcasts here as a resource for more information on similar and interesting ways to use SketchUp]

How to collect pre-existing models from the 3D Warehouse and add them to your SketchUp files [Here, Alex will show how companies are adding professional products, and he will mention his other company The Blue Marble Project, which creates those products and buildings for the 3D Warehouse]

RELATED WEBSITE LINKS

http://www.go-2-school.com/lab This is the School website landing page (not yet created) for The Lab show viewers. We will be sure to have links to all of the other content that is mentioned in the links below

http://bluemarbleproject.com This is the Blue Marble Project website. This is Alex’s other company, which specializes in creating 3D models for the 3D Warehouse and Google Earth

http://www.sketchup.google.com This is the website for Google SketchUp

http://www.sketchup.google.com/download.html This is the place to download Google SketchUp for free

http://www.sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/ This is the homepage for the Google 3D Warehouse

PRODUCTS SHOWN

School SketchUp Level One training DVD, $79 – over 2 hours of content, interactive glossary and resources, curriculum created by Google SketchUp certified instructors, designed to get you modeling the right way in SketchUp.

School SketchUp Level Two training DVD, $79 – a follow-up to Level One, training you on several intermediate topics in SketchUp. Also contains over 2 hours of content, and interactive glossary and resources.

The Sketchup Show podcast, free – School’s free series of SketchUp tutorials available on the School website and through other popular directories such as Apple’s iTunes.

Download a PDF file with information on the products featured in this segment.

How to Greenscreen in DV

Issues with Keying in DV.
The colour space/colour compression issue of 4:1:1
For every four pixels only one of them will contain it’s own colour information.
That’s a real problem when you are trying to isolate a particular colour for keying.
It results in jagged edges in your composite and colour bleeding.

Keying DV using Final Cut Pro:
Apply 3 built in filters in this order
Colour Smoothing 4:1:1
Chroma Keyer
Spill Suppressor

There’s a benefit to using a diffusion filter when you’re done to hide soft edges created in this keying process.

Using DV Blast or Dvmatte pro instead of built in FCP filter (as demoed above)
Gives much better key with cleaner edges by using the Luma information in the DV footage. The Luma channel is not compressed as the Chroma channel. So Dvmatte actually looks at both chroma and luma when determining the colour you want to key out. Very clever.

Available for FCP and After Effects

Lighting is quite important in greenscreen work.
Evenly lit green screen
Avoid spill caused by light reflecting off the green and hitting your subject
Keep a good distance from your subject to the screen.
A backlight can help drown out spill that might hit your subject.

-Greenscreens can be bought online
-Or an improved screen at fabric store, wrinkles can cause issues though.
-Or use paint and make your own wall.

RELATED WEBSITE LINKS
www.dvgarage.com

PRODUCTS SHOWN
DV Blast $99
DV Matte Pro $199
They are available for Final Cut Pro and After Effects