Meet Renderosity Artist: BAR-CODE

Bar-Code...that makes some automatically think of the grouping of lines printed on anything in the grocery store. But, to others, the user name BAR-CODE brings to mind a very talented and outspoken member of the Renderosity Community. His excitement about 3D art can be seen in his gallery, and his passion can be read within the forums. So, lets get to know the mysterious person behind the user name BAR-CODE.

For all of us who don't know, where are you from?

Well, hi to all, and may I say I'm so honored by this. My name is Chris Barnier (A.K.A. BAR-CODE). I'm 42 years of age, but that's only for my passport. I'm from The Netherlands, and to be precise I'm from Amsterdam, but I'm living in the south of the country now and that's called Limburg.

When did you first get interested in 3D art?

Oh my... that was years ago.Â I don't know when anymoreÂ (I'm getting old). It was the objects in games that made me think "Wow, that's cool," especially spaceships in SF games. And I'm not sure it was the art or the making of 3D things that made me hooked on 3D. But in those days (more than 15 years ago) doing anything 3D or rendering was a no-no.

The things we can do today is light years away from the days we payed $800 for 1MB SIMS (no, not the game - SIMM : Single In line Memory Module). That was the memory for the PC. Before them, we had to buy SI PPS...but now we're drifting off ;)

My real 3D addiction came with the discovery of...uh...mmm...yeah, it's true...it was Renderosity. I saw the great images in the galleries here that made me think I want to do that too. So, I started collecting images for my desktop, and from that it grew on me. Don't tell this to others, but I'm a long timeÂ on/off member here at Renderosity. I used so many names in those days... now I stick with this one.

THE LAW ! is Coming to RENDEROSITY

So what program did you dive into first?

My first and most used 2D program was, and is, PhotoShop (from version 2, I believe). I think I know 25% of what it has in store. It's an amazing program.

The first 3D program I had access to was 3Dstudio 3. I was allowed to "play" with it during my lunch break,Â andÂ only during the break. But, the computer, an Intel 33 Hz 4 MB memory (that was the max those days) had less computing power then my watch has today. So, it was fun, but not really worth calledÂ working with it. My first freebie here, "SF workshop," was made in 3DS Max actually, and textured in PhotoShop.

Did you find it difficult?

No, 3DS Max is easy peasy... AHUM. Yeah, it was difficult. I had the same kind of PC time with that system with Max on it. The Boss was not happy with co-workers spending time on me learning Max. One day the computer was removed from the office, so after 2 freebies it was bye-bye to Max. I had no more access to 3DS Max. So, difficult ...nah ;}

So, what was next after 3DS Max?

Well ... I was addicted to 3D, so something had to be done about it. I had Poser 5 and got the, then new, Poser 6 Bundle including Vue 5 Easel.

The problem for modeling things was that after sniffing at 3DS Max, the programs I started to use looked small and useless. Max had all I needed in one package... but I know that the package comes with a price tag.

The first 3D modeling program I got after Max was Hexagon2, but it was having too many errors for me. But, it showed me that other smaller programs had potential, so I had to look further.

And so I came to check out Silo. I just asked Eloroncedark what he used to make his great outfits, and Silo was his answer. Silo 1.4 rocks big time. Sadly, they took out my favorite tool "partial subdivide" out of version 2, so 1.4 still is better in my book. In that time I had a little lucky streak, so I got myself some other tools.

One day I found that my search for 3D addiction made my PC filled with:
Â
SHADE 8.5 : never really used, but looks like a powerful tool.
Poser 5,6,7 : used a lot, but lately only for scene setups and the testing of "products/free stuff."
Silo 1.4 2.0 : 1.4 I use for most modeling, 2.0 I have to get used to and I miss my loved tool
Vue 5 Easel, 6 Easel ,6 Esprit : I use Vue a lot for all kinds renders and I love it
Carrara 5, Carrara 6 pro : I use C6 pro for the "poser" renders because its so much better IMHO.
Hexagon 2 : has great potential but I can use it right now
Bryce 5 ,5.5 6,1 : Mmm I can't get anything out of Bryce .. I think it hates me :}

Wow, that's a lot of stuff. What kind of computer do you have now?

I have 4 PC's and a Mac Mini.

The PC System that I'm doing rendering on is a AMD 3000 64 2GB memory 512 Vid.Memory with a 21" flat screen and 1.5 TB Hard disk space. The second PC one for modeling is a AMD 3000 64 1.5 GB memory 256 Vid.Memory, with a 20" flat screen so has the MAC with 2 TB Hard disk space between them.

I build all my PC's myself. That's a lot cheaper, but you got to know what is what, etc. etc. I use external HD's a lot .. I like them to be able to switch easy between systems. I hate wireless desktops, mouse/keyboard. For modeling I don't think they work really good: I don't like the jibbering of the mouse pointer.

I got a Mac Mini because I do like to get all my things MAC compatible one day. I have all my programs for Win and Mac (you get both when buying the program). Except Poser, that I still have to buy for the Mac (maybe for Xmas ;})

The two others PC's are used for making and remixing of music (that my other addiction).

SIT on a BOX

What was the first model you ever made?

When I think of it, the "SF WORKSHOP" was the really first thing I made and finished. So I think I started with a Big Bang ... it was a huge scene (I think people remember it), that was a memory killer for low specs systems. Like I said it was made in Max and I did not know about low poly, etc., etc. The funniest thing, and big honor was getting compared to Stonemason. Personally, I think he (Stonemason) is in a league of his own, but you never know...someday ;} After that one, I made a SF back scene that did well in the Freebies. Since then I did some more but I had some pitfalls too :{

Pitfalls? How so?

I mean, sometimes it does not go the way you like it to go. A BIG pitfall is new tools/programs. I was doing a big (for me) thing in Hexagon 2, that was a new release and it showed potential for me. But the program kept screwing up my obj files, and there is no fix for it on the horizon. That was the pitfall of a new tool; sometimes they have bugs, and some have more than "StarShip Troopers" had. ;} I had to quit that project and started a new one...in SIlo.1.4.

One other thing "new" modelers do, and so did I: model it all, and then think about textures. A tip I got from Stonemason was: model and texture at the same time. Make a part of your project and make textures for it and go on with modeling. I do that now and it's better, even making me think of new details to model. I think people should really pay attention to the little tips some people give. I know I do. So, that is some about my pitfalls so far. I'm sure I will have more in the future.

Now hit me with your next question...

Some compare you to Stonemason. Is he an influence for you?

Yes and No... Yes, he is because his products made me want to do modeling too, for sure. I saw his scene and was (like many of us) in awe about it. He sets the standard of hard line "building etc etc" products for us to follow.

And no,Â he may not be my influence too much, because then I might become a copy-cat of him. Normally, when a person in a creative progress has a "teacher," or some one he looks up to, they tend to work like him and make things the same way, you know what I mean. And I do like to be compared to him, but I'm not half the modeler or texturing master he is.

I have others in softline "clothes" modeling, Eloroncedark "I only wish he was called some thing simple". Jeff, "Eloroncedark" has, in my book the same level as Stonemason has. Both are just some of the people who think of new things in stead of doing what the "posse" is doing. And like Stonemason , Eloroncedark does not mind sharing some tips and trick s with new modelers.

What would you like to achieve with your skills?

I'm not sure yet. I like to do renders, and I like to model things. For the future, I think it all comes down to how much fun it stays. I know I have tons to learn, so that will keep me busy for a while. I hope that people like what I make, and when some nice extras come with that, it's OK. Mostly, I hope I can be a part of something like this here at Renderosity: a community of people that have the same hobby. And even I might be able to help some other members now and then. So, I don't have a clear view yet what to do with my new skills. Maybe when I grow up, I'll know.

What advice do you have for other artists diving into modeling?

Me give advice? Like I'm one of the names that matters...but you asked, so I'll answer.

Modeling is not easy to learn. Sure, a cube is made in a flash, but real modeling is hard to do right. I see people buying a modeler, no matter which one, and think that's all. Then, they discover it does not have a "Make Model" button.

And, don't forget the biggest thing you notice when looking at a 3D model is the texture. If you can make a damn fine model, but the textures are no good...then the model looks bad. The most important thing is DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE for any tool or program. The makers show you the top of the top in the images. Before you as a novice can do that, you have to be a long-time user.

So, keep your cash until you see reports from users, and then make up your mind. I can say this, because I did believe some hype... hence the unused tools on my PC. Be sure to get all you can get out of the programs you have before getting new ones. It's not the kitchen that makes good food, it's the cook! AndÂ I think that's all the adviceÂ I have for now.

Any parting words?

I like to say thank you to Renderosity for the honor. I know I'm not always the bravest boy in class, but it shows that here at Renderosity we can have our say, even when we don't agree at all times.

I hope people did like to read about me. If not...well...mmm...then it was waisted time ;}

And for the rest, I'd like to thank, in no special order, some people who made my modeling adventure a real good one so far:

Arturzinho
PhilC
kathym
Eloroncedark
stonemason
thefixer
artroland
StaceyG
grylin

And many more members at this site, but I know I'm forgetting people.

Chris Barnier

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KathyÂ Poche [kathym], a married twenty-seven year old mother of one, has been fascinated by the 3D realm ever since 1995. An artistically minded individual, her hobbies include everything from acrylic paints on canvas and short story writing to images generated in Poser, Bryce and Photoshop. Her goal before turning the big 3 0 is to gain some formal education in the field of 3D animation. For six years and counting, she has been an outspoken member of the Renderosity community. Currently she is a stay-at-home mom, which allows her greater time to work on her writings which she hopes to have published in the not so distant future.

December 31, 2007

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