What do you do? Freelancer questions too.

[Mr Whippy]

Hey everyone, just wondered what you all did for a living


I currently work freelance, and have done for around 5 years now.
Previous to that I worked in multimedia for 10 years doing 3D, 2d, video, motion graphics etc.

Since freelance I've mainly done tracks and cars visuals for simulator users, mostly engineering but some entertainment.
I've also done some car design work, rendering work of CAD, and bits and pieces of video editing and motion graphics.


I've been into car games/sims for about 20 years now, yikes, hence the focus in interest and hobbies there alongside working freelance there, but have also been into CG and all it's possibilities since drawing dinosaurs in GEOS on the C128 in the mid 80s when I was about 5 years old.


Anyone doing similar stuff?

Or completely nothing to do with CG but enjoy modding for AC?


Dave

 

[LilSKi]

IT guy on the day to day job. Started 3D modeling back with MS Flightsim 2002 and 2004 with gmax and the 3D studio of that era. I did a handful of small prop planes for it. Didn't do any modeling from about 2006 to 2015. When I decided to build Bridgehampton (a dream since the GPL days) I decided to learn blender as I was never really happy with 3DS. It takes too long to load and I lost a bunch of work with 3DS crashing and corrupting files back in the day. I'm sure it is better now but I wanted to try something new. Blender has it's own issues but stability isn't one of them.

After finishing Bridgehampton I realized how much fun it can be to recreate tracks so I went and built Riverside as well. Now I am on my 3rd project with many more in my future plans.

Some pics of earlier work in flightsim.

 

[luchian]

Awesome idea, thanks guys !

Hmm.. where do I start ?
My first contact with PC/Racing Games was on some 286 many many years ago. It was something very pixelish (maybe called Grand Prix ?) and shortly after the famous Lotus. Man, so many memories

I loved the possibilities, so I went for IT/Programming back then, up to high school. Later, life happened, so ended up getting into Mechanical Engineering, so this is what I do today. Worked 10 years in Process Engineering for Renault, as industrial system designer. Lots of use of Microstation (just another AutoCAD) for manufacturing lines and workshops. Initially 2D, but later more and more 3D.

On the side, my passions remained: programming, 3D and 2D, photography. I remember I was fascinated by the capabilities of 3D Studio Max back in the days of Pentium 150 MHz . I never did any modding, just random projects for fun or for home. Found these only .

I always loved racing games, just like the next guy I suppose. But in 2005, when I tried LFS, things started to change. It was the first believable "sim" and I loved it. Around 2008, started racing online (it was a way to keep in touch with old friends - now scattered around the world) and a damn fun one. Started learning about racing line, overtaking maneuvers, braking techniques, and what not. Never looked back since then . Started with a Momo wheel, then a G27, now a T500. And hopefully in the not so distant future an OSW, the holy grail .

Anyway, fast-forward a few years (November 2013 ?) and the launch of Assetto Corsa. When I saw AC, and what it can offer, both for players and modders, I realized it is the perfect platform for combining all my passions. You can race, you can program, you can model, you can design textures, you need to take photos . Best way to spend some quality free time. And got to meet a lot of fine people along the way, which is an awesome bonus .

So there it is, my story in a few words.

 

[Pixelchaser]

this is me standing in the loch in my track as usuall smoking a joint.

I got kinda forced out of my job in strange circumstances about 2 years ago, it was a shit low paid job that i shouldn't have cared about, but i had responsibility and pride so i was quite happy to plod on with it concentrating on the finer side of life, like not working all the time and getting into modding etc etc. anyway the result....having caused major depression, and combined partly from years of marijuana usage I took a step back and had to fix myself. so ive learned lots of stuff and taken some of my skills prior to these events to new levels such as making the tracks I'm now finally learning to pull out the bag. ive always been a texture and shader artist and worked on flightsims too. mainly DCS world. I did start modding with combat flight simulator 2. man the pacific era for flight combat was the best imo and rarely visited since. heres a few pics of the stuff I was doing for dcs painting and effects wise.

I'm 42 and I still skateboard.

and snowboard

I make incredibly rude lego photography. (for the adult lego sites)

I love HDR photography too. this incredible piece of scenery is actually part of a rally track here. - insane.

I love the beastie boys. so sometimes I design my own lego minfigures and build virtually what I want in lego. and make a kitchy poster. much of it again quite adult in nature.

keeping with the lego fetish I also make simple artwork posters that ive tried selling ( but nobody is that interested)

far to much crap to show. but that's been the last 2 years of my life .

 

[Mr Whippy]

Haha, rude Lego! I bet the top brass in Denmark lose sleep over it

Inspiring and diverse backgrounds!

I'll try get some of my stuff up tomorrow!
And maybe a WIP thread... it might not be for AC but as a learning/workflow thing it might still be interesting to some

Dave

 

[Pixelchaser]

bored today, cant be assed track modding so i put this together , coz I just love star wars Rebels. and star wars lore in general.

 

[Mr Whippy]

Boba Fett's gran?

Jango's mum?

No idea

 

[Pixelchaser]

Sabine Wren`s mother. The Leader of the Mandalorians. also who i theorise as Rey`s mother (ep.7) Ben Kenobi the father.

 

[garyjpaterson]

Just spotted this thread (bit of an old one, whoops)

I'm not a freelance 3D artist, and I'm probably not quite good enough to be one either. But I sure as hell want to be!

Always been keen to create cars, be it sketching or some rudimentary modelling. Got into modelling maybe 2 years ago now when I attempted to make a Transit for AC (still not 100% sure why I chose that car... I guess I thought there would be no interest and therefore no pressure). Still at it today, as I've learned so much I end up going back and improving it, its an endless process...

Since then I've started many projects, some seeing the light of day others less so. But i've become more and more involved with the process, and am enjoying it more too. I genuinely want to make a bit of a career out of it, but have yet to find a way to do so.

In the meantime I'm working on two small jobs just gaining experience, one of which is the FSAE car below (along with a bunch of other things ive been doing)

PS. If any of the real artists have any jobs that are maybe below their paygrade, send 'em my way!

 

[Pixelchaser]

no, Send em my way ! joking. infact we should do something together G.

 

[Mr Whippy]

Hey Gary, nice to see you over at the best AC modding forums

Your modelling work has impressed me a great deal since you started the Transit!



On careers and stuff, given your background (car/industrial design degree iirc?) and your passion for cars I'd keep your feet firmly in the realm of designing cars and then realising them in 3D/games/sims/renderings etc as a bunch of supplementary skill sets.
I'd do more of your own original designs, maybe with real(istic) briefs, and then output the work to AC, UDK for HQ VR vis, 2d print brochure shots etc.

You should look just as appealing for AC contracts for cars, but also be a lot more appealing in other markets too.
Given all the AC stuff you've done, now is the time to stop doing stuff in it and put it elsewhere.

Also give yourself a realistic budget/timeline on a car you don't like. See if you can do it. Say 11hrs a day to put some pressure on, and go from there!
See where you're slow, where you're happy, where you're sad, where you're willing to compromise your quality and attention to detail



I'd be quite interested in how much time the AC guys spend on their cars (graphics and basic import, not sounds/physics)... I'm guessing 200hrs plus, but then I saw A3DR (sp?) saying he'd make a car a month on Patreon payments and making about $2000-3000 a month.
That'd be 160hrs a month to do a FULL car, sounds and physics? Sounds like bollocks to me haha, but maybe I'm slow, or maybe I spend too much time on perfect surfaces?

Or maybe he'd work 200hrs+ and work his ass off when he could make more per hour working stacking shelves at Tesco?

 

[garyjpaterson]

Thanks man.

Yeah, my background and career intention was always in the design sector, and whilst it still is a passion since modelling current vehicles I've found that just as enjoyable and satisfying.

And I wish I could dedicate more time to it, I still work a full time job (dull stuff) and don't fancy dropping without knowing I can stand on my own.

 

[Mr Whippy]

The number one thing to standing on your own is people to do work for.

So that means building up loads of contacts in the industry you want to do work for.

Given your recent spell at uni doing design, you could probably lever those contacts and spread from there.

Ie, guys working on the Formula car will get jobs with manufacturers or teams who will want work.

Just keep doing that kinda stuff and you'll be in the minds of people, and they'll ask you.

But it's also good to do lots of other types of work in/around cars to get out there so people don't even have to ask, they'll just see what you can do right off the website/portfolio.

Get to the car shows and get in with the industry/business side of them, and get a card thrown around too, just make sure it links to excellent work. Less good quality is better than lots of average stuff.

Dave

 

[luchian]

[..]

PS. If any of the real artists have any jobs that are maybe below their paygrade, send 'em my way!

Oh, cool looking models. You got the moves ! (disclaimer: mouse moves).
I especially like the Lawn Mower and the Focus. Is the Focus released somewhere ?

Also, what track is in the last screen ?

 

[garyjpaterson]

Oh, cool looking models. You got the moves ! (disclaimer: mouse moves).
I especially like the Lawn Mower and the Focus. Is the Focus released somewhere ?

Also, what track is in the last screen ?

Mower is released, Focus is not (yet!).

The mower was a small 5 day challenge thing i did over a long weekend, so its a little unfinished (released version came without headlight/tyre textures, will update it soon).

Focus exterior is mostly done (some tweaks here and there), interior has yet to begin. Will be the main focus once the FSAE car and another external project is done.

Track is Highlands.

 

[Ricardo Rey]

First let me say I really love ACM. Before my heart attack, I was active in a forum (will not name) and dedicated to help. Was a assistant admin. When I got back involved a few months ago, that same forum was full of takers and pirates, converting anything and everything without permission or quality. Very happy to call ACM home. I also frequent RD.

I was born in Birmingham AL , but grew up in Southern California (26 years there). Lived in Long Beach from 78 to 82 and attended the F1 races there.

My background was in IT, but in management. My last job there, before moving back to Birmingham, was CIO of Korea Data Systems ((KDS) remember e-machines?). Before that I was a Microsoft Partner rolling out initial NT networks displacing Novell and IBM/DEC main frames.

I have always been involved in some form of "sim" community. Started out with slot cars back in the 60's, later 4 color graphic software "sims". Some of the games were/are debatable as a "true sim", but I don't care. I'm no alien driver and if I have fun and can in some way "simulate" the experience of real racing, I enjoy it. My opinion (which I rarely give), is if you are that hard core, buy a real race car . Just kidding...

I am now back in Birmingham and will probably retire here. I attend most events at Barber Motorsport Park, including the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. I have photos of about every part of the facility and would like to build or help build an accurate representation of the track. I was also formally a trained chef and cooked for Tony Kanaan in 2015 and have picture of myself and his crew in their trailer. I get to go to his trailer every year.
My dream was to retire somewhere in Europe, where it's warm (Italy, France, Spain?) I was in Manaco in 1985 one week after the GP that year. That's not going to happen...

That's about it...

 

[luchian]

Dave had a brilliant idea starting this thread. I love it !
Welcome, glad you resonate with our site . If you're passing by Netherlands sometime, make a sign, we'll have a beer and talk cars

 

[GT VIRUS]

I am a semi-pro track designer based in Australia, and in a nutshell I use AC and rF2 to help design real race tracks. Currently up to track number 4, I'm currently working on my first project where I have full-reign on the design. Hoping to do a public release of my first track at some point, but I need to work on the materials further (Anyone interested in a paid gig doing my textures?)

I've been around privately for a few years, unfortunately was on the wrong side of the boat during the iDT split. I've spent around 7 years as a flaggie, as well as a driver. I spent a year on a formula ford drive experience company, which gave me hundreds of laps testing formula fords around the country. I'm currently racing Rotax Superkarts, money permitting.

My current thoughts are I'd like to do some laser scanning of the Adelaide Street Course, and of Sandown Raceway (which is under threat of being demolished), before moving onto the other Aussie tracks. I think some 3rd party laser scans of public tracks would go down pretty well.

 

[Pixelchaser]

I was IDT too ! I made the funcups and I did a lot of texturing for the champcars I also made the mazda atlantics back then and generally took charge of all the graphics work and the texture artists themselves. I have learned a lot of modelling recently but lately I realise I'm no 3d modellor, trying to stick to what I do best and that is textures, materials and shaders.

 

[Johnr777]

I'm in automation for office buildings, making them "smart buildings".

I also worked for Simbin in 2004 and did textures and shader work for GT Legends and GTR2, something to brag about I guess

Then with that whole Blimey! Games and 10tacle Studios mess, us contract/freelance workers never made on to the new company and titles that followed (NFS Shift 1/2, Test Drive Ferrari, pCars 1/2)... So back to the modding scene it was. Joined the rFactor modding group VirtuaLM and created the Fuji93 track for them, also did textures/shaders for their versions of Mid-Ohio and LeMans.

Took a long break, re-evaluated some life choices, and now back tinkering with Assetto Corsa and spending quality time on ACM!