Hey everyone! 🌰 We’re excited to bring you the next update on our Mutant Squirrels, and this time... we’ve started adding 3D Fur to their bodies! 🐿️🧬 That’s right! — we’re now applying digital fur to our little friends, and as you can imagine, it’s a very complex and delicate process. Each strand must be placed layer by layer, plane by plane, to create a natural and believable look (hard digital work). 🖥️
For this phase, we’ve begun using Haircards in Blender, which is a much more optimized method for rendering, especially for the squirrels that appear farther away from the camera. 🎥✨ Our goal is to create two types of fur:
Those that are in the background will use haircards for a lightweight and efficient look (like the ones we’re showing in this post). 🔍
The ones shown closer to the camera will have ultra-realistic fur, created through particles and physics simulations in Houdini. 💻
Keep in mind — this is just the first step! We’re aiming for a truly realistic result and there’s still a long journey ahead before we reach that level. Thanks to you, we're able to keep moving forward with our film and bring this amazing project to life. 🤎 Sending you all big hugs and furry kisses and stay tuned for more content! 💋
Update: We've added a new version of the Mutant Squirrel's fur, featuring stripes that give it a more distinctive and defined look. Also added is a more noticeable outline on his head to highlight his facial features.