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  • Subject: A Gift from Zoe
Subject: A Gift from Zoe
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Whats rediculous??

  • 08.20.2004 3:05 PM PDT
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Posted by: NoFear23
Eh, the background blur makes it a little awkward. i think the closest tank to master cheif should be the least blurred, same with the worthog. The other 2 tanks in the far end should be blurred the most. there should be more dust around the tanks and worthog. but i understand, you didnt have enough time to add in some other stuff you wanted. i think that would be cool tho. but thats just me. :)

Master cheif looks truly amazing. everything seems to be so well detailed. his armor really blends in with the desert. Honesty...all of your work as inspired me to be a graphic designer and hopefully i'll be able to work with bungie one day in the future bc i have some good ideas in mind... :)

sad to see you go :( good luck with whatever you are doing in the future.

and thanks for the inspiration as an artist :)



there's a reason for everything. The motion blur is there, and in the ways that it's there for a few reasons.
1) motion blur adds and instant degree of photorealism to any picture
2) I didn't want any motion on the chief so that he would be as clearly defined as possible, as well as ensuring he is the focus. everything is background support to the foreground
3) I wanted the suggestion that the foregrounk is hauling ass right behind the chief.
4) While I rez'd up the masterchief to make his render model look nice and detailed even at high resolutions, the same has not been done with the scorpion's textures [i spent almost a week on chief]. So if the foreground were not motion blurred the lack of detail would have been really obvious. The textures look fine on a 640x480 tv screen in real time on halo 2. But when the tank takes up the whole heigh of the screen at 1600x1200, things are a bit different.

zoe >^-^<

  • 08.21.2004 4:38 AM PDT
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Again, truely great work. I don't expect her to answer but I was just wondering what she used to render the scene. I would think 3dsMax, but possibly Maya. Just curious.


3ds Max with some help from Photoshop.
Some other tidbits.
The environment was built up from pieces of a satellite photo of the Taklimakan desert in China, used as a displacement map combined with lots of manual tweaking. It contains about 1.2mil polys, although many of those ended up off camera.
The scene contains over 50 lights, 3 are raytraced, the rest are shadowmapped.
The render model for the Chief uses around 300MB of textures.
I had to render the scene in 3 separate passes because the computer couldn't handle rendering the whole scene at once [and to optimize speed].

zoe >^-^<

  • 08.21.2004 4:46 AM PDT
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Posted by: z03wolfe
3ds Max with some help from Photoshop.
Some other tidbits.
The environment was built up from pieces of a satellite photo of the Taklimakan desert in China, used as a displacement map combined with lots of manual tweaking. It contains about 1.2mil polys, although many of those ended up off camera.
The scene contains over 50 lights, 3 are raytraced, the rest are shadowmapped.
The render model for the Chief uses around 300MB of textures.
I had to render the scene in 3 separate passes because the computer couldn't handle rendering the whole scene at once [and to optimize speed].

zoe >^-^<


What's up Zoe. Thanks a bundle for the reply. I've pleasantly surprised to find out how much accuracy, detail, and work goes into your renders. Forgive me for assuming it was a generic desert landscape (which is what my lazy behind would have done). Also, I'm so jealous. I wish I had access to a Master Chief model with that level of detail and texturing.

I know its wishful thinking, but is there any chance of a higher res version? Being able to print a 24x36 version of "Desert Bridage" for my apartment would be unbelievable.

  • 08.21.2004 9:47 PM PDT
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Posted by: jb2002smg

Being able to print a 24x36 version of "Desert Bridage" for my apartment would be unbelievable.


With your permission of course.

  • 08.21.2004 9:50 PM PDT

Halo 3 (31st), ODST (14th) and Reach (4th) Mythic Conqueror. (Mythic is Solo, Legendary, All skulls on + scoring on and no deaths/saves).

Staff Writer and speedrun record holder at highspeedhalo.net

Ignorance is the true enemy of all things.

Rocking Bungie.net for over 8 years!

WOOOOOOOWWWW! Zoe you're the best damn artist i have ever seen! on a par with Picasso and that guy who cut off his ears! Well O.K. probably better. that is gona be my wallpa[er now AND i am gona print out the high res version!

  • 08.22.2004 5:54 AM PDT
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thats so cool. im just a little confused on why he has bullet holes though. but its still the best damn halo 2 pic i have ever seen.

im sure you will do well no matter where you go, but good luck anyway.

  • 08.23.2004 1:30 PM PDT

R.I.P. Halo Movie and all of the unseen awesomeness.

Yeah that wallpaper is great. But someone is trying to sell it.

  • 08.23.2004 4:52 PM PDT
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i already wrote something b4 but i want to know how u guys like my sig.

  • 08.24.2004 7:06 PM PDT
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3 words: Greatest Wallpaper Ever!

  • 08.24.2004 8:06 PM PDT
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From: Serpentis To: Zoe

Ty Zoe for my kickazz destop wallpaper. It looks as if the shot was taken in a RL situation; and you captured a moment in time where that badass som-blam!- is gonna pop outta meh screen monitor and start busted heads. :D I can't wait to see MORE from bungie in the future in other different positions and colors.

From: Serpentis To: Bungie ;-)

Bungie pls Make more of these awesome desktops renders in different positions and colors. I myself love the Sage, and will be looking forward to more of these . If no more are presented in the future, I will be forced to shave meh cat and cut his whiskers off. For godsakes make more.

Save the kitty. :)

PSSST: MAKE THE SAGE SPARTAN FIRST.


From: Serpentis To: General Public

Ppl, if you wish to have more of these beautiful renders say YAY, and your favorite Spartan colors! I for one will keep the one that has been made by Zoe just as the rest of you. But think about your favorite multiplayer spartan color that you know and love. Do we not owe them the respect of having thier talents captured in time? I will charish mine forever. :-)

They can't deny us ALL! :D

  • 08.25.2004 3:44 PM PDT
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the moment i saw that wall paper, i put it on my desk top and customized my desktop around it. I think ill need to put a few more touch ups to my dtop. BUT THAT WALL IS BAD ASS. THE BEST THING IVE EVER SEEN. and i have a lot of likings in video game pics. THANX ZOE. i wish u didnt have to leave. and if i worked for bungie, i'd make a desert brigade multiplayer level devoted to the great and almight ZOE!!!

  • 08.25.2004 11:11 PM PDT
Subject: flawless..

Jesus loves you, even if you don't believe it.

Like everyone else, yeah, definetly on my desktop now. I took out my own MC render that I like so much, but is poop compared to this one.
Now that I am almost finished with my suit.. I'm SERIOUSLY thinking about that paintjob over the regular green.. Its so detailed its sickening.
Sucks you have to leave.. wait, I want a job there.. Maybe thats a good thing??!! ^_^

PS. I was guessing 300 to 350 MB texture sizes.. Amazing how good a low poly model can look when dressed with flawless textures. Still figuring why so many lights though :)
Oh and one more thing.. Is Max the only modeling software used for the Halo games?
I love using Maya but never got into Max..

  • 08.25.2004 11:33 PM PDT
Subject: A Gift from Zoe
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Wow awesome. I hope to be doing what you've been doing at Bungie, Zoe. That is, in several years. I have worked with 3dmax and photoshop and enjoyed it greatly. Hopefully I'll get to help in making Halo 3 or 4. Until then, I'll keep studying and working. I'll get into Bungie if it's the last thing I do! Great picture, Zoe and good luck!

  • 08.31.2004 2:08 PM PDT