Woah, I thought the first image was a reference! That was the reaction of 80 Level when we saw the incredibly photorealistic 3D recreation of Charles Dance in his iconic role of Game of Thrones Tywin Lannister, showcased recently by a 3D Character Artist specializing in realistic portraits, Ivailo Ivanov.Described as the first work of mine that, to me, resembles some photorealism by Ivailo, the model was set up using Maya and ZBrush following the workflows outlined by another legendary Character Artist, efki Ibrahim, in his course on creating lifelike3D characters. Unlike all of the artists previous works, this digital version of Tywin was rendered in Arnold, making it Ivailos first finished portrait set up in Autodesks ray tracing renderer.I will come back to Unreal Engine eventually, but I feel like I need to explore more from Arnold and offline rendering as it provides me the opportunity to really focus on small details and train my eye going further, the creator explained.Interestingly, this project marks Ivailos second attempt at capturing Charles Dances likeness, with the first shared over four years ago. According to the artist, thats exactly why he chose Tywin for the latest portrait he wanted to revisit a familiar face to assess how much his artistic skills have improved over the years. Heres Ivailos first take on Game of Thrones greatest villain, made using ZBrush, Blender, Substance 3D Painter, 3ds Max, and Marmoset Toolbag:Also, check out these amazing 3D versions of Tywins golden son Jamie Lannister and Aegon Targaryen showcased around the same time the first version of the Lannister patriarch was revealed:If youd like to learn more about Ivailos production workflows from back in the day, we highly recommend checking outour 2020 interview with the artist, where he talked about the production process behind his Vikings-inspired Tognatale project and shared his character creation techniques.Earlier, the artist also unveiled Oi!, alifelike 3D take on Billy Butcher, an iconic character from the comic book and TV series The Boys, made with ZBrush, TexturingXYZs materials, XGen, and Unreal Engine 5:And prior to that, Ivailo publisheda fantastic 3D portrait of MyAnna Buring, who played the role of Tissaia de Vries in Netflixs The Witcher, offering a new take on the artistsprevious MyAnna Buring project:Click here to check out Ivailos full portfolio and dont forget to join our80 Level Talent platformand ournew Discord server, follow us onInstagram,Twitter,LinkedIn,Telegram,TikTok, andThreads,where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.Source link The post Photorealistic 3D Recreation of Game of Thrones Tywin Lannister appeared first on CG SHARES.

Making a robot as flexible and precise as an octopus arm is a tough challenge thats obvious even if youre that much into robotics. Not impossible, though. A group of researchers has recently developed a new class of soft robots inspired by natures design: the logarithmic spiral. These SpiRobs use a super simple mechanism just a couple of cables, to pull off lifelike movements and strong, stable grips. The best part is that, according to the team, theyre cheap and quick to make using 3D printing.Zhanchi Wang, Nikolaos M. Freris, and Xi WeiThe team built numerous prototypes, from tiny grippers to 1-meter-long robots mounted on drones and even multi-robot arrays that can wrap around and grab stuff. Octopus arms and elephant trunks inspired the designs. Currently, the robots can adapt their grip to different objects, handling things over 100 times their size and lifting up to 260 times their weight. The whole project is another excellent example: if you cant find inspiration, nature can always help you.Zhanchi Wang, Nikolaos M. Freris, and Xi WeiThe research was conducted by Zhanchi Wang, Nikolaos M. Freris, and Xi Wei. You can find the paper here. Previously, we shared a story onHOVER, a versatile neural whole-body controller for humanoid robots. Learn how the team trained the neural network with 1.5 million parameters.Dont forget to join our80 Level Talent platformand ournew Discord server, follow us onInstagram,Twitter,LinkedIn,Telegram,TikTok, andThreads,where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.Source link The post You Have To See These Robots That Move Like Octopus Arms appeared first on CG SHARES.

Dying Light developer Techland has ambitious plans for its zombie-apocalypse series, as the studio is looking to expand the franchise in the future. As part of its 10th-anniversary celebration of the original Dying Light's launch on console and PC, Techland says it'll grow Dying Light across "multiple unannounced projects" and into other forms of media."We'll continue the series with multiple unannounced projects and will also go beyond video games with new board games, exclusive merchandise, original webcomic series, and more on the horizon. Our goal is to bring the world of Dying Light to even more people," Techland said in a press statement. Fans of the open-world zombie-survival games won't have long to wait for the next entry in the series either, as Dying Light: The Beast is scheduled to arrive in Summer 2025. Meanwhile, Techland says that both Dying Light and Dying Light 2 players can expect free updates to those games soon. Dying Light will receive new events and rewards, as well as a visual upgrade and a remastered soundtrack with new music from the game's original composer Pawe Baszczak.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Microsoft is one of multiple companies looking to strike a deal to take ownership of the popular social media app TikTok, according to United States president Donald Trump. Asked on Monday aboard Air Force One if Microsoft was in the mix to make a deal, Trump told reporters, including the AP, "I would say yes."In 2020, Microsoft officially announced plans to buy TikTok, which sent the company's share price surging. Microsoft later abandoned its buyout attempt, with CEO Satya Nadella saying the deal was the "strangest thing I've ever worked on." Now, Microsoft may be back at the negotiating table.Trump said other companies are in the mix to buy TikTok as well, but he didn't name them outright. It was previously reported that Activision founder Bobby Kotick was assembling an investment group to buy TikTok. The AI company Perplexity has also discussed a potential deal that would give the US government a 50% ownership stake in TikTok.Continue Reading at GameSpot

All the upgrades you can make to your town in Heroes of Hammerwatch 2 are essential for your overall progression, but one of the most important early investments you can make is the Blacksmith. This shop is where you can buy new gear, upgrade your gear, and more to make sure you're ready for higher tier levels on your next run.

Roger and the adventures of his crew throughout the world of One Piece are one of the most important and heavily theorized aspects of the series. With very little information about Rogers time as a pirate and the secrets of his treasure, fans have been left to come to their own conclusions with the limited details they have. From here, countless fan theories have been born, sharing potential explanations for almost every detail surrounding One Pieces former King of the Pirates.

If I had to pick a throughline for the 2024 Dungeons & Dragons rules refresh (aka One D&D, D&D 2024, 5.5 edition, or whatever theyre calling or not calling it this week), it would be customization. While theres not a lot to draw from right at this moment as far as officially published adventure books, theres a whole lot of new ways to make your at-home games unique from player-made bastions to the reintroduction of Greyhawk as a world-sized blank slate and beyond. Personally, Im looking forward to spinning up a world where magic is incredibly rare, and where the players are uniquely powerful compared to their adversaries. The new Monster Manual (2025), come to find, is suddenly my new best friend and an able partner in making a low-magic setting from scratch.Several elements of how the Monster Manual is organized put a low-magic setting easily within reach for Dungeon Masters willing to put in the work. The most obvious is the entirety of Appendix A: Animals, which lists everything from a feisty badger (Armor Class 11, 5 hit points) to a killer whale (Armor Class 12, 90 hit points). For the campaign that Im running, I expect to be able to make use of this section alone for at least two full levels of play, and maybe longer.But why limit yourself to just the one appendix, fellow magic hater? Another section of the book organizes monsters by habitat! On page 375 youll find tables for coastal monsters, desert monsters, as well as monsters from the hills, forests, grasslands, urban areas, and more. Just grab something thematic near the challenge rating you need, take a quick look at their combat abilities, and youre good to go. These more traditional baddies can help raise the stakes, but wont necessarily be burdened with magical powers.Newly reorganized stat blocks also mean that monsters spellcasting abilities are a bit easier to see at a glance. If one of the monsters youve picked out for your players has spells, you can just skip over them during combat. Best practice, however, would be to put something in place of those spells to make up for them. More hit points is always an option, but it is a boring one. Page seven offers ideas for giving monsters items, so maybe your more humanoid critters brought an ax to this swordfight.But if D&D has taught me anything, its that encounters are more than just monsters. Maybe theres some kind of environmental hazard flooding, sandy terrain, or liquid hot magma that could put a wrinkle in the action. That makes the Dungeon Masters Guide (2024) even more valuable than it was before. Either way, fans the world over should be pleased to have a book full of upgraded monsters to go with their newly upgraded rules for D&D.Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual (2025) will be released widely on Feb. 18. The book was previewed using retail product provided by Wizards of the Coast. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. You can find additional information about Polygons ethics policy here.

Capturing the essence of movement in a stationary object is the driving concept behind Nooms latest creation, the Archipen Chair. Designed by Kateryna Sokolova, co-founder of the Ukrainian design brand, this chair embodies dynamic energy and fluidity, drawing inspiration from the pioneering sculptor and artist Olexander Archipenko. Renowned for his patented Archipentura method, a mechanical system that creates the illusion of motion through shifting images, Archipenkos visionary work is prevalent in todays society through advertising billboards that have the ability to change images. With the Archipen Chair, his legacy in design is celebrated anew, merging the worlds of art and function in a bold, innovative way that bridges the past with the present.Though the Archipen Chair itself remains stationary, its design evokes movement. The ash wood legs, flat in profile, are configured in such a way that some appear to have started shifting, while others have settled into their final position mirroring the dynamic motion of Archipenkos work. This subtle interplay of forms gives the chair a sense of life and motion, even at rest, making it visually captivating from any angle.The rest of the Archipen Chair is focused on its user. Its rounded back and curved seat gently cradles the sitter, while the foam cushion, upholstered in smooth, supple leather ensures a plush and comfortable seating experience. Because of its solid wood frame, the Archipen Chair can withstand daily use, making it suitable for both commercial and residential settings.Available in natural, stained, or painted finishes, and with a variety of fabric options, the minimalist Archipen Chair transcends time, proving that modern design can be timeless. With its artistic lineage and ergonomic qualities, this is a piece destined to remain a staple for years to come.To learn more about the Archipen Chair by Kateryna Sokolova for Noom, visit noom-home.com.

Change is hard, but you must lay out why its necessary in a UX storyContinue reading on UX Collective