Hard day...

Had a hard day? How about a COOL shower :)

3D Ready?

從針筆到電腦, 由AutoCad到Sketchup, 不知不覺又走進3D Rendering的世界，真的無可避免嗎？如果可以，我還是想逃避．．．但當你一踏入這個虛擬空間，又會被那種無限制的可塑性深深吸引着．

以往我們所熟識的3D軟件總離不開3dsmax, Autocad 3D, V-ray, Maya, Z Brush, Maxwell...等，有些以程式員作為開發對象，所以介面設計得異常複雜及沉悶；又或以集合所有對手軟件功能於一身為目的，結果落得粗製濫造收場，單單打開軟件已花了不少時間，更惶論真正運算時要用強勁的硬件組合去抵銷．另外有些其實是比較適用於動畫製作上的，硬要用於室內或產品設計，就變得大才小用，難以發輝軟件的強大效能了．

Sketchup的出現，令3D發展成由一般設計師及建築師亦可自行由概念演繹至立體空間，不用假手於人，設計流程變得更暢順，效果也更易掌握．3D Rendering 軟件亦百花齊放：Blender, Shaderlight, Twinlight, Lightwave, C4D, Kerkythea, Artlantis, Rhino.......等等，等等！問題是，現今的硬件及軟件雖然頗成熟，但在香港，人材仍然缺乏．何解？進深研習，不停測試，對光線及美感的掌握，對各種物料受光及反光特質的研究等．．．又是回到“時間”及“基礎訓練”這兩個問題上．

無疑我們的“快餐文化”容不下“精心”製作，但期望仍然有一些在3D效果製作上有熱誠的同行，用心去發展，令我們的成品水準不至過分落後於其他西方設計師．

Starting from technical pen on paper, move on to computer Autocad in 2D; a bit further from 2D to Sketchup 3D, and now? ready for 3D rendering? As a designer instead of a 3D modeller, truly speaking I would not prefer to step into this field...this is what my original thinking was because it's a "technique" and very time consuming. But once you've step in, you will be addicted to it's power of "nothing is impossible".

3dsmax, Autocad 3D, V-ray, Maya, Z Brush, Maxwell...,etc. are some of the common use 3D softwares that we are familiar with; some were developed on a technician base and resulting in a non-human user interface, or some were aimed to gather all functions from their competitors to form a "super all-in-one" rendering software, guess what? you will have problem to open the software if your machine is not powerful enough, not even think about of their millions hidden tools. And some are actually built for animation, well, you can use it to render your interior, but it's a bit under-use instead of using a matching software due to the different tools design in purpose.

The birth of Sketchup leads designer /architect into a totally new design thinking pattern, we can work from our concept to 3D world easily, more accurate of space study, more foreseeable and controllable result = more complicated design to be created and save much time to liaise with a third party who can't 100% know what your final picture is. As a result, more and more companies are willing to develop some new 3D rendering software or even plug in. Blender, Shaderlight, Twinlight, Lightwave, C4D, Kerkythea, Artlantis, Rhino.......etc, etc. Today, there are numerous well developed software and supportive hardware that we can make use of, but the major issue is...we are lacking of "Mr. Right"!

If you make a search on Internet, you will find a great difference of quality levels in those 3D models created by what we've seen in Hong Kong and from other foreign countries. What actually happen is we can't /don't spend "time" to study deep into this field; art sense, lighting behavior, material behavior, camera adjustment......these are not important via a quick template like outcome, both in time and money affortable, as we think?!

Although it's a bit sad, I still hope that there will be a 3D modeller, or an architect, a designer somewhere in Hong Kong who aware of this situation and is willing to dedicate more to increase our 3D production standard by their great experience and enthusiasm.

A or B?

A :

- career
- wealth
- knowledge
- being somebody
- "success" in the eye of public



B:

- health
- freedom
- wisdom
- time
- be yourself

It's not difficult to choose, right? and may not be a result of either A or B, but not easy to achieve both at the same time. Why? A matter of life style that you are looking for = desire that you are willing to sacrifice.

業餘咖啡人測試報告﹣第四回 Maily from Vietnam

自從有咗咖啡機之後，不時都收到啲好友“人情”：來自各地嘅咖啡粉或者咖啡豆．盛蒙大家比面，通常都會作個測試小報告．今次收到嘅係來自越南嘅 Maily Dac biet,Chuyen kinh doanh si & le cac loai Cafe noi tieng nhat hien nay....總之係越南咖啡啦！

 睇落都幾像樣，懷住少少興奮嘅也情打開．．．
 “大鑊”有油！

而且係好油添．（註：有油代表唔新鮮，炒豆已有一段時間，咖啡味可能已流失及起變化．）但係有啲可可口味散發出嚟，都幾香；加上係“人情”，雖然知到後果嚴重，結果都係放咗入磨豆機．部機係好辛苦嘅情況之下完成任務（因為隻豆好硬），磨完有啲燶味，過後又回復可可香．見無咩嘢發生，就繼續放入沖煮頭．

由於係越南口味，唸住會苦澀啲，所以已經磨粗少少，用少啲粉，沖煮時間又少啲．OK! done!

 
意料之外地有Crema, 又意料之內地好黑．仍然散發住輕微嘅可可口香．飲落。。。無咩嘢發生，即係無咩咖啡味．好有越南feel :P

好！決定完成埋佢，係咁意打啲泡，voil'a!

越南風味晨光咖啡，請慢用：）味道？無咩嘢發生，不過都係嗰句：多謝！

後記：玩咗 ５分鐘，洗機洗咗２０分鐘

Happy Easter

Happy Easter with God's Blessing :)

Latte 拿鐵

最近收到朋友轉寄給我的Coffee Chart,一看見便會心微笑，令我想起第一次與“拿鐵”相會在廣州．咖啡對我來說是西方玩意，所以沒有留意它們的中文／台灣名，直至有次在廣州一間Starbucks 尋找 Latte 的踪跡時，才發現它原來叫作拿鐵，真有趣！難得今次這張圖不單有齊各種譯名，更有清晰的製作份量，簡單的平面設計，實用之餘又有親切感，謝謝好朋友！

A friend of mine share a Coffee Chart to me recently, I saw an English version many years ago but not this, in a format with their Chinese name (actually I think there are Taiwanese translation). It reminds me the first time when I was looking for a cup of Latte in Starbucks at Guangzhou, if translate directly it called "carrying iron".......well well, of course it sounds in Chinese is good fit to match with the pronouncaton of "Latte", but nothing related to it's actual meaning. Same goes to Espresso Con Panna, no related meaning to it's 3 Chinese wording of "Health+treasure+blue". 

But no matter how, a simple graphic design which clearly indicates the proportion of different ingredients to make a cup of your favorite coffee...it's really a good idea and especially touchy in Chinese, thank you, my dear friend:)

Cafe e Nata, Macau

 

When you want to have a cup of coffee, which cafe will you choose to enter, base on what? 

 

it's degree of well known?  interior atmosphere? no. of customers inside? coffee menu choices? price range? or...? aroma ? 

                                                                     

This cafe is located in Macau, people's favor of...guess what, not coffee but their Portuguese egg tart.  The day when we were visited, very crowded, aroma of egg tart spreading in air, but the most attractive element was the shop itself and this signage, very vintage. Truly speaking it was not a fabulous design but it's eye catching, and created a perfect mood together with the tiny timber bench, stool and "tissue roll" setting in front. Well,  of course mosaic tile will always be the "green leaf" here in Macau.

It's interest to say that, people love coffee is more or less a bit sensational, even if this is not their usual act; but they are obsess to the feeling of freedom or wildness at that specific moment with a cup of coffee in hand. 

 

 

So, my conclusion and what actually did happen was, our internal sensation conquered the reality that leads us to seat down there, no coffee, just egg tart + watermelon juice ; no service, no atmosphere, no variety choice of coffee, no gimmick...but it's already free our mind as we were seating at the side walk cafe , enjoying our "special moment".