Week 8 : Organic Modeling
This week, you will begin modeling your final project which is an organic object. Below is a review of the process we covered in class for modeling an organic object.
Setup:
Be sure you have photographic reference. This will prevent you from guessing. If possible see if you can find reference for your object from the side, front and top views and create an image in each of the corresponding windows.
In the viewport > View > Image Plane > Import Image.
Blockin:
Start with a polycube. Begin pulling the vertices to get the basic shape. Below are some of the tools we used to help us get a better blockin.
To add more subdivisions in your mesh. Remember to keep your subdivisions evenly divided, and be sure you have enough divisions in the areas with joints.
Edit Mesh > Insert Edgeloop Tool
To model a leg or extremities such as a tail, you may have to extrude a face.
Select a face or faces > Edit Mesh > Extrude
You can also find the Extrude tool in the shelf.
Work on refining your silhouette by pushing and pulling the vertices to match your reference.
"
Smoothing
Smooth out your form to see what it looks like.
Mesh > Smooth
You can also find this in the shelf.
Mirroring
Mesh > Mirror Geometry > Options Box (Choose the axis you wish to mirror and select if you want to merge these vertices)
To continue modeling, while at the same time, influencing the opposite side double click the move tool. This opens up the attributes of that tool on the right. Choose Reflection.
"
Detail.
To add detail like muscles and bumps, be sure to do this as best you can with the mesh first, if you are happy with this:
Mesh > Sculpt Geometry Tool > Options Box
Choose the type of brush (pulling or pushing) by choosing one of the icons under "Sculpt Parameters".
If you want to influence both sides of the geometry at the same time (reflection).
Stroke > select the reflection box.
"
HOMEWORK:
Work to have your organic object blocked in. No detail.
Week 7 :
This week, we reviewed texturing our buildings.
Today's Topics:
Planar Mapping
Creating a brick texture and bump map.
Applying these textures and bump maps using Maya's attributes window.
Using the Hypershade.
The UV Texture Editor.
HOMEWORK:
Be sure your building is properly textured and lit. We will be adding organic materials such as trees and grass and we will review techniques to model the final project.
Week 6 :
This week, we learned how to apply textures and bumpmaps to our buildings, and to do so, we specifically used the planar mapping technique that's in Maya.
Today's Topics:
Planar Mapping
Creating a brick texture and bump map.
Applying these textures and bump maps using Maya's attributes window.
Using the Hypershade.
The UV Texture Editor.
HOMEWORK:
Create a materials in your hypershade that you will add to your building. You will need the following (at least). Glass, trim, concrete (two types), metal for your lamp, door knob metal, and anything else you think you may need.
- Meeting the deadline
- 5 materials listed above.
Week 5 :
This week, we completed our 3D Midterm Models, and we refined and submitted our houses. Everyone's projects turned out great.
Today's Topics:
NURBS: Be sure you get Rocky's tutorial on NURBS from my teacher outbox. You are going to need it to do your homework.
HOMEWORK:
Create a door knob and porchlamp for your house. To keep things organized, place your house on a separate layer. I will be grading you on the following.
- Meeting the deadline
- Clean organized mesh (no stray vertices or faces).
- Attention to detail throughout the entire object.
- Photo reference and proper set up.
Week 4 :
This week, complete your buildings by adding windows, doors and architectual ornamentation. The most important thing is that your mesh should be clean, with no stray faces or vertices. You may have to include some time to make sure you take care of this as these may cause problems in the next coming weeks. You also need to complete your midterm model of a mechanical object. This is due next week for midterm.
Today's Topics:
Intro on NURBS modeling.
HOMEWORK:
Complete the modeling required for your midterm mechanical object. This is worth 100 points and will be graded on the following (20 points for each category).
- Meeting the deadline
- Clean organized mesh (no stray vertices or faces).
- Attention to detail throughout the entire object.
- Accuracy
- Aesthetic Appeal and Design
Week 3 :
This week, we continued with our buildings and discussed some of the issues surrounding stray verticesa and faces. Be sure your mesh is clean (no stray vertices or faces), as it may cause problems as you build your model. In worst cases, its best to start over than trying to resolve or troubleshoot an existing file.
Todays Topics:
Adding lights to your scene.
Basic 3 Point Light Setup.
Adding glows to objects.
Point lights vs. Area lights.
Rendering (IPR)
Adjusting Shadows.
Merging and removing stray vertices
Removing stray faces
HOMEWORK:
Turn a blocked in version of your midterm assignment. Submit your building with all of your doors, windows and architectual decoration (ledges, steps, window sills).
Week 2 :
This week, we reviewed our basic tools and we covered new ones. We also started our building project where we begin to model a Brownstone building. Bring this to class every week as we will be adding to it on a weekly basis. Next week, we will be learning materials, lighting and texture.
* Manipulator tools
* Viewports
* Paint Selection Tool
* Adding an image plane (do this in the front view only).
* Cut Faces Tool
* Insert Edgeloop Tool
* Select Edgeloop / Edgerign Tool
* Extruding Faces
* Extruding to create a bevel in a window.
* Blocking in the main form to match the picture.
* Aligning Vertices
* Cutting and creating windows in your building
Be sure you download Rocky's tutorial that covers how to cut and extrude windows and doors in your buidling. This can be found in the Teacher Data Drive > Outbox > Maya Tutorials
HOMEWORK:
1) Block in your building by matching the picture, and giving your building depth. Cut faces into your building to create windows and doors. Extrude your windows and doors. For credit, you need to model the door, and a window.
2) Come to class with an idea for your midterm assignment, which is a mechanical object. Please noe computer monitors and or game consoles.
NEXT WEEK:
Lighting and texturing.
Week 1 :
Items Covered Today:
* Welcome
* Syllabus
* Intros
* Intstructor Maya Involvment
* Tools I
* Assignment 1
* Homework Week 1
Welcome to Maya 8.5
Maya is very powerful animation and modeling program used in film, feature animation, video game, television. It is also used as a special effects tool. It has been used in feature films such as King Kong, Lord of the Rings, Advent Children and video games such as God of War II.
This week, will begin by learning the basics and like any good chef in the kitchen, before she starts cooking, you need to know where your tools are and you need to know how to operate them.
Week 1
This week, will be covering the fundamentals of the user interface. After today, you should know where everything is at. You may refer to this note page if you should forget (I know I will be doing so). You'll see that its pretty simple.
User Interface (Please review pages 1 - 66 to view the basics of Maya's UI)
Main Drop List
Located in the upper left hand corner of the screen, this changes the different tool sets at the top of your screen. For example if you choose the Animation menu item, items related to animation such as joints and skinning will appear. This week, we will be using the Modeling.
Custom Shelf
These are a set of visual hotkeys that are located above the main screen. These are also customizeable. Remove items by MMC an item and dragging it to the garbage can. To add a hotkey, shift + control then select a menu item. To view different shelves, click the folder under the Main Drop List Menu mentioned above. Select one and you'll see that Maya comes with many that are prebuilt. Hover over the first ten of Modeling and Rendering, you may use these later.
Keyboard Commands
Space Bar
Switches 4 panel mode to single panel.
Panels
Lets you choose perspective and camera views.
Other Breakdowns located in the left column and and in the panels drop down menu. This lets you split the screen. Lets you split the screen.
Navigating in your view.
Alt + LMB
Lets you rotate in a scene
Alt + MMB
Lets you translate in a scene
Scroll Button
Lets you Zoom In and Out
Hotkeys to change Views
1: Lets you view your object in low version mode
2: Medium Version
3: High smooth version
4: Wireframe Mode
5: Shading
6: Texture Mode
7: Lighting and Shadow Mode
Hotkeys to Manipulation
Found in the left hand column
W = Translate tool
E = Rotate
R = Scale
Q = Makes the selection disappear.
Z = Undo (Backwards)
Shift + Z = Redo (Forwards)
F = Centers and frames you object.
Preferences
Window > Setting Preferences
Undo
Create a Polysphere for the information that follows. The Channel and Layer Editors are located on the right side of your screen.
Channel Selectors
Shows information about your object.
Select your sphere and practice rotating, translating and scaling. Look at the input values change. Type in vales from 1 - 100 and see what happens.
The Layer Editor
Creating New Layers
Helps keep your scene organized.
Renaming layers.
Adding objects to layers.
Turning layers on and off.
Template Layers
Color Layers.
Rename your object to stay organized.
When renaming, be sure you have no spaces, instead use an underscore.
Channel Input
Channel Control Window > scroll down to channel input.
This is where you can add number values to change subdivisions of an object.
Outliner
Shows all of the components of a scene. The Outliner also helps you select specific or grouped objects easily.
Window > Outliner
Timesliders
Animation Timeline
Scaling the Timeline
Timeline Controls
Working in a 3D environment, its not unusual for professionals to specialize in these different tasks. Some specialize in texturing
Window Displays
UI Elements to collapse and show the different controls.
Duplicating
Select an object > Control + D
Grouping
Control + G
Use Up Arrow to select group heirarchy
Let's Model
Right click and select one of the menu items below to begin modeling. Practice turning and viewing your object using your keyboard and the perspective view.
• Object Mode
• Vertex Mode
• Face Mode
Cut faces tool
Rendering a shot. IPR
Creating a New Project
Always do this when starting Maya projects. It helps keep the elements in your project like textures. File > Create New Project > Name your project > Choose Default > Click Okay
Assignment for Today:
Model a Mushroom or an apple shape using a sphere or cylinder primitive.
HOMEWORK:
Turn in this object and be prepared for an inclass test on the UI elements mentioned above.
