The 3D Thread

[Number 28]

Good start rossco. I never textured my first model. Never got round to textures till six months later actually...

[Rossco]

Cheers guys.

I do love this now. I feel I've taught myself more in the last day or two of using this than I did when we done it in 1st year uni. We barely skimmed over it so I was crap back then but really getting into it now and just looking at loads of tutorials on the internet now. Are there any good 3D magazines that people buy with good tutorials/examples or am I best sticking with the internet?

Here's a pig I done, from a tutorial so not my own model as such, but I still done it from scratch. And I had to add the shiny surface myself for added effect!!

[Asura]

I've asked this before, but does anyone use Sketchup? Even for quick concepts or whatever? A lot of the stuff in here could be done in Sketchup in three or four minutes.

If so, then it's probably doing a lot of the work for you, and the models might not be of much use outside of sketchup. There's a lot more to making 3D models for games than just making something 3D and in the correct shape.

[Asura]

Good start rossco. I never textured my first model. Never got round to textures till six months later actually...

Totally with you there. I started modelling in first year of uni, and only really "got" texturing about a year ago. Since then, my ability with it has come on leaps and bounds - but my textures used to be terrible. I think it's one of those things that just "clicks".

[Rossco]

Yeah, I'm not too worried about texturing yet anyway, I will really get into the modelling side first of all probably until I'm quite good at that then hit the textures. Even after texturing though, there's alot to setting up the scene with lights etc before rendering to make it look decent so I guess that will all take time too.

[Rossco]

Damnit, you know when you are moving, scaling, rotating etc you get the on screen 3 pronged icon for moving on the X, Y, or Z angle. It just suddenly gone and I can't find the option to return it. So when I move something for instance now, it's freehand instead of the option of moving it just straight along one certain axis!

Don't even know what it's called to search the help for it!

SCRAP THAT!!

Found it, they're called gizmo's apparently! And somehow transform gizmo's were turned off, I must have hit a keyboard shortcut for it without noticing or something!

Check these MUGS I made today, state of the art eh!

[Number 28]

Something's missing...

...a teapot?

[Rossco]

Is that a challenge?

[Number 28]

Just referring to the old max favourite...

It should be in amongst the primitives? It's legendary.

[Rossco]

Oh yeh so it is! I think it was the first shape I made actually when I booted this up for the first time. I did laugh when I seen it.

Check this out, spent hours on this today.

It's coming along nicely I think considering I've only got into this, still got rear rotor and missiles to do and then the dreaded texturing if I can learn how to do that well.

I'm 'blueprinting' for this, got a top, side and front view drawings set up as planes to use as reference, works really well. Is that how the majority of people work when modelling a particular item like this?

[Number 28]

I think most people use templates in a similar way. It's how I do it. I'd only build half of the thing though, then create a mirrored instance (which automatically updates itself) on the other side. A lot less hassle.

Good stuff dude, you sure you've only just opened Max?

[Asura]

Found it, they're called gizmo's apparently! And somehow transform gizmo's were turned off, I must have hit a keyboard shortcut for it without noticing or something!

Yeah, there's a key that turns them off (can't remember what the key is but it's easy to hit by accident).

Also, as for the teapot, apparently they're always used because when they were doing graphical research into 3D stuff at MIT in the 60s, they modelled a teapot because it was the only thing in the room they had to hand that was small and clearly asymmetrical.

Also - don't forget chess pieces, greek temples, and chequerboard floors - all good exercises for a beginning modeller.

[Rossco]

I think most people use templates in a similar way. It's how I do it. I'd only build half of the thing though, then create a mirrored instance (which automatically updates itself) on the other side. A lot less hassle.

Good stuff dude, you sure you've only just opened Max?

Yeh that was luckily one of the first things I seen when reading up on this so I turned on the symmetry modifier saving a lot of time!

Just been reading up on texturing/UVmapping. Looking really complicated but everything I see is using some sort of plugin to unwrap it and then use Photoshop for example to draw your texture. Can 3DS Max not do this manually or is a plugin needed?

[Asura]

Yeh that was luckily one of the first things I seen when reading up on this so I turned on the symmetry modifier saving a lot of time!

Just been reading up on texturing/UVmapping. Looking really complicated but everything I see is using some sort of plugin to unwrap it and then use Photoshop for example to draw your texture. Can 3DS Max not do this manually or is a plugin needed?

Yes, you can unwrap manually - that's what I do and it works. Just for some things, usually organic things, you can get plugins to make your life a bit easier. I find though that they can take a while to learn.

You're best off tackling it manually first to get a feel for it.

[utero2001]

Hurry, get it textured!!!

That is awesome watersnake! Love that ship, brings back so many good memories.

(they wouldn't admit it, but that's Firefly's daddy)

I'd love to do 3D stuff, but it's way too mathematical for me.

brilliant this threads got going again

unfortunately my PC got a virus and I had to format it today, and I just noticed that I'd not save my starchaser model anywhere

aww, so I'll start again, and texture it over the next week or so.

[utero2001]

Are you intending to do modelling, or animation? If it's animation (and though this advice will lead to howls of derision from Ryan ) I'd recommend XSI over MAX.

I'd say for animation, I've heard from many that Maya is the best, modelling for me is ok in XSI but great in Max.

I found animating more time consuming in XSI than Max

and I will say in industry (games) most work in either maya or max. XSI is the dramatically differant and I found it an absolute bastard to use

[Rossco]

Good advice to hear since I'm using Max then.

I heard from someone in year above me in Uni they use Lightwave but you don't need to so I think I'll continue with Max, seems better to me having used Lightwave a year or so ago.

Utero, do you fancy posting that saltburn video again, would love to see the finished product as alot of the images in the thread don't work anymore!

[utero2001]

Utero, do you fancy posting that saltburn video again, would love to see the finished product as alot of the images in the thread don't work anymore!

sorry yeah i remember reading that you requested that

you can watch/download the images and video from my website (check sig), i've just looked at the old images for saltburn, god the texturing is very basic and pretty bland, i guess i've come on a bit

I'm hopfully gonna update my website soon with some work related 3D stuff, the project we're finishing up now has some great art assets

keep up the good work lads

[Asura]

brilliant this threads got going again

unfortunately my PC got a virus and I had to format it today, and I just noticed that I'd not save my starchaser model anywhere

aww, so I'll start again, and texture it over the next week or so.

Aww, that sucks man. I'm working on something at the moment that ought to be impressive; I'll get back in a few days with some renders.

[Rayn]

Aww, that sucks man. I'm working on something at the moment that ought to be impressive; I'll get back in a few days with some renders.

Hurry up, man, can't wait

[Asura]

Here you go:

Can y'figure out what it is yeeeet? No prizes for that - but if anyone figures out specifically which mobile suit it is, then I'll give you a cookie. (cookie may not actually be supplied)

[Rayn]

That looks very exciting, can't wait to see the progression.

Bonus points for making the shadow look like master chief.

[Rossco]

Yeah nice work, I like it!

[FargalEX]

I want to try my hand at making some low poly characters over the summer. I think I'll reformat my PC before installing Max though so it'll be a little while before I get to it.

[Ketchup]

Check my mad skills!!

Spent a while this afternoon looking through some tutorials then done this. It looks astonishingly real doesn't it!

The next thing to do is make it even more real in one of 3 ways.

1. Grunge it up a bit. Brick work is never that clean, so make it a bit more random but subtle in it's grittyness. You can also add dirt and dents to other areas too.

2. Change the lighting. This part is hard, i'd recommend finding a book about it.

3. Add more stuff. Now you can create other objects like lights etc and place them into your scene. Check out www.turbosquid.com for some free models, place them in and check out how they look. You can also get ideas of how models are made too.

Heres a render of a cdj1000 i did a few weeks back.

Got loads more models i should post up soon.

[rundll]

Here you go:

Can y'figure out what it is yeeeet? No prizes for that - but if anyone figures out specifically which mobile suit it is, then I'll give you a cookie. (cookie may not actually be supplied)

Is it patlabor? (I modelled patlabor using an archaic piece of software in my first year of uni..)

[Asura]

I got a bit more done:

It's actually coming along quite nicely. I'm over-spending a bit on detailing the backpack, but I figure as it's supposed to be a model for a 3rd-person shooter, the player is going to be looking at it quite a bit (Shenmue always pissed me off with this, spending hours staring at the blurry tiger on Ryo's back).

EDIT: Revised:

[Asura]

Had a bit more time to get on with this, thanks to a lull at work today, so a further WIP for your viewing pleasure.

[Anaardvark]

I'm glad I found this thread. I've just been accepted onto a "3D Computer Generated Imagery: Modelling & Animation" degree at Bournemouth Uni. Well it's a Foundation degree with a top up 3rd year which I'd go on to if I successfully complete the 2 year foundation.

I really don't know what it's going to involve and have never done any sort of 3d modeling before, but seeing all this is getting me all excited and now I'm really looking forward to it.

How did you all start off? Did you do courses or was it something you did at home and taught yourself through tutorials and such? I'm just finishing grabbing *cough* 3DS Max 2008 so I can have a play but I'm expecting it to be well over my head and completely confuse the hell out of me.

Also people were talking about texturing being done in Photoshop etc. Does this mean I'm going to need Photoshop skills too?

Liking the look of the CDJ-1000 mk3. A DJ set up was something I considered doing too as I've a pair of mk3's and a xone:92 sat on my desk. Ahh I've so much to look forward to!

[Rossco]

Asura that is beautiful, I don't know what it is, but it's ace!

Your light setup is ace too there, looks very lifelike in that sense.