Hi all,

I'm thinking of modelling a polar bears head (reminds me of the dissertation I wrote on them at uni).
I'm going to start with the base skull to get a generic head shape and then model over it with the skin/muscle layer.
If anybody finds any good top/front ortho photos/drawings of a polar bear skull then post the link up (I already have the side and a poor top shot)

The biggest challenge will be the fur and the final lighting/rendering shots so here's hoping 2 months is long enough

Good luck all!

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Examples of bTraffic - a traffic animation tool for Maya
bFlocking - a tool for Maya 8.5+ to generate flocking and swarming behaviours
Jan/Feb Challenge 2007 Entry and W.I.P
May/Jun Challenge 2006 Entry and W.I.P
Mar/Apr Challenge 2006 Entry and W.I.P
Jan/Feb Challenge 2006 Entry and W.I.P
Nov/Dec Challenge 2005 Entry and W.I.P
Sep/Oct Challenge 2005 Entry and W.I.P
Jul/Aug Challenge 2005 Entry
www.flash-fx.net

Best of luck, Mr.Tickle - will be good to be sparring polygons with you again on this challenge.

Out of interest, which degree did you do to end up doing a dissertation on polar bears?

Good luck to you too fallenswordsman

I did biological imaging at uni (half art, half hardcore biology). A bit bizarre but it was good to have a varied course and it was never boring.
The final dissertation went alongside a macromedia director program on bear evolution (which I no longer have ) hence the interest in 3D'ing a bear

---

Examples of bTraffic - a traffic animation tool for Maya
bFlocking - a tool for Maya 8.5+ to generate flocking and swarming behaviours
Jan/Feb Challenge 2007 Entry and W.I.P
May/Jun Challenge 2006 Entry and W.I.P
Mar/Apr Challenge 2006 Entry and W.I.P
Jan/Feb Challenge 2006 Entry and W.I.P
Nov/Dec Challenge 2005 Entry and W.I.P
Sep/Oct Challenge 2005 Entry and W.I.P
Jul/Aug Challenge 2005 Entry
www.flash-fx.net

started on the skull this morning that will sit in the head. It's not going to be complicated or detailed, just as a placeholder so I know how the head shapes and where the teeth will go.

Last bit to add to it will be the jaw

https://www.flash-fx.net/3D/images/polarbear/skull1a.jpg

https://www.flash-fx.net/3D/images/polarbear/skull1b.jpg

---

Examples of bTraffic - a traffic animation tool for Maya
bFlocking - a tool for Maya 8.5+ to generate flocking and swarming behaviours
Jan/Feb Challenge 2007 Entry and W.I.P
May/Jun Challenge 2006 Entry and W.I.P
Mar/Apr Challenge 2006 Entry and W.I.P
Jan/Feb Challenge 2006 Entry and W.I.P
Nov/Dec Challenge 2005 Entry and W.I.P
Sep/Oct Challenge 2005 Entry and W.I.P
Jul/Aug Challenge 2005 Entry
www.flash-fx.net

oh and a couple of reference pics of the animal in question

https://www.flash-fx.net/3D/images/polarbear/ref1.jpg

https://www.flash-fx.net/3D/images/polarbear/ref2.jpg

---

Examples of bTraffic - a traffic animation tool for Maya
bFlocking - a tool for Maya 8.5+ to generate flocking and swarming behaviours
Jan/Feb Challenge 2007 Entry and W.I.P
May/Jun Challenge 2006 Entry and W.I.P
Mar/Apr Challenge 2006 Entry and W.I.P
Jan/Feb Challenge 2006 Entry and W.I.P
Nov/Dec Challenge 2005 Entry and W.I.P
Sep/Oct Challenge 2005 Entry and W.I.P
Jul/Aug Challenge 2005 Entry
www.flash-fx.net

Man I can't see your pictures again Why don't you set up a web site with Sitesled.com its free.

Cheers
Paul

There shouldnt be any problems with this host (I use it at work for a very high bandwidth usage website with no problems)

Can you see https://www.flash-fx.net BMS?

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Examples of bTraffic - a traffic animation tool for Maya
bFlocking - a tool for Maya 8.5+ to generate flocking and swarming behaviours
Jan/Feb Challenge 2007 Entry and W.I.P
May/Jun Challenge 2006 Entry and W.I.P
Mar/Apr Challenge 2006 Entry and W.I.P
Jan/Feb Challenge 2006 Entry and W.I.P
Nov/Dec Challenge 2005 Entry and W.I.P
Sep/Oct Challenge 2005 Entry and W.I.P
Jul/Aug Challenge 2005 Entry
www.flash-fx.net

fraid I'm not seeing them either. I can go to that link you posted, however.

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-Mike
The Maya Toolbelt

looks like a good start.. I can see your images fine btw..

peace,

mayafreak3

just removed a .htaccess file from the folder with the images (just in case it was restricting access) but other than that I have no idea why the images would show for some and not for others. I also use IE and Firefox and it works in both for me.

Anyways, just a quick update, a slight modification to the skull and the addition of a basic jaw. Think I'm going to work up the teeth to a high level straight away and then I can move on to modelling the overall head shape

p.s, if you wonder why I'm modelling the skull first then its because I wanted the head proportions to be right and didnt want reference shots to obscure the shape with too much fur

https://www.flash-fx.net/3D/images/polarbear/skull2a.jpg

https://www.flash-fx.net/3D/images/polarbear/skull2b.jpg

---

Examples of bTraffic - a traffic animation tool for Maya
bFlocking - a tool for Maya 8.5+ to generate flocking and swarming behaviours
Jan/Feb Challenge 2007 Entry and W.I.P
May/Jun Challenge 2006 Entry and W.I.P
Mar/Apr Challenge 2006 Entry and W.I.P
Jan/Feb Challenge 2006 Entry and W.I.P
Nov/Dec Challenge 2005 Entry and W.I.P
Sep/Oct Challenge 2005 Entry and W.I.P
Jul/Aug Challenge 2005 Entry
www.flash-fx.net

can see them now. Looking forward to seeing how it goes.

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-Mike
The Maya Toolbelt

bit more detail on the jaw and I'm going to start adding the teeth in now.

I think the final pose will be with the mouth open (a snarl or something) so you can see the teeth clearly.

https://www.flash-fx.net/3D/images/polarbear/skull3a.gif

https://www.flash-fx.net/3D/images/polarbear/skull3b.jpg

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Examples of bTraffic - a traffic animation tool for Maya
bFlocking - a tool for Maya 8.5+ to generate flocking and swarming behaviours
Jan/Feb Challenge 2007 Entry and W.I.P
May/Jun Challenge 2006 Entry and W.I.P
Mar/Apr Challenge 2006 Entry and W.I.P
Jan/Feb Challenge 2006 Entry and W.I.P
Nov/Dec Challenge 2005 Entry and W.I.P
Sep/Oct Challenge 2005 Entry and W.I.P
Jul/Aug Challenge 2005 Entry
www.flash-fx.net

yo all wos just wondering how is the compatition judged?
Im a noob to maya and obviously some of these guys arnt but is it based on skill used or just how cool the final render looks?
So say if i picked a really cool animal but made the final render really cool but there wosnt neccessarily that much skill used e.g. no fur or complex textures etc, would i get marked down for it.
Thanks

Hi JHubbard,
Have a look at the rules in the challenge rules and guidelines thread in this forum (sticky at the top of these threads).
Ask some questions in that thread and you may get some help but as with most competitions - you dont know what each judge wants. You can try and second guess but learning new skills is the main goal (and $400 would be a nice extra ).
Good luck if you enter

---

Examples of bTraffic - a traffic animation tool for Maya
bFlocking - a tool for Maya 8.5+ to generate flocking and swarming behaviours
Jan/Feb Challenge 2007 Entry and W.I.P
May/Jun Challenge 2006 Entry and W.I.P
Mar/Apr Challenge 2006 Entry and W.I.P
Jan/Feb Challenge 2006 Entry and W.I.P
Nov/Dec Challenge 2005 Entry and W.I.P
Sep/Oct Challenge 2005 Entry and W.I.P
Jul/Aug Challenge 2005 Entry
www.flash-fx.net

I CAN SEE THEM NOW :attn:

Great progress man.