Where to start?

# 1 16-12-2014 , 09:20 PM

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I Have access to every video on the site but im very new to Auto-desk. My end goal is to be able to make models for games as well as CGI shorts and after I become super advanced maybe even movie special effects my question to you all is. Where do I start and what videos do you think would be good to cover for these goals? user added image

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# 2 17-12-2014 , 02:18 AM

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To create a cgi movie, the essential things to learn is 3d modeling, texturing, rigging, animation and render.

For starters, you can search for videos about 3d modeling basic. Hope it helps

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# 3 17-12-2014 , 03:47 AM

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To create a cgi movie, the essential things to learn is 3d modeling, texturing, rigging, animation and render.

For starters, you can search for videos about 3d modeling basic. Hope it helps

Originally Posted by choo

Thanks I really appriciate the feed back

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# 4 17-12-2014 , 07:51 AM

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a

It's possible that the edges haven't been merged together or some other strangeness with the geometry, like normals being flipped across the edge. Can you post a screenshot of it? Edge loop tool is finicky and will only work when there are proper quads adjacent to each other.

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# 5 17-12-2014 , 05:06 PM

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It's possible that the edges haven't been merged together or some other strangeness with the geometry, like normals being flipped across the edge. Can you post a screenshot of it? Edge loop tool is finicky and will only work when there are proper quads adjacent to each other.

Originally Posted by arooj606

I believe you may have posted in the wrong thread

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# 6 17-12-2014 , 07:22 PM

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Join Date: Dec 2007

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Modelling is probably the logical first step.
I think my first video was the dragon tutorial: https://simplymaya.com/autodesk-maya-...=144&sub_cat=1
Prior to that I remember getting very frustrated at written tutorials when I couldn't figure out what they were referring to. Even though the video is quite old now and the menus have changed, I didn't really have any of those problems when I did it (although this was about 5 years ago now), since you can see exactly what they do.
But really you could probably start with almost any of the modelling tutorials on this site, since they're generally geared towards beginners. Particularly since you mentioned games, this might be a good place to start: https://simplymaya.com/autodesk-maya-...=114&sub_cat=3 . It also eventually goes on to rig and animate it, so you'd get to try a bit of everything with one project.
Beyond that, cultivating other artistic ability is very helpful. If you can already draw or sculpt, 3D will be that much easier.

https://users.ecs.soton.ac.uk/as28g11/

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# 7 05-01-2015 , 04:19 PM

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Join Date: Dec 2007

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Anything you can get your hands on. If you truly want to make a short movie by yourself, get ready for a long journey! user added image

What are your strengths? There are a lot of cgi effects people who are not all super talented "visual artists" they are people like animators, riggers, etc. Most modelers have some clay sculpting background, but this isnt totally necessary, especially in this day and age; you can learn how to sculpt without pushing a single lump of clay with programs like Zbrush, mudbox, modo, 3D blender, etc.

If you are young and want to get into the "industry"...please do yourself a favor and do some research into the life you would be living. It is a feast or famine business. Not too many "shops" out there anymore where you would get a job, and just go to work every day year round. The film industry especially is this way now. Its not impossible to find a job at a big studio, but the competition is fierce.

If you just want to make a short film in your spare time, not only will this take a long time, you can't really learn all of the aspects of making one all at the same time.

So start with modeling. Learn what you need to learn about that to get efficient in it with regards to edge-flow, poly count, etc. Also, most models (industry ready/ industry standard) start out as simple meshes and are exported to other programs like Zbrush or Mudbox to create detail, textures, bump or displacement maps etc. and you will have to learn how to do all of that too; unwrapping uv's working with them etc. There are people in the industry who are just "texture artists"

Then there would come rigging. Learning how to skin the character for good deformation and rig a character (and now it has gotten so sophisticated that in high end models, the joint chains have actual muscle geometry deforming the skin). You will need to create the controls for animation (for movement, squash and stretch, etc) and not to mention blend-shapes for facial expressions (which are generally sculpted by the modelers). That's a super simple explanation, but there are people in the industry where this is what they do, and all they do. At least it used to be that way.

Then you will need to learn how to animate. This is a huge learning curve and takes a long time to get good at. Most really good animators are more like actors than "visual" artists.

Then there is any scene special effects (particle effects--like smoke, water) or cloth effects.

Then there is sound.

And then lighting.

Then there is rendering...another area where there are people that this is all they do.

Not to mention the list of software you would have to learn.

My point is not to discourage, but to try to urge you to focus on an area where you are the strongest.

If you want to make a film yourself...great!!! Just understand everything you are going to have to do to get that done. There are people who have done it for sure! Most people who go to school for this stuff and follow a 4 year or (however long program) have a final short film project, so it is TOTALLY doable.

However, if you are teaching yourself, get ready for a time of equal parts frustration and exhilaration!

Bottom line: know your strengths and start there. You might realize you don't much like animating, and don't have the patience for it and might decide just to become a modeler for example.

I wish you all the best and hope this helped!!!

Last edited by mifune; 05-01-2015 at 04:25 PM.

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