sm mech tutorial (modeling) - Page 2 - Simply Maya User Community

# 16 10-10-2007 , 08:46 AM

Jr.Who

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Originally posted by ctbram
What did you mean by the shadows need to be fixed? I just rendered in mental with raytraced shadows on.

Originally Posted by

They’re really big and stretched out.

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# 17 10-10-2007 , 09:10 AM

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real shadows can be like that

Environment Artist @ Plastic Piranha
www.joopson.com

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# 18 10-10-2007 , 09:52 AM

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Mental ray or Software render is irrelavant here, the point is that you are right

JrWho: real shadows can be like that. Try looking at shadows when the sun sets, they are very long.

higher elevation of the light mean short shads, lower elevation mean longer shads.

Cheers
Jay

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# 19 10-10-2007 , 10:00 AM

Jr.Who

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Yeah, I know they can be like that, but for this scene it looks a little weird.

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# 20 10-10-2007 , 10:10 AM

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Well to help out ctbram why dont you post up something that he may find of use, instead of just giving a negative response of 'the shads need fixing'.

it works both ways on the forum, give a solution to a problem, you may find yourself in a similar position some day....chances are though you'll PM me for it LOL:bandit:

Jay

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# 21 10-10-2007 , 10:17 AM

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I don't know I think the shadows look fine, but I'm going to have to agree with Jay that the center of gravity is off, other than that and your "lazy texture" it looks good. Keep it up!

- Mike

https://rhetoriccamel.blogspot.com

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# 22 10-10-2007 , 10:28 AM

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Originally posted by Jay

Well why not model it in a natural pose in the first place is my next question.

Modeling humans for rigging in a semi T pose is one thing but quadrupeds and mech stuff are something else.

Jay

Originally Posted by

You model a mech in a modeling pose for the EXACT same reason you model a human in a T pose. If you look closely all the limbs are either horizontal or vertical to all the modeling views and they have minimum interferance with one another from the orthagonal views. I would not want to be modeling things at freaky angles to my modeling views.

Kurt explains why the model is posed as he did in the first video.

He also shows the final model in some poses that look very good. I only wish he had a rigging tutorial to go with this. I have never rigged something like this and I don't know where to start.

The shadow casting light was set at a low angle and the edges are very sharp. But these are not meant to be final shots. I modeled this in about 5 hours. For the textures I just googled camoflouge texture and grabbed the first one I found and popped all the textures on in about a hour using automatic mapping (the lazy mans approach <smile>).

I like the feedback and don't take any offense. Please don't be afraid to let me know what you think. It is always helpful to me.

Last edited by ctbram; 10-10-2007 at 10:48 AM.

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# 23 11-10-2007 , 02:13 AM

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Thats fair enough if he has mentioned it on the video but I'll make my point here. You dont actually have to model it in these types of poses, period.

A better deformation can actually be achieved with bend at say elbows, armpit/shoulder area even bent at the knees. The tpose is just a common method to allow foreasier joint placement, but joints can be place just as easy at an angle and set for bind pose. Zero coords can be achieved on the joints at this point too, as can the controls for the rig.

For something like this mech. I would angle all the model as its going to be in non modelled state before rigging. the legs parts can be parented to the joints, its not organic so joint deformation isnt need. Once the limits are set on the rotaions this would be a very fast rig set up. the head can also be parented to a locator which in turn is parented to an invisible group node, which would also be the root node for the legs. Its pretty straight forward procedure. then add your IK to the joints etc, sdk....

_J

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# 24 11-10-2007 , 10:38 AM

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For the first part I respect you pov, but it's a matter of preference and I had to work with the drawings in the video. So it's really a moot point.

For the second part your talking way over my skill level. Keep in mind this is the first model I am trying to texture and rig. All my experience is in modeling so much of the rigging-speak above is like latin to me. But I kinda understood the parenting bit (smile).

On the rigging I am confused about a couple things:

-how to rig the piston thingy in the leg
-how to setup IK handles in conjunction with parenting joints

Ultimately I would like to move the legs with locators to pose the model and not have to grab joints and rotate them invidually.

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# 25 11-10-2007 , 10:43 AM

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A couple new shots

-Fixed the rubber color on the hoses
-Fixed the gun metal color
-Moved the Sun closer to noon (show the shadows are shorter)
-uv unwrapped a couple bits

I unwrapped a couple of really simple bits and it took me an entire day so I doubt I am going to have the patients to unwrap the entire model. The main body automaps into 80 bazillion pieces and trying to sew them up is making me hate everything. There has to be a more sane way then trying to pick uv's out of a pile of overlapping lines! I am going blind!

It's like trying to pick fly shit out of pepper!!!!!!!!

Questions:

1. How do I soften the shadow edges?

Render options:
mental ray
final fine detail
final gather

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Last edited by ctbram; 11-10-2007 at 02:12 PM.

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# 26 11-10-2007 , 10:48 AM

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2/2

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Last edited by ctbram; 11-10-2007 at 02:12 PM.

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# 27 11-10-2007 , 11:26 AM

Acid44

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thats pretty kickass man... i might get this tut comechristmas time but its between that, the apache tut, and a really kickass sword so... i dont know yet:p

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# 28 11-10-2007 , 07:47 PM

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The front was feeling a little flat. So I added a bit around the opening.

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# 29 11-10-2007 , 07:48 PM

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2/2

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# 30 11-10-2007 , 09:43 PM

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I likey !!!!!! will look awesome when you do a dirt map and some nice lighting!

Jay is right about the rigging, and t pose stuff is a preference but it comes down to skinning on tense or half tensed muscles. And with humanoids etc if you model in full T it will throw your scapula, scapula and trapezius muscles up.

It all depends on what your modeling and how you like to go about things.

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