Introduction to Maya - Modeling Fundamentals Vol 1
This course will look at the fundamentals of modeling in Maya with an emphasis on creating good topology. We'll look at what makes a good model in Maya and why objects are modeled in the way they are.
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61
14-11-2004
, 04:30 PM
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I think most of what needs to be done has already been said, but I would cut down on the amount of spans in the model in general, it will help reduce some of the 'pinching' effect that you have going on in some areas, also your mesh will be easier to work on if its lower res. Keep an eye on the proportions as well. Good job.
_J
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62
14-11-2004
, 04:40 PM
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I know what you mean. When I started, I primarily worked with NURBS and got pretty used to them....everytime I'd try my hand at poly....the results would be less than satisfactory, especially when it came time to smooth. Plus, since NURBS already have mapped UVs...it felt like less work but really, once I really talked to ppl and tried various aspects of modeling (using CPS or Poly Proxy...box modeling, poly-by-poly, sub-d), I found polys to really be much quicker when it comes to detailing and creating one solid mesh...it just feels more logical to me now. There are so many tuts about...you should take some time to rough out a quick character shape using each method and see what works better...you might be surprised.Originally posted by CGPMaya84
I am actually better at using NURBS though than I am with POLYS. I really don't have much experience with using POLYS, and I tend to work at a faster pace with NURBS.
"Terminat Bora Diem, Terminal Auctor opus."
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63
15-11-2004
, 04:47 AM
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Thanks for the compliment RubberChicken!Originally posted by RubberChicken
Looking better every update. One minor crit tho, her hips seem a little too wide in my opinion.
And err... well I don't have naturally thin hips like the idealized models of Final Fantasy, even though I wish I did. 
It is odd though...I have an LCD monitor, and the hips look fine, but when I view it on a CRT monitor the hips do look too wide....I don't know which screen shows the more accurate proportions. :bored:What exactly do you mean by the number of spans in the model?Originally posted by Jango
I would cut down on the amount of spans in the model in general
I feel the same way...I am at ease using NURBS since I primarily work with them anyway, and since I have become so familiar with them it is harder for me to try POLYS...but once I can sit down with a nice POLY tut., I will be well on my way!Originally posted by NitroLiq
I know what you mean. When I started, I primarily worked with NURBS and got pretty used to them....everytime I'd try my hand at poly....the results would be less than satisfactory, especially when it came time to smooth. Plus, since NURBS already have mapped UVs...it felt like less work but really, once I really talked to ppl and tried various aspects of modeling (using CPS or Poly Proxy...box modeling, poly-by-poly, sub-d), I found polys to really be much quicker when it comes to detailing and creating one solid mesh...it just feels more logical to me now. There are so many tuts about...you should take some time to rough out a quick character shape using each method and see what works better...you might be surprised.
~CGPMaya84 (also DragonTU84 from SimplyPhotoshop and CPAnimate84 from SimplyMax)
Last edited by CGPMaya84; 15-11-2004 at 05:36 AM.
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64
15-11-2004
, 08:08 AM
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These isoparms are then wrapped into the shape u want, but because they are orignally four sided planes u are limited with what u can do with one nurbs object.
There is an option under the edit nurbs menu called rebuild surfaces (make sure u click on the option box), where u can state the number of U and V spans that u want the surface to have. It will then reproduce the surface with a fewer number of isoparms (which is good), and quite frequently without losing too much detail.
If u can get the count down low enuff u can do a convert to poly's. Here every CV on the nurbs becomes a vertex in a poly mesh. All u have to think of vertices as are CV's the are connected with linear lines. If u perform a smooth operation on a poly object it becomes more and more like the original nurbs object. If you then convert to a sub-d object it behaves almosdt exactly like nurbs, but with the benefits of polys!
The advantage is that it becomes easy to attach different pieces of geometry and to create extrusions, such as noses, breats, fingers etc...
Really, really, really woth a look at polys, it'll speed up ur workflow.
Hope this helps make polys seem a little less daunting, or have I just waffled for however long? Thought i'd say this cuz i like ur determination towards modelling, and I found it much easier after expanding my maya toolset
Any of Kurts tutorials are awesome for a complete breakdown of Nurbs-poly-sub-d modelling
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15-11-2004
, 06:44 PM
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Kerosene: Thank you so much for explaining to me exactly what spans are. I now understand perfectly what they are. I have rebuilt NURBS surfaces before, so reducing the number of isoparms will be easy. What you said though was really helpful, and thank you for taking the time to explain to me how I can use NURBS and convert it to POLYS simply by first reducing the number of isoparms in the NURBS and then converting it to a low-POLY mesh. I know that there are a lot of advantages to POLY modeling, especially when it comes to creating organic shapes such as human characters, animals, monsters, etc., and since I hope to get into the video game industry I do want to learn modeling in POLY. Perhaps I am so determined in modeling since I really enjoy working with the modeling programs, and also since I hope to one day make this my future career. Thanks for acknowledging my determination and also for helping me out through your thorough explanation on NURBS and POLYS.Originally posted by Kerosene
Hope this helps make polys seem a little less daunting, or have I just waffled for however long? Thought i'd say this cuz i like ur determination towards modelling, and I found it much easier after expanding my maya toolset
Anyway, on to more good modeling updates: I started on the skirt, but there is a crease down the middle of it, so I plan on fixing that, and I also started on the shorts. I still need to attach the wraps to the shorts (so that is why they jut out still). Also, I did some of the armor for the shoulders and knees, but I still need to smooth them out to get rid of the creases and also to add the wraps to them. I also tried making the character not so "wide" and thus make it more proportional and realistic. Since my crappy LCD monitor (which needs to be replaced anyway) does not seem to make the image appear correctly anyway, please inform me if anything else appears disproportional. Here is the front view:
~CGPMaya84 (also DragonTU84 from SimplyPhotoshop and CPAnimate84 from SimplyMax)
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15-11-2004
, 06:48 PM
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15-11-2004
, 07:30 PM
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Oh, and to test to see if it is just your monitor try making a square on the screen in any program (photoshop for instance), then measure the top with a ruler and see if it is the same distance as the sides, if not then you know you have a problem. Hope that helps.
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15-11-2004
, 07:50 PM
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Actually, I am not replacing the monitor due to its lack of displaying correct proportions...I have had countless problems with this monitor since late August/early September. I usually leave my computer on at night, yet I turn my monitor off. When I awake in the morning and attempt to turn my monitor back on, I sometimes get a completely black screen with a faint bar/line that slides from the top and bottom, and it keeps doing this in a cycle. Other times, the screen's color may be tinged with too much green, magenta, or blue, and a lot of times only 1/5-2/3 of the screen is displayed! It sometimes takes me a 1/2 hour or more in the morning just by restarting the computer and turning the monitor off and on constantly to get it to display correctly. I am thinking of just leaving the monitor on all night so it won't do that anymore, at least until my new LCD monitor gets shipped this week. I hate computers sometimes.... 
Thanks for the advice about the incorrect proportions though-maybe I can use your advice when my new monitor comes in and if I experience the same problems (regarding the misproportions, I mean, NOT the actual incapability of my monitor to function properly)!
~CGPMaya84 (also DragonTU84 from SimplyPhotoshop and CPAnimate84 from SimplyMax)
Last edited by CGPMaya84; 15-11-2004 at 07:52 PM.
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15-11-2004
, 09:03 PM
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Anyway, as for the recent updates, i'd go easy on the knee pads. they look a little to big in all directions. and those points cud cause serious problems if she ever has to bend forwards to duck a blade in combat
This the same character u did for ur photoshop WIP?
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15-11-2004
, 09:42 PM
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As Kerosene said those knee pads seem a tad big.
Also I dont understand why turn the monitor off al leave the pc on.... thats what screen savers are for
P.S. Since your getting a new monitor, please send me your old one. I dont care if it dosent work half the time, gimmy!
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17-11-2004
, 04:21 PM
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I will see what I can do about the kneepads. In the original drawing, they were supposed to be a little large, but perhaps I made them a little TOO large in this case. :bored:Kerosene: Errr, well actually, no, this is not a Maya project, although if I decide to texture it or fix it up in Maya then it will end up being imported into Maya. This project has been about 80-90% completed in Rhino, and the face was partly fixed up in 3D Max, although it was all initially made in Rhino. Since there really is no "Rhinoceros" thread anywhere, and since Rhino uses a lot of the same NURBS features as Maya, I figured this would be the best place to post it for help, tips, crits, etc. I had mentioned it before that this was not done in Maya, and I am glad that everyone has still been very helpful to me by giving me advice and crits in order to help me complete this project.
Thank you so much for all of the help you have given to me. Also, yep, this is based on the Concept Character WIP I did in Photoshop. I also submitted it and another concept painting from Photoshop for Kurt's character design competition.RubberChicken: Thanks for the compliments and crits on the armor!
As far as the monitor goes, I usually turn it off at night since I sleep in the same room that my computer is in (being in a college dorm and all), and I really don't like to see the "glow" and "flashing" of the screensaver while I am trying to go to sleep, so that is why I usually turn the monitor off at night. :p Hehehe, if you really wanted my sucky monitor (as long as you don't mind spending 1/2 hour or so in the morning trying to get the screen to show up correctly whereas majority of the time it shows all black, is discolored, or shows 1/3-3/4 of the screen), I would gladly give you my monitor if I could! However, since I am getting the new one for free from Gateway due to an accidental protection/limited warrenty plan, unfortunately I have to mail the old monitor back to them. Sorry, RubberChicken! :p
~CGPMaya84 (also DragonTU84 from SimplyPhotoshop and CPAnimate84 from SimplyMax)
Last edited by CGPMaya84; 17-11-2004 at 05:49 PM.
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18-11-2004
, 03:51 PM
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18-11-2004
, 04:44 PM
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Don't know if you got to it, yet but the boots need shaping.
"Terminat Bora Diem, Terminal Auctor opus."
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19-11-2004
, 10:48 PM
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I tried altering some of the proportions on it-particularly with the waist area like you mentioned. The model is getting close to complete-I just need to do the holster, the hands, finish the belt, do the wraps on the arms, and do the sword. C & C is always welcome! I also added the belt buckle, added some more bullets (or whatever you want to call them) on the belt, fixed the wraps on the legs so they attach to the shorts, and added wraps that attaches the armor to the body. Also NitroLiq, what do you think needs to be done to the boots? If you can tell me what it is you think they need, then I can fix it. As far as the knee armor, I am trying to base it off of the concept sketch I did of the character in Photoshop, and I need to try to model it as close to the concept sketch as possible...and I don't know if it would be a good idea or not to elimate the points on the knee armor since my Photoshop concept character had the spikes on the armor. What do you all think I should do?
~CGPMaya84 (also DragonTU84 from SimplyPhotoshop and CPAnimate84 from SimplyMax)
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20-11-2004
, 03:12 AM
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