Introduction to Maya - Modeling Fundamentals Vol 2
This course will look in the fundamentals of modeling in Maya with an emphasis on creating good topology. It's aimed at people that have some modeling experience in Maya but are having trouble with complex objects.
# 1 05-07-2005 , 02:40 AM
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jedi starfighter running into major problems with the wing

Kurt,

You need to STOP doing so much work bewteen videos. I am very dissapointed with the jedi fighter tutorial.

I got the the detailing of the wing and cannot complete the model because you do not explain how you went from the single polygon wing to a wing that is in 2 halves, that has been angled at a bunch of really weird angles and has so much line work that its implossivble to tell from the video what the hell you did or how the hell you did it.

The same with the box details. You show a couple of simple boxes then at the start of the next video you show 5000 intricatedly detailed boxes and say "its not too too much work". I would not mind if you had decent reference drawings or maybe photos of the model you are referencing. But to add 50'000 polygons between videos and then show like a 4 sec clip of what you did is just ridiculous!

I am sorry but I am just so frustrated. I have purchased a couple of your videos and each one is worse then the last. I am expecting the next one you will show a 6 sided cube then in the next video show a 200,000 poly model and say "I just did a LITTLE work between videos but its nothing too too much"!

SIGH!


Last edited by ctbram; 05-07-2005 at 02:44 AM.
# 2 05-07-2005 , 04:25 AM
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WIP image

Here is pretty much where I got to before the not too too much work in between video's made it impossible for me to continue...

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# 3 05-07-2005 , 04:37 AM
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another angle

nt

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# 4 05-07-2005 , 04:38 AM
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nt

nt

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# 5 05-07-2005 , 06:45 AM
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First off, I understand that you're frusterated, however your model is looking really good so far. But what you said in your first post is just plain rude. The way you worded things is not only demanding, but disrescpectful to Kurt and Simply Maya in my opinion. If you wish to get help, this is not the way to go about getting it. Now, the Jedi Starfighter is intended for Intermediate Maya users. If you feel like this is too hard, you may consider getting an easier Beginner one?


Last edited by SuperTrooper; 05-07-2005 at 06:47 AM.
# 6 05-07-2005 , 07:55 AM
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I was not asking for help. I was stating a fact. It is impossible to complete that model based on the LACK of information and references in the videos.

Kurt spends 30 minutes talking about how to set up image planes when he could better spend the time in an "intermediate" tutorial actually demonstrating how the wing was detailed.

There are no reference images or photographs.

I was simply stating my experience with this video. I have yet to see a single "completed" model. Unless I go out and find the model that Kurt was working from I see no way that one could ever complete this model. He simply does not cover the detailing of the underside of the model or the wing in sufficient detail.

These video's are not cheap and I don't care if you don't like my tone. I know how to set up image planes and create a polygon cube. What I spend my hard earned money on is instruction on how to do the details and it's really upsetting when all the details are done in between the video sessions! I was pulling my hair out by the 5th session when he put like one box on the bottom of the wing refering to a model he was looking at off camera as a reference. Then comes back in the start of the next video with the wing completely redone and shows the box detail of the underbody for like 10 seconds and there is like 500 poly objects and none of the shots are on camera long enough to even get a clue as what details are.

If I just wanted to look at pictures of good models I would not buy a TUTORIAL video!

3 Things:

-Is it so hard to get the scale of your references images correctly BEFORE you bundle them in a TUTORIAL?

-If you are not going to have enough time to show every sinlge step (and I understand that it almost always the case) then why not include a complete copy of the model on the download site and charge points for it? I'd gladly pay to be able to actually see the model and be able to us it as a reference since the side and top reference images contain practically no information.

-If you were using a model as a reference maybe including the name of the model manufacturer and a couple of jpeg images would be a good idea.

Again, I am not asking for help. I am just stating my experience with this and other similar tutorials. People can take the information anyway you like. I feel like I have been ripped off. I get to spend 10 hours watching a video that seems to have some nice pictures of a cool looking model but lacks enough detail to be able to reproduce it.

# 7 05-07-2005 , 12:19 PM
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Ok first off... I'm sorry you feel that I did not put as much detail as you felt was needed for the wing. Your model looks really good.

But honestly the wing doesn't have much detail in it... The under side has less detail other than a few box-like extrudes which you can see on the parts of the tut to see their shape. There is only about 7 or 10 little box-like shapes.

From what I see your wing looks just as good as mine. Most of the detailing of the wing comes with the texturing. You should be able to see and figure out any little things I do because I usually show you something similar.

Example... the top wing has a little spot that goes in toward the wing... all I did was select that face extrude it in. As for the wings being apart ...its easy to figure out, just cut them in half. That way you can extrude that little part down and have the original shape on the bottom. Again, I did a lot of extruding similar shapes in the tut.

It is very hard for us tut makers to find a balance between time and detail. I can do every little detail and every little tweak but then I would get complaints that the tut is too long seeing me do the same move 50 times.

Yes I spend abit more time on image set up, but thats more essential then showing every step of a wing that has very little changes other then a divet at the front and a cut area for the little wings along the side.

They reason I don't include my models is 1. they are my models and 2 the tuts are for showing you techniques on how to improve your own modeling skills. Its better for an aspiring artist to model their own ideas especially if they are going to start sending out demo reels for jobs than to have a reel full of tut projects.

For the reference question.... try google for some more pictures of the ship and if thats not enough I'm sure there's a toy store around that sells the model ship.

As a artist who is wanting to learn you have to really try to experiment and learn some things on your own instead of having to follow step by step the whole way. I can promise you once you start trying new ideas that you come up with you will improve so much.

Here is quick screen grab of the under belly as you can see there is only a few cubes.

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I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination, knowledge is limited, imagination encircles the world. (Albert Einstein)

https://www.artstation.com/kurtb
# 8 07-07-2005 , 08:16 PM
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CT, you are entitled to your comments since you did pay for the tut, if anything learn from what was said here about using reference material easily found on the web. I made a post about the spitfire tutuorial I completed not long ago and I made extensive use of reference pictures I found on the web. I actually found some good sites for other projects i have in mind.

# 9 08-07-2005 , 08:20 AM
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ctbram Im afraid we simply cant win

We had complaints that the videos dragged on as they covered to many steps and didnt encourage the user to find the answers, then we get complaints if the model misses stages. In any case sorry for your problems you are having

# 10 08-07-2005 , 08:56 AM
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Originally posted by Kurt
It is very hard for us tut makers to find a balance between time and detail. I can do every little detail and every little tweak but then I would get complaints that the tut is too long seeing me do the same move 50 times.

I've done many of the free Tutorials and also Kurt's Spitfire tutorial, both Modelling and Texturing. As a newbie I found them great, I learnt a lot and was able to take onboard what I learnt and build on it.

Having said that, I'm glad Kurt didn't go over every single step. Tutorials are painful enough as it is. We can all pick a whole heap of problems with tutorials, but that's really not the point. If you learn techniques then the tutorial as achieved the desired outcome.

I didn't like the way Kurt did his cockpit as I wanted mine more true to the spitfire. I had a go at it doing it my way but ran into problems. I posted the problem I was having with the cockpit on the forum and Kurt helped me through it. Not a big deal. If you have problems, just ask for help. I also never wanted to build Kurt's Spitfire, I wanted to build mine using the techniques he used and as such they are different . . mines better :p user added image

The great thing about the tutorials on this site is the fact they are not standalone, when you consider you have a forum board to go with them.

For what its worth the point of my post is I think you have the balance right with the tutorials and finally, ctbram you have a great looking model there.

Cheers
Paul

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