How big should a model be.

# 1 14-06-2011 , 05:29 AM

Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2010

Location: Scotland

Posts: 4

Hey,

Im am trying to start a project in maya. Well infact Im redoing a project I did in college to see if I can do it better and how much I have advanced if at all. Anyway the model im trying to make is a wooden watchtower for a small scene of a small outpost in a medieval style, sort of like oblivion style. What I want to do with the model is run a camera through it inside and out for like an animation sweep over of the buildings. My question is how big would you make the model? ussually when modelling I keep too the size of the grid in the 3D view but Ive seen other peoples models and they seem alot bigger, Would making it bigger help with camera positioning and such. Also Im making all the different parts of the scene in seperate files then adding them all to the main file via importing is this the right way to go about it or should I make everything in one file and also any tips on keeping things in scale would be very useful.

thank you in advance for any answers.
SirWalrus

Quote

# 2 14-06-2011 , 08:35 AM

The Nurb Herd
Join Date: Oct 2007

Location: London

Posts: 2,381

just pretend 1 unit is 1 metre and make everything to that scale.

Where did you learn 3D in Scotland?

Quote

# 3 15-06-2011 , 03:19 AM

Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2010

Location: Scotland

Posts: 4

I did a multimedia course at banff and buchan college. It had a 3D section in it so thats how I got into maya. I wouldnt say I was very good but its great fun making stuff in 3D. I havent had my own computer over the last few years so my learnings been abit stunted. But Im trying to get back into it now. Thanks for the reply.

Quote

# 4 15-06-2011 , 04:30 AM

Lifetime Member
Join Date: Feb 2010

Location: Australia

Posts: 4,255

Im with dom...I tried setting the actual grid to metres but Maya didnt and doesnt like it for some reason...which still has me perplexed. Good luck with it mate! Oh and to keep it in scale I would make a block (up to you) that is 1.8m tall and about 0.5 by 0.5...that will give you rough human dimensions. Better still research on the kind of building it is...they may give out dimensions...and you could make a template block and use that? thats what I do in general now.

cheers bullet

bullet1968

"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes

Quote

# 5 15-06-2011 , 06:24 AM

Lead Modeler - Framestore
Join Date: Feb 2003

Location: UK

Posts: 6,287

yeah best do 1 unit = 1 metre. You can use metres themselves but jesus, it makes life murder, render times can increase and so on, so stick with the default

Jay

Quote

# 6 15-06-2011 , 09:28 AM

Super Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2006

Location: South FL

Posts: 3,522

Do Maya's units even really mean anything?

- Genny
__________________
::|| My CG Blog ||::
::|| My Maya FAQ ||::

Quote

# 7 15-06-2011 , 10:14 AM

Lead Modeler - Framestore
Join Date: Feb 2003

Location: UK

Posts: 6,287

They are good for real world scales. But they do have a limit. Worth noting Stuff like motion blur and depth of field at the smaller units can make a model look like a miniature, I'll badger my supervisor for more info as he's got alot of knowledge in this field -its been a recent issue

J

Quote

# 8 17-06-2011 , 12:29 AM

Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2010

Location: Scotland

Posts: 4

Thanks everybody was a huge help. Especially bullets (I would make a block (up to you) that is 1.8m tall and about 0.5 by 0.5...that will give you rough human dimensions) remembered it just as I started making the model. Showed me that I had made it way to tall like some sort of medieval skyscaper made of wood. I did try researching the building type but dimensions where hard to find so Im going on guess work.
Thanks all Sirwalrus

Quote

# 9 17-06-2011 , 02:40 AM

Lifetime Member
Join Date: Feb 2010

Location: Australia

Posts: 4,255

To answer Genny yes they do BUT to do it in real world scale (sorry Im a Surveyor..cant help myself LOL) as Jay said is a pain in the coight. I have adopted doms suggestion ages ago and 'pretend' 1 unit is 1 metre even though the grid is set to centremetres...and yes Jay the render times etc increas...why is that??? For finnicky work or to get it damn close Gen I use the 1 unit rule and sometimes break the subs up to get what I want ie. 5 subs = 0.2 increments and so on. This way I can get it really close...painful stuff but thats Maya..LOL

For me Sirwalrus if I couldnt find actual dimensions (there will be some somewhere trust me) then I would take an image like this one...standard modern doors are approx 2.1 m in height (in the old days maybe less as they werent as tall as we are today). So I would use a rule (scale rule if you have one)...determine the height of the door in this image and come up with a scale based on the door. Al you have to do then is make your buildings on a bit of guess work and physically measuring the areas you want...I will post shortly what I come up with and you will be able to apply this to ANY image...as long as you have a rough idea of dimensions.

cheers bullet

Attached Thumbnails

Click image for larger version

Name: c931f7bcf54bbfdb0fe501254e71264f.jpg
Views: 791
Size: 323.2 KB
ID: 47428

bullet1968

"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes

Quote

# 10 17-06-2011 , 03:01 AM

Lifetime Member
Join Date: Feb 2010

Location: Australia

Posts: 4,255

Here you go mate, this is basically what I do now (if scale is critical) and adjust my grid lines to have 5 subs..that way they are at 0.2 increments...you get the gist? hope it helps mate...JUST remember WHEN you come up with a base scale DO NOT zoom into the image LOL as this will not work...unless you have zoom increments..but I wouldnt trust them

The general rule is as long as you can get one 'known' dimension you can really scale the rest...or IF you dont know that it has dimensions go off something like I did, the door. That in a sense is a 'known' dimension for the purposes you need....same with modern office buildings, they DONT have normal doors usually...so in that case I would research the 'standard' height for a floor....around 3.1m here in Australia...hope I have helped and not confused user added image