Surfing with the Alien Volume 1 - Review - Simply Maya User Community

# 1 15-12-2011 , 09:47 AM

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Surfing with the Alien Volume 1 - Review

Hello there,

I finished Surfing with the Alien Vol.1 and wrote a short review of my thoughts on it.
I hope you find it interesting and helpful at

https://www.mduque.com/rev/simplymaya/surfingalienv1.php

Thank you Jason and Simplymaya for this excellent tutorial. I'm diving into Volume 2 and will post my reviews once I have finished it.

Cheers.

Last edited by cgisoul; 19-12-2011 at 04:20 AM.

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# 2 19-12-2011 , 04:20 AM

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Updated the link above.

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# 3 24-12-2011 , 08:09 PM

Lead Modeler - Framestore
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Thanks for the review CGISOUL.

The custom tab issue...I didnt feel the need to explain shelves, as I deemed anyone purchasing this tutorial not to be a beginner in Maya....it is not a beginners tutorial...especially Volume 3.

Glad you enjoyed it though

Jay

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# 4 25-12-2011 , 03:52 AM

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Thanks for the review CGISOUL.

The custom tab issue...I didnt feel the need to explain shelves, as I deemed anyone purchasing this tutorial not to be a beginner in Maya....it is not a beginners tutorial...especially Volume 3.

Glad you enjoyed it though

Jay

Originally Posted by Jay

Hi Jay,

Merry Christmas!

Thank you for taking the time to read it. I hope you didn't take my review / words in the wrong direction. Overall, your tutorial is an excellent learning example and I myself learned quite a chunk.
As shown in the simplymaya page for Vol.1, it says is for Level: Beginner, therefore, I wrote my review from a beginner (as myself in Maya) perspective and my overall experience from watching Vol.1

I just finished watching Vol.2 last night and my image came out differently as I tried to learn and do a piece of my own at the same time. I still want to watch it over again before I write my review for Vol.2, but this time with different point of view as this is for level: Intermediate and a lot are not expected or assumed from a beginner level.

Once again, thank for making such an excellent videos and sharing your techniques.

I will keep you posted once I have my review up and experience with Vol.3 as I'm about to dive in soon.

Though I am not entirely happy with my displacement map as I find it quite hard, I will fix this and come up with a better map after the holidays. Still have to work on the tearducts too.

Here's my result from watching Vol.2

user added image

or my progress at https://www.mduque.com/blog/nucleusx/index.php?blogid=4

One thing is certainly for sure, your techniques can surely be translated for any future models.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Cheers.

Last edited by cgisoul; 25-12-2011 at 07:08 AM.

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# 5 25-12-2011 , 07:09 AM

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Semi Final 2

P.S. An updated version : https://www.mduque.com/blog/nucleusx/index.php?blogid=4

user added image

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# 6 25-12-2011 , 04:18 PM

Lead Modeler - Framestore
Join Date: Feb 2003

Location: UK

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Dude

Merry Christmas to you too!!! Hope you are having a good day.

No dont worry...your review is useful, I did take anything the wrong way at all. In fact its very encouraging to read, we don't usually get an in depth review on our tutes here so its nice to see and find out that we are doing a pretty good job.

Yeah I would have put the modelling as an intermediate level personally, because its an anatomy model essentially and I think an understanding of anatomy is useful to know before diving into modelling any. Alot of people assume they know how to build a character but in hindsight its very hard. I have alot of experience in modelling and even I can struggle...I have my bad days believe me LOL.

anyway that said I look forward to your next reviews...

be good
Jay

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# 7 26-12-2011 , 10:50 AM

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Hi Jay,

Glad to hear that and don't you worry, I'm joining the life membership at the end of this month, so expect to read a lot from me. user added image

)
Writing my review for the Vol.2, will post as soon I have it ready.

Another thing, since I'm here I might as well ask you. I am struggling with two things:

1st. I have the original render that is attached here. As you can see the original render is very unsaturated comparing with the post-work done in PS layer after layer. However, I was wondering how could I get more or less the same result out of the render in Maya? Which leads to my second struggle...

2nd. From tweaking the colors in Photoshop, the eyes loses that outter layer look, which in result loses that realism. After all, the eyes are the window of one soul and this is something I have always struggled when creating my art works.

Now, if I can do all color corrections inside Maya, then I can remain the outter layer of the eye shinning as it should.

user added image

Any help is much appreciated Jay.

Cheers,
Miguel

Last edited by cgisoul; 26-12-2011 at 10:53 AM.

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# 8 26-12-2011 , 02:48 PM

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Surfing with the Alien Volume 2 - Review

P.S. Here's my review for Vol.2

https://simplymaya.com/forum/showthre...984#post330984

Or

https://www.mduque.com/rev/simplymaya/surfingalienv2.php

Cheers,
cgisoul

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# 9 26-12-2011 , 03:44 PM

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CGI

Increase the weight values for either the sub dermal or epidermal channels. That should increase the actual color saturation. Its just a bit of back and forth.

I dont think the eyes are actually that good in the original either if I were to be honest. The outer eye needs some sharp specular hi lite going on, try using a phong-e shader for this as I did in the tute. Also the free eyeball tute I did on here should help as well.

Will read the review shortly

cheers
Jay

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# 10 27-12-2011 , 04:57 AM

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Hi Jay,

Thank you for the tips mate. Will try that and let you know.

I just finished updating the review for volume 2 as it was written last night and there were quite a chunk of grammar mistakes, spell checks, choice of words, etc etc. Much better now I believe. So, if you haven't read it yet, it's all good now.

I'll keep you posted on my current Alien version. Building him an armor.

Cheers.

Last edited by cgisoul; 27-12-2011 at 06:22 AM.

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