New to 3D modeling.
polycounter lvl 6
Well, I just got a 3 year student license for 3DS Max. This is the first time I've used 3DS Max, and I was planning on looking up some tutorials to get started.
So, my question is this: Is there any way for a tutorial to demonstrate something the "wrong way"? I don't want to be following a tutorial and have to re-learn everything when I find out that they did something most artists would call "incorrect". Or is there only one general way to do most modeling?
Thanks.
So, my question is this: Is there any way for a tutorial to demonstrate something the "wrong way"? I don't want to be following a tutorial and have to re-learn everything when I find out that they did something most artists would call "incorrect". Or is there only one general way to do most modeling?
Thanks.
Replies
It just suddenly snaps and then you understand how to do it properly and how to place you polygons.
Use forums as much as you can and ASK for crit, you want it, trust me.
Worth it, some very good references, and really breaks it down step by step in teaching you how to model, unwrap, texture.
3Dtotal.com
cg.tutsplus.com
These are both sites that I used to learn a thing or two.
Long story short, just do it and the skill will come.
jus start small and managable to avoid ragequit moments.
Learn the basics of Max. The menus, the hot keys, etc. It's a HUGE piece of software so it's gonna be overwhelming. But you're not going to get anywhere if you aren't comfortable in your environment.
YouTube has so many tutorials, it's not even funny.
Watch. Learn. Try. Fail. Rinse and repeat.
If you want more in-depth tutorials, you may want to check out Lynda.com
They cost, but they are usually worth it.
Then post your progress and Polycount will be more than happy to tell you where you've messed up.
F1 is your friend so is, Main Menu > Help. Seriously! You almost don't need anything else...
With other random tutorials people will assume things that you won't know or will pass over things so quickly you're left with a hole in a workflow. But the documentation that comes with max never really does that. It's also incredibly helpful for when you do skip across a term or a button that someone tosses out there and you want to see exactly what it does, why and how to use it in an example.
I know in just about every other app out there these are totally unhelpful and not worth even looking into but in max these are probably the apps core strengths to those learning. Every few days I crack open the help doc and search for something, even more often for the maxscript help doc.
In other words, watch and listen to the tutorials for the sole purpose of hearing it explained, being talked about, opinions may be mixed in, etc.
YES it is very very common to find mistakes or inadequate explanations of why we do certain things certain ways even when they are correct in video tutorials, one little piece of bunk info won't break an hour long "lecture" tho :P
Already watched a UV unwrap tut? Already good at it? Cool, watch 20 more UV unwrap tuts. Just because sharing in the experience of others will broaden your experience.
I watch more tutorials than I watch any kind of TV or movies. I don't necessarily watch them to "learn" things as much as I watch them because I love to know how other people do things. 9/10 times there is at least one small thing in a tut that gets my brain turning on something new.
If you will do the tutorials (like, work through them with the maker), dual monitors are perfect for that.
The best video tutorials show you how to use things, not teach you specific things.
meaning, the best ones will show you the ins-and-outs of how to use some functions, not necessarily how to make a specific object. You don't wanna really watch them for the purpose of doing what they do in the video, you wanna watch them for the purpose of SEEING the application being used, and then transferring what you saw to your next sessions that may use the stuff you just saw used.
Often times you can find a tutorial on something you already know how to make "making a rock" for example sounds like a boring tutorial to most of the people on this forum, but in it, you may find some cool new features and techniques that you never would think to apply to a rock, and that you'd also instantly be like "hey, this will also help in times of _____"(fill in blank with random use of some tool or hidden function that is being creatively used on that rock you already know how to make and could be added to your arsenal for other objects etc :P)