Shack: Maya

jsargent

hey guys! I'm starting a new job in a few weeks and I have to switch my workflow from Max (been using it for 7 years) and zbrush to Maya and Mudbox!! I've just started and I'm getting the hang of Maya slowly. I found this awesome piece of concept art by Artyom Vlaskin and I'm going to be making it whilst I learn the new software. I'm going to be using this thread for crits on the work and also hopefully for some help with the software as I go along!

Thanks in advance for any help!! Here is the concept.



Actually, I have a question already! In max when I scale a face in one axis it stops when the face is aligned to that axis. In Maya it seems to just keep going until its scaling the other way and I cant get the face flush with the axis. How would I do this in Maya?

Thanks and I will have something to show soon!

respawnrt

Hold R (scale) and left mouse until scale menu appears.Select snap scale.Enjoy .Use it with averaged normals to flatten multiple faces.

Moosebish

Haha, I have started this same scene

I've been working really slow on it though, so I'm gonna look forward to seeing how yours turns out.

How closely are you gonna follow the concept and are you going to go more stylized or realistic?

jsargent

Thankyou!!!

HughieDM

best way I can suggest is to scale real quick then open you script editor copy the scrpt:
Now past that script into your mel bar to edit it

scale -r -p 0.243148cm 1.618771cm -0.562163cm 1 0.921207 1 ;

undo

then change the script:

since I want to scale to 0 in Y at the end of the copyed script you will see 3 numbers with spaces between them in order its x y z ; semicolon ending the mel script replace the y postion with 0 like mine if you want to scale y

the first 3 numbers denote the pivot point positioning so dont change those

scale -r -p 0.243148cm 1.618771cm -0.562163cm 1 0 1 ;

once finished editing it press enter

seems complicated but you can be extreamly accurate doing things like this
other wise I wouldnt worry to much about accuracy since no one is going to pull out a tape measure or level in your scene and go oh wait this surface isnt perfectly flat
In general if things are to perfect in these kinda scenes they end up being boring and sterile

oh well my 2 cents good luck get some work up

jsargent

I'm going to go quite stylised as I think it will suit the concept. I'm looking forward to some mudbox sculpting with it I'm doing a super speedy paintover first to plan out all of the sections that can be modular and reused.

HughieDM

just learned something new
thanx respawnrt diregard my suggestion

jsargent

Hi guys, I have another question!! I have an object with multiple elements and want to duplicate one element but not the whole object. In max I can hold Shift and drag with the element selected to duplicate that element and then select from the options whether I want this to be part of the original mesh or a unique object. How do I do this in Maya!! I can only seem to hit ctrl + D to duplicate the whole object. I have looked in duplicate special and can't seem to find it in there either. Thanks for any help!!!

Steve Schulze

I think you'll need to extract the component then duplicate it. I don't believe Maya can do what you're describing, or at least not without melscripting.

jsargent

Here is today's progress sofar. I feel like I'm moving super slowly but I'm definitely getting in to all of the short cuts already. Can anybody spot any major flaws in the blockout? I think I'm going to leave all of the roof slats separate for mudbox and make one shape out of them after sculpting.

Thanks for the maya help awesome polycounters!!!

peege

Jackablade wrote: »

I think you'll need to extract the component then duplicate it. I don't believe Maya can do what you're describing, or at least not without melscripting.

I would do that, but first duplicate the original object, so that there aren't history problems in the original.

so dupicate the whole thing. Then separate all of it, Duplicate your smaller object, and you can delete what you don't need instead of having to Combine them all again.

peege

you are missing a couple of the front pillars, where the rest seem to be in place. it's coming along though. the proportions might be a bit off as in, yours doesn't seem as wide. It might just be the camera perspective making me think that.

also, on the balcony there is a curved section right on the corner.

jsargent

Updates!! I'm having a bit of trouble with the roof, it seems to curve down and in at the back at the top like the hull of a boat but the back left part seems to be straight. Getting there with the block-out though, and actually quite enjoying Maya sofar.

Animesh

To duplicate a part of a mesh you can select the faces the Mesh Menu > Extract. Another option is to select the faces then from the Edit Mesh Menu> Duplicate Face.

Your scene looks really good so far from a novices point of view, especially since you only have that one pic to reference from.

Keep up the good work and don't hesitate to ask any more Maya specific questions.:thumbup:

Animesh

Just a side note that reference looks very identical to the Booty Bay Tavern by Blizzard ent. You may be able to find some good ideas of how to model the other side by searching through the Blizzard World of Warcraft websites.

jsargent

Hi guys, I'm attempting to sculpt a tiling wood texture in mudbox for the main walls but I'm having trouble with the equivalent of zbrush polygroups. I have one obj file with 7 separate objects in. I've worked out how to lock some objects so that I'm only sculpting one at a time. I have one of my wood planks at subdiv level 5 and I've sculpted it all nicely. I now want to subdivide the 2nd one and sculpt that but if I try that it also subdivides the first one again and soon gets too big and crashes. Help!!

Donavonyoung

I would separate the groups into tools. You can always make them one mesh again, but the way it is set up you are technically subdividing the entire mesh every time, but because the mesh is masked in only subd's the side that isn't masked. I would do a split groups function in the subtool tab and make them all individual meshed in Zbrush. That way you can subdivide individually, or just scuplt them all at once.

jsargent

Thanks for the reply, I'm not sure I understand though? Do you mean in mudbox or in Zbrush, I'm looking for how to do it in Mudbox.