Need some Guidance on Working as a 3D Modeler

Ethird

Hi, I have known of the Polycount site for a while now but totally new
in terms of posting to the forum.

Just a little about me.

I am a 26 years old Kiwi from NZ, currently starting out fresh working as a 3D
modeler for an animation studio here in Japan (was an illustrator back home).

I knew nothing about 3D before I cam to Tokyo, and spend 2 years in a cheap
3D school learning Maya, only to be told that I will be working with 3Ds Max
when I started on my first day's work. Which is fine, I actually grown to like
3Ds Max more then Maya now for some of its functions.


Now, I can say, that I'm noob to 3D, working with it for 2 years and had made
not even over 10 models... yes, shame on me I know.

I applied for my current job as a 3D Artist few months back, and amazingly they
took me in, giving me a 3 years Visa and all to stay and work in their studio.

I was filled with nothing but joy at the time, working in the animation industry?
here in Japan? omg I gotta call my mum and all my friends and let them know
I have made it here in Tokyo!

but...

4 months down the line with my current job... I have began to grown this doubt,
this... heavy doubt about whether or not I am actually suitable to be a 3D Artist or not?

Last week, I was told that I work TOO SLOW for a modeler, its true, I am nowhere
near half as fast as my colleagues, what they do in 3 hours took me 3 days...
plus they know all this shader technique and can do motions and stuff.
While I still struggle to work with 3Ds Max to a comfortable degree.

I really wonder why they took me on board at the first place now, coz clearly
I am no where up to the level of the play they are at, not to mention I think
they're all hardcore workaholics... no kidding, I thought it was a myth but no,
Japanese REALLY do work 12 hours a day and over most of the time before
they decides to go home... its really something...

As titled, I now really need some guidance, some pointers, a direction...
what do I need to be doing to become a better modeler, what am I missing
as a 3D molder? How do I seed up my self?

most the the jobs I do at work, all I get was just one illustration in perspective,
or just the front view, I found it really difficult to model something to look like
the image I was given, its like I have this illness of not being able to see a 2D
image in 3D in my head...

why is it that I don't seem to improve in the past 4 months? is this a sign...
that, I should stop with 3D and proceed with 2D? I am really kinda lost...

Below is my portfolio from 4 months back when I applied for my job, textures
are all 1024*1024, nothing over 6000 poly I think, I have only done low poly.
I don't have any presentable recent 3D works, sorry.

Does starting out as a Newbie in the 3D field gets better any time soon?
I have this feeling that if I don't up my game, they're gonna kick me outta Japan.


my first real model after 6 months of Maya learning, 4000 Poly (roughly)





my sencond model after a year of 3D school, 4000 poly






recycled from the previous character 3500 poly




after one and a half year of 3D school, 6000 poly






800 poly




1100 poly

Clark Coots

Sometimes if I feel slow at modelling its because I'm concentrating too hard on the shape and the translation from 2D image to 3D while worrying about good topology. Sometimes you have to just let go and just model, try not to think so much. Start pulling verts around and see what happens, don't worry about topology as much, you can clean it up later when the form is correct. Speed will also come with more practice. Try setting up some custom hotkeys for tools you use all the time. You can try watching some videos of other people modeling to see their workflow. Also the fact you had to switch from Maya to 3Ds Max might have slowed you down. So in time you should get faster. Try doing some speed models where you don't think as much, just model quickly from a concept and see how it turns out. For an internship I had I made 3D Cellphones, and the first one took me over a week to finish and it was just a basic iPhone-ish only touch screen model. Within a few months I was doing cellphones with a real keypad that slide open with a full keyboard on the inside in less than 2 days. You get faster with practice and if you're going to be doing a lot of character work you'll keep getting better at understanding the form and such.

artquest

Hey man! If you really enjoy being a 3D artist, don't let your current level get in the way. 4 months isn't really a long time so if you don't see a ton of improvement yet don't worry. Just keep working on your skills and you'll get faster.

ZombieWells

I can't give you the years of industry experience, or all the tips and tricks that come with a healthy understanding 3d; but I can give some advice on how to think.

1. Stop working, (that would nice wouldn't it) but seriously stop working, and stop freaking out. Take a good long look at how your working. Ask yourself how many steps it takes you to do a repetitive task. For example, (this is super nit-picky but it gets the idea across) to make an 12 sided cylinder, are you going to the create menu, (if your not in it already) going down to the cylinder button clicking it, dragging it out the cylinder, clicking those tiny arrows to get your height segments to 1, (side tip, right clicking the bottom arrow will take it down to 1 automatically) then hitting them again to get 12 sides? how many movements and clicks is that? I can make that same cylinder in 2 clicks with hot keys. Make hot keys!

The school of thought is simple, automate repetitive tasks. So stop doing and start thinking.

2. Ask your buddies at work for tips! this is a big one, and I can't express the importance of this enough. Ask questions, tons of them, don't be afraid of looking stupid. Its far more idiotic not to ask for help. I have seen this first hand; new guy comes into work, doesn't know what he is doing, doesn't ask for help, and doesn't listen... fail. Generally people don't care if your new and slow, as long as it looks like your trying to improve.

3. Understand whats out there! For example, if you didn't know that you could set up hot keys in max, then you would never stop and think about speeding up your work flow with them. Its simple, Knowledge is power. You know about Polycount and that's great! there's not only a ton of awesome information on here, there's also a huge community of super talented people here too. Still there's more sites out there! and the information rabbit hole goes crazy deep.

This is a super small part of a help list I made a few years ago... lots of the list is too old or doesn't matter in your situation. if you need more help just ask Polycount.


http://www.scriptspot.com/ (I think there are plug-ins on here that make max like maya? not sure)

http://designreform.net/learning/3ds-max (haven't been on this site for many moons, but it should still be able to teach you about max modifiers and more... for free I think)

http://www.autohotkey.com/ (once you have made your max hot keys, make more! and not just for max but for everything, super useful)

http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54311 (read through this! don't just look at the pretty pictures)

http://cghub.com/ (see what other artist are doing! because these guys and girls are whats waiting for you on the outside... and they're no joke. Find out what the bar is, and start hitting it)