How do you get motivated/inspired?
polycounter lvl 5
I'm new to 3D stuff. I've been dribbling around with programs like 3Ds Max and PS, but nothing impressive has really come of my projects. I have a lot of ideas for models/animations that I'd like to do, but the fear of it not turning out how I want it, and the fear that it will take far longer than anticipated is what keeps me from going ahead with these projects. I'd really like to model war assets like guns, vehicles, and war-torn environments, but I never know where to start. For inspiration, I usually explore the older games that I hope to become a part of in the future. I'll start some devmaps in Call of Duty: World at War so I can appreciate all of the game's animations in slow motion, etc. However, I just don't know how to keep myself going with a project. I sometimes start projects that I never come close to finishing. Recently, I modeled the high poly and low poly M1911 sidearm, but then I just stopped because the bake wasn't all too good. I decided to just model something else, and so I started on a double-barrel shotgun.
I'm just wondering what some of you do to keep you going through difficult models. I know there's no real trick and I just need to keep going, but anything to help me do that would be appreciated.
I'm just wondering what some of you do to keep you going through difficult models. I know there's no real trick and I just need to keep going, but anything to help me do that would be appreciated.
Replies
* Think about your goals for the future, visualise them clearly and keep them in your head.
* Sit back, open your preferred modelling program, put some headphones on and listen to this....
Two steps from Hell!!
Yep, I think I see one of these threads every week or so. You can definitely search and read through pages and pages and pages and pages and pages of discussion on this.
http://www.polycount.com/forum/search.php?searchid=3753964
Modeling a gun ? Make sure to know the exact measurement of the barrel. Attempting to build the basemesh for a human face ? Don't place a single vert before taking the time to load up the reference images (or even better, a carefully prepared modelsheet) in the background.
This will clarify a lot of things. Once you relegate the 3D step to what it really is (=the very technical process of shaping something in volume), you will be able to focus your inspiration into what matters the most, that is to say, the actual goal you want to achieve. Now sure enough, you will stumble across a lot of cool youtube videos of people kitbashing stuff - but even such a process requires careful planning like building all the parts in advance.
Whenever you find yourself in a state of mind where you don't know where to start ... do *not* start by opening a 3D program and a blank scene. First things first !
Sorry, I'm new to these forums. Before I posted I searched for "inspiration" to see if I could find any results but as I looked through the list of threads none of them were focused on inspiration (of the ones I checked out). I assumed it was showing those threads just because someone said "inspiration" in one of their replies.
You could also listen/watch some casts of people working in the industry.
One of my favorite is CrunchCast of Chris Holden. I sometimes listen some when I'm working and it really can help to keep working on your stuff.
Another mindset you can adopt is, if you're not working on improving, later you're going to be at the exact same level that you're at now. That and I would much rather be doing art as a job than flipping burgers or stacking shelves in a supermarket.
Find a game to mod, make some tiny assets, finish them at all costs and throw them in game and get excited.
As long its in general discussion and people are happy to keep repeating old sayings, fine by me.
As for op, motivation is a gift, don't wait up for it.
Do it because you have to.
Stop watching porn, stop playing video games all the time, stop the back to back episodes of game of thrones, go to bed on time, eat healthy ect. all of these will help.
also don't underestimate how long it takes to do something, and always do pre production.
It's hard not getting overwhelmed with all of the stuff one wishes to learn, so just focus on a small asset/tiny scene that you would have tons of interest in doing. Even if it is fan art for your favorite game!
I think tutorials that break things down in digestible ways really helps too. It tells you, 'hey, this is achievable, it isn't black magic.'
[ame="
This is very dangerous and leads to a lack of progress in self development/improvement.
What happens when that "something else" doesn't have a good bake? are you going to move onto another unfinished project?
Start a really SMALL project and Force yourself to finish it. You'l benefit more from it not just in terms of experience but in general motivation, your not going to lookforward to new projects if you know theres a certain point where you'l want to give up, when you've accomplished your current project it's an incredibly more powerful feeling that will push you to want to make more.
Finishing is a good habit in all things, but that said i've recently abandoned a personal project, it was taking longer than I hoped, coming along, but not getting the effect I wanted for the most part.
so I abandoned that project and have found myself revitalized because of it, onto a bigger more complex project, yet i'm gliding through because I have a clear vision on what I want from it, and the vision is coming to life.
if I stuck to my prior project I would still be beating my head against a wall begrudgingly producing assets for a scene I am far from enjoying working on.
Biggest problem with this I can see removed from personal projects is in a professional environment you just have to do it, doesn't matter about your motivation, inspiration procrastination or masturbation, its all about production.
Work is easy when you like it, but you aren't always going to like it.
Yep, really follow this advice. I spent 6 months working on the guy in my portfolio. I ran into so many fucking problems that sometimes would take a week to solve. I had no set time limit (although I was keeping a track of my weekly hours with procrastitracker).
Speaking of which, now that we're back to a motivation thread, everyone should install procrastitracker. My boss mentioned it when he spoke at my school. Just keep it on and leave it running. I tend to check it once a week to see how I'm doing. If I notice that I'm spending a lot of time on something, I'll work the next week to minimize that distraction. Never feel guilty about the results the first time you see them. Always look at them in a positive light and think of what you can do the following week to improve upon it.
http://strlen.com/procrastitracker/
Also, I've been going to the gym for close to a year now. After a few months of regularly going I started to notice that I was able to comfortably work for longer hours and was more productive. To start, try going to the gym TWICE a week. One day after work (lets say Wednesday), head to the gym for an hour. Try to do like 10-15 min of cardio and the rest weights (or whatever is the most fun). Then, go again on Saturday or Sunday for an hour in the morning to start the day. Overall, I probably spend at least 6-7 hours a week biking to gym, working out, showering, etc. It's really not a huge chunk of time and the benefits are huge.
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Yup. Thank you.