My very first 3D Model

ArticFox

Well this is the first time Im going to make one of these. Im kinda teaching myself along with the help of the internet and very kind people on the forums. I am using Maya PLE and I am currently planning to make this into a Unreal 2004 model. Any tips about what to do when first setting up Maya would be greatly appreciated.

Original Concept


Side


Front
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v679/JesterBox/lastscan.jpg

Sorry some didnt scan well scanner tip also appreciated
Thanks for your time.

Nato_VanDookie

The only advice I have is to use the tutorial videos included with UT 2004, That's how I learned how to use Maya.
But it's a cool character, good luck.

Ott

Your very first 3d model? And you want to do this?

You might get more frustrated than anything trying to do something so complex so early on....but good luck!

PolyPutty

I wouldn't really change the interface when first learning, but I mostly use marking menus now and hide the rest of the interface. I can give you a couple hot key you should have burned into your head.

W-Position tool
E-Rotate Tool
R-Scale Tool
G-Repeat last used tool
z-undo
Spacebar-Hotbox
tap Spacebar-switch between 4 and 1 view, move mose over the view you want to look at.
Ctrl+Spacebar-Show/Hide all the interface in maya
alt+left mouse-Rotate Camera
alt+right mouse-Scale Camera
Alt+middle mouse-move camera

Probably some you already know and others you don't.

ArticFox

Yes those turtorials are helping me bigtime, thanks for the control input Polyputty. I was thinking to keep it as simple as possible by constructing things like his kilt, right arm, Belts and shoulder pads seperate. Then maybe create some quick legs for refrence and make the kilt in four peicies.

I'm not sure should I go for somthing more simple?

P.S. is there a way to get a regular mouse with two buttons and a scroll wheel to act as a three button mouse, if not thats fine il just pick one up later.

Thank you for your input

Japhir

just press on the scroll wheel and you'll probably feel it clicking. the scrollwheel is your third mouse button :P

[offtopic] ow and by the way: any of you guys know how to make a two button mouse (no scrollwheel) work as a third? (like pressing ctrl+leftmousebutton or alt or whatever) in max 9? [/offtopic]

i would start simple, with polycounts up to 1k or so.. i started using 6 sided cylinders (in stead of the usual 8) when i started 3d stuff, and i must say that fewer polies are much easier to handle.
keep it up!

ArticFox

Ok perhaps I was biting off a bit to much, so I wiped up some quick little doodles of some mechs and little cartoon guys.

It seems like with the robots I could get away with a little blockyness, of course I'll make some more detailed sketches once I pick one. My personal faviorite is the little masked imp but, maybe the mechs will be easier. What do you think?

P.S. I can't find the option to display grey colored faces instead of a clear wireframe, I'm a noob at this I can't help it. Thank you so much for your help.

TheWinterLord

press the buttons 4,5,6 and see the difference

pressing 4 you see the wireframe

5 you see the model

6 you see the model and textures but dont worry about that yet because you probably have the default lambert 1 material which is probably just grey

dont give up, I and others will help you with any questions you have.
good luck

TheWinterLord

Here i did this while listening to a podcast.

(more help is at bottom, so read the whole thing and then start if you feel like doing it) I dont know what you know so i made it as simple as possible step by step.



This is for me the simplest way I could think of making a model. (in one piece)

if you look at the image I started with a polygon cube (under 1)

2. with a useful tool that is a must learn is the extrude tool.
select the cube then right click on the cube holding down the right mouse button and drag the mouse to the face box.

then click on the top face of the box, it should turn a red shade on that face of the cube.

on the keyboard click w (make sure capslock is not on)

now go Edit polygons, Extrude face,

the arrows should change and get small boxes where they are pointing

on the blue arrow drag it upwards in the viewport. voila


now you need to do this with the face underneath the cube also.

there are things to speed this up.

click on F2,F3,F4, F5.... see what happens with the menu?
you should make the left option box show modeling

yes its under F3
ok i dont know how to describe this but underneath that box and a little bit to the right there is a polygon tab, click that up.

there are buttons like creating a cube, and extruding. (hold the mouse button over the images to get a text showing what they do)


If you found this useful tell me and I will write more about the steps after 1.

like you selected face mode on the model you can also select vertex mode, this alows you to pull around single vertex (or more)

have fun
(ps, this is not a game model (yet) its just a shape that looks like a dude posing but you get the point)

almighty_gir

learn to UVW map, and then release that badboy in an SDK.

NAO!!!!

TheWinterLord

almighty_gir its already been done by Slaught here is his thread http://boards.polycount.net/showflat.php...&PHPSESSID=

(the model that i kept in the back of my tutorial picture is his)

ArticFox

I,m sorry i haven't responded right away but Maya is being a real pain to me, it keeps me from using the hotbox and it sort of blocks me from using tools besides move and select. It wont let me use any selection types except vertex and object. The problem gets fixed when I reinstall it, I've already had to do this twice, any suggestions?

---EDIT--- Ok now reinstalling doesn't fix anything but I can change tools only with hot keys, still no seletion change, I can only select vertexes. Why does Maya hate me so?

thinsoldier

do you have a relatively modern / powerful pc?
do you have a descent video card?
do you have all the most recent video card drivers
do you have bonza buddy, kazaa or any other such crap installed?

have you installed all windows security updates?
Are you using a decent anti-virus program (norton and mcafee don't count)
do you have over 1 gig of ram?
do you have a bunch of other application open while using maya? (check all those icons down by the clock)

If you have a 2nd harddrive try putting a 2nd windows installation on there and see if it works any better in a clean environment (after installing all windows updates)

ArticFox

Ok to answer those in order

yea this PC is less than a year old and is pretty nice

I have yet to run into any slowing down while playing Frozen Throne, WAROCK, WoW and Dues Ex Invisble War. I have not installed any card yet but I do have one from a old PC

Just updated every thing

I have LimeWire on my PC

Yes

Panda AntiVirus

Exactaly 1 Gig

Somtimes I have Windows Media open but I have the same problem when its closed. other than that just Panda, Q-type, and Intel Graphices Accelerator

I don't have a second drive

ArticFox

Ok I am really sorry I havn't said anything as of late but latly the whole world converged to stop me from this.
-Maya breaksdown
-I have SOLs to study for
-broke my pinky
-accidently killed my teachers hamster (my sisters fault)
-just got my first job and theve consumed my weekends as well as my soul
-girl troubles
-and finally I have a soar throat (doesnt really consume time but it makes me feel like crap)

So by Tuesday (if fate doesn't catch up with me) I'll have some little robots and a little imp for you guys to critque

as always thank you for your time

Panupat

I've been using Maya for 5 years and still using default interface ^^;
I added lots of stuff and scripts to the shelves, but nothing more.

flow3d

[ QUOTE ]
If you found this useful tell me and I will write more about the steps after 1.

[/ QUOTE ]


Nej tack det blir bra s