Need Improvement : Techniques?
polycounter
Hello all. I have been getting a bit discouraged by my recent lack of improvement in modeling. I was wondering if there were any artists out there that would be so kind as to share any tips, exercises, or techniques that helped them improve their modeling on a daily/weekly basis.
Anything at all would be greatly appreciated
Anything at all would be greatly appreciated
Replies
Perfect practice makes perfect. You can practice all you want, but you need to practice smart or you won't get anywhere!
It's funny you say this because its exactly what I was thinking. I was wondering if there were any daily or weekly routines or links (like 3d doodles, competitions, tutorials, etc) that proved to be helpful for others. I can find lots of stuff online, but I wanted to hear what other people did to get better. I want to practice the "right way"
I just feel that practice alone isn't helping me much anymore, and seeing how I'm kind of new to the CG forum life, I wanted to get some feedback on how to change that. Sorry, I know this question is quite general
Also, while I'm typing, any thoughts on the most optimal order to create game assets?
(Let me explain...)
I have been modeling my in-game meshes first and using that as a jump-off point to create my high res. I figured this would be the best way to go about it, since I can keep a close eye on my tris, and use smoothing operations to my benefit. Not sure if this is right
Excellent suggestion! Thanks
Also might help to post your high poly models in P&P for feedback.
Directly with work flow, I'd say hide every damn menu in maya except the status line, the attribute editor, and the command line. Then just start using the Pie Menu and shift//ctrl drop down menus for a couple of days. It'll be clunky as hell at first and you'll feel like you don't know where anything is at. But after a bit it becomes second nature and your fingers remember for you.
Pie Menus and such aren't for everyone, but they sure as hell sped up my workflow.
(holding) spacebar = pie menu, virtually every menu you can find in maya anyways, where ever your cursor is (in the viewport)
Shift + RMB
Nothing Selected in empty viewport space = Create Poly Radial Menu
Object selected in Object Mod = Poly Modeling Tools
"Face/Edge/Vert" mode selected on an Object = Specific Modeling Tools (specifc to the type of active selection)
Ctrl + RMB
When you have face(s), vert(s), edge(s), selected = convert selection to -> "face(s), vert(s), edge(s)"
Also, you probably know this, but coming from maya 4 to 2k8+ I didn't at first, double clicking on an edge now acts as "select continuous edge"
Again, not for everyone.
And I second the idea of learning where and what the tools do for poly modeling are and learn your Deformers (f2 -> animation menu set). And maya worked in radians up until 2008 (don't know between 2k8 and 2011) but now in 2011 it can work in degrees. So depending on your version, matters a lot when working with deforms and the like.
^^^^^
As for the "order of things" From all the posts I've read on here about it, it seems to me its (as with many things) personal preference.
Some do High's then Lows.
Some do Cage -> Low // High
Some do Low -> High
Some do Medium -> High // Low (I suppose that could be the same as cage...but meh)
Also some people build highs and then a new low, while others strip their highs and use the stripped and slightly altered geo high as their low.
I'd say try out different techniques and see which one works best for you.
#1 rule is give yourself time to develop as an artist, and not the "oh it's been 5 months I should be awesome" kind. Start with simple objects and work your way up. If you've already gotten to that point, which I assume you have by your post start reading up on and watching videos of people's workflows. Familiarize yourself with major tools in Maya. 80% of my modeling uses the same tools over and over again... so find out what you are comfortable with and understand them. (for me I use Insert Edge Loop, Bevel, Extrude the most.) Selection tools only speed up the time required to model and make it less tedious. Being comfortable with that will come with time.
I would even go so far as to suggest going back and practicing concepts and doodling on a sketchpad when you see something interesting, focusing on breaking objects down and figuring out why they look the way they do. You will get to the point where you can imagine the wireframe of the object in real life if you have been doing it long enough
Also remember that a lot of high res detail can be accomplished through sculpting programs as well. I would not advocate jumping into zBrush right off if you are uncomfortable with Maya at the moment, but you should consider messing around with it.
Post some works in progress around in the pimping and preview forum and link them here if you have any. It will make a world of difference. The people in this forum are wizards at this craft and will surely find a solution to your problems!
That's a good idea! I'm going to hop on those workshops too. Seeing how other people address the same details should help quite a bit.
I have been using ZBrush for a little while, and I know how to use it. I just struggle with how to picture the fine details. I think doing like you said and hitting the sketch book regularly should help with that. I have done a few anatomy studies and sketchbook field trips lately, but I should really make it a daily thing. I saw another artist who started a daily sketchbook, where he uploads daily sketches. He started on New Years, and he already has came a long long way.
Thank you all for your time, advice, and suggestions. I appreciate it big time
You don't even need a huge amount of unique detail either, you can use modular pieces and repeated details. Whenever you see those jawdropping models that are oozing with detail, once you actually look closely you see the same elements repeated throughout the model, and realize that it is the density and mix of features that make the model look like it took 1000 hours to make, when instead it was just 20 hours, and duplicated in smart ways.
Before you call a model done, I find it is good to take a screenshot into photoshop and do a paintover of color and light. For sci fi pieces for example, on a layer paint in all the areas where you want there to be light emitting/glowing, and add a simple glow to them all in photoshop. Look at the model and see if the light placement has a good layout and will read well from a distance. On another layer, do a color paintover. Often times I find that when I'm planning out the color, I want to have alternating color, but it doesn't make sense for an area because it is a single joined piece. If you add an indented line in an area, suddenly there is a reason to be able to split up the color. It would probably be a good idea to do a rough version of this step in the beginning too.
Anyway, this is a general list of things to look at when making a model that reads well, there are a lot more you should consider like telling a story, etc, but I'm tired of typing :P