In need of help with modeling
hello, i am making 3d models for my game. It is turning out to be a very hard and flustrating task. I was wondering could anyone here perhaps tell me how they learned to model? im mostly looking to learn how to model things like phoenix, dragons and other awesome beast. please tell me anyway you guys learned or if anyone has the patience be a mentor of sorts to me thank you.
Replies
You could start by blocking big shapes out with primitives. Or if you have good reference, you can do box-modeling, or just start with ZBrush.
Not only does it teach you modeling, but it also teaches you how to maintain proper topology, which is very important for any 3D model.
When I first wanted to model cars, I had no idea what all that jargon was until I looked up topology and started practicing by hand how I could make my own cars (see below, my first picture).
I still use this method before I start any 3D project (although I just really like drawing so I use it as an excuse).
Other stuff that will get you modeling fast:
1. Use references. Never try to model something without having a picture reference inside your modeling program. Everything from proportions to silhouette depends on matching your reference.
2. Go on youtube and watch any 3D modeling tutorial. There are literally hundreds out there. For example, look for tutorials that show someone modeling a gun, a car or a game character. It doesn't matter which one you watch, the skills can be transferred. Also as a good rule, try and watch tutorials that are very recent. You'll want to be up to date with the latest modeling workflow instead of basing yourself on very outdated ones.
3. Check Polycount wiki. Are you a character artist or environment artist? I'm guessing the "dragons and phoenix" means you want to model characters. Look under the wiki and it will bring up a ton of modeling references related to that.
4. Try modeling basic stuff first. Depending on how complex your dragon is, maybe you want to start with something you can finish fast, before moving onto the more challenging stuff. Learn to model human heads or hands. Then maybe learn animals. Then you can start modeling the dragon.
5. Learn about subdivision modeling and hard surfacing modeling. In the game industry and movie VFX, models take on two forms: low poly and a high poly. High poly models are literally models made of millions of polygons that are very very detailed. Low poly models have far less polygons but are still good for game engines to render.
Sub-division is the fastest way to increase polycount but you must learn how to model in quads and have good edge loops. You'll also need to learn normal mapping so you can transfer the high polygon information to your "game ready" low poly one.
edit: got home after school though i give my hand at what you said with a small cool looking puppy. not going so well... to tell you the truth i've watched tutorials but i do not exactly know even how to start.. i just open up blender upload background image. and try to model based off its body using multiple planes and they are not connected in the end and it just plain looks horrible. what exactly should i do after uploading the image and swapping to wireframe?
Before you begin, it would make your life a lot easier if you google "low poly dog" and look at the images. By doing this, it can help give you a foundation or guide you into the right direction of how to make a 3D dog.
https://www.google.com/search?q=low+poly+dog&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=9B7sU-6SFIK1yATsy4CADA&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=2400&bih=1224&dpr=0.8
You're in luck. Dogs are popular so you'll have a ton of references to choose from!
Now as for actual modeling, again, I'm not a character specialist but I'll try to reason with it anyway:
You can model a dog in 3 different ways:
Box Modeling: As the name says, you start out with a box and you keep extruding and moving vertices around till you get a complete model.
Organic Modeling: Think of this like a puzzle piece. You already have your topology planned. You start creating your mesh through a series of planes and you connect them to other planes till you finally have a closed mesh.
Sculpting: As its name says, you mold and craft your model till you get your finished results.
All methods are fine for creating stuff.
Now, for the dog, here's a good tutorial that should teach you how to get started. It's in blender too so it's a natural fit for your project.
http://cgi.tutsplus.com/tutorials/modeling-uvmapping-and-texturing-a-low-poly-t-rex-in-blender-part-1--cg-12763
If I was to model a dog, I would start with the head. And then work my way to the torso, and then finally, I would create some legs and a tail.
Here's a simple drawing I did. Notice I started from the eyes, and then started working my way down to the neck, while keeping everything in quads.
Another advice I add is to work with simple shapes. You wont believe how far you can go just by modifying a cylinder, cube or sphere. Check out this tutorial that explains this easily.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q69kQvtSTJE&list=UU5fpWfCQ95VFghlkH1RG70w
Also, learn about symmetry tools. This can cut your workload in half, especially for a dog (model one half, use symmetry to create the other).