First Character In Maya (wip)

# 1 08-12-2005 , 10:01 PM

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Well i thought I'd add my progress of my 3D Tafe (college for all of u guys who aren't aussies) assignment I have to do.

Firstly we had to create a character that was humanoid, had no hair, could talk and could walk.

So stupidly I looked for a cool figure I thought I'd like to do from my miniature collection and the Growlers from Vor stood right out at me.

Unfortunately the muscles on these guys have become quite problematic, so in hindsight I should have done something far simpler.

But the final result should be worth it.

So without further ranting here follows my work (which is still in progress)...

I started by taking side, front and top photographs to use as reference for the Growler.

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Then I created rough muscles with lofted curves.

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So after converting the NURBS to polygons I joined all the muscles up and started on the details of the head. Ignore everything else (since the arms and hands will be re-done, I call them boob muscles at the moment on the upper arms LOL).

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So that's where I'm up to atm, I'm still working on the head (u can see a gap in the lower jaw), then I'll move onto the rest of the body.

Yourz Trooly,

PB

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# 2 09-12-2005 , 03:55 AM

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that looks really cool so far.Those muscle s look like alot of work.But that will pay off when its done and looks kick ass.Good Luck

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# 3 09-12-2005 , 07:17 AM

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very cool character man,intristing approach you use to create your character,tell me did you use the same approach when modeling the head?

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# 4 11-12-2005 , 08:10 PM

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Yeah, roughly get the head shape using lofted curves, then convert it into polys and slowly add the detail

Yourz Trooly,

PB

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# 5 31-12-2005 , 10:08 PM

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Well here's the model pretty much finished, now onto setup and maybe later on texturing it

user added image

Yourz Trooly,

PB

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# 6 12-01-2006 , 09:46 AM

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ok so i stuffed up trying to do the important things first (ie Model then Skeleton/Binding Setup then Texture) just in case I ran out of time (the order should be Model then Texture then Skeleton/Binding Setup)

So I've actually wasted some time user added image

But here is the dude all textured up and looking mean (I had to rush the textures to get this done on time, so they're not very high res).

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Next will be re-setting up the binding to the skeleton so that I can put him in different poses or animate him.

Stay tuned...

Yourz Trooly,

PB

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# 7 12-01-2006 , 09:53 AM

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Very nice pancreasboy

Where in Aus are you by the way.

I'm in Melbourne and was thinking about doing a short course on graphics. Not sure where to look for these things.

I'm a full time uni student though so finding the time will probably be problematic.

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# 8 12-01-2006 , 10:02 AM

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thanks

i did this course every 2 weeknights for a year.

It was at Enmore TAFE in Sydney (Silicon Graphics Dept) and I recommend it highly (my learning curve has shot through the roof)

dunno about Melbourne though, but i know there's a few good 3D games companies down there, maybe give them a call and see if they could recommend a course for you.

Yourz Trooly,

PB

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# 9 15-01-2006 , 10:22 AM

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Well here he is finally done.

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This is a pretty dorky pose, so if i get time before the due date, i'll re-do it (but he does half look like he's celebrating and half about to smash you're face in, which is how i kinda feel towards Maya user added image

)

So one more post coming with a better pose and then i can relax!!!

(PS is there a way i can render out the ground only showing the shadow and not the blue that cuts off in the distance?)

Yourz Trooly,

PB

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# 10 15-01-2006 , 12:14 PM

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Could just greatly resize the plane your character is sitting on.

Or just use photoshop and do fill in the white with the blue colour

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# 11 16-01-2006 , 05:51 PM

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You could create a surbs surface and curve the plane upward, which would create a seamless transition.

Death is certain, Life is not.

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# 12 16-01-2006 , 09:09 PM

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thanks,

but it looks like what i'm after is using the Background shader.

thanks for you're help

Yourz Trooly,

PB

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# 13 17-01-2006 , 09:54 PM

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well this will be my last report,

since the guy is done and due this monday

so here's a few more views and then i send him on his merry way

thanks for you're comments

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(PS how do you get rid of the reflections on the "Use Background" shader, yet keep the shadow cast as blue? When i reduced the reflection amount in the "Use Background" shader, the shadows cast come out grey)

Yourz Trooly,

PB

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# 14 21-02-2006 , 10:32 PM

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Well in the end I recieved 83% for the whole exercise.

The things that my teacher commented on were things I already knew weren't working or that I had run out of time on.

So in the end I was quite happy with the result.

Thanks for all you're help and comments!

Yourz Trooly,

PB

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