Introduction to Maya - Modeling Fundamentals Vol 1
This course will look at the fundamentals of modeling in Maya with an emphasis on creating good topology. We'll look at what makes a good model in Maya and why objects are modeled in the way they are.
# 1 04-06-2008 , 12:12 AM
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Out of my league.. lol

Hey guys, just posting my last.. well halted projected... halted due to lack of knowledge lol..

I learnt from youtube how to make a piston work... and i kind of went skitz with the newly found idea lol... he's full poseable... but i havr no idea how to rig things properly yet... i have to pose him joint by joint... ik on his legs worked ok.. and his fingers arent jointed.. just parented to the piece before each,

but still learning... so i guess this guy is.. well my first decent render.. he may look sheet to you but.. its like landing on mars for me..

ive been using this program for maybe 2-3 months.. any way i hope you like him... and yes i realise he hasnt got pistons running his feet and hands yet or eye's.... and he's feet look a little.. well poo'y... so yeah WIP

(so many pistons... lol) anywho.. enuff carp from me, hope you like him user added image -Ruff

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# 2 04-06-2008 , 01:14 AM
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Don't be so hard on yourself, its a good start. Though, the shadow and the backdrop are a confusing looking combo.


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# 3 04-06-2008 , 01:26 AM
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:)

cheers.. i guess i am a little hard on myself.. user added image i really want to rig him up properly and animate him.... yeah that backdrop.... i guess it was more experiment than anything, i wanted to see some shadows... only just found the "shadow" button lol, theres a little bit in excess of shiny, reflections... also just found the shiny button lmao user added image. i have setup ik on his arms and legs.. i didnt put joints in his hands, cos i need to remodel them for animation over looks.. im haven trouble with his feet.. i think i need to use.. fk on them, for rotation.. but i dont know how yet. also need to get some cool texture.. bump maps on him, that will make him look.. a little less showroom shine.. but, i still havent grasped the concept of UV's yet either user added image but im pretty happy with how he looks... putting all those pistons in took me a full day pretty much, and im happy with the way they turned out user added image and they all work user added image

# 4 04-06-2008 , 10:37 AM
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looks like a great start. I have the same problem as far as having high hopes and being so hard on myself.

My one piece of adviced neither relates to your subject or its look at this point but rather how you start and come to an end. Pistons are one hell of a fun project but take a lot of time I learned early. Don't focus on the end result, just work with one piece at a time. When you get the look you want move on. The next time you go to do it, it will take a lot less time. Where as if you try to do it all at once its slow going, it makes you feel like your accomplishing nothing and well then you get hard on yourself.

Keep up the good work dude, and just remember it's like anything else. To make it how you want it takes a bit of know-how and a lot of time. The know-how will come but everyone knows time.

Keep at it and I'm sure it'll be so much better soon!

Cheers.


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# 5 04-06-2008 , 10:54 PM
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For what you have modeled Set Driven Keys may be what your looking for, this may fill in the gaps where your rig hasn't. His hands will be an ideal place to start for using SDK.

I like your model, a little Transformer Insiration i feel.. user added image

I agree the render is a little... confusing. I would have put him in a more natural surrounding, like a street sceen or similar to allow him to stand out more. I think it may be the color contrasts between the green swirly background and his general colors.

But all in all a good first job.


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# 6 05-06-2008 , 11:21 AM
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Thanks :)

Hey guys, thanks for the nice comments user added image

I have a back drop pretty much ready to go for this robot, i think i posted it somewhere on here before, in the newbie q'a maybe, however, being fairly new to maya, i made some pretty dire mistakes when modeling that guy, at least i think i did, eg mesh smooth, then a history delete lol, and to be honest, i think laying uv's out on such a high poly char.. lmao 600,000 faces lmao... its huge,it may be a little to complex for me just right now, so im going to maybe re-model him.

I started the model so far, you can see his head in the newbie q'a section if you want to look. i also only used poly's to model him, the whole concept of nurbs and sub D was to much for me while i was starting out, but im getting the hang of it, i love the loft and revolve tools, really handy user added image, and the semi soft mod when you convert poly's to sub d can make a huge differance to sections, that would take hours to vert by vert smooth.

I was wondering, this maybe a long shot, but i havebeen having big trouble modelling robotic hands and feet, and i was wondering, if any of you guys/girls, find a little spare time, weather you might have a go at doing a ruff sketch of some ideas, it doesnt have to be a whole hand or what ever, i mean, even a finger design would help, or a way of realisticly connecting it to the forearm.. any ideas that you ladies and lentalmen might have on the subject would be tops user added image. and i shall post updates of how this new model is going.... his Name will be Robeo.. lol user added image (couldnt think of a mechanical pun on juliet lol).

I also made a 30 second kids animation the other day, i'll post it on youtube and put the link up here in an hour or so, anywho, thanks again for the nice constructive comments, and i hope to see your ideas user added image

-Cheers, Ruff

(we'll i guess first up is the eye i modelled for Robeo last night, tell me what you think user added image

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# 7 05-06-2008 , 12:11 PM
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Just an update


# 8 06-06-2008 , 08:13 PM
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Ruff

its all coming together nicely, as the others said dont be too hard on yourself. Just keep posting, take in the constructive crit and you'll find yourself surging ahead in no time.

good stuff
Jay

# 9 06-06-2008 , 10:33 PM
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Update :)

Hey again guys.

Just posting the lastest update.

I been working on Robeo in sections so far..

so i have the ruff outline of his head. started drawing up the torso. and i have modelled a ruff outline of the legs, which ill post here user added image

I've taken a slight steer however, instead of the bipedal robo.. im gunna go the 4 legs instead.. i think it will give him a little more .. chunky'ness..

i have only modelled a dodgy set of feet on his legs so far... cos i hate feet, and ill get to that a little later on when i get a better feel for him..

The legs need alot more work yet.. i still need to do ALOT of bevels and a tiny bit of smoothing just to round the cylinders up a little and add some more detail's.

I attempted to lay out some UV's as practice on one section of his leg (not shown here) however the Uv setup thats stock.. eg uv's turned on, not planar mapping or whateva.. i got a hi res metal texture and stamped it over top of the UV grid thingy in photoshop, but some sections turned out good but other sections of the piece.. kinda blurred../ streaked... i take it i need to manually map them some other way?

so yeah here are the them legs user added image

(PS, please bag the legs out... user added image it will help me make them better lol.. serious, be specific lol)

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# 10 07-06-2008 , 02:53 PM
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Another update.

This one, I've added his mouth in, and placed his eyes in his head... Im sure its not perfect... but im REALLY happy with the look of him so far... he has quite a bit of character to him... user added image

I have made a small clip showing his mouth movements, which are ready for speech animation/ lip syncing.. i have a few more mouth shapes to add and i will get to it.

So yeah if you guys/girls want to see the animation then you have but to ask and i will put it on youtube. so let me know.

Anyway heres a picture of 4 off Robeo's emotions... I hope you like them user added image

-Ruff

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# 11 07-06-2008 , 03:58 PM
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Sorry i just read the size preferance on pics,, sorry ill try to keep them a little smaller user added image

-Ruff

# 12 08-06-2008 , 06:28 PM
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Update again.. in a random scene.. didnt spend long on the scene so its pretty poor quality.

Eventually im going to model in some fold out fingers on his front feet and fold out.. feet.. on his back feet so he can use his front 2 feet as hands.. its an idea, tossing up weather tomorrow is more modeling or rigging..

enjoy

-Ruff

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# 13 08-06-2008 , 06:32 PM
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Update, close up of his head

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# 14 16-06-2008 , 05:55 PM
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wow, some great progress already man. Keep it up, the faces are impressing me I must say. keep it coming!


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