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 16-12-2009 , 08:25 PM
Dango77's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: London, England
Posts: 1,009

Any Challengers?

I've been waiting for the next challenge to begin as I was busy during the last one, and when I did become free it was a little too late to join, so as the next challenge won't be until the new year, anyone who's up for a short challenge to kill some time before the next one, let me know!

Have been away from Maya for longer than I'd like so a new mini project would be great to get back into gear.

Hope someone's up for it!

# 2 16-12-2009 , 09:27 PM
EduSciVis-er
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Toronto
Posts: 3,374
Yes please... I've been doing mostly tutorials recently as well as a group project that is coming to a close (my poor computer has been rendering for 15+ hours straight now, with plenty more to come), but I was wanting to do something creative in the next while.

What do you have in mind? I was kind of thinking something simple and short that involves modelling, rigging, texturing, animating, lighting, dynamics and rendering!! A wide scope mini challenge to produce a 10-20 second clip. I guess that's not simple, but each module would have to be dealt with in low complexity. Open to other ideas though.

# 3 16-12-2009 , 09:32 PM
Dango77's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: London, England
Posts: 1,009
Sounds good to me Stwert, I didn't really have anything in mind, I'm ill at the moment so was hoping someone else would do the thinking for me! lol!

But doing a 10-20 second short sounds quite fun actually, we could keep it basic (or as complex as you want really, not really caring about winners etc!) just want to get modelling!

Need to come up with a subject to base it on etc first I guess. Maybe if we're going to do a short we should make it a week long or something? I'm open to making it longer if you want too. Maybe up until the end of the year even if it means the end product will be better.

*Edit* Just got an idea after posting, how about something I've mentioned before, a short (between 10-30 seconds) which incorporates these two words.

Crash

Control

After thinking about it for a few minutes there is quite a few different ideas that have sprung into my mind, bonus points for using multiple variations of the words....haha


Last edited by Dango77; 16-12-2009 at 09:38 PM.
# 4 16-12-2009 , 09:46 PM
EduSciVis-er
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Toronto
Posts: 3,374
I think end of the year sounds like a good goal. We could have intermediate goals too even, like the 23rd for modelling and texturing being done (just an example). From now till Christmas and after is going to be pretty busy for me, but I still have illusions that I'll have time to do Maya.

Theme.... hmmm. What about a magical robot (and it can't be a transformer). Ok, that's the first thing that popped into my head. Other ideas... a genetically modified animal... a lamp that chases a ball... no wait... a wizards hat. A leaf that's gearing up to jump from its branch. An earthquake. A water droplet that doesn't want to join a stream. A bird and a meteor shower. A foreboding sinister room where all that moves is the camera.

Ok, pick one!

Edit: Didn't see your edit... I'll ponder it.

# 5 16-12-2009 , 09:56 PM
Dango77's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: London, England
Posts: 1,009
LOL! (at the "lamp playing with a ball" idea....)

Some good ideas there, I'm pretty much open to any of them, just thought the whole "two words,make what you want out of them" thing gives a bit of freedom to play about.

Give it some thought, see what you come up with, and if you're not wanting to do that and want to do something different, then all good by me!

# 6 16-12-2009 , 11:36 PM
EduSciVis-er
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Toronto
Posts: 3,374
I do like the 2 word idea, but to be honest, those two words feel a bit too loose and vague. I have some ideas for crash and control, but nothing that feels very tight to the concept. I agree my ideas were all quite specific. I thought it would be interesting to see how (or whether) a relatively specific concept could diverge significantly between people.

Anyway, I'll think about the crash/control and if you want to suggest a couple other pairs of words, they might inspire me more user added image I've got a bit of time before my computer is free for computation again.

# 7 16-12-2009 , 11:49 PM
Dango77's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: London, England
Posts: 1,009
I guess those words are a bit too general, I did choose those pretty much as I was typing! I will give it some more thought, see if I can come up with something that's halfway between our ideas,and get back to you.
Getting a bit late here so will be going to bed soon, but will see if I can come up with anything else by the morning.

# 8 17-12-2009 , 07:14 AM
iamcreasy's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Posts: 168
how about a simple game model challenge?

A simple game model...may be a quadruped character within 5K using limited res of color, normal and specular...something like GameArtist.

The model should be game ready.

# 9 17-12-2009 , 07:20 PM
Joopson's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 2,314
Oooh, Creasy, I love that idea. We could have a mini little challenge!

Oh, how I love game art.


Environment Artist @ Plastic Piranha
www.joopson.com
# 10 17-12-2009 , 07:41 PM
EduSciVis-er
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Toronto
Posts: 3,374
I'm not particularly interested in creating game models at the moment, so maybe iamcreasy and joopson could do a battle for that, and dango and I could do a more comprehensive challenge (by comprehensive I mean with animating, dynamics etc.)

@Dango I think I've come up with something for your "crash control" idea, so if you want to go with that I'm okay to do so.

# 11 17-12-2009 , 09:55 PM
Dango77's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: London, England
Posts: 1,009
Well I'm up for it then Stwert!
Shall we start a new thread we both post wips in, or start a new one each,with the heading "Crash/control mini challenge-name"?

I guess we can start from now, end of the year as a final date as said before?

Am looking forward to it!

# 12 17-12-2009 , 10:23 PM
EduSciVis-er
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Toronto
Posts: 3,374
Sounds good. Why don't we each post a separate thread in this forum. I'll start off with a placeholder post, and we'll see how soon I can get some content in.

# 13 17-12-2009 , 10:29 PM
Dango77's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: London, England
Posts: 1,009
Cool! I'll hopefully have something later on tonight,or tomorrow, looking forward to it Stwert!

# 14 30-12-2009 , 11:14 AM
ben hobden's Avatar
Subscriber
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Chelmsford, Essex, UK
Posts: 1,162
what happened to the challenge??

# 15 30-12-2009 , 12:51 PM
Dango77's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: London, England
Posts: 1,009
I'm still working on mine Ben, only just finished building my rig after the xmas break, so will have to see if Stwert wants to extend this challenge a little further than Friday or not.
I'll be carrying on with it either way, will just have to move it to the wip section if I'm going it alone!

Posting Rules Forum Rules
You may not post new threads | You may not post replies | You may not post attachments | You may not edit your posts | BB code is On | Smilies are On | [IMG] code is On | HTML code is Off