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 03-06-2003 , 08:15 PM
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Submission for Gallery

I am getting a little tired of tinkering with this thing...

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Sy
# 2 03-06-2003 , 08:45 PM
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if you ask me, it needs some fine tuning. it looks more like wip with the big black wall - contrast of light and no light is too big. and the cylinder thingys still dont have a shadow, but the statue has. they are actually floating - compared to the outher things - it is not only on optical illusion that they are shorter

# 3 03-06-2003 , 10:17 PM
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Thank you for your comment, I did try to adjust the lights so that the columns would have a shadow, but I didn't like the results. I may try something else.
I am not sure I understood what you refer to as being shorter.
The contrast is done on purpose, I don't know what to tell you,
that was the exact look I was going for.
Also the wall is not black! Do you know how much work I put in that texture???? user added image
Sorry you don't like it, though...


Sy
# 4 03-06-2003 , 11:20 PM
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no more floating columns

I changed the file I was using for the diffuse value of the floor, so now the columns look like they are on the floor.
Thanks again for insisting on that point!

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# 5 04-06-2003 , 06:51 AM
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oh better, now just go for the shadow behind the columns and it would be ready, imo. user added image

and the wall i mentioned to be black, as all the effort you put into the wall is wasted if you have to turn up the brightness of the monitor all the way (at least on windows) to see structure.

keep it up

# 6 04-06-2003 , 06:28 PM
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Thanks again for the comment!
For the shadows, do you mean there should be a shadow of the columns projected on the floor?


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# 7 05-06-2003 , 05:10 AM
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high contrast

I just wanted to post this photograph to give an idea of how much contrast there can be between indoor and outdoor. See how dark the walls are? And in this photo there is even water that bounces more light around. That's why the walls in my picture are dark.

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# 8 05-06-2003 , 10:58 AM
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yes the colums should have shadow.

and photographs have nothing to do with cg. there is just more possibilities to create diffeant lighting effects in photos. it even matters how you develop the film. usually when a photo turns out to have that much contrast, either the photographer was really messing up, or it was on purpose. if on purpose it has nothing to do with realistic look. depends if you want to simulate the real world or if you want to redo all the good and bad photo effects. if you go for realsitic photo effects, good luck.

# 9 05-06-2003 , 04:27 PM
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I see your point about about the difference between photo-realistic and just realistic. To be honest, I go more for a specific look and feel, not necessarily for 100% realism. I find it more interesting myself, but I can see how it may become more of a matter of personal taste.
Also consider that I am still learning Maya, and often I try specific things to learn more about them, not to make money out of them. If others happen to like them and for example put them in the gallery, it can only make me HAPPY, but my main goal is to learn. That's why I want to make sure I understand when people give me suggestions.
By the way, I will definately try the shadows for the columns and see what happens. Thanks again for your feedback!


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# 10 05-06-2003 , 10:36 PM
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with or without shadows?

I have added the shadow of the columns. What do you guys think?

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# 11 10-06-2003 , 07:00 AM
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I think it looks better with shadows for the columns - when you are playing with realism there are some things, like superheros that fly or fish that talk that are cool and there are others like two similar objects one with a shadow and one without that simply irritate the eye. It's also a question of the artistic medium you have chosen. The overall impression is photorealism - so anything that obviously contradicts that is going to look wrong. It's a beautiful scene and the closer the lighting gets to real the more enjoying it is to look at.

Another point is that in the photo you posted as an example there was in fact a great deal less contrast - so much so that you could see the frames between the individual window panes and the variation of light as well as trees outside the window.

I have to disagree with Babyduck on this one because I think in fact the photo demonstrates precisely the point and photos are the place to start looking if you want to create photorealistic scenes.

So specifically I'd bring the lighting down a touch on the windows - it feels like we should see at least a little detail in the panes - also the shadows directly behind the columns would be a lot darker because the light wouldn't be so diffuse from the surroundings to light it by bouncing back - just opinions to take or leave user added image

btw. nice work - is this part of a larger project or are you doing just this one scene?


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# 12 10-06-2003 , 08:28 PM
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eritz thank you so much for your encouraging comment!!!

The photograph above is not my reference for this work, by the way, it was just an example of a high contrast photograph.

This is not part of any project yet. I am still trying to learn Maya, so I come up with ideas that have to do with specific elements of Maya (lights, textures, NURBS, Subdiv, etc) and break my head against the wall until I get what I want. Once I feel more comfortable with most of Maya's features, I will begin working on a larger project. Thanks for asking about it, by the way!

Since I wholeheartedly agree with you about the shadows, maybe you can help me a bit with it: the shadows are done correctly, but when Maya does its post-render glow, the glow goes over the shadows and makes them light. I suspect I could solve this problem by rendering the shadows separately and imposing them over the glow instead of under. Am I correct? Any better suggestions?


Sy
# 13 10-06-2003 , 11:10 PM
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a composite

I have tried to composite a modified shadow layer with the color pass. It seems to look better than the previous, although, a lot of Photoshop work!

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# 14 27-06-2003 , 01:08 AM
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what a brilliant image.

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# 15 27-06-2003 , 07:59 AM
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that is funny, leeman. but dont worry i dont take i personally. you should have put LEEMAN instead of BabyDuck though user added image

and i am not making any effort to make anyones work bad - i try to hand out helpfull and productive feedback. oh yeah i admit that i dont write too many "whoa cool" posts. when i do respond to somebody elses work i feel they are worth to be made even better - what i think would be better anyway as i can of course not know what others think would be better. you become blind for certain mistakes when you worked too long on the same project.

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