I feel depressed...
 

I feel so f***ing depressed.
I started to learn maya two weeks ago. I did all included tuts.
Now I wanna make something myself.Without any templates or some tuts. Someone here told me I could make The-Jack-in-the-box. I tried all but I cant get something good. I cant get the edges smoothed...I cant make the hole in the middle...only the jack face looks cool...

I feel so depressed cuz I wanted to become a good modeler like you all in some years. :(

hey dnt worry bout it, ive been learning maya for over 2yrs? and i still cant do what u want to do, im not sure whether thats good or bad, but just know ur not along in feeling like that

It just takes time, practice, and patience. Keep at it and you will get better. Most of us don't become experts overnight. :)

Maya isn't something that people can master in a matter of weeks, months, or even years... it's a continuous learning process. Even people who are seen as "teachers" of this thing still learn new things and get better and better with each project.

But you don't start getting better until you DO make something... make it, and even if it totally sucks, learn from it, and make something else. Rinse and Repeat. ;)

Well said Mike.

I wanted to answer, but I would have comed across as a cynical bast*rd. :cool:

Well-said everyone. I think this is true with anyone who uses Maya or any 3D software for that matter. It takes a lot of patience, practice, time, practice, devotion, practice, and well... practice. I wasn't able to make what I wanted for a while, but if you put your time into it, you will deffinently be rewarded. The first few months of Maya will be a grinding process, but it pays off in the end.

lol...my grammar suckz cuz I am german...
I was in the tutorial section here and I have to say..WOW..great tutorials..they helped me a lot.The best one was the simple man shape tut.It helped me to know the tools better.
I am trying to make a toilet now.

Cya EagleKing

lol

Hey, I started Maya, learned realy fast, didnt do crap, learned some more, and now im back to my not doing crap stage. You just have to wait until inspiration comes. THen you do a project, and you learn from it. It is a slow process, but I think it will be worth it.

Rince and Reapeat.

LOL, My new mod-o

Nothing in life is straightforward. As Mike said Maya is a continual learning curve. Everyone u see producing these fantastic models has put in alot of hard work. We all start at the same basic level. If u really put ur mind to it and u really have the will to learn from ur mistakes, u will improve steadily over time. Try not to be too demanding of urself so early. Keep practising and it will come to u I assure u. Dont compare ur work to other ppls, set ur own standard which suits ur learning drive :)

Best thing to do is keep at it - post some work here on SM, get the feedback u need to improve. Everyone will give u the advice and encouragement u need :)

Well, I'm not the big motivational type of person I guess, but I'll give it a try. Just keep working with Maya everyday. Play around with options, click stuff you shouldn't click, lol, just try everything out. That's one of the best methods of learning. Experimenting. Oh and I thought I'd tell you, you can use Polygons > Booleans > Subtraction to make the hole for your Jack-In-The-Box. Hope this bit of insight helps in becoming a better 3D artist.
-Peace Out

Also, you cant really learn every thing about Maya, or any 3D software. It's just way to big. For example, you may have expert knowledge of modelling and animation, but only good knowledge of dynamics and texturing.

:)

Actually you can, not saying it´s easy, but all these programs work on principles, and as such, you could actually get to know the underlying of the program, and then apply it without even thinking about it. It would come naturally.

Budists call this process ilumination. :cool:

you are right,,, a person might be an excellent animator but no way a modeller or can be the other way round too,,,

Why not?

Programmers call its assembler :p

I call it: Holy sh*t! I got it! :p

LOL time to get of then net when your laughing at the programming jokes :)

Mate jump on to IRC if you have a sec :)

Working on it.

LOL np i dare say danny will turn up in a min :)

David :D

LOL np i dare say danny will turn up in a min :)

David :D

My connection is also having probs so if im not there gimmie 5 :)

Being a programer my self, id say your right. Once you learn the underlying coding of the programs, you will quickly learn how the calculations work. If you can understand that, you can get to understand how different tools effect different calculation, and therefore mathmatical out put, and there for visual out put. How ever, this only goes as far as modeling, animation and dynamics. Texturing is just a plain art.

However. There is no James Bond. Some people can shoot like him, some drive cars like him, other are that great with women. No one person can do everything James can, and no one person can do everything Maya can to the full extent of the programs abilities. If someone could, then AW neeeds to make the program harder. LOL.

my 2 cents.
L8er

Thanks for all ya help.I didn´t know that maya profs take care of n00bs.

I made the hole with Extrude face.

AHHH....I need more ideas...

I don´t know what to model now. My inspiration is like an empty bootle.

*EDIT

... the last sentence is kinda senseless ...

If you don't have inspiration, don't force it. Take a walk. Look at the nature. Clear your mind. You never know what crazy ideas you'll come up with. Then put it in 3D :)

Beer helps too sometimes. ;)

yes...drinking beer in a bar while looking at some naked chicks is the best way to get inspirated ;)
oh...you changed your member title from n00b learning maya to Profesional Critic. lol

Lol, I thought I´ve been commenting so much, I might as well let people now I´m a bit of a critic. ;)
Hopefully I haven´t offended anyone by it.

ditto me lol

I think you have to keep going at it and every time you learn something new then, the next time you are working on a model and you just do that thing you think, wow I actually learnt something! It might help to stand back from your model and think last week I could not have done that, not, wow someone else would have done that better.

I'd recommend starting with some tutorials- the ones on this site are excellent and I learnt some jolly things from them. I bought a couple of books as well. I'm sure some people can just pick up modelling from messsing about with the programme, but I have found the structure of tutorials helpful myself.

I look at other peoples work and think I can't do that now, I may never do that, but I'm going to keep trying to improve. Maya is an incredibly complex programme; you can't master it overnight. I doubt, as it is a hobby thing for me and I don't have time to do much with it but dabble, that I will ever master it, but as long as every model is a teeny bit better than the last or does something new, that's enough for me. I don't have any aspirations to do this for a living though.

Finding a forum where experienced people are willing to help is a real bonus I think. The other forums I have visited tend to have a lot of people who are intolerant of total noobies and people that ask questions and indeed amateurs- thats not the case here at all and that's really great I think. I have also found the challenges useful to focus on something to model.

Modelling is just like web spinning though for me- if at first, second and third you don't succeed, try try again. After all hidden in everyones maya folder are some things they would rather forget too :D

Also, I have found that I am more motivated to model something if I'm modeling it for someone else and not myself. Recently, I was "hired" by a friend to make a simple radiation logo for his new company. I would never in my life want to make a radiation symbol just to make it. However, when I was asked to make the logo, I changed into a different mode. Suddenly, I felt the need to make it the most perfect radiation symbol of all time. I had an obligation to please my friend and do a good job, so I put a lot of effort into it.

I don't know how old you are or if you're already in the 3D industry or not, but maybe you could look for simple jobs that require a modeler to make something or if you're younger, round up a few friends and ask them what to create. Start your own company and make a logo or something.

Another thing that drives me is the need to accumulate enough models and animations to fill up my portfolio. A good portfolio is needed if you plan to go into the 3D business. Ask yourself "what would an employer like to see in a portfolio?" then make it.

I agree with you DarkWare. Sometimes you get far more motivated if you´re doing something for someone.

lol...I just started with maya..you are looking far in the future

Hi EagleKing,

Welcome to the 'vertical learning curve of Maya'. Yep, Maya is a complex animation system.

You are not alone!!!!!!

My suggestions for inspiration and learning are:

become obsessed!!!
Ask questions (the only stupid question is the one you didn't ask)

Keep it simple, that goes for learning and for projects.

Keep your feet on the ground. Most people would love to create ILM quality stuff in a week or two of learning. The most important thing (as many have said (tackle a small project and complete it). This is by far the easiest way to learn. But not my experience (I wish it was).

Learn from others (do not reinvent the wheel, I repeat do not reinvent the wheel, I repeat do not reinvent the wheel, I repeat do not reinvent the wheel ad infinitum.....................

Remain teachable and you will go far.


As for insiration.....

I feel my best stuff comes when I'm not trying 'too hard'. And is usually a response to life.
Hope this is at all helpful


And on a final note,

as to whether one can become proficient at all areas of 3d?

It is a sound idea to have a good grounding in all areas of 3d if only to understand the process.

An expert,

Most people don't have the time or aptitude to become highly proficient in all areas. I know that when I was a kid I preferred making the sandcastle not the playing in it afterwards........


re Jim

O_O...you wrote a lot.
Thanks for all tipps. :D

*cough* if anyone is looking for a project - http://forums.simplymaya.com/showthr...&threadid=5111 *cough*

:D

*cough* Sometimes you do get paid for the projects ... :D *cough*
God, I´m a b*stard, I know it, I am ...:cool:

LOL
Yes, yes you are ;)

:p

Yeah. I like what I am reading. I too am new to modeling. I had the first video toaster years ago and had to sell it to feed the kids. Now after all these years I have Maya 4.0, Which I just looked at for the first few months from fear of finding out how much I would suck at it.
When I found This forum, and then another, I was able to see that what everyone is saying really works... Progress not Perfection. I work all the tutorial I can and am slowing getting the hang of what I am trying to learn.
Just hang in and check out everything in the wips. This teaches me what I want to know, then I can go search for a tut or advice to learn it.

Eagleking, I didnt have time to read all of this.. but I do have to say that maya along with anything else depends on your ability to understand the 3rd dimension, time, practice, hard work, and more practice :). If your talented in that field though (as some are) it will make a difference at how fast you pick things up. Another thing you have to understand is if for example you keep making towers, or something simple in maya... you will never get better. If instead you think of what you could model that would tend to a certain area your lacking in.. then thats how you get better in those areas.. then next time set a even higher goal :). Maya truly is a INTENSE program and not something that the average population on this planet could learn. Photoshop as well is a program that you can learn from a book... and then takes practice.. but it is not on the same scale as maya. Just remember that if you want to take the path of 3d modeller or anything in that area, your up for one hell of a ride :). (woohoo!)