Introduction to Maya - Modeling Fundamentals Vol 2
This course will look in the fundamentals of modeling in Maya with an emphasis on creating good topology. It's aimed at people that have some modeling experience in Maya but are having trouble with complex objects.
# 1 03-04-2011 , 02:04 AM
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April Challenge_Lo PolyCharacter_Stwert

Okay, I think I'll give this one a go...
I don't play very many video games, but I thought I'd try mashing together a couple of my favorite game serieses, resulting in Gordon Wormman. Yeah Team17 meets Valve. Hope I can do it justice.

Edit: D'oh! Of course it's Gordon Freeworm.

Edit after the challenge is over: I didn't realize one of the rules was to post a image of the character to be redesigned, so here 'tis

Attached Thumbnails

Last edited by stwert; 02-05-2011 at 09:34 PM.
# 2 03-04-2011 , 05:02 AM
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Here's a quick start... haven't really done much organics, so any advice on the topology would be appreciated before I get too far into it. Not sure how to direct the top of the head. At the moment it goes straight over the top with two kites on the sides (if that makes any sense).
https://img535.imageshack.us/img535/9503/wormwip01.png

# 3 03-04-2011 , 09:19 AM
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Good start mate....another for the FAQ?? are you rendering with wires? I know you can turn contours on I assume this is it?

cheers bullet


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# 4 03-04-2011 , 10:47 AM
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I cant help with box modelling as I stopped doing that a long time ago. But the best advise I can give is keep using the 1 button and 3 button to keep your mest tidy. If you only use the 3 button you can end up in a mess..........dave




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# 5 03-04-2011 , 10:33 PM
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Thanks bullet... yep, that's contours comped over ambocc... think that might be a bit advanced for the FAQ, but we'll see. I know ctbram did a nice little explanation in some thread a while back with a soda can, that's where I learned it.

Dave, thanks for the advice; I'm not sure if I'll even use the smooth preview much since game characters won't be smoothed in engine, right? But we'll see how it goes.

# 6 03-04-2011 , 11:05 PM
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I dont think this is a create a game engine model stwert but your take on that......dave




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# 7 03-04-2011 , 11:26 PM
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Fair enough dave, I'll keep switching between 1 and 3 and see where it takes me.

Just wanted to share a nice tip I came across maybe I'll post it in Tips and Tricks if anyone else thinks it's useful. So: I don't know if other people use a curve to extrude, then it's a pain in the @$$ to select the curve again cause it's in the middle of the geometry? (Besides using selection masks) Well, Window > Settings/Preferences > Preferences > Selection tab > Priority Presets Custom > set NURBS Curve Priority higher, like 5 or 10. Now the selection priority is higher so I can more easily grab that elusive curve. Yay! Update coming soon.

# 8 03-04-2011 , 11:26 PM
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Thanks stwert.....joey81 just gave me a run-down and I have saved his tips in my Maya tips folder on my PC...I am making a habit now of copy/paste tips into notepad and saving them for use with the author/tip as file name...quite handy and saves writing it down.

cheers bullet


bullet1968

"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes
# 9 03-04-2011 , 11:30 PM
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Good tip mate....


bullet1968

"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes
# 11 04-04-2011 , 04:48 AM
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Just wanted to share a nice tip I came across maybe I'll post it in Tips and Tricks if anyone else thinks it's useful. So: I don't know if other people use a curve to extrude, then it's a pain in the @$$ to select the curve again cause it's in the middle of the geometry? (Besides using selection masks) Well, Window > Settings/Preferences > Preferences > Selection tab > Priority Presets Custom > set NURBS Curve Priority higher, like 5 or 10. Now the selection priority is higher so I can more easily grab that elusive curve. Yay! Update coming soon.

that's a good tip. I've always had to go inside the thing to select the curve or just move the extruded shape somewhere else

are you going to give it a gravity gun?




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# 12 04-04-2011 , 04:24 PM
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Sorry, do you mean the zero-point energy field manipulator? Haha, yeah, we'll see if I have time. I figured the crowbar would be more classic, but that's a good suggestion.

# 13 04-04-2011 , 05:09 PM
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Worm + gaming resulted in Earthworm Jim in my mind but this brings back vague memories. You have 16k polys to play with so splurge Stew, add that gravity gun! user added image


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# 14 04-04-2011 , 05:32 PM
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Yeah, I wondered if Earthworm Jim might be inferred, but I've never played it. There's only one worming series in my mind... I played Worms Armageddon, Worms World Party, Worms 4 Mayhem a ton, and now Worms Reloaded (which isn't as good as the old ones). The gravity gun brought to mind an idea for an animation, so I'm gonna go for it, but no promises on how far I get user added image

# 15 05-04-2011 , 04:47 AM
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Last edited by stwert; 05-04-2011 at 04:58 AM.
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