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 26-10-2004 , 09:40 PM
ereitz's Avatar
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Intelligent Troll

Okay - so it's a good/evil elf/troll like humanoid creature which I am modelling to learn deplacement mapping with zbrush, to improve my knowledge of anatomy, to get my mind off my current job of product visualisation and for fun. It's around 4800 tris. I've sort of set an arbitrary limit of 6000 just to give myself a guideline. With the upper body complete i figure getting the lower body and any clothes, accessories within 1200 should be within my grasp and keep the aesthetic tone I've set. It's one hundred percent quads so that it imports properly in zbrush and renders in mental ray.

Crits very much welcome. In fact that's what I'm here for. Been a long while since I posted on Simply Maya. Nice to be back... user added image

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# 2 26-10-2004 , 09:53 PM
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Looking good. nice job with where the chest meets the shoulder.

# 3 27-10-2004 , 03:05 AM
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Great job! Wire is efficient and clean, IMHO. Love it. I'm working on something v. similar myself, and just started work on the body. This have given me a few ideas on how to tackle the geometry.

Just one crit: The six pack starts too high. That top abdominal shud be a muscle that runs down out from the sternum along the end of the ribs. There shud then be the last set of abs under those there that form a V downwards. Forming the lines for these shud help deformation (I think)

Sorry I'm not sure on a lot of the names for these.:o

Anyways, again gud model. can't wait to see the rest of the shaping!

# 4 27-10-2004 , 05:04 AM
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Thanks mtmckinley user added image It's good to hear what one is doing right - esp. with anatomy because it's something I want to improve and sometimes you see something isn't quite right and start working in the wrong place.

& thanks Kerosene - I see what you're saying about the six-pack starting too high. I'll look at some more reference pics.

But no time to work on this project now:

The rooster is crowing and it's off to work where I will attempt 1000 ways to make a box - display design!


Check out the subsurfacescattering on my tongue...

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# 5 01-11-2004 , 08:50 PM
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Now 6000 tris and no feet. Managed to find some more efficient solutions for chest area and hope to cut down on polys when the feet are finished. I'm hoping to lose polys without losing detail; I want something for nothing! I guess the hands and the collar bones are eating a lot of polys at the moment. Any other observations would be excellent.

Kerosene - comments on the six pack and the anatomy of the rib cage line, etc. etc. ?

Looking forward to getting this character into Zbrush. Hopefully not a non-quad to be found on this mesh so I can in fact proceed...

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Last edited by ereitz; 01-11-2004 at 10:08 PM.
# 6 01-11-2004 , 10:07 PM
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A smoothed view...

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# 7 01-11-2004 , 10:09 PM
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and one more view just for the fun of it...

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# 8 02-11-2004 , 12:19 AM
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Looking good, coming along much faster than my project! user added image
Mesh looks clean, anatomy looks gud, some of the placement seems a little odd - but i can't put my finger on it and it is a fantasy character, be very strange if we were all alike! Can't wait to see where this guy goes! user added image

# 9 02-11-2004 , 07:28 PM
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some of the placement seems a little odd - but i can't put my finger on it and it is a fantasy character

lol - got me worried there! could you TRY to put your finger on it, Kerosene? I get that feeling too but I'm having a problem figuring it out myself...

What about the hips/legs?

As a fantasy character I don't mind making his musculatur a bit differently than a human but I'd like to do it on purpose and not 'cuz I just can't get it right user added image

Anyway - tweaking required... and feet!


Check out the subsurfacescattering on my tongue...

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# 10 02-11-2004 , 08:31 PM
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think u mite be rite, i think it cud be the hips and legs. if u cud put a front smoothed shot on so we can see the location and width of the hip area it wud be a help

# 11 02-11-2004 , 10:25 PM
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Okay - sitting at 6200 polys. Aiming for 6000.

I'm posting all views and would like some merciless pinpointing of problem areas from an anatomical perspective. He's a troll but he's mostly got a humanoid body. He's supposed to be a bit hunched over like a werewolf with an overdeveloped back (a la van helsing but not so exagerated) and the arms are a bit long but other than that the bone structure and musculature should be human.

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# 12 02-11-2004 , 10:27 PM
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Oh - and he has no toes but I'm not hundred procent on what his foot situation is going to be. Overall shape at this point of the feet is human.

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# 13 02-11-2004 , 10:28 PM
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Side view:

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# 14 02-11-2004 , 10:28 PM
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and finally a perspective view...

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# 15 02-11-2004 , 10:31 PM
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and for poly counters: a challenge (well okay - it's not that much of a challenge but it's a challenge for me...) where can I lose polys. WAIT! I mean where can I lose polys without losing detail???

I'm about 200 tris overweight!

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