AuthorTopic: Trouble with...3D?  (Read 5090 times)

Offline Rynen10K

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Trouble with...3D?

on: May 27, 2006, 04:06:46 pm
Hey, Guys! I had no idea that Pixelation was back. One day I went to the site and it was just, well, gone. Anyway, great to see you're back! :D

My problem isn't exactly pixel-related, but I'm having a bit of trouble modeling in 3D... and I seem to be the only one for some reason :\
Do any of you other spriters who have dabbled in 3D had any problems with this? I just can't seem to get it down... I've been trying for quite a while, too. Also, for those of you who have successfully been working both 3D and 2D, do you have any tips for box modelling and the like? I usually use Maya, but I sometimes use Max every once in a while (I kinda like Max's interface better, but I love Maya's texturing stuff).

Anyway, I guess the inspiration for this topic was after looking through AdamAtomic's low-poly stuff. Great stuff!  ;D

Thanks!

Offline ndchristie

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Re: Trouble with...3D?

Reply #1 on: May 27, 2006, 06:17:49 pm
i dont have a solution, but i do have the same problem.  i find 3d modelling to be near-impossible.  when i work on 3d projects, i just stick to concept arts and skins/textures
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Offline Wayuki

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Re: Trouble with...3D?

Reply #2 on: May 29, 2006, 01:30:08 pm
I personally think box modeling is extremely non-intuitive. I much prefer to start with a primitive that's closer to the form I'd like to model. For instance, for a limb I tend to use an uncapped cylinder. I weld different parts together later, or fill in parts poly by poly (if I'm working lowpoly).

First, I make sure the model has an attractive silhouette in the front/back and side viewports. After that, I slowly turn the model in the 3d-viewport to see if it has an attractive silhouette from every angle and tweak where necessary.

When making a character, I like to give it a somewhat dynamic stance right away, rather than a stiff-limbed DaVinci pose. This really helps me to give the character the right shape and proportions.

Offline Rynen10K

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Re: Trouble with...3D?

Reply #3 on: May 29, 2006, 03:31:55 pm
When making a character, I like to give it a somewhat dynamic stance right away, rather than a stiff-limbed DaVinci pose. This really helps me to give the character the right shape and proportions.

Doesn't that get in the way of rigging a character, though?

Offline Wayuki

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Re: Trouble with...3D?

Reply #4 on: May 29, 2006, 03:37:28 pm
It makes it a bit harder, not impossible.

If anything, you can always move the limbs out a bit after the modelling. That works better than modelling it in an unnatural pose from the beginning.

Offline AlexHW

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Re: Trouble with...3D?

Reply #5 on: May 29, 2006, 06:03:22 pm
I like working polygon by polygon.. Start with a flat plane and then begin extruding from the edges or adding points and cutting the polygons and such, I feel it gives me more direct control. Unfortunatly I haven't done too much modeling recently

Offline goat

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Re: Trouble with...3D?

Reply #6 on: May 31, 2006, 08:09:47 pm
I actually found that I picked up modeling a lot faster than I picked up pixeling :x so I can't really offer a lot of advice for someone who's hung up on it, except maybe to grab some sculpey once in a while to get used to working in traditional 3D (I just asked the guy next to me and he said it helped him).

The first few times I modeled a character I started by working directly against my scanned model sheet, projected onto a plane in the viewport.  When I box model, I usually start with a chamfer box (cube with beveled edges in case it's called something else in the software you use) and then split/extrude as necessary.  I don't find it counterintuitive at all, in fact it's very intuitive for low poly work.  Rough out your model's proportions and then refine it in pieces so you don't get overwhelmed, and don't be afraid to make dramatic moves when pushing vertices and polys around.  Every day I see people model all too cautiously, afraid to make too drastic a curve or angle and the result is a flat unrealistic model... tube people and such.

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Doesn't that get in the way of rigging a character, though?

Not really, as long as you remember to put in all the polygonal detail you need at the joints.  If you aren't used to UV mapping it can make THAT a little hairy though.
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Offline Mercury Rising

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Re: Trouble with...3D?

Reply #7 on: June 01, 2006, 01:47:20 am
Not a fan of box modeling, I don't usually get the detail I am looking for.  Like wayuki I begin with the basic shape of an object, extruding, welding, collapsing when needed.  As for characters, I give them a standard DaVinci pose rig them and then give them their pose, I feel it makes animating them that much cleaner later in a project.  Hardest thing about 3d modeling/animation is sticking to a project.  As for the 3dsm vrs Maya war, why not just wait for AutoDesk Maya to come out?  That should solve all your problems.
Im not back just saw this topic on google, then again I don't know.
« Last Edit: June 01, 2006, 01:51:42 am by Mercury Rising »
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