Quarter 1

 Field Scene-11/03/2025

I really enjoyed getting to create this model I felt like I was one of the first times I got to put more of my own spin on things rather then just copying a tutorial step by step. I really liked making the rocks because I tried to make them vary in size, texture, and shape.  I used soft selection to raise the rocks in lots of different places to make an uneven texture look, I used a similar idea when creating the mushrooms, however I used different modifiers to adjust the mushrooms. I tried to also pick different colors for the mushrooms to but left them in pretty realistic colors.  I also had fun making the flowers because I loved getting to design different petal shapes for each of them, I also tried to do different amounts of petals for each of my different flowers. This created more variation as well in the scene making it seem more lifelike and less staged. To create a more lifelike look I also made the flowers facing all different directions and even tilted some. The part I am most proud of in the scene is the layout of the items, I really loved how I tried to make everything spaced unevenly, and how some of the same items are next to each other sometimes and spread apart in other places.  To me this helped make a very full interesting scene that was not perfectly uniform and seems like it could be a real field. 

Toy Submarine-11/03/2025

I really liked getting to create this submarine, because I feel like I was able to get everything perfect for once because I learned how to center objects. This was a very big part of making this model because the windows are supposed to be lined up in the center of the front on all sides. Also holding down shift and dragging to the other side of the sub allowed the find to be lined up perfectly across from one another which also helps create a seamless look. I also got to use Pro Boolean to help create the sub I first would create basic primitives then combine them to one another. I also used Pro Booolean to subtract parts of my model which helped cut out certain shapes.  Boolean is very helpful to create a seamless look and create complex designs. This will help me in my future projects, because I know there will be several times where I need to subtract objects from one another to make a look that cannot be achieved with just basic primatives alone.  It also is good to combine objects because lots of times you have to make a design with different shapes but it makes it much easier to manipulate if they are combined into one consecutive object. 

Coffee Maker-11/03/2025

I think my coffee maker is a excellent representation of what skills I have learned in 3ds max , because it required lots of different techniques to achieve the end result. This model shows that I was able to create an object without a guide of how to do it. I had to use my brain to come up with ways I could achieve different looks. I had to use skills like turning splines into an editable poly to create several things such as the bottom piece to catch the liquid. I also had to use ProBoolean to subtract a circle from the metal drainage point of it. I had to extrude things as well to create buttons that stick out from the coffee maker so that I have a button that could be pressed rather than just a normal circle shape. It shows I can block out the general shape of the coffee maker then go in and use modifiers to create a more realistic look. This represents the things I learned because of all the techniques i put into making it showing my overall progress  with the program. 

Quarter 2

Still Life-1/20/2026

In the Still Life model, I learned about the material editor and how there are two different kinds of slate and compact. In these, the main challenge I faced was making the material appear how I wanted it to; for example, even though I picked glass when making the heart of the ocean, it still wasn't reflecting light how I wanted it to. So it is a lot of playing with it, experimenting, and trying different amounts when trying to get your model to appear how you want. You also want to be constantly rendering because how the model looks while you are applying the materials tends to be different from how it appears once it is rendered. Some of the parameters I had to adjust and change include the reflections and roughness. This assignment helped me understand the process of editing parameters until I liked it, which can also be applied to lots of other things in 3ds Max, such as smoothing models, Boolean, chamfering, etc. This is just a good overall skill to get used to because you will not always get the result you want off the bat, and it is important that you don't give up on it completely. Instead, just make small tweaks until you get the finished result you want. Over time, I realized that persistence is key when working in 3ds Max, as the process often involves trial and error before achieving the outcome you want. This assignment also made me realize how much of an impact even minor adjustments can have on the final appearance, and it encouraged me to approach future projects with a more open, positive mindset.

Indiana Jones Lego Costume-1/20/2026

I developed a new skill while making this model called UVW mapping. I learned all these different steps it took to apply a texture/image onto a model without it looking warped or having any deformation. I learned that you have to first apply the unwrap UVW modifier to flatten the model's surface and see it in a 2d layout. The modifier allows you to create precise placement for the model, which was needed in the case of creating this one. For the Lego model, we had to place all of the different clothing items lined up to their flattened version to get a precise look for the final model. I did things such as placing the belt and lining up both pant legs to one another, so they look cohesive. A challenge with this method of applying textures is how much of a learning curve it is, due to things like distortion and things not unwrapping exactly the way you like. Luckily for this model, I didn't face too many challenges. I can see how it would be a very difficult thing to work with on complex models when things aren't unwrapping the way you want them to. This improved my concept of the system because I was more aware of all the many functions 3ds Max has. This brought to my attention that you do not just have to use different colors and materials, but you can even use specific photos you have and apply them to the model. While I definitely do not know all of them because of how many different features the software has, it just gave me another tool for me to have in my back pocket. 

PBM Chicken-1/20/2026

I am proud of how the aesthetic of my chicken turned out; she ended up looking much more like what I hoped for than I expected. I incorporated many of the techniques and tools I learned throughout the year to achieve this result. For the feet, I created three small pyramids as toes and then combined them with a Boolean operation to make one cohesive foot. For the comb and wattle, I used the line tool to create a naturally curvy shape for added realism, closed the spline, converted it to an editable poly, and then cloned it for the second wattle. I also used the material editor to create colors for features like the beak, body, legs, feet, eyes, wattle, and comb. This piece demonstrates everything I’ve learned in 3ds Max, as I planned and created my own idea without step-by-step instructions. I had to rely on my knowledge and problem-solving skills to bring my vision to life, trying different techniques whenever needed. Throughout the creation of this model, I showcased a variety of methods, highlighting how much my skills have grown since the start of the semester. One part I’m especially proud of is the wings. In my sketch, I had a plan for how I wanted them to work, but I wasn’t sure how to achieve it. After experimenting, I decided the best approach was to create several spheres, flatten them into ovals, and layer them to resemble a wing. Developing this method on my own made it one of my favorite parts of the model.