Quarter 1

Why I Chose 3D Modeling & Animation

Why did you take this class?

I chose this class because I wanted to broaden my skills as a visual artist and to learn more about the world of 3D design. I believe that having a diverse creative skill set can open up a lot of opportunities for both careers and personal projects. I own a 3D printer and it would be neat to be able to create my own specialized models for printing as opposed to finding pre-made ones online. Generally, I am also just curious about how 3D modeling works, and what goes into creating the impressive models found in movies and games. In total, it was a combination of wanting to learn useful new tools and a curiosity about how modeling works that inspired me to take the class.

What do you expect to get out of it?

By the end of this semester, I hope to have a decent basic understanding of how to create, rig, and stylize models within 3DS, and be able to apply these skills elsewhere. Taking this class will hopefully pair well with my previous experience in video and graphic design. Ideally, this will allow me to implement models and 3D skills into other graphics, videos and more. In addition to this, having a certification within the program will help to fill out my resume and expand upon potential job opportunities. It's also beneficial to learn new tools and I hope to learn enough to be proficient in modeling while also enjoying the process. So, as the semester progresses, I hope to achieve these goals and have fun doing it!

Module 1 Reflection

Applications

These skills are most heavily utilized during the blocking phase of the production process and are crucial to developing your skills further as a 3d modeler. More specifically, having experience with understanding and using transform tools correctly to compile multiple objects is a key step in learning the program. Even with just these basic skills, I can now create simplistic yet still semi-professional looking models, such as the pencil, that could have uses as props in video games or even low poly backgrounds or environments. Knowing how to precisely modify object placement and size helps to make models or scenes that look cleaner, but also prevents further clean up in later production phases. Generally, an adequate understanding of basic skills in 3Ds can greatly boost your career as a 3D modeler, and allow you to become more fluent in the program.

Module 2 Reflection

Applications

The most useful skills I gained through this module were the snapping and grouping tools. While at times frustrating, snapping allows a modeler to perfectly align almost any part of a object with another object in the scene quickly. Not only is this more precise than attempting to align objects visually, but it also speeds up the process and creates cleaner models. Secondly, the group tool is incredibly useful as a modeler to organize objects in the scene explorer and move multi-object models with ease. Organization is important when modeling especially while working in files that require many objects and the group tool is an easy way to do this. Furthermore, combining the snap and group function while transforming models makes assembling objects much easier and faster. Overall, all tools learned in this module will aid a modeler by saving time and staying organized for future projects.

Module 3 Reflection

Applications

While being the longest module yet, this module taught us critical modeling skills when it comes to customizing primitives. By being able to manipulate objects on a more precise level, we can now create simplified geometric versions of nearly any shape we may need. This is incredibly useful for any type of modeling considering the majority of models will likely need to be more detailed than the primitives provided. More specifically, this is useful for modeling objects and scenes based off images. Other modifiers also improve modeling efficiency by applying present manipulation techniques to an object that would be difficult and time consuming using only edit poly. With these skills, we have now gained the most basic understanding of what it takes to model objects and as we move forward into lighting and even animation, these tools will be incredibly useful. 

Module 4 Reflection

Applications

After completing the modeling process, it is important to be able to showcase your work in a way that highlights the details. Lights and cameras allow you to transform simple images into well lit and well positioned renders that have semi realistic attributes. More specifically, lighting is especially important for modeling landscapes and scenes that are meant to mock real life visuals. For example, I created a small, simple scene of a desk and lamp, and placed various different light sources throughout the scene and inside of models. As a result, I crafted a dimly lit and semi-realistic room that resembled the way lamp light would function in a real life setting. For modelers that create architectural works or even object and character modelers, understanding lighting and camera angles allows for more striking and realistic renders that best illustrate their technical skills. These rendering skills will be especially important as we move into materials and understanding how lighting affects certain textures.

Module 5 Reflection

Applications

Materials now allow us as modelers to decorate our models and apply textures that resemble the real life objects we may be trying to replicate. Especially when it comes to objects that have special patterns and textures or require parts to be transparent or reflective, materials add depth to models and make renders look much more professional and accurate to real life. The material parameter editor also then enables us to change present maps and materials to achieve more customized and unique looking textures. Material editing knowledge and an understanding of how to navigate the slate material editor will also serve as a good base as we delve further into working with UVW maps. So far, these material skills along with lighting level up models from digitized and somewhat flat looking objects into nearly photorealistic ones. It's especially interesting to see how objects with different materials interact with each other and the scene around them in terms of shadows and reflections.

Quarter 1 Reflection

Skills & Techniques

Throughout this first quarter and the first half of this course, I learned many tools and techniques that took my understanding of how to work with 3ds max from absolute beginner level to having a decent grasp on the programs basics. First we started with understanding basic primitives, which include boxes, spheres, cones, cylinders and more. Using only these primitives, I learned to block out and compile multiple shapes into one cohesive model, such as the temple of the primitives. Moving forward, I then learned about modifiers, a key one being edit poly which allowed me to edit sub-object pieces like faces, edges, and vertices. With this knowledge I made models such as the field scene, the robo dinosaur, the spaceship and many more. This was what really allowed me to grow as a modeler as it took my skills from only being able to model simpler, geometric models to more complex and customized ones. Finally to conclude the quarter, we worked with lights, cameras, and materials. This had to be my favorite portion of the course so far as it now gives me the tools to play around with the visual effects of scenes and models as well as add detail. Overall, I am much more confident as a modeler to conclude this quarter compared to when I had never even opened the program before. 

Challenges

As I learned new tools and techniques to make models, each presented their own challenges. Some things I struggled most with were messy details when modeling with edit poly. This happened a lot especially during the most difficult model of the quarter, my robot dinosaur. Often my shapes would be made of custom splines with unique and intricate edges that when made into a 3D object would get mixed up and complicated, especially at round edges and corners. To overcome this I would zoom in closely to the messier areas and using the vertex selection tool, I would hand move each point to a place where it was no longer overlapping or confusing the model. While this certainly was not the most efficient way to solve this dilemma, it worked and I was still able to achieve the look I was going for. The downside to this method was I would sometimes get areas that still looked sloppy after manually fixing them and I often had to sacrifice areas of detail like along the neck armor of the dinosaur in order to not overcomplicate it. However it still resolved nicely and by using clever lighting techniques to render the final images, I was able to disguise certain areas that lacked precision. Going into the next quarter, I hope that my skills will improve and I get more better and more efficient and resolving struggles such as these. 

Goals for next quarter

Moving forward into the next quarter, I hope to develop my skills even further. More specifically, I want to increase my efficiency as a modeler and learn new skills to hasten the modeling and design process. One way to improve can simply be getting more practice with precisely using some of the edit poly tools. On the other hand, starting with more accurate blocking for the models would save refining and detailing time later in the process. Additionally, I hope to get better at assigning materials, which we had briefly covered at the end of the quarter. I want to be able to create custom and visually interesting materials that, paired with models, best mimic real life objects or combine lighting and textures in a striking way. Lastly, I am especially excited to learn to animate and I hope to combine my modeling skills with rigging skills to create professional quality animations that I can be proud of. In summary, there is always room for improvement and as I gain more and more experience, I hope to be a proficient 3D modeler by the end of the course.

Quarter 2

Module 6 Reflection

Applications

UVW mapping works especially well for simpler geometric models and there are various different ways to affect how each face of the texture appears. For example, with the tank model, a multi sub-object material can be applied to make the lower part of the tank textured with one bitmap that looks like tire treads, while the upper surfaces are a a bitmap of a rough metal texture. UVW's finally enable us to unwrap models add customized patterns, similar to sewing clothing, that are not available in the preset materials. Despite its complexity, this saves time and achieves a more detailed look. Through this we can apply things like faces to characters and detailed clothing textures and have precise control on how the textures are applied to the surface, as seen in the lego model. 

Module 7 Reflection

Applications

With the addition of rigging, I can now pose models without changing the actual structure of the model itself. Bones go inside the model and function similar to human bones, as in moving a bone moves the model. The Biped preset is especially useful for models with limbs or several moving joints that are more similar to a bipedal structure and the preset can simply be modified to fit the model. With proper model posing, modelers can better showcase models from many angles and positions that can be used to tell a visual story. These built in puppet like structures also are used to move parts to animate moving parts of models which opens a surplus of creative possibilities and expands skills from still visual modeling to 3D moving storytelling. 

Module 8 Reflection

Applications

As we approach the final months of this course, the skills we learned in Module 8 will allow us to fully animate the scenes for things like informational videos, game cut-scenes, and especially our PBM. By even doing as little as animating a camera, we can now improve the presentation of our models from simple rendered images into fully rendered videos that give the viewer a 3D look at the models. In terms of the entertainment industry however, models can be animated for moving/looping parts in video games in cut-scenes or backgrounds, or even be used to tell entire stories in short films or movies. Specifically for the PBM, I'll use animation skills to create moving parts for my science lab like whirling machines, rustling papers, pistons, and even a mysterious incubating experiment. 

Quarter 2 Reflection

What new skills or techniques did you learn in 3Ds Max this quarter?

We worked through three final modules this quarter that focused on materials, rigging, and last but not least, animation. In module six I first learned the basics two new modifiers, UVW Map and UVW Unwrap which taught me how to unwrap objects into 2D maps to apply custom textures. Next in module seven, I learned about things like bones, bipeds, link and path constraints, and the skin modifier to properly attach bones to objects. This set the foundation for learning the animation process by teaching me how to make objects move and customize how they do so. Finally in module 8, I first learned how to set key frames to make simple animations such as moving an object forward. Then in the final project in brain buffet, I learned to animate both the stone monster using figure mode and footstep mode, as well as the lego figure by using controllers. 

Which project or exercise helped you understand a specific aspect of 3D modeling better?

Though animation is one of the more difficult parts of 3Ds, I feel I know animation constraints very well after the projects I’ve completed this quarter. Specifically, the 4 corners animation project was the most helpful in learning this as it taught me new aspects of the tool and went more in depth than Brain Buffet. To summarize what I learned:

•  It taught me to be careful of linking the parent object of a group to a path rather than every item in the group.

• It taught me the bank parameters as well as how to flip the following direction

• It taught me how to link camera targets to objects through following the car

What aspects of 3Ds Max do you feel more confident in using now compared to the beginning of the quarter?

By the start of this quarter, I was just getting a grasp on the material editor and how to apply materials to objects. Now with my current skillset after learning to UVW map, rig, and animate scenes, creating and applying materials is one of my favorite aspects of modeling. I can confidently work with physical materials and edit their parameters to achieve the desired effect as well as connect them to multi sub object materials and shellac materials to add complexity. During the final project of the class, I used all of the skills I’ve learned on how to edit materials to detail my scene. Especially multi-sub object materials, which were something I hardly knew at the beginning of the quarter, were my most utilized and I had the most fun with customizing them and their plugins.