3D Modeling & Animation Reflections

Year-Year

Quarter 1

Why I chose 3D Modeling & Animation

i chose 3D modeling because in the ever evolving world digital capabilities are becoming more and more important. there are a large amount of jobs involving animation or 3D modeling. i personaly chose this class for the aspect of animation it being something i've been interested in for a few years. another reason i chose it is for more freedom in job choice doing this for multiple years would give could credits for resumes. all in all i think its an important class for both recreational and formal uses.

9/9/2025

In module one I have learned the basics of 3D modeling which act as the building blocks for any thing else that i may want to do with 3D modeling, 3D animation, or game design. this includes the concepts of primitives and extended primitives, movement, copying and all positioning types. when designing this will be a very important start to every model (blocking) this is also used in many types of 3D modeling.

an important thing to remember while modeling is that patience is one of the most important skills to have in this field. things do not always go your way so its important to know that it will take time for you to be successful in what your doing. when combining the skills learned in module 1 i believe that the rest will come easier because i know these basics.

these skills are very important for every single 3D modeling job.

this is because of the large amount of things that you can do with only these shapes and skills. Given it may look worse or take longer. in environmental design the start of all buildings trees and any other scenery will be started with a primitive then shaped and sculpted. in character design you will need to block out your character with primitives before fully making them. And in game design you can use primitives to show the environmental designers where items should be and what they should be like.

9/16/25

After finishing module two i have seen a little into the expansiveness of 3D modeling. When i say this I'm using it as a way to encompass the many tools used in 3Ds some of the ones ive learned in this module is importing other 3D models, more explicit detailing of primitives, and using both normal and working pivots. the pivoting will be very important for getting precise angles on the nescesary movements for animations. also adding in models will be very useful because if you're working with other people and need to complete/put together a scene you will need to import the models from others. in conclusion this is an important first step in setting up scenes.

10/15/25

module three brings important modeling tools that will contribute or have contributed to more advanced techniques. a good and main example of this is the modifiers. modifiers shape and deform primitives to create unique objects that can be used for whatever you need. in my opinion the most important modifier is the edit poly modifier it allow you to grab specific parts of the primitive forming them into whatever is necessary it also has many useful tools like bridge and connect. another important modifier that we learned is the mesh smooth tool this is a tool that allows you to get a more realistic look to your models and making them look less blocky. other modifiers like twist or noise will always help with creating either natural or even just realistic models.

module 3 reflection

10/24/25

module three brings important modeling tools that will contribute or have contributed to more advanced techniques. a good and main example of this is the modifiers. modifiers shape and deform primitives to create unique objects that can be used for whatever you need. in my opinion the most important modifier is the edit poly modifier it allow you to grab specific parts of the primitive forming them into whatever is necessary it also has many useful tools like bridge and connect. another important modifier that we learned is the mesh smooth tool this is a tool that allows you to get a more realistic look to your models and making them look less blocky. other modifiers like twist or noise will always help with creating either natural or even just realistic models.

Quarter 2

module 5

11/15/25

Module five was confusing for me but was all in all a great piece of knowledge to have for modeling. I personally am really glad to have done this module because when trying to make a complete model you would not want it to be blank, rather you would want it to have a texture. adding textures will always improve the final look of your model and make it seem more finished and/or professional. you can see this being used in many games, movies or other projects.

Module 6

12/2/25

Module 6 was the module that mostly focused on applying the UVW maps. UVW maps are the texture for models and can be found in many media forms. UVW mapping is when a texture/bit map is spread and shaped across a model creating the full look. I enjoyed this module because I was finally able to make a fully modeled piece. Some complications I ran into was that sometimes the map wouldn't pack the polys to go with the texture. The projects for this module were actually quite enjoyable for me, they were not complicated but still presented new material.

Module 7

12/12/25

Module 7 is the module where our modeling journey begins and learns the particular process of rigging models. Rigging models manually is an attention-detailed and monotonous process. Rigging is when you add bones to a model whether its a robot, person, or really anything that needs to have moving parts. to rigging there are many factors you have to take into account for example bipeds bipeds are a premade skeleton model that you can use and shape in your models they work the best for humanoid models but can be used for others too. The other way is manually placing bones, it's much harder but you can get it much more specific to the models you need, for example a robot arm, an alien, or some kind of non humanoid thing will work much better with the manually made bones. Rigging is insanely important for the animating aspect of modeling and will allow you to create lively scenes.

Module 8

1/16/26

Module eight is the module in which we learn how to animate. The animation in 3DS max is different to normal animation where the characters have to be moved in each individual frame. The way you animate in 3DS max is by setting key frames on each model that you want to move. Once you've set a starting and stopping point for those key frames the system will animate those frames between for you. I have had a generally good expierence with this module as i have some previous knowledge of animation.