During this module, I learned how to use 3ds max. I created multiple 3d models like a pencil, a snowman and finally a temple. The temple was my final, and hardest project, as I had to use multiple tools that required very precise measurements. I used the array tool multiple times to create the columns of the temple, which made a repetitive pattern. Another thing I learned in this project is how to simplify an image so I can get the general shape before I get into the details. These projects taught me the basics of how to use 3ds Max, which I can use in future projects.

I learned how to be patient and efficient in my work. The work that I do will not always look perfect, and this project (top right) perfectly shows this. the shading does not look right, and there are definitely parts that I would remodel or alter hereafter. The floor and the ceiling are not large enough to give the scene the sense of an actual room, and the tops of the pillars are too contrasting from the rest of the model. I also learned how to give the general idea of a shape, when all I have is one image (bottom right). Even though I do not like the scene I created, I can appreciate what I have learned and how my work should not look exactly like the reference.

In this module I learned how to create more accurate and precise models. Instead of eyeballing the proportions, I used the reference tab and created objects based on preset coordinates, dimensions, and rotations. We followed a chart to create the scene (top right), which allowed for a more polished look. The image grew before my eyes as I followed the instructions. We also worked with references, and units to create proportions for a premade model, Alfie Hitchcat (bottom right). These projects were more organized, but also more prone to failure.

This module will help me learn how to create more precise models that are more professional. My work in the future will need to be used for further work that will require models that meet a standard. It is hard to animate a model that does not follow a pattern nor a simple mesh. Unwrapping, painting, and printing all need simple meshes to make the process simpler and efficient. When you have poor quality models, the value of it decreases greatly.

In this module I explored more uses of the array, splines, modifiers, and boolean techniques. We used the array tool to make the petals on a flower, using its rotating feature in our field scene (right top). This helped us create the pattern of the petals, without individually placing each one, to inevitably mess up the placement. We also used the splines feature to create a screwdriver and chess piece. splines can be used to make 2d objects 3d, which is helpful for models that are symmetrical or use a similar face along a line (right middle). Modifiers and the Boolean feature allowed us to create more complex models from the standard primitives. The modifiers added texture to my rocks, or molded my mushrooms. The Boolean feature cut and connected multiple shapes, which I used to create the windows in my toy submarine (right bottom).

These are very important skills that teach me how to alter the standard primitives to create new shapes easily, which I can use in the future to speed up and refine my modeling process. The efficiency of using the array tool to place all of the petals instead of by hand, was so much faster, and would create a better, cleaner looking product. The splines tool helped me make models with only a 2d shape, such as a reference, and turn them into 3d models, without messing around with primitives that will not get as precise or as efficient. If I get a job that requires the use of 3d modeling, they will want my work to be exact, and done in a timely manner. If I can produce products faster, yet still of good quality, more companies will want to hire me.

During this module, I learned how to use lighting and cameras to create the perfect shot. I created a semi-realistic photo of a sofa (top right) by using the video game prop from the last module, and the three point perspective. The sofa looked good on its own, but adding lighting let it come to life. Another project I had was to create two of the scenes from Citizen Kane (bottom right). We used the lego minifigure from a past project, but I was able to practice mood, and learned how to hide imperfections within shadow: one of the minifigures is in a chair so he would look taller.  The cameras helped make that dark atmosphere seen in the movie., while also creating the proper perspective warp for the chair to feel realistic. Using cameras also allowed me to pick a point of view, without worrying about finding that exact position again, or make it stay looking at one spot with the target camera. Lighting and cameras are an important skill for creating final products.  

These skills are incredibly useful if I want to join a career in animation or CGI. I recreated a real movie scene to a point where it's hard to tell that it's lego. The lighting hides the imperfections and allows animators to create workarounds to more difficult techniques. The couch that I made hides the messed up geometry of the bottom buttons without making them disappear. Rendering is also incredibly useful because it shows employers and customers a pleasing image or video that properly shows a final product. the final piece of most things that are made by 3d modeling, want a nice looking product.

I have learned a lot throughout this quarter, both by trial and error, and by learning from my instructors. I used modifiers and basic primitives to create the models on the right, with the help of a teacher. These tools were incredibly confusing and daunting, but I feel way more comfortable now than I did then. I struggled when I would make my own model without help, but I learned new things from that. In the future I hope I can create more realistic models that I can then animate. I have done a lot this quarter, but I want to become more knowledgeable with 3ds max and its tools.

In this quarter, I learned how to create models with basic primitives and modifiers, while also creating realistic and appealing renders. I struggled creating more complex models by myself, and had to start from scratch many times. Despite the setbacks, it would teach me a lot about 3ds max and the tools at my disposal.  I tried creating a crowbar, but I had to restart many times because the way I created it made future alterations impossible. This would teach me how mesh works as I was able to get help to create the final piece. In the future, I hope to learn how to create materials and create basic animations. The main problems I have with the renders and models I have created, is that they all have the same texture and that takes away from the models such as my sofa, which wouldn't be as smooth. 

In this quarter I learned how to use many of the tools in 3DS Max, despite some setbacks. I used modifiers to create different effects on my model, while also learning when and how to use them. Modifiers can only do so much, so I utilized my standard primitives to create the basic shape that I can then modify. Projects like the sofa, crowbar, and even the screwdriver were incredibly difficult to create as I ran into issues that the videos did not address.  These experiences helped me grow, and I feel more confident in the program. I hope to continue to learn how to utilize 3ds max when I create professional and realistic models.

During this module I learned how to use materials to create textures. I learned some of the basic textures like the physical and shellac materials. Each material or object within the workspace has nodes which can be connected to the nodes of other materials. The shellac for instance requires two base materials that it will overlay. I specifically used it to create the bowling ball and the eagle (top right). We can also use the nodes to add modifiers like displacement and noise, which alters the 3d and 2d aspect of the material. We used a displacement map to create the bricks so that the wall felt more real with all the bumps and grooves of a real brick wall.

These skills will be incredibly helpful in the future when I need visually appealing or realistic work. For example, if I needed to model a mockup of a museum display, I can create a product similar to the still life (top right). The bricks and marble gave an accurate depiction of a museum display, and it helped me learn how to position items so that they are clear and appealing. I used white marble because it contrasted with the dark bricks better, which helped it stand out. Another thing that I learned from this module was how to create real life materials like glass and metal, which is essential when creating models that are either realistic, or more realistic than others. Things like architecture or product designs will have different materials within the final product, and being able to differentiate between them is essential if I want a realistic adaptation of the ending result.

During this module I learned how to use mapping and gained a more indepth look into the materials feature. Mapping allows me to take premade UVW maps, and apply them to my model (top right). By using the UVW unwrap tool, I flatten my 3d model so that each side sits side by side. This allows me to move around each cluster to my desired spot. I also learned how to use the materials editor to apply textures to the right spot by altering their UVW coordinates in the multi/sub-objects material (bottom right).

This is incredibly helpful for the future of my work as it helps me transfer a premade material to a model in two different ways. UVW unwrap is good when the model is really complex or requires precise placement like the top image. On the other hand, Multi/Sub-object materials allow for a faster but less precise product that gives me more control over how each part of the model looks by changing the parameters and base images.

In this module I learned how to rig and control a model. There are multiple different ways to rig a model, one being using bones, a premade skeleton, or constraints. bones are a little more time consuming that the other methods, but it allows for more control, especially when the model is not a humanoid. A premade skeleton is more finicky but holds some of the same core elements that  bones had: finding the root of a problem is more difficult because you did not make the skeleton. The last way to rig a model is to use constraints which are great for inorganic items, or things that follow a singular line of movement. This module taught me a lot about rigging models and which tool I prefer to use.

In the future, these skills will be one of the most helpful tools that helps control a model in a quick and efficient way. I was able to add emotion and character to my models just by the way they were posed, as seen with the monster to the right. I also learned which modeling methods suited me best and which was the fastest. I felt more control when I used the bones modifier, but for items that are less in focus or go along the means of quantity over quality, the premade skeleton and constraint modifiers.  These skills are vital to creating intuitive and efficient rigs for my or others use.

During this module, I learned how to animate my models with keyframes and curves. keyframes are the important frames that set the start and endpoints. The computer calculates the inbetweens which I can alter with the curve editor. One of the assignments we did was to create an animation of Indiana Jones finding and fleeing from a stone monster. We used many different tools to create the final product such as automatic footstep creation for the monster and path constraints for the camera. because we rigged the stone monster with a biped skeleton, we could use its premade walking command in which the computer creates a walking animation for you. This made the process really easy because all I had to do was input the number of footsteps I wanted. This module taught me a lot about curves and keyframes when animating a model.

This module taught me a lot of things that I can use in the future should I choose to get a job in animation. This includes jobs like engineering, cartoon animation, and graphic design. The main project that we did was the big premier, in which I animated a full scene. We used multiple different tools to create the final product such as using the biped skeleton for the monster and the orientation constraint for Indiana Jones. Both characters were constructed differently so they required different ways to animate and rig. We used the automatic footstep option for the stone monster, but the rigid nature of legos would not transition well to the fluid, human-like animation of the preset walk. The stone monster can get away with it because its model hides the stretching quite well.