3D Modeling & Animation

Design and Planning

How did sketching your design help guide your modeling process?

Before I started modeling my jet I did some simple sketches. Although these sketches were very simple I came up with many good ideas to use while doing the actual modeling. I already had a pretty good idea of how I wanted my jet to look like but as I continued to progress in my model I kept coming up with more ideas to add to it.

Modeling and UV Techniques

Which modeling tools and techniques did you use most effectively?

The tool that I used most was the Edit Poly tool. I started with a box and using the edit poly tool I transformed it into the main body of the jet including the main wings. After the main part was done I moved onto the nose then rear wings, and finally the wheels. 

Texturing and Materials

How did you ensure your textures aligned properly with the UV layout?

I am sure that the textures are aligned properly because I tampered with them for multiple hours. I knew that if I got the textures aligned nicely my jet would look even better. Through a lot of trial and error in Photoshop I was able to get them to look good. 

Reflection

What challenges did you face during modeling or texturing, and how did you overcome them?

The jet has most likely been my most hands on model I have made so far, I might even go as far as saying it took the longest time to finish. In the time that I was working on, it I faced multiple different challenges, some more easy to overcome than others. The biggest challenge I faced was getting the body of the jet to seamlessly transform into the cockpit of the jet. I probably spent a 2-3 hours focused on only a few vertex points trying to make it look as professional as possible. 

Planning and Concept

Which assets did you choose to create yourself and which did you choose to find online? Why?

In this project we were required to create a total of 4 objects ourselves. The rest of the objects and scene we were able to find online and import to our scene. I did end up modeling more objects than I needed to.  I created  the tank, work bench, crates, lights,  hangar, the ground, and the night sky. The rest of the objects I found online and next I am moving onto lighting and then finally animation. 

What kind of environment did you decide to build (e.g., classroom, sci-fi lab, fantasy forest)? Why did you choose this setting?

I chose to make a military base based in the desert in the nightime. However my real focus is the hangar inside of the military base because it has all of the models I have made and it was part of my planning and storyboard. I chose this because one I thought it would be a good challenge for me and two because I thought that it would be fun to model and animate.

Modeling Process

Describe one prop or object you’re most proud of. What makes it successful?

I am proud of all the props I have created throughout this project so far. The prop that I am by far most proud of is my jet. The jet took me around 20-25 hours of modeling and texturing to fully complete. Not only did it take a while but it is one of if not the best model I have made throughout this entire year. 

What challenges did you face while modeling your assets, and how did you solve them?

A challenge that I faced while modeling my assets was how many assets I ended up making. In our assignments we only had to make 4 total models including our main character. Unfortunately I was not able to find a majority of the extra objects online that I  needed therefore I ended up making most of the main hangar scene by myself. 

Workflow and Organization

How did creating an asset list help you plan or stay on track?

Creating and having an asset list helped me stay on track because they were sort of like guidelines and a goal to follow. If I did not have a list of objects I needed then I would have either added too little or too much and it would have not given the same feel and would not have been as good.

Did you make any changes to your scene plan after you started modeling? Why?

I did end up making a good bit of changes to my scene after I started modeling. I did this because I had only planned out the basics of what I needed to make it reach the requirements. As I continued to progress further into my project I realized that if I added more things or adjusted another then it would look much better and feel more realistic.

Reflection and Evaluation

If you could improve one part of your workflow or modeling process, what would it be?

If I had to choose one part of my workflow or modeling process I could improve, it would be to work faster. I have a tendency to focus on attention to detail and fall behind and have yet to find a middle line between attention to detail as well as working quickly. Once I find this middle ground I believe that not only will I become more efficient but I will also become a better modeler.

What are you most excited to work on next (for the upcoming texturing, lighting, or animation phase)?

• Jet 

• Lights

• Cameras

• Clipboard

• Military Hanger 

• Hydraulic Doors

• Work Benches

• Crates 

What mood or atmosphere did you aim to create with your lighting?

I wanted this scene to be mysterious and kind of unsettling searching for sort of an abandoned feeling. After tampering with the lighting I would like to say that I was able to create the mood I was looking for. Without having done the animation yet I don't have the full mood and lights set up and it will look much better after the animation is finished. 

What challenges did you face when setting up or balancing your lights?

Setting up the lights was very frustrating because it took multiple hours of adjusting multipliers and moving lights and cameras around. The lighting took me about 2 and a half hours to adjust it and move everything around. in the end I made something that I thought would best capture the mood I was looking for.