3d Modeling & Animation Reflections

2025-2026

Quarter 1

Why I Chose 3D Modeling & Animation

8/29/2025

Why did I chose to do 3D Modeling and Animation you may ask. I chose this class because I have always though 3D Modeling was really cool and interesting, there are an infinite amount of things you could create while 3D Modeling. Last year I took Adobe Visual Design, during that class I earned certifications in Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Visual Design. In this class I was faced with challenge after challenge including a quarter long project and hundreds of different assignments. Even though I passed this classed I wanted to dive more in depth in 3D Modeling and Animating because I have very little knowledge about it. The reason I am taking this class is because I want to learn more about 3D animation because it could take me so far if I were to choose a career in this field. What I wish to get out of this class is an understanding of what 3D Modeling and Animating is and hopefully getting really good at it.

Module 1 Reflection

9/10/2025

A good bit of this module was watching videos to learn many of the main functions that I would be using while working in 3ds Max. Throughout this module we worked on 3 main assignments which were The Snowman, The Pencil, and The Temple of Primitives. All 3 of these assignments involved working with basic shapes known as primitives. While watching the instructional videos it showed me how to use the move tool, rotate tool along with using all kind of different primitives. I learned how to change my viewport which is where I can see all of my work in 4 sections top, front, left, and standard. I now know how to make a shape and then transform it to the exact way that I want it to look.

Although I have learned a couple of skills and can make things involving all sorts of different shapes, I still have a lot to learn when it comes to 3D modeling. Because my skills are limited there isn't a huge list of things I can do. From what I know I could make simplistic models using shapes and colors. When I am finished with this class there will be a lot more things I will know how to do and be good at. When I am looking for jobs I can use these skills I have to my advantage because not many people know how to 3d model an animate pieces.

Module 2 Reflection

9/18/2025

During this module I did a whole lot of adding objects together and forming objects to make them look right and fall perfectly into place. The big project of this unit was the Lego Minifigure Project which was very difficult. Although it was hard it made me use lots of different tools and learn lots of different skills. A couple tools that I used a lot during this unit were all kinds of different modifiers such as edit poly which we use in multiple different assignments. Edit poly allowed me to form and shaped the different figures I was working with. Another tool I learned how to use and used a lot was the snaps tool which felt like I was building Lego's. This tool allowed me to snap and lock objects to either another object or even the grids in 3ds Max.

Throughout this entire module I learned many useful skills to make me a better 3d model 7 overall. In many ways I believe I can use the skills I have learned during this module and last module. I learned how to module and manipulate all kinds of different objects. I really enjoyed this unit because we got to dive more in depth and explore and use tools that make 3ds max so special. These tools ranged from something as simple as the selection tool to something like actually shaping an object using the edit poly menu which allows you to mold an object to exactly how you like it.

Module 3 Reflection

10/15/2025

Throughout the majority of this module I was doing a lot of catching up. I was behind schedule for a good portion of this module because the beginning of this module was a lot of work in a short period of time. But towards the middle to end of this module I caught up on a bunch of assignments that I needed to get done. I did this by managing my time better and learning how to mix social time with work time. Along with managing my time I learned so many useful skills that helped me catch up on my assignments. In this module we used the "edit poly" modifier many times, every single assignment in this quarter required use of the edit poly modifier at least once.

During this unit I learned many different skills that are essential if I want to be a good 3d modeler. The main tool in this unit, edit poly seemed like it is essential when it comes to the creation of pretty much anything. Not only did learn how to use that tool but I also learned a valuable lesson when it comes to using my time wisely and moving forward I am going to use my time better. Moving forward I am going to use the skills that I used in this module in coming up modules to help me get my work done better and faster. I could also use these skills to make unique creations, I could do this for fun or if I got really good at it I could look into jobs in the 3d modeling field.

Module 4 Reflection

10/28/2025

This module was the shortest module so far, it took me less than a week to finish all of the work for this module. Even though this module was short it was still very fun and important when it comes to modeling. We started learning to add light to our models which can be very useful when you are going for a specific look. Naturally you are provided with light and shadows in 3ds Max but you are also able to adjust them and add more light or even remove light and add shadows or remove shadows. I honestly had a fun time learning how to give lighting to my models because it adds so much more depth to the creation if you learn how to do it well.

Lighting can be a key piece to a design and or model, sure you can go with the default which looks pretty good, but if you want to add more depth or realism to the model you might want to adjust your lighting and shadows. If you look at my models in previous modules you will see how they don't have any key points or lighting focusing on a certain area in the model. In this module you may see that there are shadows and areas that I positioned and tweaked the lighting where I wanted people to focus on. In the future I can use these new found skills to add lighting and or shadows to upcoming models in later modules. In the future I could use these skills if I decided to take more classes like this such as game design.

Quarter 1 Reflection

11/1/2025

What challenges did I encounter, and how did I get past them?

Last year I took Adobe Visual Design 1, I ended up getting 3 certifications in that class which were Photoshop, Illustrator and Visual Design. I came into this class confident thinking that I would have somewhat of an understanding of what I was doing. Unfortunately I was wrong, this class has been way harder than I expected in so many different ways. Throughout this quarter I was faced with many different challenges, with some being bigger than others. I can confidently say my biggest challenge this quarter was falling behind on my work during module 3. I was at least a couple assignments behind during entire quarter and it took a lot of time as well as effort to catch back up. It was not until the final class period of the module that I was able to complete my final project in that module which after weeks of catching up I had finally finished all of my work from module 3. The way I was able to catch up after being far behind was trying to get in as much classroom time as I possibly could, two examples of this were getting to school early and going in during lunch periods to work on my assignments.

What resources or strategies did you find most helpful in learning 3ds Max?

If I had to pinpoint one resource that helped me most during this quarter I can say without hesitation that it was BrainBuffet. Essentially BrainBuffet is a site where you can watch videos and do tutorials to learn how to use 3ds Max. Think of it as a online course where there is a teacher, instructions, and work. It goes over different skills in multiple different sections ranging from beginner to advanced. This has helped me learn all of the skills that I have, it is setup where you learn from videos and answer questions while watching them and then usually at the end you have an assignment you have to complete that uses the skills you learned previously. I can confidently say that I would be learning the very basics of 3ds Max if it weren't for Brain buffet. I have made so much progress from when I first started to now with almost all of these skills coming from what I learned inside BrainBuffet.

What goals do you have for the next quarter to further improve your 3D modeling skills?

I have a few goals in mind when it comes to the future, specifically regarding the next quarter, as well as goals to improve my skills even further. One goal that I want to improve in this quarter compared to last is staying on top of my work. I did not like being behind because it meant I had to work two times as hard just to catch up. I am going to make that a priority this quarter, I am going to focus in class as much as I can using my time as an advantage. If this does not end up working then I am going to go in during lunch and before school starts in the morning. As far as further improving my skills I am going to continue to move forward in BrainBuffet. A final goal I would like to achieve this quarter is seeing how far I have come in 3d modeling and animation. I want to be able to look back from when I first started at the beginning of last quarter to the end of this quarter and be proud of how much I have learned and improved.

Quarter 2

Module 5 reflection

11/10/2025

In module 5 we learned many things but focused on one big one. The big focus in this module was rendering. We learned how to render, when to render and more importantly what would look best when rendered. We mainly worked with the material editor, we learned how to make and tamper with all kinds of different materials. I think that working in 3ds Max, the material editor has been the coolest part because there are so many different materials, textures and colors that you can work with. I find it fascinating because it felt like we were working with a lot of materials and textures but looking back at it we were barely scratching the surface of how much there actually is to work with.

I believe that all of the skills I learned this module were a key part of 3d modeling. Before this module we were mainly working with plain and basic colors in all of our models. After learning how to use the material editor properly now I have a skill that I can and will be using in upcoming models. I believe that in our final project the "PBM" I am going to use these skills quite often, because they are very useful when it comes to making your model a step better.

Module 6 Reflection

11/19/2025

In my opinion this module was the least enjoyable. Almost all of module 6 was watching videos and learning all about UVW mapping. Although it seems like a very important skill to have when it comes to 3d modeling it was a struggle sitting through all of the videos. In the end though I did end up enjoying working on the Indiana Jones Lego figure. Using the UVW mapping I was able to add the shirt and the pants along with a face to complete the look, I was unable to add a hat to the figure so I stuck with normal hair.

In the future I can use these skills for my final project, the PBM or creating more models in different modules. UVW mapping is a panel or tablet in 3ds max that works with your object or shape and with a specific file that you merge in. You have to unwrap your objects so they split into multiple pieces and then move the split pieces to align with the file. After you have done that, the object you are working with will have that new texture or color.

Module 7 Review

12/4/2025

Jumping into module 7 we learned about animation and rigging. Starting off I want to say how much I enjoyed this module because animation is a big part of 3d modeling. On the other hand this module was very unenjoyable because it took me over a week to complete and I had to watch the videos in Branbuffet multiple times to understand what I was doing. When it comes to animating there are so many different steps and parts that comes down to getting the animation to look right. The tiniest little mess up can cause the animation to not work right at all which was I encountered multiple times this unit and was very frustrating. The pictures below show how I rigged the rock and Lego characters, after rigging them I am able to move things like there arms, legs and head and then I made a couple different still images of them doing different actions.

Even though this module had its ups and downs I know that animation is going to be a very helpful skill in the upcoming module and for my PBM. I have started module 8 and even in the first couple lessons I have been rigging and animating a lot. In the future I can use animating on the rest of Module 8 which includes animating the rock character you see below. Not only am I using characters from module 7 in module 8 but I am also using the temple of primitives from module 1. I am going to use these skills to animate the rock character chasing after a Lego Indiana Jones figure.

Module 8 Review

12/18/2025

In module 8 the main focus was animating and rigging. We went over similar tools in module 7 but this time we used them to create an animated scene. Again we learned how to use these tools in BrainBuffet, we learned how to make a figure with a biped walk and move without having to manually move each limb. There was a simple preset which enabled the figure to walk which made the overall process less time consuming. Although we used a lot of useful tools this module was not at all easy. This module took the most attention to detail and the most trial and error out of any module I had done previously.

Moving on to the final stretch and the final big project, I am going to use all of the skills I have learned to make my project as good as I possibly can. For my final project I am making an abandon hanger with a jet inside then all the lights flash and everything goes crazy. For this I am going to need to animate multiple components which is going to take a long time but with all these skills I will at least know how to do it. For this I will need to animate the doors falling shut, everything rumbling, and the clipboard falling. After completing module 7 and module 8 I now know how to animate all that I need to, I am going to use these skills to showcase what I am capable of in my final project.

Quarter 2 Reflection

1/13/2026

How has your understanding of 3D modeling concepts improved over the quarter?

Looking back to quarter one compared to quarter two I can see a huge difference in quality and effort. In quarter one we were working primarily with basic primitives and lighting, I would think of it as learning and understanding the basics. In quarter two we were given opportunities to use what we learned from quarter one to create more detailed models and animations. Starting this quarter we were learning how to work with UVW Maps, these allowed us to add texture to objects to make them look professional. We then moved onto the Material Editor, in this we learned how to transform a basic object into something more complex, the functions in this varied from adding texture to making an object see through and many other different functions. Finally I learned how to rig and animate models which I would say is by far the most complicated and time consuming thing to learn and to do. Bringing everything I learned from quarter one and quarter two I am using these skills for my Performance Based Measurement, this will showcase how much I have learned and improved throughout the year.

What resources or strategies did you find most helpful in learning 3ds Max?

I have done a lot of 3d modeling this quarter, hours upon hours of modeling, rigging and animating, the list goes on. There were many resources and things that I did this quarter that helped me learn to the best of my abilities. One resource that has helped me throughout this entire year is Brain buffet, this had videos, tests and examples of 3d modeling. There are so many skills and components that fall into the category "3d Modeling." I would have never been able to learn as much as I have without Brainbuffet. It went over everything that I needed to know when it comes to 3ds Max. One more thing that has helped me that isn't really a resource is listening to music, and having something to listen to while I'm working. Throughout the last few weeks we have been working on our final project, for this there aren't any videos or tutorials therefore we have to do it completely by ourselves. I find it hard to work in silence, when everyone is locked in on their computer I put some music on and work on my project and the music helps me focus.

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

I learned so many different skills and techniques this quarter but one that stands out is animation. As I mentioned previously this was one of the hardest skills to do and understand. Module eight focused primarily on animating and learning how to add animation to a character or object. The scene was set in the temple of primitives from module one, then we imported our Indiana Jones model from module six and finally our rock monster from module seven. After everything was set up we started animating. I animated Indiana Jones moving from point A to point B and then his legs and arms moving appropriately. When I was done animating Indiana Jones I moved on to animate the rock monster who in the end would be chasing after him. Finally I finished animating the rock monster and then worked on camera placement and movement. In the end I have learned many different lessons from this quarter, animation being the biggest and most complicated as well as satisfying and rewarding.

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