Reflection
& References

• Character Creation Process Reflection

• Assessment 1 Finished Product

• References 

Something I Found Easier Than Expected:

Modeling and manipulating the hands and feet turned out to be much easier than I initially expected, especially with the help of reference images. Once I had a basic model with a good edge flow established, shaping the mesh became pretty straightforward. I was surprised by how flexible the mesh structure was, and I feel confident that I could quickly create multiple hand variations without much trouble.

Something I Found Harder Than Expected:

Retopologising and getting different loops to connect cleanly was much more difficult than I anticipated. I consistently struggle with keeping my poly count low when modeling in Maya. I tend to end up with very high quad counts, often relying on subdivision to smooth the mesh, instead of using smoothing groups like I do more often in 3ds Max. I did explore Maya’s Mesh Display > Soften/Hard Edges and Mesh Display > Average Normals, but I still had trouble achieving the same results I get in 3ds Max. I think this was mostly due to limited time to properly experiment with these tools, but it’s something I’ll definitely keep in mind for future projects.

Key Things I Learned:

Understanding the Character Creation Pipeline:

I gained a solid overview of the character creation pipeline, which I know will help me when working with artists on future projects. Seeing how quickly and intuitively some of my classmates could prototype characters in ZBrush was eye-opening, especially compared to how much I struggled just navigating the menus. It gave me a better understanding of the types of assets and outputs to expect from artists during the creation process, which will help me better relate to production progress during game development.

Improving My Maya Workflow:

The practical experience of modeling helped me pick up a few new Maya skills that helped improve my overall efficiency. I had the chance to explore curve and spline tools more deeply, along with automated mapping techniques for applying meshes to curves. I also became a bit more familiar with the Mesh Display tools, which I hadn’t used much before.

Learning Edge Flow, Retopologisingand Quad Reduction Techniques:

One of the key skills I’ve been meaning to practice is learning how to maintain proper quad flow and use edge loop reduction patterns like 2-to-1, 3-to-1, and 4-to-1. I found (topologyguides.com) super helpful in understanding this better. It’s something I’ll continue to study and apply in future models.

Antoine. (2020, May 29). 3D Character Creation Tutorial - Understanding Character Silhouettes | Quick Tips [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OgCUjS7u8Y 

Bawarockc. (2022, June 21). How to model a character from reference images with topology [Online forum post]. Blender Artists Community. https://blenderartists.org/t/how-to-model-a-character-from-reference-images-with-topology/1387146 

Just Maya Stuff. (2020, May 26). Quad Draw the FAST Way! | Maya Retopology [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRvPvts3WkQ 

CG Geek. (2020, May 27). Maya + Substance UDIM Setup Tutorial EASY PROCESS! [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoE9Qkn_Jb0 

INTRO TO 3D - 60125. (n.d.). Topology Reference/Guide. Retrieved April 13, 2025, from https://cmuanimation.weebly.com/topology-referenceguide.html 

Khatri3D. (2021, October 15). Importance Of Silhouette in Character Designing [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RalfvFnIJtw

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Apophenia. In Merriam-Webster. Retrieved April 02, 2025, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perseverance 

Martin, J. (n.d.). Topology Guides. Retrieved April 13, 2025, from https://topologyguides.com/

Ward. A. (2013). Game Character Creation Series: Kila Chapter 3 – UV Mapping. Envato Tuts+. Retrieved April 13, 2025, from https://design.tutsplus.com/articles/game-character-creation-series-kila-chapter-3-uv-mapping--cg-26754 ​

Romain, C. (2018). Apophenia. Temes de Disseny, 34, 74–79. https://doi.org/10.46467/TdD34.2018.74-79 

Zachidoo. (2022, May 17). Head character model topology [3D model]. Sketchfab. https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/head-character-model-topology-1c0c76151c504521b5b842e6762c39f5