Learning to Model

[neuspadrin]

I asked earlier about modeling programs and such as I've been trying to get into a little modeling and learning how to do it.  I've been kinda busy (end of semester tests and then now exam week starts next week  )  but in a lot of my free time I've been trying to learn a little bit (well, "free", i should be studying but need breaks)

Anyways, I do have a goal of by the end of the summer to surprise my girlfriend with a nice little white tiger animation (her favorite animal), so I've decided to concentrate on getting animals down.  This one kinda looks like a dog But given I started about a week n half ago and have been quite busy, I think it's a good start .

Just felt like shown how I was progressing.

*quick edit*
haha, was also just calculating all the grades I need on exams.  Only need a 37% to keep good in multivar calc.  Near same with my physics last I checked too.  YAYY

[Oshyan]

Heh, yep, looks like a little Yorkie (Yorkshire Terrier). Does she like those too? Seriously though, if this is just a bit of spare time work, you're doing fine. Keep at it!

- Oshyan

[old_blaggard]

Nice little project. Congrats on getting your mind wrapped around Blender - that interface is one if the weirdest things I've ever seen .

[PG]

I've tried to learn modelling about 6 times, looks like you're doing much better than me though. Good luck on the exams.

[neuspadrin]

Nice little project. Congrats on getting your mind wrapped around Blender - that interface is one if the weirdest things I've ever seen .

Blender does have a very confusing UI that doesn't really help with learning.  At least it's very customizeable.  Originally you only get 1 view.  Looked up some ui configuration tutorials to learn how to split it up and customize it.  Really wish the bottom part (not in screenshot) that has all the options was more like 3dsmax where it was like a right sidebar with much easier tabs and such, a cleaner ui, less cluttered, etc.  Actually thinking about it I could turn it into a right sidebar, but It would probably be cluttered more. It looks a lot better on my desktop's screen where i got 1680x1050 instead of my crammed laptops 1024x768

@PG
Yeh I've tried a couple other times.  I took a simple CAD class in HS, but we never got to 3d.  Just 2d things.  But the computers in the class had 3dsmax, and I was always like 2 weeks ahead of the class.  So when I wasn't just sitting and watching a movie on my mp3 player I would kinda screw around in 3dsmax. I've tried blender before but I had ui issues where it was garbled, finally fixed that recently (found the font options as that was the problem, and started clicking random options (couldn't read them as the problem was half the words never showed up), and discovered turning off textured fonts fixed it. So I decided to give it another go.  Wikibooks has a nice "Noob to Pro" blender guide that I've mainly been following.  After modeling a bunch of very random objects (random blobs, messed up boxes, etc) the past week or so this is the first dedicated real object I have.

[PG]

Yeah I've got a book called Master Visually 3DS Max, it's currently propping up my second monitor.

[neuspadrin]

Yeah I've got a book called Master Visually 3DS Max, it's currently propping up my second monitor.

Hahaha, I can relate to that.  I borrowed a book on 3ds max awhile ago, downloaded the trial, etc. Never did anything beyond like 30 minutes of playing.

But now I'm trying to push myself.  The hard part is finding a book that treats you like your smart, but not like you already know everything.  Too many books start spending 2 pages on how to do File --> save as and crap drives me crazy, but then too many others forget to mention some vital keys into getting stuff to work.

So with blender I spent like a good hour or two just fooling around learning to navigate the ui, modify the ui to what i want, printed out the major shortcut key list, etc before I even truly started modeling.

[rcallicotte]

LOL  I hope you meant this to be funny.  It made me laugh.

Rather than screw around with a lot of books (I've got a basement full of them), I recommend picking a 3D modeling package and then hanging around that forum like you do here.  You'll catch stuff that's good for you.  Not giving up is a large portion of effort and if you really have the interest it'll be no real sweat.

Yeah I've got a book called Master Visually 3DS Max, it's currently propping up my second monitor.

[arisdemos]

I have found that it was easier for me to break into 3dmax by importing items from Poser and then modifying those files to be more like I wanted them.  It is also a good learning experience to create prop objects that can be created like from groups of geometric shapes that you then assemble into more complex thing. Also one benefits from the poser and renderosity CG objects being texture with ready made maps that you can then learn to apply in 3d studio max.

Like all things learned the idea of how to  model comes from repeatedly beating one's head against the subject/software until its function parameters begin to become more obvious. I started out with a model bison that I puchased on Daz3d, and then began to add more realistic body parts and textures to achieve what then would better pass for the real animal. This learning by small steps I believe is the best way when one must proceed alone on any learning curve. Good luck with the dog, and it as the last resort always helps to open those books.

[efflux]

My advice on this topic would be to consider not doing any poly modeling from scratch unless you are working on something very geometric. The reason I say this is because of an an app called 3D Coat. You can voxel sculpt then worry about polygon topology afterwards which is really easy to sort out in 3D Coat after you have modeled.