[QUOTE=Quinnjdq;36103762]Ah yeah, yeah I very much could have done that and most likely should have but the actual model was done before I had the intention to put it in tf2 and I really couldn't be bothered to set up an alpha layer. I will very much keep it in mind if I do something like this again, though.[/QUOTE]
Depending on what program you're using, you could probably bake a diffuse and alpha map.
[editline]28th May 2012[/editline]
Onto a plane, I mean.
[QUOTE=TonyP;36097496]Le Moon
[thumb]http://www.deviantart.com/download/304445200/earth_rise_by_ottothecat2005-d519bf4.jpg[/thumb]
Earth
[thumb]http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/147/d/2/planet_earth_1080p_by_ottothecat2005-d519j3s.jpg[/thumb]
[editline]27th May 2012[/editline]
Why is that when I make a vray sphere light the same size as a real light bulb with the same luminance power, it can only light up something 5 inches away from it? I try turning it up until it lights up the room but then anything near it is pure white. I don't see any falloff option either to adjust this.[/QUOTE]
thank god you thumbed it but it didn't help that i accidentally clicked the moon
Started working on a weapon based off [URL="http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/1372/102max.jpg"]this[/URL] concept art.
*Click for high-res*
[img_thumb]http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/4562/wep2.jpg[/img_thumb]
Holy shit...
[QUOTE=Logithx;36107905]Started working on a weapon based off [URL="http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/1372/102max.jpg"]this[/URL] concept art.
*Click for high-res*
[img_thumb]http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/4562/wep2.jpg[/img_thumb][/QUOTE]
Please post unsmoothed wireframes. I'm really curious about the topology.
It's a high-poly that will be used for baking so topology or 'cleaning up' is completely pointless and a waste of time unless it actually affects smoothed results in a negative way.
Basically my way of saying I'm lazy and it's a fucking mess:
[img_thumb]http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/7631/demwires.jpg[/img_thumb]
I think the topo is fine for high poly and doesn't look messy to me. Nice work.
[hd]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hght_kVOJm0[/hd]
More fluid particles but not just a lazy test.
Dumb question, but is anyone here going to school, or had gone to school, to be a 3d artist?
I've been considering and looking for a while now, but there don't seem to be many schools that offer a 4 year/Bachelors for it, at least with a focus on games. The few I've found in state here (Florida) focus on more on movies.
3D art, like most other forms of art, can be self-taught. However, this takes discipline and perseverance. Going to a college can stream-line the process and organize the order in which you learn things. For some, going to a school to learn it isn't as useful as for others. However, college can help you build a network and organize your portfolio, which is always helpful. Whether or not it's worth it, is up to you in the end.
[QUOTE=Frisk;36111205]Dumb question, but is anyone here going to school, or had gone to school, to be a 3d artist?
I've been considering and looking for a while now, but there don't seem to be many schools that offer a 4 year/Bachelors for it, at least with a focus on games. The few I've found in state here (Florida) focus on more on movies.[/QUOTE]
It's not a dumb question, it's a very important one. The way I personally see it: don't waste your time and money on schooling for art related jobs. All you'll get is a degree worth next to nothing (especially now when the supply is outpacing demand) and a lot of debt. In the end it's your portfolio and attitude that matter. Spend the years practicing in the comfort of your home, support your fellow modelers by buying their tutorials/books if necessary. Register to 3d forums like Polycount, build a list of contacts. Get your work reviewed. If you spend a lot of time on 3d then you can easily out-compete any of the people coming out of schools.
Well, I tried teaching myself last year in the Spring, and it didn't seem to go all that well. I tried making a few models, but it didn't go over too well. However, I took a class this past semester and it seemed to just click, and I learned that the few things I had previously taught myself were the unorganized and messy ways of doing things. The few things I posted throughout this thread were what I had learned in the past four or so months in that class. That being said, I feel like I'd be able to learn it better while in a classroom environment than if I was on my own.
My problem is, I don't really know which schools to look into. I'm mostly interested in modeling, but every degree seems to be animation focused, specifically animation for movies and films. Even then, I'm having trouble finding out which schools actually have good programs.
Full Sail gets talked about a lot, but the professors and people I've met at local companies here seem to find it to be highly overrated. UCF gets a lot of praise as well, but that's for the FIEA program which is a Masters. I've seen others (UF, FSU, etc) with Computer Animation courses, but I haven't really heard anything about them.
Just looking for some input from you guys here, if anybody has any to give.
[QUOTE=Frisk;36111337]Well, I tried teaching myself last year in the Spring, and it didn't seem to go all that well. I tried making a few models, but it didn't go over too well.[/QUOTE]
Did you follow some decent tutorials? I remember when I was new to Max I mostly spent the first year watching video tutorials and reading stuff while experimenting at the same time.
You can learn a lot by just reading threads from sites such as:
[url]http://www.polycount.com/forum/[/url]
[url]http://cghub.com/forum/[/url]
[url]http://www.nextgenhardsurface.com/forum.php[/url]
[url]http://forums.cgsociety.org/[/url] (more movie oriented)
Tutorials:
[url]http://wiki.polycount.com/[/url]
[url]http://www.nextgenhardsurface.com/forumdisplay.php?27-NGHS-Tutorials[/url]
[url]http://cg.tutsplus.com/[/url]
[url]http://www.3dbuzz.com/vbforum/sv_home.php[/url] (registration required but has free tutorials)
Viewport screen grab of the recent sculpt.
[t]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2344342/christopher_walken_done_viewport.png[/t]
[QUOTE=Frisk;36111337]Well, I tried teaching myself last year in the Spring, and it didn't seem to go all that well. I tried making a few models, but it didn't go over too well. However, I took a class this past semester and it seemed to just click, and I learned that the few things I had previously taught myself were the unorganized and messy ways of doing things. The few things I posted throughout this thread were what I had learned in the past four or so months in that class. That being said, I feel like I'd be able to learn it better while in a classroom environment than if I was on my own.
My problem is, I don't really know which schools to look into. I'm mostly interested in modeling, but every degree seems to be animation focused, specifically animation for movies and films. Even then, I'm having trouble finding out which schools actually have good programs.
Full Sail gets talked about a lot, but the professors and people I've met at local companies here seem to find it to be highly overrated. UCF gets a lot of praise as well, but that's for the FIEA program which is a Masters. I've seen others (UF, FSU, etc) with Computer Animation courses, but I haven't really heard anything about them.
Just looking for some input from you guys here, if anybody has any to give.[/QUOTE]
Don't even worry about the quality of your work now. It [i]will[/i] improve if you keep at it.
Quinn is a perfect example:
[t]http://th06.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/f/2012/142/f/f/3d_improvment_meme_by_quinnjdq-d50rb0v.png[/t]
[QUOTE=Dr. Evilcop;36111450]Don't even worry about the quality of your work now. It [i]will[/i] improve if you keep at it.[/QUOTE]
I actually keep a pic of one of my first ever models to remind me of that.
It's so bad I'm not even going to post the image directly, click at your own risk:
[url]http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/4240/trafficcone.jpg[/url]
dem traffic cones. :v:
That's how it all started. Not a gun, not a vehicle, not a character. A god damn traffic cone.
[QUOTE=Logithx;36111422]Did you follow some decent tutorials? I remember when I was new to Max I mostly spent the first year watching video tutorials and reading stuff while experimenting at the same time.
You can learn a lot by just reading threads from sites such as:
[url]http://www.polycount.com/forum/[/url]
[url]http://cghub.com/forum/[/url]
[url]http://www.nextgenhardsurface.com/forum.php[/url]
[url]http://forums.cgsociety.org/[/url] (more movie oriented)
Tutorials:
[url]http://wiki.polycount.com/[/url]
[url]http://www.nextgenhardsurface.com/forumdisplay.php?27-NGHS-Tutorials[/url]
[url]http://cg.tutsplus.com/[/url]
[url]http://www.3dbuzz.com/vbforum/sv_home.php[/url] (registration required but has free tutorials)[/QUOTE]
I've tried many different tutorials. Maybe I've been looking in the wrong places, or finding bad ones, but it seems a lot of them skip on steps, as if they go; Step 1) Create a cube. Step 2) Add in Subdivisions. Step 3) Finish it.
I even have this book I borrowed from the professor I had last semester that seems to leave out some steps, at least within the early chapters.
I'll definitely browse those sites, thanks!
[QUOTE=Dr. Evilcop;36111450]Don't even worry about the quality of your work now. It [i]will[/i] improve if you keep at it.
Quinn is a perfect example:
[t]http://th06.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/f/2012/142/f/f/3d_improvment_meme_by_quinnjdq-d50rb0v.png[/t][/QUOTE]
I know my stuff isn't good, I wouldn't expect it to be after only a few months of using Maya. It's why I've been trying to make things that I find to be [url="http://i.imgur.com/7V01w.png"]amusing[/url] [url="http://i.imgur.com/oKQgZ.png"]to[/url] [url="http://i.imgur.com/kAfQu.jpg"]look[/url] [url="http://i.imgur.com/Qj160.jpg"]at[/url]. I know once I get better though, I'll be able to make things that are much better and more detailed.
[sp]Damn, that second one of his is really good![/sp]
the better of a concept of the design the easier it is to get a good result. work more on concepting as well as modeling skills
[QUOTE=Frisk;36111205]Dumb question, but is anyone here going to school, or had gone to school, to be a 3d artist?
I've been considering and looking for a while now, but there don't seem to be many schools that offer a 4 year/Bachelors for it, at least with a focus on games. The few I've found in state here (Florida) focus on more on movies.[/QUOTE]
I hole hardheartedly believe that everyone who can should go to college degree if they can. I know a ton of people who have gotten jobs in the industry without a degree but they just become a grunt worker most of the time. Without a degree you are a less valuable employee because an actual bachelors degree, not a trade-school diploma, means that you are more rounded in your education and not stuck completely in your discipline. I decided to get my BFA in 3D Design rather than a specific '3D Modeling' degree because I will be a much more rounded artist. I am choosing to go on through school and get my MFA so that I can chose to more easily go back to school down the line to get a doctorate to teach.
In my opinion do not waste your money with tradeschools, instead get a general degree in the field you are interested while pursuing the construction of a good portfolio at the same time.
[QUOTE=Ajacks;36112495]I hole hardheartedly believe that everyone who can should go to college degree if they can. I know a ton of people who have gotten jobs in the industry without a degree but they just become a grunt worker most of the time. Without a degree you are a less valuable employee because an actual bachelors degree, not a trade-school diploma, means that you are more rounded in your education and not stuck completely in your discipline. I decided to get my BFA in 3D Design rather than a specific '3D Modeling' degree because I will be a much more rounded artist. I am choosing to go on through school and get my MFA so that I can chose to more easily go back to school down the line to get a doctorate to teach.
In my opinion do not waste your money with tradeschools, instead get a general degree in the field you are interested while pursuing the construction of a good portfolio at the same time.[/QUOTE]
Good, solid advice.
In other news, I've started on the first of the Brownies, so I'm hoping to have that done by the end of the week. Trying to get back into the swing of things, get the creative juices flowing. Want some opinions, too. Should I keep the camera the characteristic black leatherette, or should I redesign the outside with some sort of retro-chic pattern similar to how a lot of older film cameras are now?
[QUOTE=Frisk;36111205]Dumb question, but is anyone here going to school, or had gone to school, to be a 3d artist?
I've been considering and looking for a while now, but there don't seem to be many schools that offer a 4 year/Bachelors for it, at least with a focus on games. The few I've found in state here (Florida) focus on more on movies.[/QUOTE]
I agree with both Logithx and Ajacks. The importance of official education in the field varies a lot from country to country. In my opinion the importance of a good portfolio should never be underestimated wether you have a degree or not.
I'm currently studying 3d-animation and -visualization in Finland.
I had a few years experience in 3D before getting there though. Everything I did before was very scattered and I hardly finished any projects.
I knew a lot about 3D but I had a hard time focusing on one thing at a time. Going to school helps a lot with that. Even though I might not have learned so much about the basic stuff of 3D I've learned a lot by getting critique and keeping focus and that has helped me evolve in all areas.
The downside with knowing a lot about what you're going to study is that it's going to be really boring at first. I had pretty big problems with motivation at the beginning because it was simply so boring to watch and listen to an instructor doing a guitar or a boxy room etc.
Anyway, I think studying 3D can be a good choice not just in order to get a degree but keep you focused. I know it helped me.
Small update, been lazy getting back from Uni. Pushing myself back into it again though.
[IMG]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/26739117/3d/kousei/skillet.png[/IMG]
something i'll add is make sure to learn as much of the technical side as you can. as a simple example: it's important to understand just how rays are cast and such to be able to do your job well. you never know what someone will throw at you. once i had to work on a project of converting from some obscure CAD-like format to something we could throw in Unity. Took a lot of technical understanding to create a simple enough conversion process.
[QUOTE=ben_lind;36113250]I agree with both Logithx and Ajacks. The importance of official education in the field varies a lot from country to country. In my opinion the importance of a good portfolio should never be underestimated wether you have a degree or not.
I'm currently studying 3d-animation and -visualization in Finland.
I had a few years experience in 3D before getting there though. Everything I did before was very scattered and I hardly finished any projects.
I knew a lot about 3D but I had a hard time focusing on one thing at a time. Going to school helps a lot with that. Even though I might not have learned so much about the basic stuff of 3D I've learned a lot by getting critique and keeping focus and that has helped me evolve in all areas.
The downside with knowing a lot about what you're going to study is that it's going to be really boring at first. I had pretty big problems with motivation at the beginning because it was simply so boring to watch and listen to an instructor doing a guitar or a boxy room etc.
Anyway, I think studying 3D can be a good choice not just in order to get a degree but keep you focused. I know it helped me.[/QUOTE]
That's basically why I have decided to go to school. I'm pretty terrible at focusing. Having some real structure should help me immensely.
[QUOTE=Ajacks;36112495]I hole hardheartedly believe that everyone who can should go to college degree if they can. I know a ton of people who have gotten jobs in the industry without a degree but they just become a grunt worker most of the time. Without a degree you are a less valuable employee because an actual bachelors degree, not a trade-school diploma, means that you are more rounded in your education and not stuck completely in your discipline. I decided to get my BFA in 3D Design rather than a specific '3D Modeling' degree because I will be a much more rounded artist. I am choosing to go on through school and get my MFA so that I can chose to more easily go back to school down the line to get a doctorate to teach.
In my opinion do not waste your money with tradeschools, instead get a general degree in the field you are interested while pursuing the construction of a good portfolio at the same time.[/QUOTE]
Though I agree with you on most terms, I have to disagree about becoming very rounded.
When I was at Animex we kinda interrogated the speakers, and we figured out that many of the businesses won't really pay attention to you if you're an all-around artist, but rather if you specify your area of expertise down to e.g. Animation, sculpting and modeling, concept and texturing. etc. etc..
You will have a much more solid portfolio because they would know where to put you instead of going: "Uuuuuhh..... Wtf do we do with this guy"
Except if you're like Ajacks, and have done a lot of different areas and become really good at them.
But generally I would recommend specifying your area of expertise.. Me e.g... I'm gonna become an animator.
[QUOTE=ben_lind;36113250]I agree with both Logithx and Ajacks. The importance of official education in the field varies a lot from country to country. In my opinion the importance of a good portfolio should never be underestimated wether you have a degree or not.
I'm currently studying 3d-animation and -visualization in Finland.
I had a few years experience in 3D before getting there though. Everything I did before was very scattered and I hardly finished any projects.
I knew a lot about 3D but I had a hard time focusing on one thing at a time. Going to school helps a lot with that. Even though I might not have learned so much about the basic stuff of 3D I've learned a lot by getting critique and keeping focus and that has helped me evolve in all areas.
The downside with knowing a lot about what you're going to study is that it's going to be really boring at first. I had pretty big problems with motivation at the beginning because it was simply so boring to watch and listen to an instructor doing a guitar or a boxy room etc.
Anyway, I think studying 3D can be a good choice not just in order to get a degree but keep you focused. I know it helped me.[/QUOTE]
Here's a link to a discussion about the whole 'degree vs portfolio' thing, you'll get to hear from both sides:
[url]http://dev.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=64763[/url]
Also useful:
[url]http://wiki.polycount.com/NateWhitePortfolioAdvice[/url]
My general hope is that by the time I actually get to study in 3d I will be good enough to already show for, it's why I am investing myself in uving, general modeling, textureing, sculpting and topography studies. I have been doing 3d for maybe 4 years now on and off but never really was devoted to it till around 11 months ago.
I posted about this issue last page but although I got some replies, nothing worked so I'll try asking again in case someone else might know a fix for this:
In Blender Cycles (2.62) I have a scene where I want fluids to come into play eventually. I want to set my domain to bake the fluid simulation starting from frame 301, however by default the baking process will disregard whatever frame you set the start of the animation playback to, and instead bake the fluid simulation from frame one. This obviously doesn't go well with me because I need the fluids to start pouring when a certain object enters the domain area, which is at around 280.
Blender has an "offset" feature for loading a baked simulation, but I believe this works as if the baking is still done from frame 1 but it simply lets you adjust where on the timeline the bake actually plays from, this doesn't work because I need the bake to start from 300 so the necessary object I need in the domain is actually in the domain. Someone suggested last page to use keyframes with me inflow, and as such I have two keyframes on the "object contributes to the fluid simulation tickbox: On frame 300 where it is ticked off (and all previous frames are not ticked as a result but have green boxes, this one has a yellow box). I have another one on frame 301 where the box is yellow but is ticked, and all frames after that have the box ticked and green. This still doesn't work though, baking does not cause any fluid simulation to appear at all anywhere on the timeline.
Anyone got any ideas, or have I done something wrong?
I've read through this whole thread over the last hour or so to find some inspiration to get into 3d modelling again, and I feel the need to comment on how incredible some of the stuff posted in this thread is, especially the stuff posted by Scotchair (That animation was brilliant - it had everything I'd expect to see in a Pixar short).
[img]http://i.imgur.com/3n8Qv.jpg[/img]
Now to clean up the topology around the edges, make it fit properly, then move it to Mudbox for some creasing.
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