3D Character Modelling Tutorial, please comment
by FruitBatInShades · in Artist Corner · 06/13/2004 (10:47 am) · 10 replies
I am slowly learning to make charcaters in milkshape. I have made a few mistakes and found a few problems. There are a few chracter modelling tutorials out there but none are very detailed or specific.
I want to write a tutorial to help noobs and want you experienced modellers to give me a hand if you don't mind :)
Things I've noticed so far
1. Adding an extra panel at the rear of joints so that the mesh stretching isn't so obvious
2. Characters seem to need to be closed (no open models)
3. Skinning is harder than it looks
Can I ask all you pros to just post the technique or comment that made the most difference to you and your modelling. Any tips or advice gratefully recieved then I shall create a tutorial for newbs.
If anyone can spare me a few minutes a week I'd like to find a few experienced modellers that I could ask questions of on IRC.
I have a plan to create 3 basic models Male and female(Done) and a 4 legged animal base. I have have good sucess so far with taking these basic models and that deforming them into a new character. I can take the base model and create a new character in less than an hour (or three for fancy models)
What does everyone think? Can you offer any modelling tips or advice?
I want to write a tutorial to help noobs and want you experienced modellers to give me a hand if you don't mind :)
Things I've noticed so far
1. Adding an extra panel at the rear of joints so that the mesh stretching isn't so obvious
2. Characters seem to need to be closed (no open models)
3. Skinning is harder than it looks
Can I ask all you pros to just post the technique or comment that made the most difference to you and your modelling. Any tips or advice gratefully recieved then I shall create a tutorial for newbs.
If anyone can spare me a few minutes a week I'd like to find a few experienced modellers that I could ask questions of on IRC.
I have a plan to create 3 basic models Male and female(Done) and a 4 legged animal base. I have have good sucess so far with taking these basic models and that deforming them into a new character. I can take the base model and create a new character in less than an hour (or three for fancy models)
What does everyone think? Can you offer any modelling tips or advice?
#2
06/15/2004 (12:31 am)
Thanks Adam, I will be in touch via email soon :)
#3
06/16/2004 (12:39 pm)
No response via email :( I am having problems with the mesh and moving the shoulders. What is the best way to 'face out' the shoulders?
#4
06/16/2004 (4:57 pm)
This is a great tutorial on modeling. It's not low poly but it's very useful.
#5
06/17/2004 (1:57 am)
Still having real problems with the shoulders, I keep getting faces that fold in half when the arm rotates past 45 degrees! Any ideas?
#6
06/17/2004 (2:25 am)
Triangulate them? I think what your describing is non-planar polygons, if not correct me, but to solve that you either need to make your face planar or turn them into triangles. Planar means all the points of the polygon are along the same plane, non planar is where you have a 4 point poly or more whose vertices are not along the same plane.
#7
06/17/2004 (2:44 am)
Here are a few pics to show how I've got the polys and how they are distorting. I need to keep the poly count low.
#8
To make an arm rotate properly to need to use bones. Then skin/envelope the body to those bones. What this does is smoothly distributes the movement of the vertexes around the areas of the bone joints. After that fine tune by editng the weight of each vertex to each bone. This removes most of the distortion but you will always have some.
If you cant do these things in your program its probably better to use a more suitable program. You can get a free copy of Maya personal learning editon. The more advanced apps may seem overwelming at first but Maya PLE does have some great documentation and starting tutorials. Although, im not sure if the maya exporter tools will work with maya PLE....
for extra tutorials and info on anything and everything 3d goto www.cgtalk.com Theres about 10 years worth of reading material there :)
-Crode
06/17/2004 (3:44 am)
How are you rotating that arm? Also im not sure what app your using. Milkshape is it? I dont know the capabilities of it.To make an arm rotate properly to need to use bones. Then skin/envelope the body to those bones. What this does is smoothly distributes the movement of the vertexes around the areas of the bone joints. After that fine tune by editng the weight of each vertex to each bone. This removes most of the distortion but you will always have some.
If you cant do these things in your program its probably better to use a more suitable program. You can get a free copy of Maya personal learning editon. The more advanced apps may seem overwelming at first but Maya PLE does have some great documentation and starting tutorials. Although, im not sure if the maya exporter tools will work with maya PLE....
for extra tutorials and info on anything and everything 3d goto www.cgtalk.com Theres about 10 years worth of reading material there :)
-Crode
#9
02/18/2008 (6:09 am)
Quote:This is a great tutorial on modeling. It's not low poly but it's very useful.I was wondering if that tutorial could be done using blender as mentioned in the text above.
#10
Blender is not a download option at the site.
The above link www.3dtotal.com/ffa/tutorials/max/joanofarc/joanmenu.asp is for 3Ds Max.
3dtotal.com is where I bought a lightwave PDF of the same tutorial and also had a low poly version of a warrior type.
Still though, sadly there is not a Blender variety.
Another reason I took up using LightWave.
05/10/2008 (9:49 am)
shop.3dtotal.com/index.php?cPath=24&osCsid=abdda80a6a2691c1d5868d5a9bf2d685 3dtotal.com offers that tutorial as 3Ds Max, Maya, and Lightwave .. all in downloadable PDF format per Modeler software you use.Blender is not a download option at the site.
The above link www.3dtotal.com/ffa/tutorials/max/joanofarc/joanmenu.asp is for 3Ds Max.
3dtotal.com is where I bought a lightwave PDF of the same tutorial and also had a low poly version of a warrior type.
Still though, sadly there is not a Blender variety.
Another reason I took up using LightWave.
Torque 3D Owner Adam
Adam deGrandis
After that, I think it would be a GREAT idea to write a special tutorial that really caters to the game art newbie.
The only reason I say to learn a little more is because writing a tutorial before you have hardcore knowledge yourself is sometimes more trouble than its worth. You end up raising more questions than answers about the prcoess.
but please.... DONT LET THE DETRACT YOU FROM AN AMBITION TO SHARE KNOWLEDGE! If you write a tutorial right now and it takes the form of a 1 page prep sheet for beginners, thats still a great thing to have produced.
Final thought: If you have any questions yourself about modeling and the like Lee, feel free to email me and ill do my best to answer.