End of Week Three!

Here we are at the end of week three already! This month has flown by and I am ready for the final week and to put together our scene. I have learned a lot during this class but have struggled as well. Luckily I am able to visit the Google Hangout sessions frequently and talk to classmates if I need to. 

Staple Remover, about 5 hours

This week I modeled another five objects. For the level three projects I had to set up my own image planes but I do not think I did it right because my scale was off when I put the objects next to the ones where the teacher had set up the image planes. I remember there being a class video about image planes so I will need to find that back or ask some of my classmates. 

I spent a lot of time beveling this week, which I thought was a pain in the butt! It would screw up all my vertices so I would have to go back and correct them all. It was not difficult once I got the hang of it but it was time consuming. The beveled edges did make models look a lot better though. I also learned how to properly save my work by freezing my transformations and deleting my history so that Maya does not get bogged down. These tasks help keep my work professional while sharing with others. 

This probably took me around 7 hours, I struggled a lot
 figuring out the metal piece and getting it extruded up.

Another thing I learned this week was how to create my own shelf which is very helpful. I was able to add my most used tasks for quicker access. I also added a couple hot keys so I do not have to go into the menus or shelf. It is very handy to have everything you need right there and not have to search through menus.

I am oddly proud of my little teeth for some reason

Needle nose pliers, about 6 hours

Camshaft, 6 hours

Week Two!

In just two weeks of class I have already learned a lot. I have learned how to utilize block outs to create accurate models. I think it is amazing to see the difference between my simple block outs compared to the models I have created this week. 

Week one block out, roughly 2.5 hours

In week one, I blocked out the teapot asset. I struggled quite a bit trying to get the handle and the spout to look right. Although it was just a block out, it looked very lumpy and all around just pretty awful to me. Since that one was pretty tough for me I chose to revisit it in week 2. I still had some trouble with all the extruding and getting it to look right but I think it turned out pretty well. Most of it is nice and smooth with the exception of a few areas on the spout and handle.

With the block out exercise it helped me to see roughly how many pieces a model may need. I could see where different materials were and where I needed to create edges or if I was able to model it smoothly with one piece. This technique will help me down the road as I continue to model increasingly difficult items so I can see how I need to model the object accurately. 

Week two model, about 5 hours

I also learned the importance of using references for your models. This ensures that you get all the attributes right, such as length, width, or angle. It is also important to use several images, such as a top view, side view, etc. Different viewpoints helps the model look right all the way around. Modeling from just one viewpoint may distort the object or only one side will look well done.  

So far I am happy with my progress and feel that I am catching on fairly quickly. I am pretty proud of the five models I created this week and look forward to creating more complex objects. There is still a lot to learn but I am on the right path!

My five models for Week two, estimated 22 hours of work