3D Graphics
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[edit] 3D Graphics
Preface
This book is intended for people wanting to become good artists with three dimensional computer graphics programs. To accomplish that goal this book will not use program specific instructions. Thus it will not become a tutorial for simple tasks with some software. It will focus on the different processes used to create art, and improving the quality and speed of the work. This book intends to separate the goal of the final creation into its sub-goals and focus heavily on each step.
Editors: Do not add software specific instructions or details in this text. This way it will keep a timeless quality for all artists.
[edit] Step 1: Observation
The first step is to observe what you are trying to create. You must carefully note the details and how they could be reproduced in your software.
Important things to note
For modeling 1. The corners of the subject 2. Sharper curves, and smoother areas of the object 3. Proportions For materials 1. color 2. texture 3. reflectiveness 4. transparency 5. etc... For lighting 1. source(s) 2. placement 3. direction 4. dispersal For animating 1. How the subject moves 2. How the body acts, surroundings act, and interaction of body and surroundings
You must note everything you plan to create in your art. The recreation of each of these sections will be a major task in any software. Taking notes (On paper) of all of the details you need now will speed up the work when you start using your software.
Observations for modeling
The surfaces and corners of things with 90 degree angles are easy to remember, however up close there could be more detail. For the more complicated things write or draw specifics about the subject. Trying to model a bicycle wheel without looking at one would be nearly impossible if you didn't know the spokes are tangent to the axle connection and go in the opposite direction on the other side.
An organic subject's curves often have varying degrees of sharpness. Where there is a sharper curve, there will probably need to be more detail added to that area in the modeling phase. The position and direction of curves will also be of utmost importance during the modeling phase.
Proportions of the subject are important to confirm that the model looks accurate and and real. They can be used during the modeling process and/or after for final corrections.
Observations for materials
Observations for lighting
Observations for animating
[edit] The Modeling Process
There are many different ways of going about creating your models, each with it's own pros and cons. For the artist to become more efficient in this step they need to know the different methods available with their advantages and disadvantages. Consider your subject and which method would be the most appropriate for the situation
Subsurface modeling
Using subsurface is ideal for subjects that have symmetrical levels of detail. On the contrast a human head needs much more detail on the face and ears, but very little elsewhere. This uneven detail starts to make the model's wire frame look messy, and uses triangles to make up for the seams with the difference in the area. While usable, continued deeper levels of subsurface will complicate the model far to much. Thus animating the face could then be a large pain from all the unpredicted triangles.
Box modeling This process of modeling is taken as to be one of the most common method of modeling. Here we take the box as the base object and using modeling tools and techniques we make changes in the shape to get the model done.
