Skills

MAYA

First introduction to MAYA. Exploring and coming to grips with all the different tools used to make 3D shapes.

Fruit bowl



This is my fruit bowl 3D model being made on digitally on MAYA. Using a refence image of a bowl which was put in place with a free image plane. It was centered to the middle of the grid (0.0). To start the construction of my bowl i traced one edge using a cp tool to create a curbed edge. Then clicked resolve to rotate the line ship round to create the shape of the bowl. Once this is done I converted the NURBS to polygons as NURBS cannot be used in games design and cannot be UV. To create the dip iside the bowl, the top face was deleted by selecting faces in the side menu then selecting each face and clicking the backspace button on the keyboard to delete. Once done, then the rest of the bowl shape was duplicated  to create a bowl on the inside to give shape and form of the inside of the bowl. The new bowl now iside the othere bowl at 0 coordinates was mesured by using the scale tool found on the left side menu to make it fit comfortably iside the outer bowl. Once this was done we revered the side the information was on to show the inside of the bowl. Next I link both of them together as one item and then create the rim by double clicking both edges when on the edges selection tool clicking both edges on the side of each bowl and click bridge which will come up in the right hand side menu. The aim of the bowl was to make it as real as a representation as possible. The problem encountered with doing the bowl was doing each step constructing the bowl and using the tools properly without messing up the initial shape of the bowl. The issues came across was resolved by asking for assistance and guidence to help learn how to use the tools properly without making mistakes in the process. I am pleased with the outcome, despite my few difficulties the bowl has a good shape and a distinguised rim.

Dice project on Maya



To create the dice digitally, I needed to go onto MAYA and select a polygon cube to start with. Once this was done I used the UV editor and saved it into the images folder inside the dice MAYA project folder.To then add the detail to the now saved net it was opened onto photoshop within the U and the V axis to be edited and painted digitaly. 3 layers was needed to be created. One normal, one colour and one specular layer which are shown below. If I was to do this differently I would have noted down the varies steps used in producing all the 3 different layers for future reference to enable the productivity to be more time efficient. The problems encountered was to create the normal and specular map of the dice. This was resovled from one of the tutors assisting me and showing me the steps in order to take to get the completed result. I am dissipointed with the outcome as the dice is not currently very detailed and the process into creating it was not time efficient. In order to change this in the future notes will be taken and the steps will be practised for a better outcome.

This is a digital coloured 2D net of my dice that was constructed in photoshop using a soft brush at 100% opacity so the coulour was full and virbant. To create the straight lines I held down alt the draged across the graphix pad with my pen to create the straight lines using different colours for the different sides of my dice, then painted the inside square to give each side a full blast of eye capturing colour. Then using the same brush but with a dark colour such as black I painted black circles to represent the numbered dots on each side of the dice. If i was to do something differently next time around i would add more detail to the dice to make it look more worn and used to add more detail and character to the dice. I am quite pleased with this coloured dice net as it is bright, vibrant and colourful in too often a dull word.

This is my digital 2D normal dice net that was constructed from photoshop. The purpose of this net is to give the 3D definition to the cirulour dots that make up the numbers on each side of the dice. This net was constrcuted from the same net above it, then going onto a new layer and clicking filter, then 3D and normal map to get this effect of the indentations of the dots int the dice. I did encounter a problem in which i did not understand the process and how this was done, but was quickly resolved by recieving some guidence on the steps needed to produce this net. I am please with the outcome, although not very detailed it will help make my dice look more realistic.

This is my 2D specular dice net that was constructed in phtoshop. The process before creating this net is the same as the 2D colour dice net. To get this net a new layer was made and named specular net. Then Ctrl + U was clicked symeltainiously on the keyboard to get setting to change the saturation of this net down to 0% to take away the bright colour saturation seen in the colour dice net to create this black and white specular dice net. The purpose of this net is to create the shinyness seen when looking at a dice. At the beggining of doing this net i had difficulty understanding what to do, but once again was solved with a little guidence in what to do to produce this net. Overall I am happy with the standard of this net and has worked well in creating the shiny effect on the dice once it was placed on.



This is the completed dice with the specular, normal and colour nets on it. It is a 3D dice done digitally on MAYA to practise UVing and applying them onto the 3D object in MAYA. It has a slightly abstract feel to it as it doesnt look worn and due to its unnusual colouring. On MAYA a poygon cube was used. To add the nets i had to go onto add material attributes then add all 3 different layers to give the number dots on the side some 3D depth and the shinny effect seen  to apply them onto the dice. To edit the net it had to be done on photoshop to add the colour, normal and specular layers to the dice. If i was to do something differently this time I would create more intricut design and detail to the dice. The only problem encountered was trying to add the 3 different nets to the dice as i could not quite remember how to do this. To resolve this i asked for assistance to help me refresh my brain on how to do it and it was sorted within 5 minuetes. overall i am happy with the outcome as it has turned out well, I would just add most detail to make it look more worn next time.

This is a video clip of me starting to render out my 3D dice on Maya. Once open on Maya I click on render and then render settings to start rendering my dice. I want to make sure my file is a targa (tga) and adjust the frame settings to 3 and change the number of the end frame to the amount of frames I have used which is 400. I checked to make sure the quality was about average/medium. Once that was done i closed the render window and went back onto maya and then went onto batch render, checked all the settings and click batch render and close. Once this was done i went and checked they was rendering and saving each frame in the right place. I had issues understanding the steps and so was guided with assistance to solve the issue and help me understand the process better. So far i am pleased with the outcome of this as this process will soon create my animation which I will be quite proud of when completed due to some of my struggles and overcoming them. This piece will eventually be transformed into an animation.

Tap project on MAYA

 

After going on project window then set project, i inserted a free image plane and went onto attribute editor to insert a jpeg image into thr free image plane that i had previously saved into my source image folder within my tap project folder. The next step was to ensure the free image plane was centre of my grid. To do this I tapped space which then gives you 4 views (top/side) and then used that whilst i had my free image plane selected, using the move tool to adjust it to the centre of my grid accordingly. Now that my free image plane is set I inserted a cube and positioned it centre to the bottom part of the tap and adjusted its size by selcting a face at a time and using the move tool to adjust it ti fit just inside the free image plane as seen above.

As seen from above the tap has a few more surfaces. These was created seperatly using the same technique. To do this I used the moddeling toolkit and clicked on 'select face', I then come back to my model and select a singular face, go over to my modelling toolkit and click 'extrude'. This the gives me arrows in which i can then click, hold then pul out to extrude from the selected face without distroting the previous shape. Then if i need to adjust the size on the face of the shape that can be seen from where i extruded, I click a little box at the end of the arrow that is used to pull out and extrude from the face of the shape to give me another little box inside all the directional arrows that allow me to resize the face that is still selected to fit inside of the outline of my tap image seen inside my free plane image. I wouldn't do anything differently and i did not encounter any problems during this stage. I am happy with the outcome as the shape fits fairly well inside the tap.



Once again as seen from above there is more shape, the process to do this is the same proces that is explanied above about extruding a face surface. The purpose of this screen shot is to show a step by step as to how i constructed the tap bit by bit to show it's progression and development and also that i have added a curve. To get the curve seen above I used the ep curve tool and created a curve in the middle of the tap image of where the water comes out the tap. To do this i selected the ep curve tool in the in the curbs/surfaces menu located in the top bar. I then change my view so it stays central of my free plane image, to do this, i press space which opens up different views (front/side view) hover the mouse over the one i needed and pressed space again. I then started using my ep tool from the face of my partly constructed tap and dotted round by clicking bit by bit as the curve in the tap goes round until i reach the end of my template and finish it off there and pressed Q to quit so it was set.  I wouldn't do anything differently and i did not encounter any problems during this stage. I am happy with the outcome as the shape fits fairly well inside the tap.

The progression from my last screanshot was to do the part of the tap that the water comes out of. To do this, I hover the mouse over the face that has the curve coming from it, right click and hold a little menu will come up around your mouse. Drag the mouse over face while still holding right click, a list should then come up, hover over select then let go of right click and the face yout mouse was once over should be selected. Press and hold shift on the keyboard, then select the curve. Now the face the and the curve should be selected. Go into modelling toolkit and click on extrude. Now the shape will not have a curvatur in it yet but a little box should pop up on the screen that has a little list, on that list is divisions, hover over that and click, then slide across until you have added divisions, make sure the divisions don't overlap onto the surface of where the first cube was placed as it will cause problems by interfering with the information. Then press Q on the keyboard to quit and you have the curvatur of your tap for water to come out of. I wouldn't do anything differently and i encountered an issue trying to remember how to use the curve to extrude out my tap, this was quickly discussed and I was briefly reminded and managed to continue on with my work. I am happy with the outcome as the shape fits fairly well inside the tap so far.



Creating the head of the tap where you turn for the water. After extruding the faces up which i have explaned before in detail on a previous screenshot, I select all the faces around the rim of where the tap head should extrude out, to do this I click on faces in the modelling toolkit, hold shift on the keyboard and select all the faces going round (only four faces in total), then click extrude which is found in the modelling toolkit, a little box will come up on the screen. You want to go to that little box that has a little menu on it and go to keep faces together and turn it off. This means I can extrude the faces without them sticking together. Then using the arrows that will be dispalyed, extrude the polygon out extruding it until the shape in the template changes. The press G on the keyboard to repeat this action and extrude out again, except this time I click a little coloured box that is seen at the end of the arrow i extruded from which then puts a little box in the middle of all the arrows that will resize the face that has been pulled out. I adjust the size to fit inside the templete. I then click G on the keyboard again to repeat action and follow the same steps to construct the head of the tap. I wouldn't do anything differently and i did not encounter any problems during this stage although I was wondering how I could do the tap head efficiently without doing each face seperatly. I spoke to my tutor and he showed my the steps to do them simultainiously and then I had ago at doing it myself with no difficulties.. I am happy with the outcome and i feel my skills have developed quite well since when i first started using Maya.

This is my completed tap but now in smooth, to Show smooth I simply clicked on the number 3 on the keyboard which smooths out the shape instead of being more box like in shape with its edges and verteces. If i want to take the smooth effect of I simply clicl 1 on the keyoard and goes back. I wouldn't change any of the processes done when construction this tap and any issues was quickly delt with by speaking with my tutor for guidence to ensure effeciency when moddeling my work. I am pleased with the overall outcome, I did not think I would of been able to develop anything like this before.

 

Buidling project on Maya

This is the building project on Maya that i am trying to recreate using the tools on maya to create the signs, buildings, benches, doors and any details seen withing the above image.



Step one

This is the construction of the sign in the above image. The base was constructed using a polygon cube, to adjuct the shape and flate it I used the multitool kit and selected face so i can select a singular face which was at the top of the cube, then used the move tool with the face selected and lowered the face down to create a more slimer surface. Then I selected a polygon cylinder adjusted the size using the scale tool found on the tool bar on the left down the side of the screen. Once adjusted to a sixe i was happy with I pressed Q on the keyboard to quit. To create the pole I got a cylinder from the polgon menu, I resized it and made it slimmer and longer, i did the same for the bar that goes across where two signs hang of of. To create the top of the sign I went onto the curbs/surfaces menu (Nurbs) and selected the Ep tool, I kept refering back to my garage image as I consructed half the shape outline with the Ep curve tool. Once I had done half, I pressed Q to quit on the keyboard. I selected the curve again and clicked Ctrl and D together to duplicate to create the other half of the shape, I then wernt onto channel box layer editor menu and went onto scae X and change it to -1 which flips the curve to mirror the other curve. I slect one half then hald shift to slect the other half, go onto the curves/surfaces menu, go across the menu bar and click on loft, which joins the to shapes and fills it in, in the middle. I then click on modify, scroll down to convert and then click on the little box next to what says Nurbs to Polygons in the menu. A settings box will come up and the settings get changed from nurbs to standard and quads then adjust the amount of polygons used, this took a couple of tries until i Got the final polygon I was happy with for my sign.There is nothing I would do differently. I did have problems constructing the top of the sign as I wasn't sure how to go about it, my tutor discussed and guided me through the process with creating the sign with the ep tool. I am happy overall with the quality as in my opinion it resembles the sign quite well.

Step 2

To start creating the garage/gas station i got a polygon cube, clicked on the resizing tool to make it bigger by using the block in the middle of the tool to resize it evenly. To make the roof, I got another polygon cube, went onto my modelling toolkit after resizing it to be larger, I clicked on the edges tool which means I can select an edge. I selected an edge using this tool and the used the move tool to move that edge so it is alined with the other edge of the cube. Now the edges where overlaping I selected the edge again(selecting both of them simutainiously I centered the point to make the roof. Going back to my modelling toolkit, I selected the move tool, place it on top of my cube and then used the resizing tool to adjust the width and length to match the garage/gas station in the image.

Step 3

To add the pilars to the basic shape of the garage, I got a polygon cube, rezised it to be thing and made it longer using the resizing tool. I then moved it under the roof and adjusted the length until it match the bottom of the grid with the garage. I then selected the pole again and pressed Ctrl and D on the keyboard to duplicate the pilars and movced the other pillar down using the move tool. To create the pumps, I slected a polygon cylinder, which again i resized with the size adjusting tool. I then went over to my modelling toolkit and selected the face tool. I selected the top face, went back over to my modelling toolkit and clicked extrude. Uising the directional arrows I pulled it up until i was happy with the hieght and went back over to my menu where i would select the resize tool to resize the face that is still selected. Using the middle block within the tool to even downsize the top so the cylinder narrows as it goes upwards./To then create the pump bit on top, I got another polygon cylinder from my menu, resized it with the resizing tool to elongate and change the width to match the size comparison to the image, then added it ontop. I then went to my modelling toolkit to change to select all, slected the base and the top cylinder. Went back to my modelling toolkit menu and cliked on combine so they was all one model.To add the top once again I got a polygon cylinder from the top menu and resized it with the rezinging tool and spuished it down a little bit to make it more flatter but with some depth to show the edges, i then rotated it with another tool until the cylinder was horizontal. I then moved it using the move tool and placed it on top of my pump. once happy with the size I selected the pump and the new cylinder, went to my modelling toolkit and clicked on combine to join them all together.



Step 4

Creating the gas cylinders highlighted above. I selected a polygon cylinder from the polygons menu, used the move tool so I could elevate it higher, then used the scale tool and selected the coloured cube inside the tool to make it larger and scale it equally. My next step was to select the faces only on the modelling toolkit menu and select all the faces at the top of the cylinder and clicked extrude, using the arrows I uxtruded upwards and the use the scale tool to scale down the top face to start buliding up the shape of the gas cylinders. I then repeated this by extruding from the face again clicking extrude and using the directional arrows to adjust the hieght of the next extrusion and then using the scale tool again to scale outwards this time to create the whole shape of the cylinder.



Step 5

Creating the fridge highlighted above. Going onto the polygon menu, i selected a cube. To make a more elongated shape I used the scale tool to make the shape more rectangular in shape. To make the base supports I went onto the polygone shape selection and selected a plane. Using the scale tool I scaled it up and then selected the face tool and started refering to my reference image, then started selecting faces to delete to create a simalr shape. Once selected, I hit the backspace button on the keyboard to delete. Using the vertex selection I then individually clicked on the outline vertecies to smooth the shape and give it a smoother arch. Once done I place the support by the cube and scale it to match the lenght and adjusted the hieght using the scale tool. Once happy, I used ctrl and D on the keyboard to duplicate the support, doing this twice and using the move and rotate tool to adjust it accordingly to line up and be in the right position. Then selected the whole thing and clicked combine in the modelling toolkit.



Step 6

Creating the bench part one as seen above. To create the back panel I selected a polygon plane, move it with the move tool using the arrows and the using the rotate tool so it was facing upright towards me on the screen the resized it using the scale tool to make it bigger in shape and then elongated it. To start creating the shape on the back part of the bench, I refered to my reference image of the garage, then started selecting faces with the face tool, mirroring each other so it is symetrical. The using the vertex selection tool found in the modelling toolkit. I selected different vertices to smooth out the shape more and then I pressed Q to quit.


Step 7

To make the seating part of the bench as seen above. I selected a polygon plane, used the scale tool to enlarge it equally, then used the same tool to scale it out to give it more length. My first step was to create the different slates. To do this I selected the face tool and selected faces going along the shape, missing the end faces and ones in between, then using the backspace button on the keyboard to delete the selected faces. My next step was to extrude the plane so there was information on both sides. I went onto object mode and then selected extrude, using the arrows I pulled the face up and then the shape had some depth to it. My next step was using the move tool to align it next to the back panel of the bench and used the scale tool to adjust the size accordingly so they was both equal length and the seating area didn't stick out too far.


Step 8

To make the legs of the bench. I selected a polygon plane, used the scale tool to enlarge it equally, then used the same tool to scale it out to give it more length. My first step was to construct the shape. To do this I selected the face tool and selected faces going around the shape, then using the backspace button on the keyboard to delete the selected faces. My next step was to extrude the plane so there was information on both sides. I went onto object mode and then selected extrude, using the arrows I pulled the face up and then the shape had some depth to it. Then using Ctrl and D to duplicate it. I did this process twice, in order to get two separate shapes as the front legs are different from the back legs.


Step 9

Putting the bench together and placing it. After doing all four legs, I aligned them with the seating part of the bench using the move tool and using the scale tool to adjust the size and length accordingly to replicate the bench in the image. Once everything Is appropriately placed on the bench, I select all 5 different components to the bench and click combine in the modelling toolkit. Once done, I used the move toll to carefully place it at the front of the building and used the scale tool to adjust the size accordingly.