Modelling and Water Tutorial

I have set myself some tasks to learn about creating asset in Maya and texturing too. I have already modelled a coffee table, and have modelled a lower poly one too. I'm yet to apply a texture to the lower poly model. But it will be applied soon.

I have begun modelling other assets I will need throughout this project also.

As the final piece, I am going back to the animation with the attic, and I am going to create that attic. I will create pieces from that story and create them with the skills I will have gained.

I have taken a tutorial on creating water. I believe I created decent enough water, but not great, so I need to work on that, hence giving myself approximately 2 weeks on it. Though, that may be too much, and I may need some of that time to work on other assets. The rendered images will be uploaded tomorrow.

Polygons vs Textures

I have put my previous idea to one side, and instead have taken up a different project. I am solely going to model and texture, possibly through a time lapse. For example, a weathered rock or a stained/discoloured wall. they would be examples of where textures are in best use.

But sometimes, textures just don't do the job, and I am going to find examples of this, and model them as proof. One I have in mind is aglets, the small piece of plastic or metal you will find on the end of a shoelace. Aglets on a brand new pair of shoes will be clean and tidy. After a while, the lace may start to come out the top of the aglet and sits on top if it, with the lace being dirty. I will try to fin d more examples of this and model them.

Intro to my dissertation

When I first came to university I had wanted to create my own short films, or work for a games development company. I had visions, plans and ideas that I wanted to make visual, and for others to see also. however I already knew what fields I was strong and weak in. Texturing was never my forte, that still never made me abandon my pursuit of making short films, no matter how ambitious they were. I was quite fond of modelling though, but only for object like chairs, lamps, etc.

Since studying at university I have learnt that making my own short films was a definite possibility, whereas for what I wanted to visually see from my mind really is far too ambitious. I am still able to model and animate them if I wish, but I would need help achieving my goals. Learning about feature length animated films has shown me how much goes into the entire production of them. It has made me realise, even though I only want to create short films, I could not do it alone.

Throughout the first two years of my course I noticed I do take a liking to modelling, and now know that is what I would like to take further, although I will need to improve upon my texturing skills. Before I had the ambition to make everything, now I would prefer model, this way I would not have to worry about other elements, such as cameras. During my projects I enjoyed modelling so I know it is what I want to carry on doing.

What I would like to learn is up to date techniques that professionals use in the industry today. I want to know what is the best and most efficient way of modelling my assets. Modelling cloth, water and other materials with different behaviours is something I'd like to learn, helping me become more experienced as a 3D modeller.

By graduation, I would like to confidently say I am a good 3D modeller and texturer, and be an employable 3D modeller.

Synecdoche

Synecdoche is using a part of something to refer to the whole thing (vice versa).

Eg. Referring a car to a set of 'wheels'

Eg. My car is broken (when it could just only be the engine).

Wheels are only a part of the car, but can be used to mean the entire car.

In my project, the painting is the synecdoche. The painting represents the imaginary world the boy has created in his mind. Every time he looks into the canvas, he is seeing his other reality.

Fantasy worlds in other situations

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past released the SNES in 1991 made use of a second world, the Dark World. It threw the protagonist into a dark reflection of his own world. Everything in the light world was mirrored and altered to look differently from it's other world counter-part, where the player would continue his chase on the antagonist.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was also had a second world, via the back of the wardrobe, Narnia. It was a place where only the kids had gone, it wasn't the best fantasy world ever, but it was somewhere they'd found and discovered.

Ghibli's Spirited Away, another film incorporating a fantasy world. There were a lot of strange things in that world which you could tell made it a fantasy place. However, none of these 'other worlds' were created by imagination. None of the characters were so sad that they would have wanted to escape reality either. Chihiro was upset before entering the fantasy world, however it hadn't been an ongoing thing beforehand.

Artist: Lawrence Coulson

Part of my inspiration came from art work from Lawrence Coulson. He paints a huge landscape with people very far in the distance. Sometimes two people, sometimes just one. It makes them look alone, far out from anywhere. As if the nearest person is miles away. I'll be using this as a metaphor for the film, as the child in my film is 'miles away' from reality. Also because of the colours and the scenery, they look like relaxing places, except the one with lightening, which is what the fantasy world will be in the animation.