Introduction
Assignment 2 for the 3D Literacy module is titled ‘Intro to Organic Modelling’. For this assignment, I am to create a cute character as a 3D model without exceeding a 40000 Polygon. I am required to model, sculpt and texture the character and then upload him to SketchFab. A Blog page (this one) will be created showing my progress on this task and both must be completed and uploaded to Blackboard by the end of the day for May 16th.
Beginning Drawings
Before I started any 3D modelling, I drew up a design for my cute creature. Because of my tastes, this design would be adorable, but have rougher, natural elements so it would look like it had a purpose in the real world e.g: armoured legs, eyes, made of hexs, uneven main body shape. The design would also lend itself to easy redesign, in case the bug’s front legs needed to be bigger than the back. The colours are interchangeable based on what Substance Painter can do, but it represents the bug having natural patterns.
Blender
The first place I would start creating my 3D model is in a program known as Blender. The reason I chose Blender and not Maya, is whilst Maya is he better all round tool Blender is more effective when it comes to modelling in general. I started by creating the general body shape moving forward to the head and its detail, then completing the creatures four legs. Whilst going through this process I also deleted elements of the textures that would not be seen in order to decrease mu polygon count. Additionally I cut a hole in the head of the creature and moulded its shape for the tongue to be inserted. I doing this I played close attention to details such as having the leg plating use less polygons to greater reflect the creatures toughness. Once the modelling was complete I saved it and following a one to one session with Michael exported it to Maya.
Once the modelling was completed I would export the work as a fbx file. The reason why it a compatapile file type with all other 3d softwares, making it easy to switch the project to whatever program I needed at the time.
Returning to fix base on feedback
After a feedback session with Michael, I went back to my model bug in Blender and organically remodelled my four legs using the organic modelling tools. Michael then taught me how to use the tools, to deform the mesh stretching and warping most of the polygons in order to make the legs more fleshly. I even warped both ends of the legs to show how it connects to the body and armoured plates.
Maya
In a new Maya project, I uploaded the fbx file of my bug from Blender. After checking over the model and replacing the polygon that broke during the translation I set to work creating and sorting out the UVs. I first made multiple material layers (with types from Binn, Lambert, Stander Surfaces) for each element type of my bug, i.e: flesh, tongue, armored legs, head and body, eyes, eye rings and head tails. These materials would then be applied to their appropriate location on the bug model. I would then generate camera based UVs for my whole model. I use camera based UVs because it is easier to identify the area of the shape I am working with. I would then cut each UV on their side and unfold the maps. This would allow me to texture both sides independently. After sorting all UVs into a single square, I export the fbx file and open a new Substance Painter file.
Substance Painter
Substance Painter is where I would apply the final textures for the model. The program is dedicated to the texturing of premade 3D models and can render additional effects and elements like bumps, cracks and imprinted patterns. Because I already sorted out both the layers and UV mapping in Maya, it made it very easy to apply each of the materials to their place in the model without any overspill or other unintended side effects i.e. two UVs layered over each other causing both the leg’s shells and eye to be painted at the same time with the same colour. I painted the model manually with the exception of the eyes which were done by the fill tool. The marks on the body are not the same as in the concept art, but that was not my intention. Those marks only exist to indicate that the bug had marks on its body. After the main colours were added (like the meat of the legs) I’m happy with how that turned out. Finally I added small stones to the model in random places. This helped give the model a rugged look and that the bug had been running around in a forest looking for scraps to eat.
Sketchfab
Once the model was completed, I exported the final version as a fbx file (containing the model and several PNG files individual textures) and opened up my Sketchfab account. I uploaded the model to the website and went into the setting to adjust the lighting and reapply the textures. I used a previous Sketchfab model to make sure each texture file went into the right place (i.e. Metalness = Metallic, Base Colour = Base). Once I was happy with the result, I saved my work, and uploaded the link to Backboard.
What went well ?
I really enjoyed 3D modelling. Even when the UV mapping can be challenging to deal with, I can enjoy solving the issues like a old puzzle, i.e: trying to fit the puzzle pieces together. While I love both forms of animation, because the computer can assist you in different ways, I find 3D modeling and animation is more relaxing to work on. I really liked how the overall model turned out. It was fun and relaxing to create and it was easy to change elements of the design if I felt it looked better for the model. I also loved that I used more of the program’s tools than ever before. One problem I had with my last 3D course in a previous college, was I never felt I knew enough tools and programs to carry out satisfactory work of a sufficient standard to apply for a job in a 3D company. Now, I have used Maya, Blender and Substance Painter as programs, and also utilised tools like:
- Modelling tab
- UV cut & unfold
- Texture layers
- Roughness
- Graph Editor
What could have been improved/ What are the problems I faced ?
Coding for 3D programs can sometimes be unstable. A good example of this is how I need to replaced the head of my model in Maya, because Substance Painter for some reason keep loading it inside out. This also meant the eyes and head tails had to be adjusted to fit the new shape. The new head is good but it is not as accurate in resembling a creature built for the wild environments. l preferred the old head but that’s only a small nitpick. The two legs went though the same problem as the head. However it was easily solved by copying and pasting the two legs from the other side (which did work) and reattach them to replaced the broken ones. The model isn’t as smooth as I would have liked, but smoothing the body would easily have put me over the Polygon limit, so I had to be satisfied with that.
Conclusion.
Overall, I am really happy with how the model turned out, and through delivering this project I feel more comfortable about my future in the working world. Before starting the project I was not sure my skills set were good enough last year to work on projects for companies such as the BBC or Cartoon Network. Whilst they were not bad, I always felt there was some essential knowledge missing. This course, and projects like this one have helped reassure me on this issue. I now know how to organically model my designs, applying textures with various degrees of roughness in Substance Painter, while adding effects such as cracks to a shell or bumps in the head. The final result is a model that looks like it could be from a late 2000/early 2010 CGI show like Star Wars the Clone Wars or Iron Man Armoured Adventures. I am also happy with how the final model keeps to the requirement of a cute character, while adding my own take of enhanced realism to make the bug look more like something that could work in the real word.
Final Model on SketchFab: