Modeling Fundamentals

The C3dC Maya 2016 Prefs are the hotkeys/scripts and default prefs that are automatically setup and ready to go. Increase speed and workflow with this handy pack of mods for Maya compatible with all operating systems. Install is easy, unzip the folder and replace your current preferences. A full hotkey list is found here too.

Learn how to block characters in one hour on this overview page which breaks down how to simplify complex characters into simple shapes. Learn how and why it’s good to do this in Maya and repeat the exercise as many as 50 times to build an eye for three dimensional form. A 15 min timelapse shows the process on a character with detailed notes. (Part 1 of 2)

A Maya overview of navigation, creation and handling of objects, vertices, edges and faces. These are the foundations of polygon modeling. We’ll cover these area in depth and explore various methods for handling objects and components, moving them around and duplicate/instancing.

Get to know the polygon tools that cut merge and combine objects. We’ll cover extrude, bevel, bridge, mirroring, quad draw, history and basic sub division surfaces. All the core tools in the Maya polygon modelers toolkit are here. Very powerful stuff this page is a foundational page for later classes.

This page explores two methods for roughing out polygon SubD models in Maya. Box Modeling and Primitive modeling. Primitive modeling allows the student more artistic freedom and speed but will require extra work joining models later. Box modeling can build finished models quickly but at the expense of clean forms. Image plane creation covered too.

How to correctly connect objects together. This class explores connecting objects together with subdivision topology. We’ll be using bridge and quad draw techniques for connecting with good quad flow and a minimum of artefacts. We’ll also be exploring some topology ideas here too, such as when and where to use quads. And some manual smoothing and tweaking methods for organic surfaces that don’t have guide meshes.

We go through a time-lapse of an entire character being built in polygons to final with commentary. We’ll go through every step using all the techniques learned so far. Areas of particular interest we’ll slow down the footage and explain thoroughly. The page features four videos each covering about 1hr of actual modeling time compressed into roughly 15 mins. We’ll go through the block all the way through to finishing all the annoying details.

Creating clean bug free models in Maya. This page will go through cleaning models and checking for various issues with meshes that can affect rigging and export. Symmetry, nonmanifold, lamina faces, interior vertex, bugs, vertex and face normals, obj export among various other topics are explained.

The fundamentals of unwrapping objects in Maya. We’ll look at how UVs work like unfolding origami or clothes patterns. How we can pick seams and then let maya do the majority of the work with it’s automatic unfold feature. We’ll see how the UV editor works, projection types, some handy visualisers and marking menus for quick unwrap workflows.