Model Two: Dove

Here is my second model finished and completed. My dove.

The extrude tool and the symmetry tool became very useful in making the dove, it was good praticse before I tried to make my human for my animation. It took a while to get the right shape of the wings, getting the size and shape to fit the body of the dove. The reason I chose to model a dove to go with the flying machine is because I plan to make the birds fly pass the person with the flying machine and contiune you fly into the sun in the sky, placing hope in the pilot before he takes off.

If I was to do the dove again, I would try and make the dove look less like it just came from the TV show, Pingu, and try to get some of the textures to look more realistic.

Camera

We finally get started on using cameras within 3D Max today. Using Ctrl+C to bring up the camera, we got used to positioning the camera in the place that needs to be before looking at the fuction buttons within the careman's viewing, which is done by simily pressing C. By creating a path, you can attact the camera to follow the path created, allowing the animator to make a nice point of view within a rollercoaster or even a person walking ^^.

Animation

Today, We learnt how to animate within 3D Max.Getting used to the auto key and the set key motions used within the frame slider to make movement to the items, such as making things slide across the area, similar to how a motion tween would work in Flash. The time configuration tool is useful as it allows to change the number of frames that appear in the timeline, and to change around the frames per speed, for any fast-slow motion bits. When we got to adding motion to a bouncing ball, we used the curve editor to change the speed of the object that is moving. To make multiple balls bounce at the same time, we used the Dope Sheet to change the levels of each item, so that they move at different paces but start at the same time.

Work In Process...

While applying some textures on my arch building in Milan, as well as thinking of the windows. I've started on my third and final model...a dove.

The bird seems a little easy now that I looked at a few tutorials on making people, I thought I could use the same way for the dove, making the human later on. I started with a symbol box and worked on half of the bird, adding extra parts by using the extrude tool and editing in poly to get the shape before using the symmertry tool to mirror. After checking that everything was in line, I applied the turbosmooth tool, turning the blocks into a more bird like shape. Turbosmooth looked too smooth though so I quickly changed it to Meshsmooth. I'm hoping to get texture to make the bird look more feather like as well as to plan to make the eyes and to change the color of the beak.

Model One: Flying Machine

Here are the screenshots of the finished model of my flying machine.

The frame for the flying machine was easy, just using different shapes such as the cylinders and tube shapes to make the shape. When it came to the wings, I made the leather wing in photoshop before placing it on a plane and using the editable poly to make it look more wing like, before using the line tool to make the frame of the wing. The same method was used for the tail, except, no frame was needed. The only reason I think that it took a while to do was because of having trouble with the wings, other than that, the flying machine can be very quick to make.

Working in process

I have currently been working on two of my three models for the last couple of weeks. One being the Flying machine and one being part of the building structure. I have been having a little trouble with the flying machine and trying to get the wings right on it since I am looking at the orginal sketch of the flying machine instead of the assassin creed's recreation of the flying machine. I should be able to get the wings right soon.

The second model was different to figure out, since just being placed on the program, I still haven't gotten used to its fuctions. But using the Exclude Tool, the cut and bend tool for the arch, and some smoothing, the building is slowly coming together.

This is the first attempt of the wing of the flying machine. As you can see, it is absolutely horrible. It looks too thick, it's hard the model and get in shape...no that it is in good shape anyways. I'm going to try and draw the wing again and use the same technique used for the leaves. Hopely, I can get the wings right.

Lighting

We tried messing around with the lighting today, mainly with shadows, the Onmi light and the target spot light. Onmi light is the light source at that point, so you can use this to create a flame on a candle. to place light on the scene. The Target Light is a spot light as the light is angled into a cone, this would be useful within a lamp or as typical daylight itself.

He is a picture of a pumpkin with the Onmi Light and the Target spotlight. Sadly, I did not make the lovely pumpkin but the Onmi Light is placed in the pumpkin to create the pumpkin's face in the ground while the green light is coming from above the pumpkin.

Textures

Today, we are learning about how to texture an 3D images and how to mess around with the lightning. From looking at the Material Editor, you can easily place images as a material and edit the way they look before applying them on the object that you want, whether it is an a whole object or needing the use of the multi-sub object tool to edit.

After messing around and getting used to the controls, incudings how to rotate the material using editable poly on the side of the shape, I started to try and create a roman like building, since I didn't save my supermarket. Some of the textures that I had picked didn't work at first but this is my first try with using materials, I'll properly need more work on it when the modelling for the coursework begins.

Looking more into the mapping tool, I started to make a leaf. First we quickly edited the leaf in photoshop so that we could create a transparent mask for the leaf when it enters 3D Max. After placing the leaf in and applying the mask so that the white background do not appear, the mapping tool was used to make leaf more reflexable, as the no of lenght and width was increased. Here is what the leaves turned up being.

Mood Boards

After looking at the inventions, I have created three mood boards, one of each invention that I am interested in.

 

From these boards, I'm still liking the idea of the flying machine, though I could achieved the same theme with the parachute and it would be easier to model.