Research & Development for 3D & the Web

Skeletons Start with a completed, untextured character. Never create a joint in Perspective mode. Always use a use Front Side or Top views only. Go to Skeletons > Joint Tool (or locate it on your shelf if you've got a useful custom shelf OR use the "y"key which is the hot key. Once you have finished adding your first joints, hit enter to create a Joint Chain. To add to it, click on the joint you wish to add to and then continue clicking where you want to place the next joint. Torso The Read more [...]

Here I will attempt to describe to process I followed in setting up a First Person Character complete with movement controls and camera control and the throwing(weapon) set up for "Iggy", the main character in a game that I and a group of my classmates created as part of an assessment item in 2nd semester of my 4th year at Queensland University of Technology. Full credits will be added once I have uploaded the game to this site. For now, please refer to the Game Cover image. To start with.... (more Read more [...]

This first section is related to the basics of modelling a 3D character in Maya which is game-ready. Game ready models sacrifice detail (polygons) with the aim of improving the frame rate of your game as your machine does not need to process those extra polygons (in a simplified way of saying it at least). See here for a comprehensive walk through.. or my notes below are a quick-guide. Please note all images from this post come from the tutorial linked here. See the bottom of the page for images Read more [...]

Image planes are very important when modelling something in 3D as it is by far the easiest way to ensure scaling is all correct. Ideally you want the 'turn arounds' of the character or object you are modelling.. I.E. A quick front on sketch, side on sketch and back view sketch (all to scale) similar to this one: To add an Image Plane in Maya, you simply go (in the camera view port you want the image plane to be locked to) 'View' > 'Image Plane' and add one in there. You can also select existing Read more [...]