Saturday, 4 February 2012

Mud box Lecture 1

Notes on Mondays lecture;

Topology - study of curves ( for us it will be specifically in the facial features)

You will be marked on everything. Tutors want to see a process of events and attempts, save everything, screenshot everything and try to blog all you attempts be them failed or successful.

Digital modelling is referred to as Polymodelling.

There are two types of sculpture;
Subtractive sculpture - like a marble sculpture where you start with a large block and you sculpt into it removing layers to reveal your design.

Additive sculpture - like a clay sculpture where the sculptor can add extra material and build up from a base form.

In Mudbox you are merely surface sculpting, you are only manipulating the surface layer of a mesh which is one dimensional. Another form of digital sculpting is Volumetric Sculpting which involves 'Voxels' which are volumetric pixels ( pixels which have been given mass)

Quick notes;
Adjust the resolution of the model by subdividing the surface polygons. This also adds in layers of sculpting.

Shift + D = subdivides the surface and goes up a layer ( adding pixels ) and then you use Page Up and Page Down to navigate between the layers.

W toggles the Wire frame visibility.

Make sure you save regularly because the file is large and Mudbox has a habit of crashing when you are using a low end spec computer. You will lose you work if you haven't saved and this happens.

If you pull the geometry too far on Mudbox, when the model is in a low polygon layer or indeed any layer it wont be able to take it and the shape will be heavily distorted. Therefore Mudbox is not the ideal package to use for fantastical sculpts.

Symmetry can be toggled by the 'Mirror X' option in Brush Settings. This allows you to set Mudbox to mirror your sculpting on one side with the other. A great time saver.

You can add layers like in Photoshop but unlike in Photoshop they are linked through a hierarchy. Parent child relationships as seen in Maya. Therefore every change in the base layer will effect the layers below it.

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Robin Silcock

I am a Second Year Games Art and Design student at Norwich University of the Arts. After exploration of a number of roles in my first year, I am now looking to graduate as a 3D Artist with applicable skills in Maya, Mudbox, ZBrush and Photoshop. I understand that my skills in this field are not there yet - but I aim to achieve this goal through consistently working through the programs in my University and Personal Projects. I love to be busy - I have always had a lot of things on my plate since the age of 7 where I successfully balanced school with Ballet, Tap, Horse-Riding, French, Piano and Singing Lessons! In the same fashion, my university schedule is just as hectic and varied; I am a Peer Mentor to first year students, Student Rep for Second Year, and President of the Enterprise Society. Like I said, I love to be busy! I am a Games Hippie - so to speak - I believe that Games if designed and harnessed in the right way, will be able to help solve many of the global issues we have today - even if it starts off in a small way. Just look at the positive effects that Facebook and Twitter have already had... When navigating my blog;
  • Works in Progress - This section is a constantly running account of all my current projects - personal and for university. It will contain reference images and website links and sometimes less than coherent posts, so be prepared!
  • Finished Pieces - This is where you will find my more polished artwork. Looking for help with Maya? Check out the posts tagged "Maya How-To's"