After completing the pre-production phase of the parkour level, I moved into the editor to model out and create the entire level. This process came with a number of ups and downs, all of which will be explained in this particular post. As you can probably tell, I spent a fair amount of time modeling this castle level, so much so that it is the only one I was able to finish out of the two I planned. I was fortunate enough to find a castle building asset pack on the Unity Store, practically giving me a giant stone LEGO set to work with. I made use of this and the ProBuilder tool to make the castle my own, complete with hallways and balconies for the player to run along. In terms of modeling, I'm extremely pleased with how it turned out, even more than I expected. Sadly, this is about where the positives start to end. While I was glad with the overall appearance, functionality took a backseat for reasons I cannot explain, mainly the fact that random surfaces are not solid and can be easily walked through. The reason I find this irritating is because I set each and every object with a modifier that makes them solid to walk on. So why don't they all work? My honest answer is this: I just don't know. I was running low on time to work this out in the first place, so I fully plan to work out the bugs after this school quarter ends, and my schoolwork enters a brief reset period as the new quarter begins. This project has yielded many accomplishments and irritations, and I plan to take advantage of each and every on when I find the time. I will finish this level in time for the PBMs.
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As part of our refresher course in 3D modeling, our class was tasked with constructing our own personal buildings through the use of modular design, which is the process of using various units and pieces to create a completed structure. Not only does this technique help limit memory space, it also allows for far more safety nets when creating a structure, as repeated walls and foundations keeps the building within an easy to understand ratio. Now I won't say that my particular building was the most interesting of the bunch, because it's absolutely not. Regardless of its simple nature, I put in the effort to maintain some level of complexity, mainly through the addition of log beams and a porch. As is typical for houses modeled like this, I ended up making each wall a separate element, with a few having windows just to open up the exterior. I did also chose to make the stone base out of multiple pieces, this allowed me to connect it to the stone porch and make and add just another 3D layer to the piece. Beyond that, it comes with plenty of standard house features, mainly an extra chimney on the side, so again, not super out of the ordinary. I did attempt to experiment with wall shapes along the way, but was unable to find something that looked even vaguely good in the time I had to finish it. While I think that the house itself is perfectly fine, I do still find myself to be irritated by the idea that I could have done so much better, which I may have to live with until the next assignment rolls around. I guess this can at least serve as an example until then.
Every time we use a new tool in class, we end up talking about it in some way. So this time, I will be talking about compound objects. Compound objects are the combination of two or more objects to create a single shape, wether it be a hole in a square, or letters attached to a box. The addition of this new tool makes everything so much easier, as I can now make certain shapes in 3 steps instead of 10. The picture above is an example of my favorite among these new tools, which is the Loft tool. Its job is to create a shape out of the characteristics of two others, such as making a cylinder out of a line and circle. But then there's the option to change the direction of that new shape as well, which can be used for a variety of things, such as the trumpet above. This one is my favorite due to how much time it saves me, as making both of those with older techniques would have taken me a week, but instead this took me under half of that time. The next topic is the ProBoolean compound tool, taking the title of most helpful tool. It earns this title due to how it works as many different tools in one. Addition, intercept, attach, you name it. This tool is also a huge timesaver, as it allows for the user to use to create multiple compound objects without having to search for five different tools to use. The picture above is a great use of its various features, as every detail on the fireplace was made using ProBoolean. That ends it for my list, with both of these choices making modeling much easier. Which I will certainly need for the future, as this 3D Modeling stuff definitely won't get any easier.
3D Modeling continues to take up a sizable amount of our assignments, but does seem to become increasingly complicated as well, with the addition of modifiers and material assignments. While my opinion about the topic may not be very different, one thing is, and its that I find it a bit more interesting. The introduction of modifiers makes it so that certain tasks that require a long list of steps, can be preformed by just putting a certain setting in place. Doing this eliminates the need to create multiple shapes in order to make one larger one, which basically sums up the entirety of my first modeling assignment. This is done by adding certain traits to a shape, such as smoothing edges and covering up gaps, which barely sums everything that is available. The image above takes use of texture mapping, so that all of the different shapes aren't just a bunch of simple colors. While this feature doesn't just allow you to put pictures on the shapes, but you can also add smaller features on the shapes, such as small bumps and craters, which are actually on the moon, but are a little difficult to see. One strange thing about mapping is that the way you use it needs to be very specific, by having to move output and input points between certain materials. And doing this can be occasionally tedious with the massive amount of options within a single material. Now that we're further in the 3D Modeling unit (and is not ending anytime soon), I still find this to be quite easy to pick up on. While saying something like that might be invoking the wrath of my teacher, (sorry), I really don't hope that this topic becomes any more difficult, for I'm going to be here, forever.
My class has just begun to get into the basics of 3D modeling, which so far, seems interesting. Most of what we have done so far is creating models through simple shapes, like spheres or boxes. The experience seems, (and I might be getting ahead of myself), a little easy. While the software gets a little more difficult with the introduction of subobjects, enhancing the detail of a model. Such as the image below, which is my first time working with the particular subject. Quite simple so far. (Still ahead of myself). I honestly find the mechanics to also be quite straight-forward, with the tool symbols ACTUALLY looking like what they really do. And working with subobjects is also quite interesting, as well as fun. Going deeper into the certain features for changing a shape is where it gets complicated, because if you have wire-frame mode on while adding sides to a shape, then the screen can get quite cluttered and confusing. The entire setup of the software is familiar to me anyway, since it has many similarities to the setup of some Adobe products. But the variety of tools can make 3DS Max confusing. It covers so many pieces, but can take ages to master all of the tools and techniques. Although, since it has so many tools, it gives you great control over everything, so you could turn a single box into a detailed car. I do genuinely hope this software doesn't drive me crazy, since both Mr.B and students in other classes claims that it gets old quickly, as it will be the main focus for the rest of my school year, as well as the entirety of next year. *sigh*.
Sources: 22Admin22, and About 22Admin22. “3D Max VS Maya - The Pros and Cons of Each Animation Software - The Apple Repair Station- Mac Parts and Apple Repairs Specialist, Business, Education and Home User Support, London.” UK, 3 Feb. 2017, applerepairstation.co.uk/3d-max-vs-maya-the-pros-and-cons-of-each-animation-software/.
iMeshup. “3ds Max: Pros, Cons, Quirks, and Links.” Medium, IMeshup, 13 Sept. 2018, medium.com/imeshup/3ds-max-pros-cons-quirks-and-links-a2a48832dbbe. |
AuthorI have a passion for creating things, and hopefully one day those things will be video games. You can check over on this blog if you wish to see any updates on my work or other subjects. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of the author and do not represent those of Durham School of the Arts or Durham Public Schools.
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