Why it's so hard to model it?

[Supervlieg]

One way to model it is draw a concept of the model before you start the modelling. This way you can look at the different parts and decide if it's too organic or not. When youre happy with your sketch on paper, start modelling.

If you want it to look mechanical, use lots of references. Take a look around you and look for things that have an interesting robotic shape. These things could be anything, from some kitchen utensils to the gundam robot youve posted. Look at a lot of other designs and try to figure out which parts make em look like a robot.

Then its up to you to model it in the way thats the most comfortable for you.

[dbluewolf]

i might suggest u to go to a toy shop and look at the robots.. touch them, feel them.. sometime it helps.
Although my modelling skill is crap, and i am diong 3d for less than 4 months, but still i think that helps. At least it helped me to touch similar objects and see it from different angle to get a better outlook. And of course as Supervlieg szid, drawing helps a lot. But i guess you already did your drawing.


hope it helps.

[Mizu]

well, to be honest, i'm not good at drawing... i suck when it comes to draw concept sketches, so i though that there is some way to learn to model that kind of stuff, maybe i'll start with this gundam mech.
my 50 minutes work... comments are more than welcome.

http://companydesign.webstudio.com.pl/1.jpg

[ASWDesign]

Hey mate,

I have been moderling a robot, really kinda of the same thing arm pads that come out and a head in the middle...The way i did it wsa make the general shape of the head i dont know what program your using sounds like maya, but whne you have the head dont (NURBS) select the side in Isoparm select a ISOPARM and then go Edit Curves > Duplicate Surface Curves

Now move that over to the side like just a bit, then make the side curves and bi-rail the arms.

Read up on Bi-railing It is like the BEST for robots because you just use existing curves and birrail them create a new shape curves then use it again and you will notice you will get a robot shape.

Also dont just stop moderling because it doesn't look good keep building the robot and then you might find that then you can do the head because you have the rest of the body to look at and make it all fit togeather ;)

ASW

[Mizu]

i'm using 3Dmax, and i dont have any idea of the options you've told me.:)
i dont really know how to make a vireframe for the legs, the muscle-like shape of mech legs... geez, it just kills me

can you post a vireframe of your robot?

thx

[dbluewolf]

wish i could help, but sigh.. i use maya.. sorry :sad:

[Mizu]

well, can't i just use chamfer on edges? i do that, but i have trouble setting my vireframe on some parts. i would be glad if someone post some MECH vireframe, thx:)

[gjpetch]

Looks like you're trying to model this guy as one object. It would definatly be a better idea to build him in pieces.

[maxFX]

Totally agreed with gjpetch you should explode this guy in several parts ( it will make your animating life better i think :) )

Now...you dont have to Meshsmooth the whole thing! You can use smoothgroups! read the manual concerning those useful tools!Those will make your model sharp and smooth at several spots at the same time ;)

I hope this helps!

[CoolDuck_HRO]

.... hmmm, maybe it's becouse i never modeled this kind of stuff?...Of course, the more you do it the better you will become. If you have never modeled a robot before of something similar then of course it would be relatively hard.

I'm a web programmer and when I need to develop a fairly large project, what I do is, I divide the project into several smaller problem areas and code piece by piece. This is the same with modeling, you have to divide the model (at least see it with your eye) into smaller pieces... seeing basic shapes, like drawing.

What ASW_Design means (I think) is modeling the robot with NURBS, drawing out the profile curves of the model... :) Good luck mate and just keep practising...

[Mizu]

thx, i'll be sending updated wersions here for comments:)
it's tough to model that kind of stuff... i like organic shapes more, but you have to try everything i guess:)

[Mizu]

http://www.companydesign.webstudio.com.pl/render1.jpg



ok, i had a long brake, and after that, i modeled this in about 4 days or so(2 days on legs 1 for torso and arms, 1 for hands and overal look). comments are more than welcome:)

PS: reference image is in my first post.

[marconu]

hey man that model is not to bad, i am assuming from the look you haven't used mesh smooth.
if you still strying to get the hard edges, then just add more informnation close to the lines you need to be hard, then it will crease it sharply. the close the information the better. thats all you need to get sharp lines forget the other tools.

[Wiro]

It's looking pretty good now. I'd like to see how it is with meshsmooth on and maybe a wireframe too.
Judging from your first model WIP and the last one I think you've correctly found out that there is no need to model everything as one object.

Take those square things on the front side of the head; you first tried to extrude them directly off the head, making them part of it instead of making them seperate objects (which I think you've done in your second version)
Continue to think this way. Think of how the original model would have been built. Think of all the separate parts and model after that. Don't try to make everything seamless, this is what makes it look organic, especially after a meshsmooth.

Wiro

[DP]

A thing i've learned in the last couple of years, when i tried to model anything on the computer, is how important patience is. Your definitely on the right track. Don't expect someone to reveal a big well kept secret that will enable you to do bad ass modeling, just keep working at it until it looks right. Patience is the key. If you feel your stuck, take a day or two off and do something else, and then go back to it with a fresh look, and start again, the more time you use on it, the better it will look...

I hope this is of some use to you...
keep it up :)

Cheers!

[Mizu]

http://www.companydesign.webstudio.com.pl/r1.jpg
http://www.companydesign.webstudio.com.pl/r2.jpg
http://www.companydesign.webstudio.com.pl/wire.JPG


ok, i mesh smoothed it, and added some detail on the edges, the model has 8768 polys.
but i see that some edges look weird, can u help me with those?? do i have to add more definition to the edges?

i select the edge and use chamfer to divide it. is it a good metod of sharpening?

[DP]

usually it is yes, but if your results doesn't look right try selecting the egdes around and connect them so you have a new edge running parallel to you egde, move it close to the edge to define it more and above all make it more sharp. more egdes makes it more sharp. i find this method to be a bit easier, and gives more control over the egdes but that again a personal opinion... :)

[DP]

BTW some of it defintely looks weird when you smooth it... especially the shoulder pads or whatever it is...try looking at you edges there again...

[gjpetch]

Looks like you have things worked out now, looking cool. As marconu & Dennis.P said, try putting edges close together where you want a sharp bevel. (I assume your using Max) For example, try selecting the edge loop around the bottom of the shoulderpads end hit "extrude edge" in editable poly. You can get a really nice beveled edge using extrude edge with height set to zero.

[Mizu]

extrude edges? isn't that only going to lenghten the size of the down edge of the pads??
someone told me to chamfer the edges couple of times to give it a crescea look, can i do that that way?

[DP]

i've included two screenshots on a normal egde and that same edge extruded.. sometimes pictures says more than a thousand words :D

now if you extrude your edge just a bit, like 0.1 it'll make a nice sharp egde when you smooth it.. and that's it :D

::EDIT::
Just to make sure!, i've offcourse extruded way to much here... you should extrude very little... :D

[gjpetch]

Thanks Dennis.P, that's what I was talking about. I would suggest keeping the extrude height at zero though. The result is similar to doing a chamfer, but cleaner and more controllable.

[Mizu]

ok, i almost finished texturing my robot model, crits/advices are more than welcomed:)

PS: don't mind his nails, the arms+nails are longer than the overal heigh of the robot:P
done it on purpose, and will fix that after riggin:p

robot has 9800~ polys- is it too much for that kind of model?

http://companydesign.webstudio.com.pl/render2.jpg

[allenlikewo]

Can you post antoher pic with a little more light? This image is a little hard to see any of the detail

[Mizu]

http://companydesign.webstudio.com.pl/render3.jpg

ok, here it is.

[optical op]

Wow, you have improved loads since you made you first post! When working with meshsmooth, or sub d in any programme (XSI myself), instead of puttting small extrustions or edge loops, chamfers to retain hard edges in certain places, why not just set those edges as Hard Edges - in Max, you simply increase the crease value of the edges. Esp. important if you want to make models for games as tiny extrusions to just maintain hard edges probably wouldnt be acceptable

Ta

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