CGTalk - Maya 6.0 Organic Modeling Dvd Release

Anatomy_FOT

11-15-2004, 07:02 PM

We would like to thank everyone for the Feedback so far.

We've worked real hard to finish this DVD and are happy to finally be getting so feedback on our work.

To answer some of the questions on the thread:
1. Yes this DVD can be followed along with Maya 5 as well
2. The only two extra scripts used are MJ Poly Tools and SpinFaces
(These will be available from the downloads section on soon)
3. We are currently looking into Paypal for those people without credit cards
4. To answer some of the more technical questions we will try to get the artist online here at CGtalk

Stay Tuned

thanks again to everyone

The freedom-of-teach* Team

www.freedom-of-teach.com (http://www.freedom-of-teach.com)*
A Resource for Artists by Artists

KolbyJukes

11-15-2004, 07:18 PM

is the anatomy maquette being shipped yet? on the site it says it's shipping as of 11/04, but I get the feeling it's still in preorder.

-K.

DangerAhead

11-15-2004, 07:22 PM

this looks really good.

I hate to say it... because I love them a lot.... but Gnomon is losing its edge in Maya DVDs.

They've spent a lot of time on the concept art dvds. That's great for a number of reasons, but I haven't found any practical techniques in Maya from them in over a year now.

They haven't put out a maya DVD with updated techniques for a while. Their poly-modeling stuff is pretty 1999.

They need new DVDs on rigging, Fluids, Cloth, Motion Builder, Syflex, Maya LIVE (or Boujou), etc.

I was going to go to their new poly-modeling class (I heard good things), but I think I'll buy this DVD instead.

Once again, sorry Gnomon. I love you, but we need more Maya DVDs.

onlooker

11-15-2004, 08:22 PM

I read a post at ZBrushCentral recently where A.Alvarez said they (Gnomon) are going to be releasing new Maya poly videos next month. Very interested in seeing these because a while back he had told me that there were going to be some more Sub-D modeling DVD's coming out of gnomon soon. That was a while ago. And I know Meats' ZB DVD's should be debuting at the beginning of next month as well so it should be a hard holiday season on your wallets this year with all of these DVD's coming out.

dotTom

11-15-2004, 08:36 PM

this looks really good.

I hate to say it... because I love them a lot.... but Gnomon is losing its edge in Maya DVDs.

They've spent a lot of time on the concept art dvds. That's great for a number of reasons, but I haven't found any practical techniques in Maya from them in over a year now.

They haven't put out a maya DVD with updated techniques for a while. Their poly-modeling stuff is pretty 1999.

Yeah, there might be something in what you say, but let's wait and see what Alex has hidden behind the curtain before pronouncing their premature death. I sense imminent credit card damage may occur on Gnomon site over the next 2 months.

Gnomon has a solid rep to date, I've not had one DVD from them I felt was worth anything less than what I paid for it - mind you I've been very impressed by Digital Tutors stuff recently. I find the two work well together. The presentation styles and pacing are different but complimentary (if that's not an oxymoron).

Wilson-3d

11-16-2004, 12:27 AM

Well I just ordered mine. The fact that it said it did not skip anything and showed the entire process was what turned me on. Even more though is the focus on anatomy.

GatorNic

11-16-2004, 12:35 AM

Just ordered mine! It seems like exactly what I have been looking for, something that shows everything including all the little details. Looking forward to watching it, as well as seeing what other DVD's these guys will make.

The Gnomon Dvd's are awesome. I hope though they use a different capture system if they are coming out with some more. I don't know about the newest ones they have released but with the older ones (dynamics, modeling,....) the quality is pretty low for DVD and compared to many of the other ones out there.

Als

11-16-2004, 01:03 AM

Please let us know how you like it when you receive it.
Good luck!

Thanks

Al

AlexAlvarez

11-16-2004, 03:55 AM

Of course I periodically do searches for the word 'gnomon' here at CGtalk and saw this thread pop up... true, Gnomon has not released a new 'digital' DVD in the last year, as we have focused on concept design. We have just released four DVDs by concept design legend Syd Mead which is a nice conclusion to a busy year...

But... yes, we have been busy on the Digital front. As some of you may know, we hired vfx veteran Eric Hanson fulltime a few months ago to spearhead the development of our digital/vfx library. Expect many new titles in the coming months.

Next month we will be releasing 18 brand new digital DVDs... all by new instructors.
And yes, they are all screen capture based... nice and clean. But of course I won't tell you what they are yet. The announcement will come December 1st. ;)

-Alex

GatorNic

11-16-2004, 04:06 AM

But of course I won't tell you what they are yet. The announcement will come December 1st. ;)
-Alex Oh c'mon pretty please! with sugar on top? haha. Can't wait!

Next month we will be releasing 18 brand new digital DVDs... all by new instructors.
And yes, they are all screen capture based... nice and clean.
Awesome! Thanks for responding Alex. I am sure everybody is as pumped as I am too see these upcoming DVDs.

dotTom

11-16-2004, 04:10 AM

TareqMirza

11-16-2004, 05:29 AM

I wanted to jump on this thread and thank everyone for all the great feedback everyone has given. It's good to know all my hard work on this DVD has paid off. I wanted to address a few of the questions that were asked.

How long the model in the DVD took to make...well...this is a tough one. If I did it without capturing anything then it would probably take about 2 to 3 weeks to complete:)

But factoring in capture sessions where I had to run through a chunk of time without messing up greatly added to the time spent on the model. It was very important for me to give the viewer the complete model before smoothing without any steps being missed. I've seen to many tutorials, both online and on DVD or Tape that skip too many steps and you are left wondering what all the inbetween steps were.

I'd also like to offer critiques and feedback on models created from the DVD here online. I'll start a thread where people can post their completed models or wips and I will critique some. I feel that the DVD will greatly improve your understanding of Anatomy, but feedback is always necessary in a learning environment to get your work to the next level.

Cheers

Tareq Mirza

dinoignacio

11-16-2004, 07:33 AM

I helped beta test the dvd and I have just have to say how awesome it is! I'm a so so modeler. Maybe a little below average even. Going through the dvd, not only strengthened my knowledge of anatomy but also gave me a keen understanding of how to weave geometry to flow along muscle masses.

This dvd does not only give you a production quality high detail anatomically correct male model in the end of the process; but also a keen understanding of how to maximize on your poly usage and how to make them flow.

It's way better than any intructional dvd i've ever seen! I'm very excited to finish this dvd so I can apply what I learned to my next model.

Here are links to my wips. I have finished a little less than 2 hours of the dvd so far.

Wip 001 (http://www.dinoignacio.com/gallery/large.php?album=1100117590&fname=11002174060.jpg)

Wip 002 (http://www.dinoignacio.com/gallery/large.php?album=1100117590&fname=11002174061.jpg)

Wip 003 (http://www.dinoignacio.com/gallery/large.php?album=1100117590&fname=11002174062.jpg)

DarkTure

11-16-2004, 09:08 AM

This is great also: " Freedom of Teach support charities and non profit organizations with contributions and donations from all sales of the artistic and educational products they create. You can choose which organization you would like your purchase to directly benefit by selecting a charity on your order form, or if you prefer we will distribute our contribution between the organizations below." :thumbsup:

onlooker

11-16-2004, 10:35 AM

Once someone gets one of these organics please post. I'm going to order it. I ordered the infamous Explore Mental Ray DVD from that f*çkh3@d Jerry Naujoks. I'll never do that again.

I already know I can trust gnomon.
18 new Digital DVD's from gnomon. Holy smokes! That's going to be a a fortune down the tubes. I'd like to see some about creating, and using realistic skin in production. a.k.a Aki Ross, or the two headed woman from Big Fish.

KolbyJukes

11-16-2004, 02:44 PM

I'm just gonna post my questions again, since I really want to know:

is the anatomy maquette being shipped yet? on the site it says it's shipping as of 11/04, but I get the feeling it's still in preorder.

-K.

gio

11-16-2004, 02:49 PM

if i may chime in on how essential this DVD is...

in my own personal opinion, this is the only human modeling tutorial i've seen that really
puts an emphasis on in-depth anatomy. as tareq constructs each muscle group, he actually names them, thus engraining it inside your heads. since anatomy is the main foundation to any organic modeling, may it be weird creatures or human, it really is imperative that anyone who is into modeling familiarize themselves with all the muscles in the human body. this is the only way your work can look as naturalistic as they possibly can. this is
why i'm really excited about this DVD.

PS. hey dino, long time no see pare!!

gio

Jeff Lew

11-16-2004, 04:37 PM

What's up with Gnomon trying to hijack this thread? That's not very gentlemanly.

I know Tareq from ESC. He showed me all of his footage while he was creating this DVD. It is definitely jam-packed with material. As he said, no step is skipped. I think the great thing about it is you learn how to model the ENTIRE body, not just the head or some body parts. And Tareq packs it all into one 3 1/2 hour DVD. He doesn't split it up into 2 different volumes, trying to get more money out of the customer. In fact, Tareq's DVD costs less than most training videos out there which are only 2 hours long.

I don't know if this is mentioned anywhere, but Tareq is also a professor at the Academy of Art in San Francisco, so he has plenty of experience teaching.

Jeff Lew

dinoignacio

11-16-2004, 05:07 PM

Hey Kwak!
I got confirmation, the Maquette is shipping now.

Dino

I'm just gonna post my questions again, since I really want to know:

is the anatomy maquette being shipped yet? on the site it says it's shipping as of 11/04, but I get the feeling it's still in preorder.

-K.

bradjames

11-16-2004, 05:47 PM

I think this looks amazing and its just what I need to build up my skill level. I do have one question though and Im not sure if it has been asked, I do apologize if it has. Are there any plans make DVDs to show how to texture and rig this guy.

thanks for any info

KolbyJukes

11-16-2004, 06:55 PM

Hey Kwak!
I got confirmation, the Maquette is shipping now.

Dinothanks so much for the info Dino!

WOO HOO! ordered it.

-K.

onlooker

11-16-2004, 09:25 PM

Hey Jeff Lew. I have your animation DVD. I think it's the best. :)
I don't think we are trying to put momentum on any particular set of DVD's such as Gnomon, Alias, the Leon set or this Organic set which I just bought BTW. I couldn't wait.
I think some of us are plugging all the DVD's available now because the quality is so much better it's exciting.
The quality has gotten seriously better suddenly especially within the past few months, and for a time the only thing that was available that was actually good training for Maya was Gnomon, and a couple from early ones from Alias.
I'm really glad to see that people will hopefully stop struggling so hard with modeling as I did because of the expertise, and instruction that is now being made available. Some of the crap that came out a while back (I will name no names) was totally amateur, and you could see it. These were not helping anyone. Maybe to practice modeling for hours on end, but if anything most of these crap modeling techniques, and work flows were setting people back.
That's just my opinion of course, but I paid for quite a few of these hoping to see someone with a better grasp on modeling, and modeling for animation, and they were pathetic, and a waste of my money.
Most of the better information on good modeling was usually found in here a.f.a.I.a.c.

BTW. What are you working on now that the Matrix is complete?

oshiroii

11-17-2004, 08:45 AM

The DVD lasts 3.5 hours. To make the model would cost about 2 to 3 weeks? How did you cram 2/3 weeks into 3.5 hours without skipping anything? I don't doubt it's a super cool DVD and I think I'm gonna order it, but I'm just being curious :D

dinoignacio

11-17-2004, 08:58 AM

Hi Oshiroii,
From what I understand of the process Tareq went through, he built the the model as he captured video. He would then stop the capture every so often to figure out the best way to proceed then go back where he left off and continue recording.

"No skipping steps" means everything that permanently happens to the model is seen on the dvd, what you don't see is when he fumbles around to figure things out. If a DVD had all that it would be a 12 hour long lesson.

The dvd is designed in such a way that it follows a workflow and a modeling system. Tareq took time to make sure each step is clear and consice. That's where the 2 to 3 weeks factor in.

cheers,
Dino
freedom-of-teach* beta tester

The DVD lasts 3.5 hours. To make the model would cost about 2 to 3 weeks? How did you cram 2/3 weeks into 3.5 hours without skipping anything? I don't doubt it's a super cool DVD and I think I'm gonna order it, but I'm just being curious http://cgtalk.com/images/smilies/grin.gif

oshiroii

11-17-2004, 11:02 AM

dinoignacio, that sounds really really nice. So he just shows you the initial steps, how to do it, just straight to the point, no tiny vertex changes for 15 minutes? There are a lot of videos which show you how the basic process of modeling goes, the way to do it, show 30 min of modeling and then skip ahead. I think this is a good idea. Pick a muslce, figure out what to do, then capture and explain, easy. I'm liking this more and more:thumbsup:

dinoignacio

11-17-2004, 05:34 PM

hi oshiroii,
i'm not sure if i'm explaning it correctly. there are no skipped steps.
the model happens in the 3.5 hours. no points are moved that you don't see. when he stops the capture to fgure things out, he the goes back to the last saved point and captures from there.

it's hard to explain. maybe we'll wait for tareq to chime in on this.

dansgarbage

11-17-2004, 06:22 PM

looking great. I believe this is a must have dvd if your serious about organic modeling. Also coming from Tareq I know it will be good. I have had Tareq as a teacher and he is amazing. After taking his class I gained a stronger understanding of modeling. It's going to be nice to have a reference dvd to look back to when ever I get stuck at a point. Nice job Tareq and
Dino. I'm looking forward to getting a copy.

csutcliffe

11-17-2004, 11:05 PM

Hii Oshiroii,

In response to the point about the DVD only being 3.5 hours long

I had the same feeling until I downloaded the demo movies and saw how fast that guy can model - it's almost like watching a time lapse (slight exaggeration but you'll get my point if you watch the sample movies). It's all the more impressive when you consider that the guy doing the modelling is giving instruction at the same time.

Regards,

BTW: judging from the positive reaction that the DVD has gotten so far, I think that it's fair to say that this ones gonna sell loads - I for definate will be pre-ordering.

TareqMirza

11-18-2004, 04:30 AM

Hey Everyone,

I wanted to jump in and give a little info on the process of my DVD. You guys are right, there is no way to build a model from scratch for the first time in 3 1/2 hours. But I had to build the model in the DVD at least 4 or 5 times before I had the right topology I wanted and then another 3-4 times per capture before I got that part modeled right without errors during capture. Believe me...a lot of time has gone into the capture of the content of this DVD...months and months of work...it was not banged out in a weekend.

Thanks for the info Dino, but to clarify something you said, No geometry is added or deleted without the viewer seeing it. This means that no edge or polygon is added or deleted off screen...all the steps to follow along are on the DVD. You will literally go from a box, to a blocking model, to all the major muscles masses of the body and with the head and ear included. And Jeff is right, I didn't want to split it up into several DVDs, that is not fair to you guys to build the whole body, but have the head on a seperate DVD. But, having said all that...some of the point pushing to refine the shape has been done off screen. Otherwise it would be impossible to fit it onto one DVD. The purpose of the DVD is to help you become a better modeler and understand anatomy better. I don't think anyone wants to see me pushing points endlessly:)

The most important thing that I want people to get from this DVD is how to create a model, by blocking in the basic form and then adding in geometry where it is needed and how to make the flow of the mesh work for good topology. Your mesh might not come out exactly like mine. But if you can understand the concepts on the DVD you will be able to create any creature model with ease and efficency and good topology.

Also, while we'll have image planes of the the Anatomical Figure that you can download to put into Maya. I highly recommend getting one of the Anatomical Resin figures. It is incredibly detailed and will help your understanding of Anatomy ten fold.

Hope this helps...

Thanks again to everyone who's posted.

Cheers

Tareq Mirza
www.freedom-of-teach.com (http://www.freedom-of-teach.com/)
A Resource for Artists by Artists

GatorNic

11-18-2004, 01:52 PM

hey thanks for the info Tareq! You know the more I hear about this DVD the more excited I get about watching it.

Tareq, I saw on your website that you are planning on having a seond and third modeling DVD. Can you elaborate at all on possible content of the future DVD's?

thanks,
Nic

oshiroii

11-18-2004, 05:34 PM

Thanks for the extra info TareqMirza. The DVD sounds really good, just how a modeling DVD should be. :D Quite sure I'll order a copy :)

SheepFactory

11-18-2004, 06:02 PM

This looks very nice. I'll definitely be getting a copy.

DangerAhead

11-18-2004, 08:33 PM

Next month we will be releasing 18 brand new digital DVDs... all by new instructors.
And yes, they are all screen capture based... nice and clean. But of course I won't tell you what they are yet. The announcement will come December 1st.

I should have known better than to shoot my mouth off...

BinarySoup

11-18-2004, 08:44 PM

well, I've never been interested in organic modeling tutorial cd's before, mainly because those I've seen have opted for cartoony and/or uncomplex models. this is, from what I can see a very detailed human being, but perhaps more interesting to me atleast, a very efficient use of polygons and it's resulting flow. now for some questions, I'm a lightwave user, and from what I've seen sofar from the screenshots, I should be able to follow the modeling in lightwave, atleast up until you change it into a subdivision surface. so I'm wondering how much is done in maya's propriety hierarchial subdivision surface mode in this tutorial? and are there other steps which will be problematic to follow in lightwave?

ps. hope this hasn't been asked earlier, just skimmed through the thread, and went straight for the juicy screenshots on the homepage :)

TareqMirza

11-18-2004, 08:52 PM

I'm an old school Lightwave guy myself.

While this DVD is done in Maya 6.0. All the techniques can be applied in Lightwave or Max. I primarly use extrude(smoothshift) and spinfaces. So this instructional DVD will work with Modo, Lightwave and Max as well as Maya 5.0 and 6.0.

Hope this helps

Tareq Mirza
www.freedom-of-teach.com (http://www.freedom-of-teach.com)
A Resource for Artists by Artists!

BinarySoup

11-19-2004, 02:35 AM

great! still, I gotta ask though, why switch into maya subdivision mode (as shown by the screenshots on the homepage) rather than keeping it (I assume) as a polygon proxy all the way? I guessed you were using the hierarchial functionality of maya subdivision surfaces (the way I've seen stahlberg do) to further add detail.

also, I was curious as to how much detailing is done post-smoothing, especially since the cage looked detailed enough as it was to me.

either way, another addition to my christmas wishlist :)

oshiroii

11-22-2004, 10:42 PM

intresting articel with some more DVD details

http://www.cgfocus.com/ArticleDetails.cfm?ArticleID=282

mistafreeze

11-22-2004, 10:44 PM

hi Tareq i preordered this when you posted it, and it looks very intresting, i was wondering if your going to continue with this model and bring out some texturing and rigging videos (it seems thiers many modeling videos and texturing/rigging videos) but none that really follow through with the same model from beginning to end (especially a realistic human)

i know this takes time and your currently a teacher so i guess it would take a few months before you could release another dvd in the series, i was just wanting to know so i can keep a look out on your website

thx

twidup

11-22-2004, 11:11 PM

yeah, I was incredibly impressed with Tareq's DVD. he covers everything so well, and in such detail that it definately helps. I figured that even at 3.5 hours, he would have to skip steps, but that wasnt the case, and I was really glad to see him cover everything..something I was not expecting.

the speedmodeling video is great. its basically the whole modeling process condensed down to 2.5 minutes.

I do have one question for Tareq if he reads this. What are the next 2 DVDs going to cover?

-todd

KolbyJukes

11-22-2004, 11:13 PM

I just got my anatomy maquette in the mail and I've just to say it's absolutely spectacular, bravo guys.

-K.

Als

11-22-2004, 11:26 PM

Thanks, after reading this, I got meself a copy!
I have to say additional explanations on this list helped. :)
Looking forward to it!

Al

intresting articel with some more DVD details

http://www.cgfocus.com/ArticleDetails.cfm?ArticleID=282

dinoignacio

11-22-2004, 11:34 PM

I just got my anatomy maquette in the mail and I've just to say it's absolutely spectacular, bravo guys.

-K.Yeah Kwak! Isn't it awesome! Freedom of Teach lent me one to help me in beta testing the DVD. It's an indespensable tool to anyone in the arts, CG or otherwise.

The detail on the Maquette is just crazy. Let's hope Andrew Cawrse (http://freedom-of-teach.com/gallery/art_profile.php?sect=gallery&pid=art_andrew), the guy who built it makes a dvd on how to sculpt something that detailed. Then again, I don't know if it's possible to build someting like that and show it all on a 4 hour DVD.

KolbyJukes

11-23-2004, 04:24 AM

yeah, it's really amazing, I'm hoping they make a female version as well.

-K.

dansgarbage

11-23-2004, 07:19 AM

I plan to get a maquette soon. They look amazing! I think it will help out alot.

dinoignacio

11-23-2004, 04:59 PM

for those who use PowerDVD to watch dvds on their machines... you may or may not need to install an update patch from Cyberlink (http://www.gocyberlink.com/english/download/dl_patch.jsp?dl_id=172&ProdId=1) to play the dvd properly. It works fine on other players.

Dino

jbo

11-23-2004, 05:12 PM

I'm taking Tareq's organic modeling class at Academy of Art right now, and I can tell you to definitely buy this DVD. Tareq is not only a great modeler, but he's one of the few that actually know how to teach, and his class is one of the few where you feel like you're constantly getting your money's worth. You'll also learn a great deal about anatomy as it applies to modeling. His techniques are easy to apply to other modeling situations (In class he has us doing "creatures" of our own design using the same workflow as we did for the human). So yeah, I'm very curious about the two future DVDs.

-jesse boley

p.s. Hey Dino, why is your site so damn small?

dinoignacio

11-23-2004, 05:52 PM

p.s. Hey Dino, why is your site so damn small?Hey Jesse! It's optimized for my PDA. I'll make a regular sized version soon.

Anatomy_FOT

11-24-2004, 04:11 PM

freedom-of-teach would like to thank everyone for waiting patiently for this DVD.

We can finally tell everyone that the DVD is shipping!

The downloads section of our website will be up tonight or tomorrow to make available image planes of the Resin figure for reference as well as the Maya Scripts used on the DVD.

Thank you oshiroii for pointing out the link to CGfocus that has a review of the final DVD by Todd Widup.

As to future modeling DVDs...we are currently lookin into what is needed as far as content, and then we will try to give you the viewers the best possible product with that in mind.

Our goal at freedom-of-teach is to give artists superior products at a better value. While this may cause our products to take longer to create, it will be well worth the wait.

Thanks again to everyone...

The freedom-of-teach team

www.freedom-of-teach.com (http://www.freedom-of-teach.com)
A Resource for Artists by Artists!

DarkTure

11-24-2004, 04:21 PM

Great I can't wait :thumbsup:

onlooker

11-24-2004, 07:29 PM

I guess that is going to be the shipping confirmation email I was hoping for today. Good enough. I like what I've seen so far, and I can wait to get mine. :thumbsup:

DangerAhead

11-24-2004, 11:48 PM

I can't wait to remodel one of my characters the "Tareq" way.

my way sucks.

LetterRip

11-25-2004, 12:15 AM

While this DVD is done in Maya 6.0. All the techniques can be applied in Lightwave or Max. I primarly use extrude(smoothshift) and spinfaces. So this instructional DVD will work with Modo, Lightwave and Max as well as Maya 5.0 and 6.0.
In Blender 'smoothshift' is extrude region (EKEY, 1 or Extude Region in the menu).
And spinfaces/spin quads is Ctrl EKEY, 3 or Spin Edges in the menu.

LetterRip

DarkTure

11-25-2004, 11:36 AM

Just got an email from freedom of teach: "Thank you again for your order from Freedom-of-Teach.com! The following items have been shipped to"

Yeah that was the dvd being shipped :) Am I the only one that's this excited?

dinoignacio

11-25-2004, 04:29 PM

happy thanksgiving Darkture!

DarkTure

11-25-2004, 04:42 PM

happy thanksgiving Darkture!Thanks dinoignacio and hope you have happy/good time as well :thumbsup: (we don't celebrate it in sweden, but I can still have a good time :P)

InterFacer

11-25-2004, 10:02 PM

will this character be eligible for animation once its fully modeled? i dont know that much about animation, but i would love to start with a character like this.

jbo

11-27-2004, 12:40 AM

will this character be eligible for animation once its fully modeled? i dont know that much about animation, but i would love to start with a character like this.
yes, you could animate it.

dinoignacio

11-27-2004, 02:24 AM

yes, the final model is animatable. the structure is designed for rigging. the face is also structured very well for blendshapes/phonemes.

i would advice against it being your first attempt at rigging and animation. it will require quite a bit of set up to make it work well.

i'd practice with a few simpler models first.

mistafreeze

11-27-2004, 02:30 AM

are you guys going to follow this series up with future dvds showcaseing how one would go about creating complex rigs using the model's your teaching how to model or is this not currently something your planning on doing?

Anatomy_FOT

11-27-2004, 02:39 AM

Hey Everyone!

Now that DVDs are reaching people. Scripts and Imageplanes are available for download from our downloads section of the website. Here is the direct link:

http://www.freedom-of-teach.com/main.php?sect=downloads&pid=index

We have also listed links to the scripts creators websites.

Thanks

The freedom-of-teach Team

www.freedom-of-teach.com (http://www.freedom-of-teach.com/)
A Resource for Artists by Artists!

dinoignacio

11-27-2004, 04:47 AM

http://www.dinoignacio.com/images/cgtalk/001.jpg
http://www.dinoignacio.com/images/cgtalk/002.jpg
I'm almost done with the dvd! I just finished the part that covers the head and the neck. (the ear was really hard! I think that alone was 2-3 hours of work! I'll start the detailing chapter on monday.

I put up images of my work in progress on my site.

http://www.dinoignacio.com/gallery/thumbs.php?album=1101533476

Let me know what you guys think. There's still a whole lot of sculpting to do but all the structure's there.

I am so excited to finish this project so I can start to apply the new skills i've learned to other things!

Best of luck to the other guys who are about to get their DVDs in the mail.

Dino

onlooker

11-27-2004, 10:16 AM

How did you get it so fast? Did you get the express delivery, or something?
Anyway. I got a confirmation email later on thanksgiving also. I can't wait to get going on this thing. I hope they do another modeling of an athletic shaped female next with poster, and maquette.

DarkTure

11-27-2004, 01:23 PM

Looking good Dino :thumbsup:

I live in sweden so haven't got mine yet. Also in Sweden they don't deliver mail on weekends :(

mistafreeze

11-27-2004, 03:20 PM

i never got a shipping confirmation?

i ordered mine nov 16th
This email is to confirm the receipt of your recent order from Freedom-of-Teach.com (http://freedom-of-teach.com/).

any particular reason why i didnt get a shipping confirmation?

dinoignacio

11-27-2004, 04:29 PM

How did you get it so fast? Did you get the express delivery, or something?

i have had my dvd for a while now. i was luckily chosen as one of the few Beta testers.
so i got a 2 month headstart.

don't think that since the dvd is 3.5 hours long you can finish it in that same amount of time. it's gonna take a lot of rewinds and pauses.

well, i donno, maybe i was just slow.

darktding

11-27-2004, 04:48 PM

Tareq is a teacher here in the AAU (academy of art university) and from wht I heard from friends, hes an awesome teacher on the techniques of modelling. So I am pretty sure this dvd is a good buy for those who want to learn modelling techniques...

DarkTure

11-29-2004, 02:07 PM

Got my dvd today :scream: gonna go watch it once before I start modelling with it. :thumbsup:

csutcliffe

11-29-2004, 08:49 PM

Just watched the DVD and I was really impressed with the content. What stands out is how concise each chapter is as I've seen other organic modelling DVD's which focus on things like where to find the split polygon tool etc. which wastes valuable time that could have been spent on demonstrating the modelling process - In my opinion, if you need to be told where the split poly tool is then why are you attempting to model something as compex as the human body!!

All I can say is, after watching the DVD, I reckon that this is most satisfied I've been and that's after watching many Gnomon & Alias DVD's.

Anatomy_FOT

11-30-2004, 05:58 PM

Hey Everyone!

Today is November 30th and this is the last day to get the $54.95 discount on the Organic Modeling DVD. After today the DVD goes to it's regular price of $64.95.

Thanks to everyone who have post postive feedback on the DVD.

The Freedom-of-Teach Team

www.freedom-of-teach.com (http://www.freedom-of-teach.com)
A Resource for Artists by Artists

DarkTure

11-30-2004, 06:13 PM

All I can say is, after watching the DVD, I reckon that this is most satisfied I've been.
I can only agree and recommend this dvd to everyone, so buy it now :P

ChewyPixels

11-30-2004, 08:09 PM

Still waiting for my copy. :banghead:

Grgeon

11-30-2004, 09:35 PM

I have ordered my copy based on the reviews from this thread and what's on the site. Can't wait to get it.

George

GatorNic

11-30-2004, 10:08 PM

woot! got my copy today! looks good so far, but I will let ya know when I can get through some more of it. prolly tonight hehehe.....

plunq

12-01-2004, 02:53 PM

I just got the DVD at work yesterday and watched most of it last night. Of all the cg modelling videos, life drawing and life sculpting courses I've taken this DVD is definetly one of the best I've ever seen! Now I've just got to save up for that amazing anatomical sculpture! Keep the great resources coming guys!

DangerAhead

12-02-2004, 10:37 PM

My expectations were met and exceeded. I'm watching it a second time and going along with it starting tonight.

I can't believe I've been into 3D this long and there definitely has been some poly-modeling skills I missed out on. The spinFaces tool has to be the best little MEL script in the universe.

Okay. I'm gushing.

Right after I watched it, I turned around and bought the $150 anatomical model.

Tareq is a god.

I want more stuff from you all. I want you to merge with cgtoolkit.com and then you'll be invincible!!!

mistafreeze

12-02-2004, 11:09 PM

yes the dvd is amazing and tareq is extremely gifted, i will be buying any other dvd they can imagine popping out =) modeling, sculpting, drawing, texturing, or riggin

btw danger you mentioned cgtoolkit have you gotten your leon yet?

scottsch

12-03-2004, 07:40 PM

My expectations were met and exceeded. I'm watching it a second time and going along with it starting tonight

Could someone explain why this DVD is so good compared to others? I've watched Gnomon, Alias, and DT and I think DT is the best in my opinion (because of the excellent video quality and straightforward presentation), followed by Gnomon (the content is very detailed, but the video quality is so-so), then way down in last place is Alias for skipping a lot of specifics and bad video quality (although the Paolo Berto mental ray disc was very informative).

I am torn between this disc and the Elephant modeling + texturing DVD from Lost Pencil Studios. So... if you could post why this disc is so good it would be helpful. I see it as just more poly modeling, so do they explain edge loops and explain how to build a polygon cage that will smooth well? Do they cover Maya specifics in detail? Do they cover some of the shortcomings of Maya's SubD (and how to work around it)?

Wilson-3d

12-03-2004, 09:00 PM

Could someone explain why this DVD is so good compared to others?

I got the dvd a few days ago and have watched almost all of it when I have had an hour here and there. I am going to be getting started on modeling tomorrow. From watching it I would recommend it because they really cover every detail on how to create the model. He shows every point adjustment. It does not just go to a new model and say this is after 4 or 6 hours of pushing points. I have been modeling for some time and while I have a looong way to go I am not just getting started either. I enjoy seeing how someone else works in such specifics. I had a few times I thought -- "ohh I get it". He does not go into the detail of some of the questions you mentioned at the end of your post but covers all details on how to achieve the male figure shown in the sample videos. Hope that helps you a little. As I said I would recommend it to anyone hands down. Mainly because I enjoy seeing all the specific ways he thinks things through and approaches modeling specific parts.

mistafreeze

12-03-2004, 10:09 PM

scottsch (member.php?u=90255)

while the elephant modeling video from lost pencil may be ok it is not something your going to do when you model on your own

i bought thier production kit a long time ago, and the way the modeling takes place is horrid and i never used that method, ever and i dont think anyone does.

the guy uses pretty much only the create poly tool for the whole model, which isnt so well.

this dvd is great, if your very new to modeling then i would suggest learning how to model first, maybe a 3dbuzz.com (they have a free character modeling) or DT's

also about your other ways of saying you dont like gnomons or alias's dvds

simply put those dvds are not for beginners, thier not follow along and do as i say when i say like digital-tutors are (these are good when your starting out) thier for you to use to refine your technique. most of alias's videos are recorded during live presentations that they give so thier quality isnt the best, its like a lecture you would have at school.

if your looking for something that will hold your hand to model, yes get the lost pencil. And when your ready to model some really great models using a method that makes great sense and is speedy then buy this dvd, and follow it up with hyper realistic modeling from alias (guy uses the same method that is taught in this video with the exception of the spinfaces tool)

and you will be set for modeling.

DangerAhead

12-04-2004, 08:16 PM

I've been missing something in the poly-modeling area for awhile. I feel this DVD has filled the missing void. I was absolutely clueless on how to make polys "flow" with the anatomy. I was using the Chris Maraffi methodology to much dissatisfaction. I found out how to do it in this DVD.

I've also heard that Jeff Unay's DVD from Alias covers advanced tricks and tips so I plan on getting that one and comparing the skillsets. Both tareq and Jeff are amazing modelers.

I watched the old DVDs from Gnomon and I even went to the Maya Fastrack and I they never got around to the poly skills needed for great organic poly modeling. When I went there they were focused on Organic Nurbs modeling which was amazing by the way. I still like to rough things out in Nurbs then convert to poly because I am so used to nurbs patches.

BUT BUT BUT GNOMON just came out with 15 new DVDs yesterday! and a few are about poly modeling. I bet some are really good. Gnomon always strives for excellence.

I'm going to give MODO a shot too.

There are no losers here. Just different techniques. I had none. Now Freedom-of-teach has given me some. I recommend this DVD.

mistafreeze

12-04-2004, 09:14 PM

i have the hyper realistic modeling video from jeff unay and it is good. bascially he uses the same methods that are taught in this dvd. He just has a few different tricks and philosphy thrown into the mix.

and yea gnomons new poly modeling videos sure look delightful =P

greynite1

12-06-2004, 06:45 AM

Went through the first and second chapters and I just have to say i am so impressed by his teaching style. He doesn't skip steps and doesn't leave things out which have frustrated me to no end in other DVDs as far as modelling organic shapes. Looks like I will have other techniques and ideas to try out. This however is an amazing start because it gets you in the idea of modelling with regards to the muscles of the human body. Some really amazing stuff. Thanks again to Tareq for some amazing work.

onlooker

12-06-2004, 08:12 PM

I like this workflow, and technique very much. I have to agree that I too am impressed. :thumbsup:

Nguyen

12-07-2004, 11:05 AM

just ordered mine... :applause:

devdoka

12-07-2004, 01:02 PM

The most interesting thing in this DVD is the spin faces technique (not the script),
You will understand why spin faces is necessary in his workflow.
I`m amazed that he uses only a few poly tools, rather than, you know, most maya poly tools.
This is a really interesting technique, specialy for nurbs modellers, who wanna jump to poly modelling.
(at least this is how i see it)
I recommend this to any modeller, even to a non-maya guys,
since most of the tools he is using exist in other programs as well.

However I`d like to say that, if you own this dvd, you dont really need to get the one from alias.

(My 2 ¢.)
.

private

12-07-2004, 01:05 PM

The most interesting thing in this DVD is the spin faces technique (not the script), You will understand why spin faces is necessary in his workflow.
I`m amazed that he uses only a few poly tools, rather than, you know, most maya poly tools.

His Lightwave roots really show through. I didn't know spin polys was such a new thing. A friend told me the DVD is excellent. I'm looking forward to seeing it.

Vilpep

12-07-2004, 01:11 PM

Oh my oh my.My Holiday gift for sure.:) :thumbsup:

vanlicht

12-07-2004, 04:24 PM

Placed my order too! can't wait to view the lesson! Pity that no money left in my pocket otherwise would love to fetch human sein figure as well......but the shipping charge of the human sein is horrifying......:sad:

jbo

12-07-2004, 04:32 PM

His Lightwave roots really show through. I didn't know spin polys was such a new thing. A friend told me the DVD is excellent. I'm looking forward to seeing it.
It's not so much that it's a new or incredible tool, but the way that he incorporates it into his workflow is really nice.

onlooker

12-07-2004, 05:51 PM

However I`d like to say that, if you own this dvd, you dont really need to get the one from alias.

(My 2 ¢.)
.

Your right in that you probably don't need it, but it's just as good, and they compliment each other quite well. It will strengthen your confidence in, and knowledge of modeling. The technique used in these DVDs are almost identical, but they have variances which I think it is good to have another master adding more options to this particular modeling technique, and flow.
Although It sounds like the same thing being rehashed on both DVD's - it is not. There is something to be learned on both DVD other than the modeling structure of the human anatomy. Also, the Alias DVD is not a human model, but the anatomy is that of a hulking giant creature with exaggerated anatomy features similar to that of a human. I look at these two DVD's as a set just because they compliment each other so well. There is also the benefit of the other two Hyper-Realistic DVD's from Alias that accompany this modeling DVD that are also both outstanding.

ChristianFischer

12-07-2004, 08:26 PM

@ Anatomy_FOT vbmenu_register("postmenu_1731327", true);

hi.

i plan to a buy an anatomical figure but before ordering one from the 3 figures available i would like to know the properties and price of the fourth one which is coming soon.

also i would like to know how long delivery takes with "economy" shipping to germany.

regards chris

GatorNic

12-08-2004, 12:06 AM

There is also the benefit of the other two Hyper-Realistic DVD's from Alias that accompany this modeling DVD that are also both outstanding.
wow, how did I miss those?! when did those suckers come out? prolly like 6 months ago. :sad: I hadn't seen anything on those.

Have you seen the other two in the Hyper-Realistic series? Are they any good?

onlooker

12-08-2004, 12:12 AM

wow, how did I miss those?! when did those suckers come out? prolly like 6 months ago. :sad: I hadn't seen anything on those.

Have you seen the other two in the Hyper-Realistic series? Are they any good?

I have all 3, and they are worth the bundle price. I paid full price for them one at a time because alias is now a rip off artist in releasing these things at different times to get you to buy them individually, but they are still worth it.

mistafreeze

12-08-2004, 02:05 AM

actually i think they came out about a month ago or so ( one of them didnt come out to later )

thier good dvds, and of value, the rigging dvd is GREAT, i havnt watched all of the facial video, but the section on zbrush to render displacement maps is good to say the least.

the modeling video was great, and tareq's video fully expands upon it. easily a must buy dvd

Nguyen

12-08-2004, 03:47 AM

still waiting for mine:bounce:

PixelVampire

12-08-2004, 07:17 AM

When are the other 2 Modeling DVD's being released? I see the "coming soon" label on your site.

The postage to Europe is a killer. I would like to get all 3 together. Anymore detail on the other 2 DVD's content?

SuperCat

12-08-2004, 10:24 AM

Ordered the DVD, would've got the V2 Anatomical figure too but the shipping (standard) to the UK was outrageous. Not saying that you guys are milking it, but it was a high price to pay.

I just know I'm going to get stung by customs too. Thats the thing with all this training (Gnomon, Alias, Digital-Tutors, etc), the price on the website isn't the final one. Alias' UK site charges you in GBP but then ships it from the US anyway, so whats the point. :rolleyes:

Any details on the last figure?

DarkTure

12-08-2004, 04:06 PM

I just know I'm going to get stung by customs too. Thats the thing with all this training (Gnomon, Alias, Digital-Tutors, etc), the price on the website isn't the final one. Alias' UK site charges you in GBP but then ships it from the US anyway, so whats the point. :rolleyes:

I know, swedish customs charge 26% (of the value)+10$

When I order stuff from other countries I always ask them to lower the value and mark it as gift. 9 out of 10 times I dont have to pay anything extra because its marked as a gift :)

You should try it :P

ChristianFischer

12-08-2004, 06:31 PM

just in case anyone wants to know something about the 4th figure...

The 4th version at this time will most likely be a an unpainted Resin figure that will allow people to paint their own Figure. This product is still in the works and may not be available until mid next year.

does anyone know how long "economy" shipping takes to europe?
will the package arrive before christmas when ordering now?

cheers chris

danniesanchez

12-09-2004, 12:48 AM

Anatomy_FOT

12-10-2004, 05:27 AM

I just ordered my Anatomical Resin Figures, Version 1. version 2 isn't that much better considering the price difference. It's not painted, all that's fancier is the removable parts. Making it almost twice as expensive. I'll get the dvd after the christmas season. I won't be around to use it, sounds great though.

I'd like to see them selling a high res digital image of the poster. Printing it would be more expensive then getting the fancy one they sell there.
Hi Dannie,

There is actually a significant difference between the version 1 and 2 figures.
1. The version 2 and 3 figures are made of a higher quality and more duarable resin.
2. The version 2 figure has removable magnetic parts(Arms, head and genitalia)
3. The version 2 also has a removable rotating base.
4. The version 2 is also painted, but the reason it is painted flat grey is because this is more benefical to the 3D and sculpting artist because it allows you to see surface detail without color getting in the way.

Hopefully this clears up the confusion as to the price difference from version 1 to 2.

Thank you

The Freedom-of-Teach Team

www.freedom-of-teach.com (http://www.freedom-of-teach.com)
A Resource for Artists by Artists!

PureFire

12-10-2004, 08:18 AM

Anatomy_FOT...I noticed in the short previews that your are using a laptop. Did you use a laptop for the entire DVD and if so can you let us know what type/model of laptop it is?

The DVD looks amazing....awesome work...I will have to save some cash and get one.

SkyZero

12-12-2004, 07:02 PM

dinoignacio

12-12-2004, 11:03 PM

Question about the DVD!

I was going through the previews on your site for the DVD and it looks easy enough to follow. Anybody have an idea of how proficient you have to be at modeling for this DVD to be a benefit to you? I haven't tried modeling organic shapes yet, but this DVD seems to be a great way to learn an awesome and detailed workflow for just that purpose.

Also just noticed the cool sculptures in available for purchase as well. Would you guys recommend purchasing on of these as well even if you have taken an anatomy class already?Hi SkyZero,
The Dvd is for intermediate to advanced modelers. It's easy enough to follow along and build a model that has the same poly structure as the one on the demo, the tough part is sculpting it to look right. This requires a some understanding of anatomy and proportion.

Re the anatomy maquette: This is an indispensible tool. It's no substitute to anatomy classes, but it's better than any book to suplement your understanding.

I hope this info helps.

Dino

SkyZero

12-13-2004, 07:00 PM

Thanks for the info! My girlfriend just ordered the maquette and DVD for me the other day for x-mas (we just got engaged!).

As for my modeling skills, I understand the tools and various workflows. The problem I have is starting to model a human character. Believe it or not, I get a little apprehensive when understaking such a big project(at least for it is) for the first time. So with this DVD I hope I can absorb the workflow and knowledge contained therein and apply it to all humanoid characters I want to create in 3D.

dinoignacio

12-13-2004, 08:21 PM

I totally understand what you mean. This dvd will be good for you. You start modeling out of a simple box and before you know it you have a full blocking model, after a bit more work you'll be amazed with the model you've built.

This is a big project, but the cool thing is that it's taken in little steps so it's not a s daunting.
The most valuable part of the dvd for me is the knowledge you get that you can later aply to you other models.

Congratulations on the engagement and the maquette! What a really great Christmas!

Thanks for the info! My girlfriend just ordered the maquette and DVD for me the other day for x-mas (we just got engaged!).

As for my modeling skills, I understand the tools and various workflows. The problem I have is starting to model a human character. Believe it or not, I get a little apprehensive when understaking such a big project(at least for it is) for the first time. So with this DVD I hope I can absorb the workflow and knowledge contained therein and apply it to all humanoid characters I want to create in 3D.

mamurphy

12-16-2004, 12:55 AM

I just received my DVD in the mail today and have watched through about 75% of it.
This is one of the most amazing educational tools I have ever seen!!!

The technique and workflow that Tareq uses is amazing. These techniques can be used in any application making this training universal in its appeal and usefulness. The only thing that you need to know is your basic poly tool set in whatever app you use.

A hearty congratulations from me to the folks at Freedom-of-Teach! Please continue to work hard putting this series out. Because of the quality and quantity of this DVD I can guarantee that I will be waiting, with money in hand, until the next one is released.

If you are at interested in character modeling this is money wisely spent.

:thumbsup:

vanlicht

12-18-2004, 08:18 PM

Received my copy too!

danniesanchez

12-18-2004, 08:33 PM

The wait was painful, but i finally got my anatomical model (version 1). And it is BEAUTIFUL!!!
Thanks FOT. This should help me ALOT. The subtleties of the anatomy are hard to visualize for me, the ability to feel the curviture, see/feel the change in direction of the muscles is invaluble. :) - I'll get the DVD soon.

http://www.digitaldrone.com/temp_images/anatomical_model.jpg

SuperCat

12-19-2004, 01:11 PM

Minor problem but does everyone have their image planes setup correctly and working as Tareq? I've set up mine accordingly as he shows you in the 'Blocking' chapter yet mine are "backwards" (Right side of the model in the perspective is the Left side in the Front Ortho). Basically in the front ortho I'm looking at the model from the back, so you're never quite sure which point is which. Other than rotating the model on Y (but then knocking out the Side Ortho), I can't get it working as he seems to.

Excellent DVD by the way, can't wait to get into the flows of the model.

mistafreeze

12-19-2004, 02:10 PM

happened to me to

i just followed his techniques with other models i had previously done using image planes from previous times.

onlooker

12-20-2004, 05:41 AM

I had the same problem. I flipped a duplicate camera, and did a 180 rotation on it., and pulled it across the axis, or something like that. I'm surprised there has been no explanation on the website about it yet - with a fix. Because mine works fine, but it's not exactly the same I don't think. I also made a camera for the back right away. (but that was for me, not because of a mistake in the video).

ledheavy

12-20-2004, 09:32 PM

to everyone who has seen the dvd, i plan on purchaing a copy very soon, but im using max 6 and since tareq uses plugins/scripts i was wondering where i can find similar plugins/scripts for max so i can follow along??

mistafreeze

12-21-2004, 01:31 AM

heres mj poly tools

http://www.maya3d.dk/Scripts/MJPolyTools/

you should be able to find a similar spin faces or write one in max script.

or just split faces and delete inside triangles to achieve the same effect (tedious yes)

i never used spin faces prior to this and now will never not use spinfaces =)

SkyZero

12-21-2004, 02:25 PM

Just got my DVD and the version 1 figure! Awesome detail on the figure. My girlfriend is a registered nurse and is astounded at the amount of detail on it. :thumbsup:

Can't wait to get started on the DVD! From what I've seen by seeing bits of chapters here and there, it's gonna be one helluva ride! Too bad it has to wait until I get back from a x-mas party in San Francisco... :sad:

dinoignacio

12-28-2004, 05:24 AM

Here's some progress on my model. I am just about done with the dvd, I am just doing some tweaks and finessing.
http://www.dinoignacio.com/cgtalk/001.jpg
http://www.dinoignacio.com/cgtalk/002.jpg

To take a break from the dvd, i decided to see if I can apply what I learned on another model. I built this guys from scratch using the techniques from the dvd.
The anatomy model from the dvd took me about 35-40 hours of work. this one has taken only 10 hours so far,
http://www.dinoignacio.com/cgtalk/004.jpg
http://www.dinoignacio.com/cgtalk/005.jpg
http://www.dinoignacio.com/cgtalk/007.jpg
http://www.dinoignacio.com/cgtalk/009.jpg

-Vormav-

12-28-2004, 08:35 AM

Just got my copy today. I watched most of it, and it seemed quite nice. Very long.http://cgtalk.com/images/smilies/bouncy.gif
I'm going to wait 'til I'm back home to do any modeling though, so that I can watch the DVD on one computer while modeling on the other.

Incase any of you freedom-of-teach guys happen to browse through this thread again, I do have one suggestion: I think it'd be extremely nice to get an occaisonal smoothed mesh preview of the model throughout the various stages of development. Maybe just a quick look at the progress being made right at the end of each chapter, or wherever else it seems necessary. I think it'd be helpful, especially with a major focus point being building geometry so that you get a smooth-flowing model after subdivisions. It's not that big of a deal though.

dinoignacio

12-28-2004, 03:49 PM

instead of duplicating a negative instance, i folled along using CPS. this allowed me to switch back and forth between the actual and smooth vesion.

it worked very well.

Day-Dreamer

01-01-2005, 04:04 AM

HI i just finished watching dvd and I am highly recommended everyone who want to lean about modeling.

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

rock

01-02-2005, 05:53 AM

After watching this Freedom-Of-Teach video, I think I don't need to watch another organic modeling video again - from Gnomon, Mesmer or otherwise. That's how tremendous this video by Tareq Mirza is. It teaches you how, why to do it, not just what to do. I also ordered the Version 1 of Resin Figure but still waiting for it to arrive.

I hope for a similar video like Tareq's video - for non-organic, scenery type modeling (e.g. buildings, forests, streets, river, etc) so that after I watch it, I don't need to watch another non-organic video again. :)

I also want to know why in the Front and Side View, Maya becomes so slow when I work in those 2 views, with the Resin Figure jpeg in the Image plane.

Day-Dreamer

01-02-2005, 05:56 AM

After watching this Freedom-Of-Teach video, I think I don't need to watch another organic modeling video again - from Gnomon or otherwise. That's how tremendous this video by Tareq Mirza is. It teaches you how, why to do it, not just what to do. I also ordered the Version 1 of Resin Figure but still waiting for it to arrive.

I also want to know why in the Front and Side View, Maya becomes so slow when I work in those 2 views, with the Resin Figure jpeg in the Image plane.

Agree on how good dvd is .
about the image plane.Probably becasue not enough ram or video card.Try reducing the image quality in photoshop .

mistafreeze

01-02-2005, 02:53 PM

you could use this script

http://www.highend3d.com/files/dl.3d?group=melscripts&file_loc=mh_imagePlaneCamera-v0.0-.mel&file_id=3279

to set up dummy image planes,
the new gnomon videos go in depth into how to setup the image planes similar to this for a very speedy workflow (the ones by sean mills)

but of course if you have an ATI card, that could be your problem too

Agent Vesago

01-03-2005, 02:41 AM

Got my model on Dec 22nd. Very well done.

Still haven't got my DVD yet.

How long did it take for those of you who ordered both the model and the DVD to get them both?
I ordered mine at the same time.

rock

01-05-2005, 01:32 AM

I have just received my Resin figure version 1 today. This Resin figure, beautiful from any angle, gorgeous in all lighting conditions, artful through every limbs, that it not only serves as a physical anatomy study, but it also serves as a timeless decorated piece in almost any room. It's part muscles, part bones, but all art.

Because "Freedom of Teach support charities and non profit organizations with contributions and donations from all sales of the artistic and educational products they create", some of the contributions will find its way through cracks and walls to the tsunami and other humanitarian relief efforts.

SuperCat

01-05-2005, 12:58 PM

Got my figure today, which is all well and good but I'm less than thrilled about having to pay £80 to Parcel Force for customs and VAT (actually, they charged me £15 just for "handling"). Nearly as expensive as the item itself. If I didn't pay there and then on the door he said he would take it away - arranging another delivery was not an option. Disgraceful.

But, at least its here now. Looks real nice, high quality for sure. Very nicely packaged and professional, hope it helps me strengthen my skills.

SheepFactory

01-07-2005, 11:30 PM

I have to say this was the best modelling dvd I have ever watched , and I have seen them all.

Congrats to the freedom of teach team for putting out such a quality product and looking forward to recieving my resin model!

Ali

webhead

01-12-2005, 10:06 PM

I got mine in December. Overall, I think it is an excellent instructional DVD and that it is an essential buy for anyone trying to learn organic modeling. The video uses Maya, but so far, I have had no problem following along in Lightwave.
My only very small crits are:
The picture could be a bit clearer: At one point, I had to watch it a couple times to see what he was doing when working in a small area. Also, the sound varied during chapters so that at times I had to crank up the volume to hear it.
Lastly, I couldn't play it on my regular DVD player which would have been more convienent for reference while working. The problem may or may not have been with my DVD player.
I had no problem playing the DVD on my Mac G5.
This DVD delivered what it promised and I highly recommend this DVD. :thumbsup:

Aachen

01-12-2005, 10:47 PM

I also agree, I purchased both the DVD and the anatomical model Ver 3. It's one one the best dvd's I've ever purchased. The model has been A huge help, by far learning the sturcture of the body. Highly recommend!!

JM

Agent Vesago

01-13-2005, 02:51 AM

Got my DVD (yay!) I'm going to watch this puppy as soon as I get off work tonight.

digita

01-15-2005, 01:01 AM

Delete my post.

Cleveland

01-24-2005, 01:24 PM

to anyone who is wondering how proficient you have to be to follow along, i just wanted you all to know that i used this for my second ever modelling attempt. (the first was the hobbit guy's head tutorial). becuase he does everything on screen there is very little that you have to know about modeling to get started, as long as you follow along carefully. i'm glad that this dvd is getting good response because i thought it was just me. i could follow along well enough that i thought i must be missing something. the further i get into the DVD the more i'm convinced that what he's doing is just great. there are some parts where i just got lost, though (the sacrum, the forearm and the ear). i also added in some extra geometry early because i thought it was needed, then spent hours spinfacing out of it later when it totally conflicted with the flow...

here is my attempt, i smoothed my progress about 7/8 of the way through, still working on the head and neck and traps, but before detailing. He's still working in polygons at this point. i just smoothed to show: [removed to save drivespace see post 161 for final]

highly recommended.

(i'm using maya 6 with a dual 2.5 mac g5 and nvidia gefroce 6800 dll, i had a problem with the image planes, the would not go transparent witht the alpha slider. instead i loaded them onto polyplanes using a new material and made them transparent that way. moved them onto another layer as templates. then modeled in x-ray view.)

(if anyone has problems with spinFaces mel, try Polygon>Cleanup options Nonmanifold geometry)

does anybody know if there are texturing/rigging/binding DVD's out there of the same quality. are the new gnomon dvd's as good?

Nguyen

01-26-2005, 08:17 PM

http://www.mysticfaire.com/mfront.jpg
here's what i got so far...

Nguyen

01-26-2005, 08:18 PM

http://www.mysticfaire.com/mback.jpg
back pic of my model

Nguyen

01-26-2005, 08:32 PM

I've gotten this far and am the happiest with the results but I stil have some questions.

1) what part of the dvd does it show the modeling of the colar bone. I watched and it was starting to form in the torso chapter, but when i got to the arms chapter on the dvd it was fully modeled. no biggie i guess i can wing it now anyways...

2) i missed the padding of the foot, was that covered? if not when should i model the padding or do i sculpt it with the sculpt polygon tools?

3) what is the best method of uvmapping, do i map before i smooth and sculpt or should i do it after? i want to finish this model for my portfolio and i think it would look nice if i could texture it...any advice?

4) lastly, and more importantly, I have a p4 3.04 ht comp with 1ghz ddr memory... But for some reason when i use sculpt poly it eats up all my memory and shuts maya down. am i doing something wrong or is it a technical question i should take up somewhere else?

anyways DVD is totally %100 worth it! i wish i could afford those marquettes cause when i was modelling i kept trying to feel my own muscles and see how it was shaped but it's really hard cause i'm a skrawny kid and have no muscle definition:shrug:

Visualz Sphere

01-27-2005, 05:58 AM

1)I was looking for the collar bone part in there too, its simply not there. All I did was select
the polys where the collar bone should be, extruded out, "rounded the forms," and used spin faces to blend it back into the mesh.
2)I'm not sure about the padding of the foot. I don't believe he went into detail with
that either.
3)I am not a UV expert but I would map after the smooth and sculpting because that is your final model.
4)I don't usually sculpt dense models often so I don't really know about that one. Check your computers resources to see if it is eating up your memory or processor and go from there.

Also it looks like you may need to merge some vertices at the back of the head.

Good Luck

Nguyen

01-28-2005, 04:34 AM

Thanks for the input! man unwrapping those high poly's gonna be a test for me, I'm a newbie. Any advice on how I should start? Anyways, normally my computer uses about 198 mb of memory but as soon as I start using sculpt poly i can see the resources eating away. I'm thinking of upgrading my memory but I don't think that's gonna help the way the memory just goes. And it's just the arms I was working with.

HowardB

01-28-2005, 06:48 AM

By smoothing I’m assuming your talking about increasing the # of polys

I’ve done some UV mapping in my time and I find that’s its always easyer to UV map before you smooth everything out. Computers are suppose to make your job easyer. You just give yourself extra unneeded work doing the UV mapping after smoothing out because the UVs get smoothed aswell

Nguyen

01-29-2005, 12:39 AM

yeah that's what I was thinking, thank you howard.

ShinZo

01-29-2005, 08:03 AM

ledheavy

02-04-2005, 09:25 PM

still cant find spinfaces plugin for 3ds max...can anybody help???

SheepFactory

02-04-2005, 09:33 PM

Ordered my dvd today, I really hope its worth it.
Accordint to the reviews here it sure seems like a great catch.
My question is, can someone really make models as complicated as the one shown in the dvd by simply following this dvd? and also techniques learned in this dvd can be used towards our own models, correct?

I am really for sounding like a moron, but please bear with me. I have just started with maya and have ordered few gnomon dvds aswell, will post some of my beginer work soon.
thx
SZ

The instructor doesnt skip any steps in the dvd while modelling so yes you can. There are no fade in fade outs , "let me load this scene where i did all the work" type of editing , thats why its very good.

All in all get it , it compliments the gnomon dvd's nicely.

Visualz Sphere

02-04-2005, 11:16 PM

Re Nguyen: Thanks for the input! man unwrapping those high poly's gonna be a test for me, I'm a newbie. Any advice on how I should start? Anyways, normally my computer uses about 198 mb of memory but as soon as I start using sculpt poly i can see the resources eating away. I'm thinking of upgrading my memory but I don't think that's gonna help the way the memory just goes. And it's just the arms I was working with.

I usually would agree to unwrapping before smoothing but it seems that he moves the geometry around alot to get his final model. That was the only reason I suggested unwrapping after the smooth. But I guess you can always modify your UV later to match your texture.
Also, I make many subprojections for the entire mesh, just to make texturing easier. For example a spherical for the most of the head, another for the top front half of the torso, etc.
Of course there is no right way, just what works to give you the results you want.
By the way, I checked out your website and you have some awesome drawings!

Visualz Sphere

02-04-2005, 11:24 PM

Re: ShinZo

You made a good choice to by this DVD, it really is worth the money. You can apply all of the techniques to model your own character. By following all of his steps you can come up with a model very similar to his own. Of course some areas will be a little more difficult than others but all you need is some patience. Good luck.

Nguyen

02-04-2005, 11:30 PM

thanks Visualz Sphere (http://www.cgtalk.com/member.php?u=13085), it's still alot of trial and error but I'm starting to grasp the texturing part. Hopefully I can finish soon and post the results.

thanks for the compliments--head is swelling:) vbmenu_register("postmenu_1945858", true);

Loukor

02-05-2005, 02:35 AM

Hmm I read most of the replies on this thread and it's so tempting to order the DVD... which I will soon. But before I order this DVD, would you reccommend this to a beginner? Right now I am using "Introducing Maya 6 : 3D for Beginners" as a start and its working quite well.

Cleveland

02-13-2005, 01:25 PM

great DVD. this was my first model after the hobbit guys stuff. i've smoothed it for show, but i'm yet to enter the "detailing phase" of the DVD. please let me know what y'all think.

[removed to save drive space - see post 161 for final]

obviously i took a little artistic license with the face. and i also reduced the muscular definition on purpose. goes without saying that this DVD is worth every penny.

(miss Fast Skin Shader used)

Cleveland.

Cleveland

02-13-2005, 01:58 PM

Cleveland

02-19-2005, 02:25 AM

finished...http://www.phlebasnine.com/Assets/BlueHEADCGT.jpg
http://www.phlebasnine.com/Assets/BlueBODYCGT.jpgand that's it.

arona

02-21-2005, 02:37 AM

i tried the spinFaces script in maya 6.5 and i think its not working properly, it just deletes the edge(its working in 6). am i doing something wrong?

SheepFactory

02-21-2005, 02:45 AM

i tried the spinFaces script in maya 6.5 and i think its not working properly, it just deletes the edge(its working in 6). am i doing something wrong?

I actually had that problem when using the script with 6.01 too. I dont know whats wrong with it , when you reopen the scene it works. :shrug:

de_tomato

02-21-2005, 05:39 AM

Yeah, the spinFaces script not working anymore with Maya 6.5. I hope some good scripter could come out with a new spiFaces script soon. Its kinda tedious to keep on deleting faces.

Cleveland

02-21-2005, 01:32 PM

i don't know about 6.5 but i used to have problems in 6.0.1 with spinfaces. try Polygon > Cleanup > Options > Non-manifold geometry. this helps. if you have nonmanifold geometry anywhere on your mesh it screws up. like i said, don't know about 6.5

cleveland.

rock

02-21-2005, 04:12 PM

Yeah, the spinFaces script not working anymore with Maya 6.5. I hope some good scripter could come out with a new spiFaces script soon. Its kinda tedious to keep on deleting faces.

In Maya 6.01, spinFaces sometimes does not work. What you have to do is use Polygons->conform to get all the normals point in the same correct direction or optionally, use Polygons->setToFace and then polygons->setToAll Hard. Excuse me for the exact menu options, since I don't have Maya currently in front of me.

In Maya 6.5, however, spinFaces is unpredictable, even after doing the steps above. A lot of times, for me, spinFaces does not work in Maya 6.5.

Thus, you have to use Maya 6.0.1, until someone can fix the spinFace script for us for Maya 6.5.

SkyZero

02-23-2005, 05:50 AM

Just curious, is there a spinFaces script or something similar for Softimage?

de_tomato

02-23-2005, 06:44 AM

Just curious, is there a spinFaces script or something similar for Softimage?

Hey.. you can get it here: http://www.xsibase.com/scripts/modeling.php?detail=288

I never personally tested it on version 4.x but it works in earlier version.

BTW, XSIbase is a better place to ask question if u have any doubts regarding the software.

Cheers,
Deric

SkyZero

02-23-2005, 07:51 AM

For anyone using XSI, the above referenced script works with 4.2 http://cgtalk.com/images/smilies/thumbsup.gif

sporadic

02-23-2005, 01:56 PM

I've had so many problems with spinFaces that I wrote my own from scratch, which I've tested lightly, and it doesn't have the weird behaviors. I've also extended it to allow the selection of an edge rather than faces (less error prone), better error checking for things like non-manifold geometry and boundary conditions (spinFaces won't work with faces along the edge of a model), eliminated the restriction to quad geometry, and so on. I'm planning on releasing it to the community when it's better tested.

However, I only currently have 6.0.1. According to Alias, they'll be sending me 6.5 in the mail sometime soon (the person I talked to used 'shipping after February 23rd' in her correspondence)', and I'll be upgrading and testing then.

If you're interested, PM me, and I'll make sure to let you know when I post it. Or if you'd like to be a beta tester, lemme know that to, and you can try it out.

Neison

02-23-2005, 01:58 PM

I've been reading all the reviews of this DVD and just wanted to confirm that it will be around for a while (till summer at least? *smile*). I can't afford it right now, but would love to have it in the near future.

Thanks!

titaniumdave

03-04-2005, 04:21 AM

Just curious, is there a spinFaces script or something similar for Softimage?

Get mindthink tools. I think you can get it at xsibase.com or just google it.

SheepFactory

04-14-2005, 06:05 PM

By the way guys , there is a new spin faces script that works in maya 6.5 now. You can download it from highend.

greynite1

04-14-2005, 09:31 PM

I went to look and all I see is the Version 1.0 which is only versions 4,5 and 6 is there a new location for it or a new name?

greynite1

04-19-2005, 09:38 PM

didn't end up finding that update to spinfaces would you be so kind as to provide a link. thanks alot for your help.

greynite1

04-19-2005, 11:03 PM

hmm doesn't turn up in the search but if you manually go through the modelling plugins there it is spinfaces 1.5 but when I tried it with 6.5 I get the same problem it spins once and then the middle edge just disappears. am I doing something wrong?

sporadic

04-20-2005, 12:08 PM

The newest version of the OMToolbox has a spinEdge script (which I wrote ;)) that does the same thing as spinFaces, but is a bit more flexible and a bit more stable. I'm biased, but I think it's easier to use, too (select based on edge *or* faces, and it works near poly borders, and/or with non-quad geometry)

You can also get just the spinEdge.mel script at http://www.sporadicenterprises.net/SE/downloads/spinEdge.mel, but the OMToolbox also includes a lot of other cool polytools, and includes the MJ tools, so it's a one stop shop.

Let me know what you think!

mistafreeze

04-20-2005, 10:06 PM

wow, i love spin edge

great job, works like a charm, i actually enjoy it more than spinfaces

thx much, this is a must have.

embodiedform

05-03-2005, 08:30 PM

I learned a lot from this DVD, especially when it comes to anatomy.

That being said, with the advent of Zbrush and displacement for detail is it necessary to do all the highly detailed poly work in Maya? Zac Petroc's DVD basically shows the same kind of result using a model with basic poly lapyout and then bringing it into Zbrush for the definition.

chadtheartist

05-03-2005, 08:40 PM

You'll still need to build an animation friendly cage in the end. So it's a skill that is necessary to learn if just for that.

Personally, though, I prefer the Zbrush zsphere approach first, then do the topology last. This DVD looks like it defines edgeflows pretty well, so looking at that I'd say it's a pretty good DVD. But for me, I won't model this way anymore.

greynite1

05-03-2005, 09:26 PM

This does lead to a bit of a discussion. Me personally I always looked at Zbrush for heavy duty detailing work. For textures and displacement maps and adding more detail to an existing model.

maybe I'm misunderstanding but wouldn't you keep modelling your primary animatable model with this method and then once you get your flow going just detail it and add things in Zbrush.
I mean the knowledge on this DVD seems like a basis for everything else. wouldn't you start doing all your primary shapes and definition of the features in maya then tweak them in Zbrush?

TareqMirza

05-04-2005, 03:08 AM

Hi Everyone,

I haven't been on for awhile. This thread just popped back up on my email and I saw the last few posts. I wanted to add my 2 cents:) Zbrush has changed a lot about the way most people create complex characters and creatures, but that doesn't change the foundations of poly modeling.

I think a strong understanding of polygon modeling is still very important, in fact more important for Zbrush work. My personal conversion to Zbrush followed a little like this.

1. I first started importing my high res model from Maya first and adding finer detail in Zbrush. This seemed like a slow ease into Zbrush modeling. It gave me a handle on the tools and interface without worrying about things coming out blobby and bumpy.(As most of you have probably encountered:)

2. Second I started bringing in slightly lower resolution meshes to start sculpting more in Zbrush. At this point I had gained a good understanding of the tools and could navigate and use the software fairly well. But my overall form was still created in Maya. This way I could focus on defining muslces more and going up to higher detail.

3. After sculpting for awhile in Zbrush, when I felt comfortable enough I started to bring in lower res models similiar to Zac Petroc's DVD. What I do differently is focus ahead of time areas where I know I am going to need more detail and add more detail there in the mesh. Like the ear for example. Then most of the work of creating your model is in Zbrush. I would still define the head fairly well for blendshapes. Getting to stage 3 takes some time though and requires a strong understanding of both the sculpting tools in Zbrush as well as a strong understanding of Anatomy.

So...as biased as my opinion is...I would say my Organic Modeling DVD is a compliment to Zac's Zbrush DVD. Both for gaining a strong understanding of Polygon Modeling and Anatomy as well.

Bare in mind also, that most production houses are still using Zbrush for the high detail and are still bringing in fairly complex meshes to finish off. It will take better pipelines and ease of use between software applications to doing all the modeling in Zbrush.

I love ZSpheres too...and am awaiting the next version of Zbrush for all the great tools coming up.

-------------
Enjoy

Tareq
www.freedom-of-teach.com (http://www.freedom-of-teach.com)

greynite1

05-04-2005, 06:15 AM

I think that very effectively answered my question. :) thank you very much for the comments Tareq. now i'm glad that I bought the Zbrush DVDs after I worked through yours first. :) Keep em comin man your stuff is a serious accomplishment. :buttrock:

easy

05-04-2005, 06:19 AM

Both DVD's mentioned should be in everyone collection if you are serious about learning or improving you modelling skills. I’m looking forward to the next update of Zbrush which is promising to be a very attractive product.

chadtheartist

05-04-2005, 10:53 AM

I didn't mean that edgecraft modeling is gone. What you're saying, Tareq, is exactly how I feel. Zbrush is great, but not exactly ready for completely disregarding edgecraft yet.

My workflow starts out with Zbrush. I sculpt a relatively light cage in Zbrush, about 40,000 polygons or more, and use that sketch to build my "Final" model. I do this for two reasons, one I can sculpt a mesh relatively quick in Zbrush, and two, this means I can disregard edgeloops if they don't work out like I wanted them.

After I get my final topology model finished (Drawn on by Silo's topology brush), I pull it back into Zbrush for detail sculpting. So edgecraft modeling is essential to my workflow. I just do it in the middle of modeling, rather than beginning.

You also mentioned that some pipelines may not allow you to work that way. So edgecraft modeling would be very good to know before relying on Zbrush.

I've tried using a "sculpting" mesh to add more polygons in certain areas in Zbrush too. But from my latest tests of zsphere's, I've found that if you plan them right, you can spread out the polygons rather well. It will however result in a heavier mesh than making a mesh outside of Zbrush, but it's not enough to harm my workflow.

One more thing to note, if you are really, really good at organizing your final mesh, you can really add some incredible detail in Zbrush. So the better you are at making your level one mesh, i.e. edgeloops etc... the more detail you will have to sculpt with later on in Zbrush. So the two definitely go hand in hand.

embodiedform

05-04-2005, 01:51 PM

Thanks Tareq for your reply, your DVD is a fantastic resource- I am really learning a lot about edge loop flow and how to use tools such as spinFaces to intuitively lay the mesh out (I really enjoyed the out-takes as well:)

I agree with what everyone said in regards to Zac's Zbrush DVD being a very nice complement to yours- if anything edge loop understanding will be even more essential once we get a hold of the surface-rig line tool in the next update-

Its really exciting to see these new tools-

I guess the workflow will be very similar to what you are doing Chad where you can use the spheres to define a basemesh, use the new radial sym to make loops around the zspheres and fine detail that out to your hi res model- then go in with the surface-rig line tool (like you would in Silo) and redraw the loops to get good topology.

With the rigging capacities it seems like making displacements and blend shapes for animation will be really intuitive-

Day-Dreamer

05-04-2005, 02:28 PM

sorry for off topic.

I wonder How could I reconstruct my detailed mesh in maya?
What I did is I build my low res mesh in maya and work in zbrush all the way to dense mesh.
I heard I can use mel script to deform my animatable mesh but if I do that i will loose my detailed from my dense mesh ? no?
Can someone explain me?

Thanks.

de_tomato

06-06-2005, 03:28 AM

Sorry to bump this old thread.

Disclaimer: am extremely new to Maya.

I finally got the chance to watch it, and here my super noob question:
At one point, the instructor selece a face and snap the pivot of the face to the center of an edge. How do i go bout it? I cant find any option for snapping to an edge. I tried the Preference>Snapping option, still no avail.

Thanks for any pointers.

Deric

Ismail

06-06-2005, 03:58 AM

Is it an edge or a vertice that you speak of? My guess, go into vertex mode and use the "merge vertice" option. (The vertex mode with the "purple balls" on the edges)
I'm hoping this helps. I'd also check out www.simplymaya.com (http://www.simplymaya.com) ito get an answer aswell. :) and the Maya Fundamentals books by Jim Lammers from New Riders press (I recommend the library.)

I'm really hoping this helps, I know how it feels to not have a question answered when you're on a roll in learning. Thanks for bumping up the thread, I wouldn't have known about these DVD's they look way excellent! :) :) :)