Strategies for modeling objects (quickly)

[newellteapot]

Hi, well this is a very generic question.... and it requires a long answer ;)
I would say:

1) gather reference of the object, like pictures from all angles. Or take pictures of it from the front and sides and top. Or, if it is a non existent object, draw the item/chracter from all the necessary views.

2)Observe them carefully, especially if it is some kind of machinery and it will have to have function, or if it is an object/character you will have to animate.

3)Before even thinking of putting your hands on the computer ask yourself what do you need that model for, if and how you are going to animate it and how and where in the scene you are going to see it. These considerations might lead you, for example, to understand that you don't need to model the back of an object in detail if you are not going to see it from the back, but also that you might have to because the director might change his mind.

4)Consider what kind of technique to use (poly, nurbs...)
This choice is to be determined also accordingly to the pipeline guidelines. The TD might let you know that there are restrictions regarding the number of polys to use etc. If you are modeling for games, that is an entirely different world (check out the games section on CGtalk). This choice really depends on many factors and there is no definite answer, I suppose.

5)Always start blocking out the bigger masses and determing the overall proportions, than work on the details. But, if you feel more confortable, you can model the smaller parts separately and then try to fit them on the main body, some people would rather do this (I don't)

6)Think about the movement, have a chat with the animators and riggers about how they are willing to animate your "creature". This will help you understanding where to add the necessary subdivisions. Some objects, in fact, might have to be animated.

7)The lighting. try your object in different lighting setups. The flaws will be more visible and easier to correct.

8)If you are modeling something that is going to be mapped with cartoony materials, don't just model the all thing and than see what it looks like with the toon shader on. You might realised whe it is too late that the toon shader hides or highlights the wrong features, so it is important that you check your product with the material on regurarly (believe me, I did this so many times)

9)Proportions. I should have mentioned this before, decid ethe scale or match it to the other objects in the scene. Forgetting to do so might create lots of problems.

10) Lightness. Try to keep the ply count into the realm of common sense ;)

11)Keep progressive backups of your work, don't collpase the stack or delete the construction history, especially if you have applied the mesh smooth to the geometry... what if you need to do changes??

12) Don't apply exagerated mesh smooth values to objects that will be in the far background.

Anyone has other suggestions? I'm running out of ideas now.

Good luck with your model!
I'll post some other suggestions if I can think of something else.
Monica

[newellteapot]

Just a couple more things, all of this might be a lot of work but if you follow these rules you will save a lot of time, and the job would be much quicker.
Also, sometimes you might not need to actually model some props, and get away with displacements (for landscapes, for example) or bump maps (especially if they are far away)
Good luck again.

[JayoKhan]

10) Lightness. Try to keep the ply count into the realm of common sense ;)

Monica

When talking about polycount, what's the best number to keep your polygons at?

[newellteapot]

That's a difficult question as there's no definite answer.

If you are working in games, they will tell you how many you can use. If you are working in tv/film etc it all depends. Normally there are guidelines, but common sense is better. I mean, if the computer cannot even move the object around, well, that's too much. Check how long it should take to render, as polycount affects that, too.
:)

[Tad]

When talking about polycount, what's the best number to keep your polygons at?

oh it definetely varies wildly from model to model.

As you become more and more experienced you'll see what we mean,
but basically you don't want to add too many polys that you dont even need!
For example: a completely flat surface doesnt need more than a few polys(actually in most cases it needs only 2, but I like to throw in a few extra edges just so it's visible in wireframe view).
And curved surfaces, unless you are going to view them super close up, do not have to
be completely smooth, just give them enough polys/edges so you can't see jagged edges unless you really look for them.

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