Where to start? What to do?

[LFShade]

To really answer this question would probably require, at least, a very long reply. But I'll just give you a sort of short version:)

If you're having trouble with the basic vocabulary, then set out to learn it! Find tutorials that focus on areas you feel weak in. Sure, you won't be churning out anything really exciting at first, but what you will be doing is laying the groundwork for your later masterpieces;)

As you go through these exercises, you'll find that some of the concepts you've learned didn't really 'click' with you. I never really got into spline modeling, for instance - couldn't do a damn thing with it. That's okay, though, because at the same time you'll also be finding out what does work for you, and you later on you can put it to good use in your own projects. Each time you learn something new, try and find a way to incorporate it into a scene of your own. Thinking 'outside the tutorial' is a good way to really understand a concept.

It's really important that you don't let the poor quality of results that most tutorials steer you toward get you down. Making good 3D requires a lot of learning and practice, and you have to start somewhere! Michaelangelo didn't paint the Sistine Chapel the first time he picked up a brush:)

So find some rather specific tutorials, work through 'em, play around with the ideas they give you. And have fun!

[merlin9876]

I guess you're right. I was probably talking to myself when I posted. I was working on 3 scenes lately and 2 of them where way over my head, so that's probably why I had that little "down". Thank goodness the 3rd scene is working out not too badly! I guess also that reading a "dry" 1200 pages book like Max 4 bible is a bit rough especially when there are almost no real or interesting tutorials in it. Thanks for the tips and I'll do exactly what you said and what I thought I'd hear as replies : practice, practice, practice, with a small dose of "take your time"... ;) Thanks!

[Ls3D]

I tell ya even after 11 years of doing this 3D stuff, I find myself an expert in some areas and a new born baby in others...

The depth of knowledge is easy to under estimate and the possibilities are of course infinite. I continually challenge and frustrate myself in order to grow and take on knarly projects like character work, lip syncing and advanced animation.

The ups and downs are a part of it, and the ups keep getting better untill once again humility comes around to remind me just how infinite 3D imaging and animation truly is.

I like to jump around when I'm burning out one concept, go back to some sub-d modeling or relight a scene - hit the heavy stuff fresh in the am or whenever inspiration strikes.

-Shea
www.Ls3D.com

:thumbsup:

[xynaria]

The whole tutorial bag is very much hit and miss. I went throiugh all three volumes of New Riders MAX 2 which was already rather dated when it came out (after2.5) and whilst it was good at explaining some of the concepts undoubtedly, I found them very uninspiring/ uninvolving in the main, and in many cases they led me to believe (if only by ignoring certain aspects) that some things were actually much harder than they are. Pay a visit to www3dbuzz.com and follow up on any tutorials that strike your imagination and then play around with the concepts. above all don't be scared to just try and do what you want without worrying too much if it looks awful and totally improbable at first.. it takes time and usually can only get better. Certainly with Max, I would give Nurbs a wide berth for now, and find something for instance you would like to model, and then gather as much reference as possible on it. During the process of trying to do it you will start to think of the possible different approaches you might take and why some options are then perhaps less attractive than others. If you get stuck at all there are always boards like this to help you and the benefit of not relying totally on tutorials is that you get more personally involved in finding solutions and they no longer appear so abstract.

Hope this is of some help. :)

[merlin9876]

Thanks all for the great advice. I'm all go for the web tutorials since they usually go more in depth and are more focused than what I've seen in books. Although I'll do bot books and web tutorials so as to learn the most I can. I'll probably submit my first scene here for a review and for pointers (gulp! ;) ) . I may see a bit of light at the end of the tunnel soon, I hope!

[Risibility]

You're going to want to become a good artist. Seeing things properly and making them look oh so sweet is 1/2 done on sketch paper. If you're just starting to get into 3ds max i would suggest taking as many drawing/artistic classes as you can. Most companies/colleges INSIST on artistic background. Being good at visual perception is what 3d art is all about, making your ideas come to life. But those ideas won't get far if they arent on a piece of paper to begin with. 3D art is drawing without a pencil so this is just a heads up.

Drawing also enhances your creativity by about ten fold :thumbsup:

I know this sounds sappy but most of what I say is true, good luck! :applause:

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