i am a programmer...and i am New to SI¦XSI3

[Sanguis Mortuum]

Ah, similarly to you I am best at programming etc, and learning the interface and features of a 3D program is easy, but it is the theory of 3D modelling that seems to delude me, same as you.

You could try the 3DBuzz VTMs from www.3dbuzz.com. Not just the XSI one, but some of the other ones too, in particular the 3rd and/or 4th 3DSMax one/s go through the steps of modelling an alien head, and those modelling techniques can probably be used in any 3D package. Watching videos is also much nicer for getting the logic of things into your head, instead of just reading a load of words.

[Tolwak]

Thanx alot man...:beer:

[paul k.]

Modelling really tests your ability to think in 3D before you actually start modelling! When you think of an idea or even just draw something out, it will be your ability to combine your designs with your tools in order to sculpt. 3D in my opinion is kind of abstract in that you need to understand the tools at your disposal first, and then really sit back on most all of the projects you do and look at them almost as a puzzle in it's self. You need to kind of think outside of the box in order to come up with these abstract ways to form the shapes, or even motion that you are looking for. A friend of mine who is a traditional animator was trying to learn to model and one of his biggest gripes was that when he wanted a certain line in his drawings he just drew it. When his work was transfered inside of his CPU he found a whole new set of challenges for things he felt he had already concored. He started to get it when he thought of it more as a sculpture, or as animating a puppet, instead of as a series of flat drawings. I have found that many of the traditional animators I have worked with find this distinction confusing at first. (Sorry to run on!) Try not to think of it as having rules, or a couple of techniques to fall back on every time. Think of it as just a set of tools to solve many different kinds of puzzles. A certain combination of tools may work perfectly for one project and be totally unsutable for the next. The idea is to have a strong understanding of what the streangth's and weaknesses are of each technique. Hope this helps!

[Tolwak]

Originally posted by paul k.
Modelling really tests your ability to think in 3D before you actually start modelling! When you think of an idea or even just draw something out, it will be your ability to combine your designs with your tools in order to sculpt. 3D in my opinion is kind of abstract in that you need to understand the tools at your disposal first, and then really sit back on most all of the projects you do and look at them almost as a puzzle in it's self. You need to kind of think outside of the box in order to come up with these abstract ways to form the shapes, or even motion that you are looking for. A friend of mine who is a traditional animator was trying to learn to model and one of his biggest gripes was that when he wanted a certain line in his drawings he just drew it. When his work was transfered inside of his CPU he found a whole new set of challenges for things he felt he had already concored. He started to get it when he thought of it more as a sculpture, or as animating a puppet, instead of as a series of flat drawings. I have found that many of the traditional animators I have worked with find this distinction confusing at first. (Sorry to run on!) Try not to think of it as having rules, or a couple of techniques to fall back on every time. Think of it as just a set of tools to solve many different kinds of puzzles. A certain combination of tools may work perfectly for one project and be totally unsutable for the next. The idea is to have a strong understanding of what the streangth's and weaknesses are of each technique. Hope this helps!

man...this was one of my problems in 3d modelling...and u solved it...thanx...

so now it doesnt matter how do i model something as much as i get what i wanted to see...

_


anyone else can add something like that...i really want to read some...

thanx again paul k. :)

[paul k.]

I know there are not a lot of spacifics listed here but I find that art in general always has an acception to the rule in almost every instance anyway. Thanks for the kind words.

[gumpymaker]

And don't forget the tools you're bringing. Although you have to understand all the tools you do have available to you, once you do, seeing as how you are a programmer you could design specific plugins that interact with the program in a way that's more natural to you. Well thats what I did at least.

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