/3/ - 3DCG

4. I'm fairly competent with computers in a "family IT guy" way however I'm at a complete loss as to finding proper means of learning 3d modeling. Within the sticky I see various links and I'm currently going through them all. Is it advisable to just go with a service like digital tutors and follow a path like theirs? It seems very appealing but I'm wondering if it merits the cost. I was also hoping if anyone could point out areas that are considered generally hard for a beginner so I can not feel like a complete retard when I get stuck.

5. On the subject of learning and evaluating progress are there any streamers/youtubers that would consistently provide examples of good practices that I should be looking towards?

6. My current computer is a 4770k with a 290 and a couple monitors, I'm assuming this should be more than enough for a beginner like myself but thought I'd just ask either way.

Thanks all for taking the time to read this I'm hoping with some guidance I can start making stuff.

>>430589
1)
you don't have to learn one before the other, though *hard surface* objects are significantly easier to make then organic models.

2)
>effect on how I should go about learning software
not really
>static model is handled very differently
your ending topology should be following something called an edge flow. All objects have an edge flow. It's important to visualize this before jumping into your model.
If you have good topology, your creations will naturally look better. Your object will also deform much better when it comes time to getting ready to animate. Pic is example.

3)
Maya is a good choice. It's currently the best general use program. You will be able to do everything in order to make your first small animations.
If you aren't in the habit of hitting ctrl+s to save your file, you need to get in it. It's just good practice. Maya is a very complicated program and will crash on you from time to time. it's better to lose 5 minutes of work vs 30 minutes of work.

>>430590
4)
>buying things
to start off, pirate the tutorials for maya from digital tutors and work through those. They will REALLY help you get used to everything. They have varying difficulty levels so the beginners tutorials take it fairly slow. I wish I had done that instead of teaching the entire program to myself.

5)
speed modelling videos are good to watch every once in a while. someone else can probably help more with this.

6)
that's fine

>>430592
Appreciate the response.

1. Thanks, Hard surface is another term I guess I should have known, I guess I'll pick those up as I go along.

2. So as far as I can tell the basics of this is just creating semi-uniform rings around the shape of the model so that they can later deform in a curve rather than a weird jagged angle?

3. Constant saving seems logical I was wondering if there was maybe a reason to go with Maya 2013/14/15 over the others? Perhaps relating to plugin compatibility or the like? But maybe thats something way down the line that I shouldn't be too concerned with?

4. Any good places to get Maya itself or the tuts? or do I just head over to the usual places and try my luck until something works?

5. Appreciate it.
6. Thanks

>>430589

1) ok... box modeling will be easier, so modo should be used. right now its less about you useing the best tools, its about making not hate the process and learning. sculpting is FAR the fuck easier to do, however the programs for it are nightmarish at best till you get use to the ui, something many people here struggle with.

2) correct topology should be used regardless of static or non static, at least box modeling, sculpting, thats a whole nother bitch... the only real difference is the pose you use. when you want to animate you use the most neutral pose you can

3) i would say animating is something that is probably a month off for you at the earliest. i would suggest modo for modeling, and only use maya for animation and render.

4) the ui... almost every program its the ui in the begining. till you get use to it or learn the shortcuts thats the biggest bitch of all. as for service... i would say a 5 finger discount over at peers or persia would be the best option... and gnomen "i know nothing about this program, teach me master" dvds are probably the ones you want to look at. digital tutors... while not horrible... isn't the best... but if you are insistent on paying, they are probably your best option.
i also suggest watching andrew price blender tutorials regardless of program you choose. you aren't so much learning the program as you are gaining a skillset, and you can take skillsets from one program to another... price makes probably the most interesting tutorials i have seen for cg... when i say interesting i mean keeping you attention.

5) wei works, he went into a small absolute beginners tutorial that should tell you everything you need to know to model box.

6) yes its enough, though you many want to go nvidia with the next gpu if you stick with it. while amd is more powerful gpgpu, opencl is a retard right now and no one really works with it right, while cuda is simple and easy to integrate so its everywhere.

>>430597

its >>430604 again

3) maya is basicly the industry standard, its why its recommended all the time, but other programs do things allot better, like modo for box modelling. i suggest using modo for modeling and maya for rigging and rendering. there may be a better animation program, i don't know, but no one here would likely recommend it because everyone has a dream of being the next big person in 3dcg, and they must conform to have that as a possibility.

from my understanding, 3dsmax may be better at rigging, because i hear its an absolute bitch in maya, but i cant confirm or even tell you if the max rig is compatible with maya.

6) peers and persia, google it.

>>430597
(I'm another user)

1. You will learn terms naturally as you go along, no need to put any effort into it

2. exactly. It's especially important around the mouth and at the base of the limbs. There are a lot of resources about human topology on the internet

3. the newer the better. The latest versions have greatly improved toolkits.

4. You can have Maya for free for 3 years with a student license.
If you can't get a student license, try CGpeers.com (if you can't register today, wait for the right day. It is worth it)
You can find tutorial as well there

5) It depends on what you want to do. For example, if you want to learn character rigging, I'd say Zeth Willie for the transition form basic to intermediate techniques (good for movies and games), Stefan Ehrenhaus to fully explore skin deformations and boobs (not good for games, good for movies), judd simantov for facial rigging (his techniques are not good for movies, but work for games)
etc
It depends on what you want to learn

>>430605
No, no, waitg.
Maya's best part has always been rigging and animation.
It is common knowledge and traditional to repeat that Maya>Max for animation and Max>Maya for modeling (pre 2014)

>>430589
Can shoulders even bend past 90 degrees without looking like shit?

>>430597
I'm >>430592

>maybe a reason to go with Maya 2013/14/15
2014 is what i would suggest.

pre-2014 maya's poly modelling was absolutely terrible.

in the 2014 version maya got a new modelling toolkit that brings it up to and beyond other modelling packages.

a lot of the big plugins like v-ray haven't upgraded to 2015 yet.

>Any good places to get Maya itself or the tuts
cgpeers has everything you will ever need in order to learn everything. Maya also has an absolute huge library of tutorials covering every topic.

The other user is suggesting modo, but ever since maya 2014's great modelling toolkit you really don't need it.
For starters it's MUCH more efficient if you just keep your entire pipeline in a single program.
in maya, every object in your scene has it's own history that you can edit at any time. you will not have that advantage when importing meshes from another program like modo.

>>430604
>>430605
>>430670


I apologize for the late reply, life has been a little hectic.

I'm concerned about the conflicting modo/maya differing opinions. Honestly Maya sounds like a good idea if only so I can concentrate on a single program the next question would be 2014 vs 2015.

How much of an issue would I run into with things like vray not being upgraded? As I'm not a student I'd rather ...acquire the version that would allow me to concentrate on learning rather than constantly having to change/reinstall but if its not a big issue I can think of no reason not to go with the newest?

I'm going to concentrate my efforts on accessing Digital Tutors materials as it seems to be the most comprehensive resource I've come across. Is Lynda any good? If anyone else has anything I might have missed as far as learning resources or questions I should ask myself before diving into it I'd appreciate your input.

Thanks all for the guidance thus far.

>>431382
the issue is between modo and maya, modo is the better box modeler and you aren't experienced in modeling, at least if i remember this thread right.

throwing the complexity of maya at you from the get go would make many people just fucking quit, while im suggesting baby stepping it with what is considered the best box modeling package out today.

and you are looking at this wrong, you aren't learning a program you are building a skill set that is moveable between programs with the only difference being where what you need is located.

the way i see it, you are going to be box modeling for a lot longer than you probably thing you will, and you aren't going to want to move over to rigging till you got shit down pact on the modeling side.

>>431382
me again >>430670

>I apologize for the late reply
no need. Threads on this board can stay open for over a month.

vray hasnt updated to 2015 yet.
if you get 2014, make sure it's the extension you get, as a lot of the big bugs are now fixed.

>concentrate on learning rather than constantly having to change/reinstall
maya has more tutorials and a wider variety of them. Even the bigger maya plugins have learning paths on digital tutors.

i mean modo is probably very stable, but that's because all it does is modelling; so there aren't being new features added all the time.

as a begginner you should definetely keep your learning in one program so you actually know what to look for if you want to add other programs like modo/houdini into your pipeline.