Maya Polygon Modelling Introduction

On Friday 11th October we had a Polygon Modelling class with Jin. Here are my notes from the class:

There are 3 types of geometry in 3D applications:
- NURBS
- Polygons
- Subdivision

Remember:
- Reference images - take off lens distortion
- Take off lens distortion from default Maya cam (persp)
- Customize the Maya Shelf (ctrl + shift + LMB click to add tool to shelf)

35 to 80 for Focal length of default Maya camera.

NukeX (only 'X' has lens distortion tool):

- open images 'R', hit '1' to open in viewer
- hit 'tab' to find lens distortion node
- Grid analysis, Grid type - thin line, Analyze Grid
- 'w' to write, jpg, quality 0.75

To create image plane in Maya:

- Camera attributes in top view - environment - create image plane

- Select image plane and move down via attributes

- Do the same for top, front and side.

Creating a 3D shoe (example):

- Use 'create polygon tool' in "Mesh" menu to outline shoe in top view

- Use 'interactive split tool' in "Edit Mesh" menu to add lines across.

- There will be triangles at the top and bottom! Use interactive split tool to fix this.

- When deleting an edge, select the edge then delete Edge/Vertex from menu.

- Move side view plane up so it is in line with the object

- Extrude face up, hit 'G' to re-use tool

- Hold 'ctrl' to deselect faces

- In "Animation" menu - Create Deformers - Non linear - Bend

 Rotate the 'bend' and adjust the 'Curvature' in the attribute editor to add the bend in the shoe sole

- Build side of shoe

- Use 'Soft Modification Tool' to sculpt the polygons

- If Normals wrong?

 Normals - Reverse

- Make holes in the mesh by using the 'interactive split tool' to create a diamond shape, then delete the middle faces

 Use 'interactive split tool' again

 Move vertices to create a circle shape

- Add wrinkles - need triangular shapes, use the 'interactive split tool' and when object is smoothed the wrinkles will show

- Smooth, adjust in attributes, if wrong go back to '0' and delete history
- Duplicate side - with instance? So other side can be manipulated at the same time?

- Combine both sides - Mesh - Combine - Edit Mesh - Merge Vertex Tool

- Display - Polygons - Display Edges (to check vertex have merged)

before merge vertex tool

after merge vertex tool

- Insert edge loop tool - thinner spaces. sharper edge when smoothed

Remember to Freeze transformations!