CAGD 230 Assignments 1-5
CAGD 230 Midterm
Abigail Ortiz-Garagarza
CSU Chico
Assignment 5: Grocery
Oct. 7, 2019
My shelf reference- captured the essentials I wanted!
In this assignment, I was requested to create a shelf with designs of my choice and different types of food products- six boxed items, three glass items, and one plastic item. This project is a mere combination of the techniques that I have learned previously, as well as practice to become more familiar with three-point lighting.
Along with the Primitive Scene assignment, this task involved more of a personal touch than the other assignments, so the first important step I have done was to look for references.
First, I looked for shelf references. I did not want to overestimate my abilities and waste my time to perfect some overly-detailed shelf, but I also wanted something that wasn't too plain and had an interesting build. I found the perfect reference on a shopping website called Alibaba and I changed its colors to more of a pastel, childish color combination. It was amazing to see how much my passion went up for this project after I was allowed to change its colors!
Finding references also worked its way while I was in the middle of this project. In fact, on of the most tedious processes of this work was finding a new reference for the food products after I refused the previous ones. I attempted to not make the correlation between each product too random, however, as the theme stationed itself on "sweet things". I mostly looked for templates that demonstrated sweet foods such as cookies, candy, ramune, yogurt drinks, and jam.
Because the shelf is already eye-popping on its own, I needed the food products to be more eccentric to attract attention. This allowed me to use different template styles to my benefit, whether it would be vintage, foreign, or just plain decorative!
Some of my favorite templates!
I ran into minimal problems as I went on- in fact, my most prominent error was adding outside materials onto the jam jars. Meanwhile I selected the specific faces to render on, the actual outside material did not translate very well. This resulted in the jar labels looking unfinished (the detail would be in the front, but empty space would be left in the back).
Another minor issue was that, occasionally, certain parts of an object would be blacked out despite light source hitting it. It's evident in the jam jar- even though it is directly facing the light, the textures appear to be black. It was an issue that tripped me up for quite some time, but I ultimately realized that it was due to different objects merging into each other.
All in all, this was by far my most creative and most enjoyable project. I am extremely pleased with the results and I truly feel that the display expresses the "sweets" theme accurately, especially considering the food product types and the amount of bright colors used. I have learned so much throughout the making, and next time,
Assignment 4: Dinner Preparation
Sept. 30, 2019
This project had a more complex approach to creation than the other assignments. Meanwhile it was a breeze to model the pasta box, I had to learn how to use the curves tool to create my own basic model for the sauce jar, as well as adjusting its UV map in order to make it correct. I also had to learn how to position the three-point lights to efficiently "bring out" my work.
Creating the sauce jar was a very interesting process. Instead of placing polygons and editing them, I was able to create my own custom polygon by using the curves tool. In this case, I traced over the outside surface of my jar model reference. What made the curves tool different from regular polygon placement was that the curves that I traced were flat. To make them 3D, I had to rotate it- thus creating the 3D object along with the curve.
As for the wine bottle (which was already modeled) and the pasta sauce, I applied the glass texture from aiStandardSurface and UV the faces where I had to place the labels. I did not have to worry about beveling the labels in this case, but I had to make sure I flattened them correctly in order for the labels to be accurate.
I had to pay very close attention to how I applied the glass textures because I had to observe how light will pass through them. Known as refracture, I was aware that the wine bottle would reflect the lighting directed at it and I had to keep in mind that because it is not opague, the shadows had to demonstrate that. This involved a lot of Arnold manipulation of the materials, including its scale of opacity, roughness, refraction, and so on.
From all of the other assignments, this was by far the easiest to work with. At this point, I have improved my Beveling and UVing skills to make the process significantly faster than my previous assignment. I have learned to UV the pasta box before softening its edges.
As well, this is the only assignment that I completed with my class. I did not work on this at my own pace like my previous assignments, but I enjoyed the thorough lectures and working in a more social environment where I could converse with my classmates.
Creating the sauce jar was a very interesting process. Instead of placing polygons and editing them, I was able to create my own custom polygon by using the curves tool. In this case, I traced over the outside surface of my jar model reference. What made the curves tool different from regular polygon placement was that the curves that I traced were flat. To make them 3D, I had to rotate it- thus creating the 3D object along with the curve.
I had to pay very close attention to how I applied the glass textures because I had to observe how light will pass through them. Known as refracture, I was aware that the wine bottle would reflect the lighting directed at it and I had to keep in mind that because it is not opague, the shadows had to demonstrate that. This involved a lot of Arnold manipulation of the materials, including its scale of opacity, roughness, refraction, and so on.
From all of the other assignments, this was by far the easiest to work with. At this point, I have improved my Beveling and UVing skills to make the process significantly faster than my previous assignment. I have learned to UV the pasta box before softening its edges.
As well, this is the only assignment that I completed with my class. I did not work on this at my own pace like my previous assignments, but I enjoyed the thorough lectures and working in a more social environment where I could converse with my classmates.
Assignment 3: Table and Couch
Sept. 23, 2019
My third Maya assignment emphasizes the use of UV'ing and applying outside textures more than the previous assignment. Because it involves creating a basic coffee table and couch out of simple objects, there is no need to manipulate them. That did not stop me from learning new techniques, however, as I learned how to soften the edges ("bevel" them out).
The process, when displayed, displays somewhat of a pattern: I place the polygons first, then I UV them to assist with texturing, leading to beveling them to make the edges softer and therefore more realistic, I apply the outside textures onto the UVs, and lastly, I apply the textures onto the polygons themselves.
I call this a pattern because I had to repeat that process on every polygon that is placed: the table legs, the couch legs, the table surface, the couch cushions...
Aside from the marker assignment, this assignment is the most tedious and the hardest task I had to complete. Throughout my process, there were many errors, especially concerning the UV and Beveling process.
The most prominent error that heavily affected my progress was that I beveled each polygon before UVing them. Working with this method led to extremely risky slip-ups, since that led to my couch model having too many faces, edges, and vertices- too much geometry in general. This made it exceedingly difficult to select the faces that needed editing and even straightening their flattened images along the graph took much longer than normal.
Although this is not as major, there was an issue with the rendering process. With my first render, the lighting was too dim, although Maya recognized the light source as bright. To fix the issue, I increased the exposure of the lighting via the Light Editor, but it resulted in the jpeg being overly saturated.
There were many occurrences that slowed down my work progress, but I do not regret it. I learned through my mistakes, and for my next project, I will be more careful with the Bevel and UV tool. By UV'ing my work before Beveling my objects, that will not only speed up my work, but there will be less mistakes involved.
The process, when displayed, displays somewhat of a pattern: I place the polygons first, then I UV them to assist with texturing, leading to beveling them to make the edges softer and therefore more realistic, I apply the outside textures onto the UVs, and lastly, I apply the textures onto the polygons themselves.
I call this a pattern because I had to repeat that process on every polygon that is placed: the table legs, the couch legs, the table surface, the couch cushions...
The most prominent error that heavily affected my progress was that I beveled each polygon before UVing them. Working with this method led to extremely risky slip-ups, since that led to my couch model having too many faces, edges, and vertices- too much geometry in general. This made it exceedingly difficult to select the faces that needed editing and even straightening their flattened images along the graph took much longer than normal.
Although this is not as major, there was an issue with the rendering process. With my first render, the lighting was too dim, although Maya recognized the light source as bright. To fix the issue, I increased the exposure of the lighting via the Light Editor, but it resulted in the jpeg being overly saturated.
There were many occurrences that slowed down my work progress, but I do not regret it. I learned through my mistakes, and for my next project, I will be more careful with the Bevel and UV tool. By UV'ing my work before Beveling my objects, that will not only speed up my work, but there will be less mistakes involved.
Assignment 2: Marker
Sept. 16, 2019
My second assignment involved the use of creating a marker. Although the previous techniques were recycled, I also had to learn how to import reference images and textures outside of Maya, manipulate polygons, and create UV maps. It was a rather big jump from the first assignment that I truly needed.
After placing the intended materials, I had to edit the marker body. This required me to insert edge loops, or edges, to make the body more detailed and to make the UV process run smoother. The UV process was crucial because it flattens your objects to where it can be seen in all angles, and it is a very helpful tool to import textures that Maya does not have. During the UV course, the marker body was stretched. If not fixed, it would result in a warped, disoriented outside texture. I used edge loops to straighten the object out for the label.
Originally, every polygon with edge loops will appear to be edged. To make the objects appear smooth and round, I have learned two useful techniques: the Edge Loop tool creates a very detailed surface- the more edge loops places, the more detailed the object will be- and 1 and 3 keys provided to be very helpful shortcuts to transition from the edged texture to the rounded texture.
Manipulating the marker cap was the most interesting and strenuous task I have accomplished- due to inserting the holes. In order to do so, I had to insert edge loops on a singular object face to create more geometry, then proceeding to use a new tool called "extrusion" to push the geometry back to make it look like there are holes in it. After that, I had to rotate the faces to create the cap shape.
Because extruding the cap was a brand-new step, it proved to be a very difficult process. I had to redo it multiple times since the geometry was always overlapping after I rotated all of the faces. I realized that it was due to the faces merging into each other before rotation. I fixed the issue by connecting their vertices (or points) to prevent overlapping.
The marker label was an original creation from Photoshop, and in order to apply that onto the marker, I had to select the intended faces and apply aiStandard Surface on them (not only does it have multiple material types, but it also allows me to insert my own creation). I UV'd the faces afterwards, hence why it was extremely important that the marker body had the correct UV.
After placing the intended materials, I had to edit the marker body. This required me to insert edge loops, or edges, to make the body more detailed and to make the UV process run smoother. The UV process was crucial because it flattens your objects to where it can be seen in all angles, and it is a very helpful tool to import textures that Maya does not have. During the UV course, the marker body was stretched. If not fixed, it would result in a warped, disoriented outside texture. I used edge loops to straighten the object out for the label.
Originally, every polygon with edge loops will appear to be edged. To make the objects appear smooth and round, I have learned two useful techniques: the Edge Loop tool creates a very detailed surface- the more edge loops places, the more detailed the object will be- and 1 and 3 keys provided to be very helpful shortcuts to transition from the edged texture to the rounded texture.
Manipulating the marker cap was the most interesting and strenuous task I have accomplished- due to inserting the holes. In order to do so, I had to insert edge loops on a singular object face to create more geometry, then proceeding to use a new tool called "extrusion" to push the geometry back to make it look like there are holes in it. After that, I had to rotate the faces to create the cap shape.
The marker label was an original creation from Photoshop, and in order to apply that onto the marker, I had to select the intended faces and apply aiStandard Surface on them (not only does it have multiple material types, but it also allows me to insert my own creation). I UV'd the faces afterwards, hence why it was extremely important that the marker body had the correct UV.
Assignment 1: Primitives Scene
Sept. 9, 2019
With my first Autodesk Maya assignment, I was requested to create an outdoor scene of my choice. During the creation, I mastered crucial techniques such as polygon and material creation, lighting placement, and rendering. However, I was not allowed to manipulate the polygons themselves- I had to work with what I got.
Before creating the project, I was on the lookout for references. The whole "lazy summer days" aesthetic was something that had always caught my eye, so I yearned for my own scene to resemble the same style. Finding the appropriate image was easier said than done, because I had very specific intentions for my piece- I wanted it to be somewhat distant from Earth but connected to it at the same time. Thus, I combined both images of a relaxing beach and an old-fashioned cafe and made it take place in outer space. The green aliens were used to emphasize this effect.
The very next thing I did was to place the polygons according to how the references were laid out. Meanwhile I could just place a random object and move/rotate/scale it at my will, I have learned a much more efficient method called "interactive creation". Interactive creation allows me to scale an object before it is placed. I grew to be fond of this process because it was quicker for me to adjust the shapes beforehand.
After I placed the objects around and created a basic scene, I had to apply material to them. Materials are the equivalent of textures, and I relied on Maya for the textures it provided. From Maya's display of materials- known as aiStandardSurface- I was able to apply many textures onto the objects I have placed, from water to glass to tile.
Despite these new shortcuts I have learned, I ran into a couple of challenges, but my biggest issue was the rendering process.
While rendering my model, it was difficult for me to adjust the lighting, even when there was a light source provided. Even when Maya recognized the lights and the scene was brightly lit, the jpeg images continued to be dark and dull.
Overall, I have greatly enjoyed this assignment. I hope that by this experience, I will build my knowledge to better my 3D modeling skills, because I know that it is small steps like this that brings an aspiring animator closer to their dream job.
Despite these new shortcuts I have learned, I ran into a couple of challenges, but my biggest issue was the rendering process.
While rendering my model, it was difficult for me to adjust the lighting, even when there was a light source provided. Even when Maya recognized the lights and the scene was brightly lit, the jpeg images continued to be dark and dull.
Overall, I have greatly enjoyed this assignment. I hope that by this experience, I will build my knowledge to better my 3D modeling skills, because I know that it is small steps like this that brings an aspiring animator closer to their dream job.
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