My first model

[Harper57]

Okay, it may not look like much to experienced users but I have spent a lot of time getting here! This is the head of a desmostylus, a prehistoric hippo like creature. I am developing it for a museum project. As you can see, there are no textures applied yet.

 

I am used to a solids modeler where I can use layers or pick an item as a group to isolate components. It seems in AM my only option is to group one section, then lock the rest. this breaks down when I get mutliple parts. Right now I have to work on the lips that meet the lower tusks. In the mouth are inner lips, gums, and the tusks. Trying to find the correct points to move the lips to comform to the tusks without moving something you don't want to change is difficult. Any suggestions?

 

Thanks so much!

[Iham Wrong]

The overall look of the model is great, but it does show that there is more geometry being used than is needed to define the shape.

 

Naming the isolation groups while build the model is the way to go here, but there are always things overlooked. So, here's a trick you can use.

 

Main model task:

Switch to bones mode. Position a bone in approximately the correct location for the jaw bone. Click the bone, click the lasso group tool and assign the lower jaw and lip control points as best you can.

 

Action:

Start a new action window editing the hippo model. Change over to muscle mode and select any errant CP's that are not correctly assigned by using <shift>click to create a group. Freeze (lock out) the remaining CP's. Go back to the main model window and select the jawbone and drag select to update the assignment. Go back to model edit mode.

 

Back in the action window, unfreeze everything. Select the areas you wish to edit and freeze it back.

 

Bones are non destructive and can be used to move, stretch or rotate any part of the model you need to isolate. Very handy for mouth, eye and nose areas where the density can get extremely high.

 

Good luck.

[DarkLimit]

This is awsome so far!!....

 

I can relate to the difficulty of selecting the right CPS.. What I found helpful is as I model (Example the mouth) I assign it to a group as I model it.. SO the head would be one group then when it's time to model the inside of the mouth I create another group for that, so if I want to hide the head and focus on the inside of the mouth it's already grouped. As the model gets more complex it makes things alot easier.....

 

thats my way maybe it's the hard way, maybe someone as a better solution..

[Harper57]

"there is more geometry being used than is needed to define the shape."

 

Can you expound on this a bit. I too felt this was the case but I'm not sure how to deal with it.

[DarkLimit]

Maybe he means it seems like a heavy mesh, can you post a wireframe?

[Harper57]

"I found helpful is as I model (Example the mouth) I assign it to a group as I model it.."

 

I don't understand this part. The only way I know how to group is to select a group of points. How is it possible to create an isolated group of points?

[Harper57]

I tried to render a wireframe but the program shuts down every time. If I can make it work, I will post it!

[Iham Wrong]

You can use the <PrtScn> button on the PC's to take a snapshot of the screen. Once you do that go into your paint program and paste it as a new image. Crop and save as a JPG file.

 

There are multiple ways to select groups. There are toolbar selectors and keyboard commands for just about everything. You can even assign your own custom keyboard commands for these functions.

 

If this is still too confussing then you may want to watch some of the downloadable tutor videos available fromt he Hash site. There is a lot of good info there.

http://www.hash.com/VM

[Harper57]

Here's a screen shot. I hope it reads okay.

[Harper57]

Robert, I played around twith AM last night and I think I have the hang of creating and isolating groups now. I just wish I had come here before!

 

Thanks to everyone for their advice.

[Gerry]

Harper - Don't be shy, this is a great group of folks and you can learn a ton just by asking! Also check out any and all online tutes you can find. Vern's ARM is a good place to start.

 

Your wireframe looks a little denser than it needs to be. I'm having the very same problem in a thing I'm working on now. maybe someone here can post a link or an example of just how light the wireframe can be in AM. The less dense the mesh, the better and smoother the model.

 

I wish I could offer more concrete advice, but you are definitely in the right place. Keep posting progress reports.

[Harper57]

Here is a simplified version. I have not added inner lips, gums, or tusks. I think it may be two steps forward, one step back. There are less bumps but more creases now as I had to use several five point patches. They can been seen prominently above the upper eyelid, and the lower eyelid also. Otherwise, I think it is better.

 

Comments? Suggestions?

[Harper57]

Here is a shaded/wireframe view.

[MATrickz]

Tell me this ISNT your first model...so I'll feel better !! I love it so far, I like how you made the eyes, really good job! Keep it up!

[Harper57]

Well, I didn't just sit down for the first time and an hour later there was this model. I went through the training exercises in the AM manual first. I started at least a half dozen other tries before finding a method that worked for me. I am adapting techniques used in the book Modeling Digital Dinosaurs by Ken Brilliant. It is an excellent source, but since it deals with polygons things work a bit different in Animation Master.

 

I will keep posting updates until the final is done!

 

Thanks to everyone for your input.

[pabloschmid]

hey Harper57

this is a really good model, especially if it is your first one!! Have you already tried to apply the porcelain material from the hash cd?

[Harper57]

No materials have been applied. In fact, I shudder at that prospect of developing a UV map, if that is how AM works.

[Iham Wrong]

I don't know if I should put this here, but you did asked for an example of reduced splinage. So, I looked around for a skeleton of one of these creatures and all I could find was something from Japan that looks a lot like a hippo.

[Iham Wrong]

Got to thinking about how that example didn't quiet fulfill it's purpose. So here's another try. Sorry about that.

[Harper57]

Can you tell me where you found this? Desmostylus is also found in Japan, and this may be one. If a model already exists and I can obtain permission for use, I can move on to the other creatures I need to do!

 

In any event I will study the geometry carefully.

 

Thanks.

[Harper57]

Okay, looking more closely I guess you put a Desmostylus skeleton next to a AM hippo model. is that right? If so it is still helpful.

[Iham Wrong]

I just used that skeleton pic to model the shape. It was just a quick slap together - 1/2 model to demonstrate how lean the splinage can be for attaining detail.

 

Reference pic:

The fossil picture was really small and of low quality. It had to be massaged to get decent detail and scale. I can't recall where the image came from but, there is a B&W version on a Russian website. Do a Google search for desmostylus.

 

Somewhere I read that they thought this fossil might be an ancestor of the hippo, by the looks at this skeleton I think they are probably right in that assumption. Something else, there must be more than one animal in this classification. I saw references to a manatee like creature, but no real examples except teeth. It would also help to actually see the fossils to determine the animal's scale.

 

You can gladly have this partial half-a-potumus model as I never intend to finish it.

 

http://home.comcast.net/~frank_h/example.zip

[Harper57]

Thanks Frank.

 

I think my revised model is simplified a great deal now, but perhaps I can go further. The hippo does seem a tad simplified to me, but maybe some of the nuances are better handed with bump detail. I'm talking the nostrils, ears, and lips. I think I count 12 splines from the neck to the snout on the hippo, and about 9 from the lower jaw to the top of the head. By contrast, my desmostylus has about 20 and 14.

 

The desmostlyus is related to elephants and sea cows, but they may have lived more like a walrus. There are four genera in the order. The other main one I guess is paleoparadoxia. I am not a scientist so I'm no expert!

 

Your help has been invaluable.