Working with Maya [Maya]

Working with Maya

While working through the 3D module I have learnt many helpful skills, using different 3D softwares. Though I have had many difficulties in Maya I have learnt how apply textures to a model. One big difficulty I had was applying the texture. I did manage to create the brick texture for the wall. I was unable to apply it whilst following the video tutorial. Nothing worked, not even errors appeared.

Here is a screenshot of where I had got up to in the texturing videos.

I selected the surface of the wall and held right click on the texture and attempted to add the texture but when I did, nothing happened.

Another problem I had faced was with the drainpipe. Whilst creating it for the second time, following the video, I could not curve the drainpipe no matter what I had tried. I followed the tutorial very closely but did not succeed. In the end I stayed with the original drainpipe which was made using the basic straight cylinder.

Overall the modelling of the house was rather simple. The tutorial was very helpful, everything was explained. This really helped me understand how objects could be made in several different ways. I’d imagine one way of creating an object and in the video it revealed quicker ways of achieving the same thing but with more efficiency because it was tidy. Sometimes I’d find a quicker way to making a particular model, this is great because it shows i'm getting the idea on how it works.

The texturing ended up becoming much more complicated than I had imagined. In Maya texturing consists of creating textures in Photoshop. After that you had to save two types of images, one in colour and the other in greyscale (for bump map).

This is nothing like texturing in UDK, if you texture by drag and drop onto a surface. I know there is a more complicated way of texturing on UDK, but I do not know how to use it.

Stating my Problems

Considering my time management, I had left my house un-textured. I had left a very important task too late. Having left the texturing so late, I couldn't get the help I required in finishing the house.

I could have improved on this task if I asked for help more often. Trying to find things out on my own wastes precious time, which could be used finishing work and creating new models that will benefit me for the future providing me with work to expand my portfolio.

I also have the problem in giving up every time I get stuck on something and then eventually coming back to it again, another way I waste time unintentionally.