Tippy has legs

Today I have added the wheels to my tippy truck. I took a template of the initial wheel shape and used the cylinder shape and gave it 6 sides, which turned the shape into a hexagon. This is so all polygons will become quads, and these are much easier to work with then tri's. I measured the dents in the wheel and used the inset and extrude tools to create them. I then added a black diffuse colour to the main outer part of the wheel and added a little glossiness too. I gave this section of the wheel an ID and, did the same thing for the inner part and selected a cream colour for the inner wheel. I used the align tool to help me get the four wheels to line up with each other.
I also re-sculpted the top part of the truck by adding more line detail and selecting and adjusting the vetices. I modelled the back of the truck aswell, in the same way, in order to keep measurements accurate I used the tape tool in the helpers panel.
To expierement with light, I placed a box over tippy, and flipped the sides and tried using the Omni light and changing the colours to suggest different emotions. I added a few lights in various places. These gave quite interesting effects. 

Happy Day

I feel very happy today because, I can see that my tippy truck is coming together nicely. I created the side panels, by using my illustrator template measured to the correct size and imported it into 3DSMAX. I then converted this to an editable poly and selected the boarder and placed a cap on it. I cloned this object so I could have the same panel for the other side. I manipulated the seat panels also, by adding extra lines using connect and adjusting the vertex to create a dip. I think next week I will concentrate on getting the wheels accurate and as detailed as possible. 

I spent most of my day reading the how to cheat in 3DS MAX book, It gave me some ideas of how to construct different objects, and showed me how to place a picture reference onto a plane, to use as a building guide. I also learnt how to assign poly's an ID and place different bitmap images on the sides of a simple box shape using the multi output channel option. In today’s lesson we learnt how to create a pear shape, using a simple sphere shape and turning on the soft selection and clicking the vertex sub selection tool and adding edge constraints. We then selected vertex lines and moved them upwards to even and smooth out the shape. We then went to our material editor by pressing M and made sure we were in compact mode and clicked the grey square next to the diffuse colour and selected a gradient map. I then added three different colours which I felt were appropriate, a dark yellowy brown, a bright green and then an orangey brown, then I played around with the colour position and the noise very slightly. Then I selected the fractal option and played around with the phase levels, to create my desired effect. I then dragged my texture map onto my pear and the results looked quite good. 

Texturing 3D Models

Today we learnt how to texture our 3D shapes, and how the use of diffuse, specular and ambient tools can make a huge difference to the appearence of our textures. Diffuse is the intial primary colour of our material. Specular is the highlight colour, where the light hits the object and Glossiness varies the highlight strength. I played around with these settings and found some interesting combinations. I also tried adding my own bitmap image of a woman singing onto a simple box shape, which was amsuing. By changing the diffuse colour, specular and glossiness settings, it changed the definition. I also made some of my shapes opaque, and played around with the specular and glossiness to add a realistic looking shine, almost like a glass.

First blog entry

I have never had to write a blog before, but here goes. To be honest I really dont think that 3D modelling is my area. The 3DSMAX layout really scared me when I first took a look, but I am starting to figure out what everything is for. I believe that students who have mathematical brains may find this easier, and unfortunatly I have always struggled with this subject. I have had a mental block about numbers since I was in high school. It all started when I was in year 8. I had a teacher, who I wont name, and his teaching method was rather intense. He would constantly try to catch people out. He would point his dumpy finger and spit questions at you and expect you to answer them instantly. He had a hard glare, and his eyes widened when you hesitated to answer. I found this extremely pressurising and failured to respond to many of his interrogations. My head froze, and I struggled to think properly. I used to go into his classes sweating, and my hands would always shake. I would dread the moment when he pointed at me, and it made me feel so stupid and insignificant when I couldnt work out the answers. He asked me what 2x6 was and I couldnt speak. I still remember the laughter of my class mates. I know this might sound infantile but I feel it has damaged my confidence when it comes to learning anything number related. 
Firstly we learned about basic polygon shapes, quads and tri's. The class split up into groups and defined 1D, 2D and 3D. We then investigated cartesian space. I learnt that it specifies each point in a plane by a pair of numerical co-ordinates. Paul introduced us to scary 3DSMAX, and demonstrated how to turn a primitive shape into an editable poly and how to select certain areas of a shape using vertises, edges, ect. We experimented with the extrude tool and the bevel tool. These are very similar although the bevel tool, has an extra added bonus, it allows you to extrude and then to close the shape inwards or outwards. I managed to make a desk playing around with the shapes in 3DMAX and exdruding and beveling them. I created an environment for this desk aswell by using a box shape and dragging it out over my desk and deleting some of the sides and flipping them over. I managed to follow this tutorial but I found I really had to consentrate. I really dont find it easy.
We were introduced to tipsy or tippy the toy truck, I personally think tipsy sounds better. He is going to be our first model. How on earth am I going to mimic tippy on 3DMAX and then make him emotional aswell! Its a scary thought, but i'm going to try my best! I started to draw tippy and then placed him into adobe illustrator. It was like pulling teeth, but I got there in the end! Dan helped me alot with this, thankyou Dan!
I tried importing some of the shapes I had drawn in illustrator into Max and manipulated them. I used the beautiful NURMS, which Paul loves alot. I am not going to lie, so far I am finding this topic very difficult, but I am really determined to learn and create the best emotional tippy's ever!