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Environment Modeling Concepts in Maya

by Justin Marshall

When building computer generated models for games, film, or broadcast, believable environments, props, and sets are a vital component. Software required: Maya 2013.

What you'll learn

When building computer generated models for games, film, or broadcast, believable environments, props, and sets are a vital component. The environment sets the stage for the story to play out and can be comprised of hundreds of assets organized into multiple set pieces. Props and environment models are more forgiving regarding their topology because they rarely need to deform. They do present their own challenges however. In this course, we will talk about some of those specific challenges environment modelers will face as they start out. We'll talk about different modeling methods and how our approach to smoothing the models affects the workflow we use. We'll also talk about cleaning our assets and creating an organized hierarchy within our scenes. We'll also cover some modeling tips like using deformers or breaking down repeated objects into manageable sections. In the end, you'll have a head start on creating and dressing your own environment models and sets. Software required: Maya 2013.

About the author

Justin thrives as a lead modeling author at Pluralsight. Growing up, Justin found a deep interest for the computer graphics industry after watching movies like Jurassic Park, Toy Story, and The Abyss. His ambition would lead him to work at Sony Imageworks in Los Angeles on movies like Monster House and Surf's Up. Justin has also had numerous articles, tutorials, and images published in 3D World and 3D Artist. As an author, Justin enjoys collaborating with fellow authors, especially on project... more

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