Maya tutorial - Understanding the basics

Our first Maya tutorial was based round understanding some of the terminology that we would be coming across over the next three years. Most of them where the different parts that can make up the model or could be used to help shape them. These include:

  • NURBS - Standing for "Non-Uniform Rational Basis-Spline" it is a type of mathematical model used in computer graphics to create curves and patches.
  • Polygon - Is part of the mesh that is used to build the model.
  • Subdivision Surface - Helps to create a smooth surface so that you can model more complex shapes.
  • Vertex -The point at which two or more polygons meet.
  • Edge - The side of a polygon that is represented by a straight line on the model.
  • Face - The name of an individual polygon.
  • Control Vertex - This helps to control the curve of the NURBS as well the surface of the model.
  • Isoparm - Is a line of U or V values that are on the surface of the model.
  • Resolution - The total pixle size. This can be used to smooth out the model by adding more pixles in.
  • Smooth Preview - Controls the way the polygon mesh can be displayed in a scene.
  • Topology - Is the relationship between the different surfaces of a soild model.
  • Triangle - A another type of polygon that can be used to help non-planar faces render more clearly.
  • Quad - Can be used to retopologiz the mesh while keeping the shape of the surface that is being used as refernce.
  • N-Gon - A shape made up of more than 4 sides.
  • Edge Flow - The way the genomonty goes round the model.
  • Extrude - This can help to create additional faces on already existing surfaces by pulling on the different vertices, edges and faces.
  • Edge Loop - Is a set line of polygon edges that are connected.
  • Pivot - The point that can be used to help move objects around.
  • Normals - The side of the the polygon that will show what parts of the model will render.
  • Duplicates - Making copies of the selected objects and models.
  • Instances - When you have a copy of an object and make changes to the object you copied from, both will show the changes made.
  • Bevel - This can be used to round off corners.
  • Construction History - Is the information of the file as it is saved.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Film Review - 2001: A Space Odyssey

Image
Fig 1. 2001: A Space Odyssey Poster (1968) 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) is one of the many classics brought to life by Stanley Kubrick. The film stands out in the world of cinema nowadays for the way it was produced but at the time of its release it didn’t receive that many good reviews from the critics, however, it inspired future film makers such as Steven Spielberg and Ridley Scott. Like with most of his films Kubrick frames or centres most of the shots using the rule of thirds a technique that he learned from his days as a photojournalist for Look magazine. As shown in Fig 2 the rule of thirds involves placing a 3x3 grid over the image and lining up the key subjects within it so that everything is not cluttered on one side, in Kubrick’s case he places key subjects in the middle of the grid with other subjects on both sides of it so that the audience’s eye is drawn to what is being shown in the middle. As show in the example Dave Bowman and Frank Poole are on ever
Read more

Film Review: Kung Fu Panda - Act Structure

Image
Kung Fu Panda (2008) directed by John Stevenson and Mark Osborne can be broken down in to the different acts that take place. Sometimes it can be broken down in to a 3 act stuctre or a 5 act stuctre but ever way they both have the same points that happen in the story that introduct the characters, show us what problems they have to face that lead up to the big cilmax before everything is goes back to the way that it was at the begining. Below is how I have broken down Kung Fu Panda using the 5 act stuctre along with working out the plot and ending type of the film. The 5 Act Stuctre shown with Freytag's Pyramid The plot of the film is similar to a Arc Plot. Po changes as the story goes on and the characters around him also change. This means that when one thing happens it will affect what happens next or start the next sturcture. I see the ending of Kung Fu Panda as being a Partial Ending as the story has ended but we get the feeling that this is not the end of Po and
Read more

@Simon - Mesh Mishap

Image
I can't unfold the mesh. :( I've done everything in the video but for some reason this won't work. The error at the bottom says: "Mesh has non-manifold edges. Clean up the mesh before using unfold." and I don't understand what it means.
Read more