Getting started 3d models

[rifle274]

I've wanted to start learning to model 3d models for a long time now.

Which program should I start of with? I would like a program that I later would be able to create skyrim armors and the likes with.

I heard that Blender was an easy beginner choice, and I *think*? that it can be used with skyrim too?

As a little bonus, but not required, is there any programs that would work with windows as well as mac?

[GisleAune]

Blender works on Windows, Mac and many Linux distributions. I got used to 3DS Max and got a student licence on that. There is a free trial, but the software costs somewhere between 3,000 and 4,000 dollars, so if you get used to Blender, you'll not have to worry about sick prices.

 

The learning curve for 3D modelling is pretty steep in the beginning, but once you get over the threshold you will feel that you progress. I didn't get too far as I kinda stopped practicing it enough since last summer.

Edited February 4, 2012 by GisleAune

[ResolveThatChord]

3DS Max is the industry standard, but Blender is free, most modders use it, and it has an overwhelming amount of free education and community support. I believe it is also possible to change the interface to be more in line with Autodesk or Adobe.

 

Get started with Blender here. The tutors at Blendercookie are really excellent.

 

And here you'll find an overview of skills needed and method required to bring your ideas into Skyrim.

 

Good luck, and have fun!

[Alithinos]

Blender is free,and there is a huge online manual and tutorials for it,so if you have the time you can learn how to do nice things with it. :)

There is also a plugin that makes it use nif files like Skyrim,and it seems to work for most people,but unfortunately not for me. :(

[Matth85]

You will need:

 

3d package:

 

Blender - free, and people say it's solid.

Maya - Costs. It's very decent, but you need a lot of scripts for it to become as good as Max.

3ds max - My favourite. Costs a lot unless you are a student, but it's the top dog as of now.

 

2D package:

 

GIMP - free. Never used it, so I can't say.

Photoshop - Cost. My favourite, and is both perfect for texturing and drawing! I recommend it above anything else.

 

Sculpting Package:

 

Zbrush - Costs. It's the industry standard for sculpting. You only pay once, and get every new version for free. Quite a good deal, no?

Mudbox - Same as Zbrush, and also the same who made Max and Maya. It's easier to learn than Zbrush, but more limited.

Sculptris - Same who made Zbrush, and it's free. Basically it's Zbrush's little brother.

 

TES games related:

 

.dd plugins for your 2d package.- For Photoshop it is the Nvidia plugin. Free, of course.

Nifskope. - This is our tool to the game engine of TES games, which is called Gamebryo.

.NIF plugin for your 3d package. - This is the way to import/export models in a .nif format. A simple google is needed to get it, and it's free-

 

Skills needed:

 

- You should learn to draw. If your eyes can see depth and values, you are at a solid point.

- You should get used to see 3d. I work without the grid in Max, so I basically got a void of nothing + my model. It's relaxing, but without experience you'd get lost fast.

- Learn what a good Topology is, and what a solid silhouette is.

- Learn how to model high poly, using controll lines.

- Learn high to low poly bake.

- Learn the different maps: Difuse Map, Normals Map, Specularity Map, Gloss Map, Alpha Map and Glow Map.

- Learn how to texture.(! important !) Use your own work, use your own photos. Make it look good!

- Have fun with it! 3d can be very frustrating at points, when you hit the so called "Valley of sucks". Basically everything you make looks bad, in your eyes. In the end, however, it's all worth it!

- It's the road, not the destination. You learn by making mistakes. Try not to look at tutorials too much, nor ask too much. If you figure it out yourself, you have learned.

 

Cheers,

Matth

[Blu02]

- Learn how to model high poly, using controll lines.

- Learn high to low poly bake.

 

You dont happen to know any good tutorials on this, using 3d Studio Max and Mudbox? I'm at this stage myself where I really need to learn creating highpolys and baking them on to my lowpoly's.

 

It's the best way especially for more organic surfaces and cloth. For hard surfaces however Photoshop is most often powerful enough, especially if using plugins like nDo2 :) A lot easier to start learning from.

[Matth85]

You dont happen to know any good tutorials on this, using 3d Studio Max and Mudbox?

3dmotive.com if you want to pay, otherwise youtube.

 

For hard surfaces however Photoshop is most often powerful enough, especially if using plugins like nDo2 A lot easier to start learning from.

It's just as simple to do most of it as floating geometry. You simply re-use the same thing over and over.

I usually tell people to stay away from stand-alone packages. Just because it becomes more clumsy to work with, and more to learn in the long run.

[DreamCodex]

3DS Max is the industry standard, but Blender is free, most modders use it, and it has an overwhelming amount of free education and community support. I believe it is also possible to change the interface to be more in line with Autodesk or Adobe.

 

Get started with Blender here. The tutors at Blendercookie are really excellent.

 

And here you'll find an overview of skills needed and method required to bring your ideas into Skyrim.

 

Good luck, and have fun!

 

id be careful if i were you when saying this, the gaming industry uses multiple pieces of software and even though 3Ds Max is big, it is not the main, nor the biggest. Your completely forgetting Maya, the strongest 3D developing software out there and yes, it is used to develop very powerful games, its built in MEL and Python scripting languages help as well for game developing and i really dont see any other programs with this capability.

[MrMino]

Hi there.

 

Matth85 has listed some good techniques and tools you should try.

 

For the most part I don't think much modelling knowledge is required if you rely entirely on the games models and textures and create from what the game provides. keep it simple and just learn the procedure for getting stuff into the game first.

By using the game files provided half of the job is already done for you and the process is more akin to assembling a boxed toy car.

 

If I were to create something from scratch with no previous experience It'd probably take a month to produce anything before it even gets into the game.

For blender, a useful thing to do is import a game model and go into edit mode (or it might be called vertex mode?), hold the L key and you can select individual parts of a mesh, dismantling the object. Start off simple by combining different parts of two armour or npc models.

 

goodluck,

[rifle274]

Didn't expect this many replies, thanks guys.

I'll start using Blender, since I just want something that I in the future will be able to export to skyrim, and since I can use it on my Mac in school too.