Join Ellery Connell for an in-depth discussion in this video Understanding 3D design, part of Learning MODO 601.
In this video, we will have a look at the basic aspects of 3D design, what steps go into the creation of a 3D scene or animation, and how these can be covered in Modo? After an initial concept is reached, 3D design typically begins in the modeling phase. modeling is the creation of geometry in 3D space to simulate real world or fictitious geometry. Geometry is made up of three main components in 3D, Vertices, Edges, and Polygons.
A vertex is a single point in 3D space. Unlike a pixel, it's not something that you'll actually ever see. It's just the basic building block of 3D geometry. Two vertices combined create an edge. And at least three edges creates the basic building block of visible 3D space, the polygon. This is an example of a four-sided polygon, often known as a quad. This is actually the combination of two triangles.
You can see here in this top view a triangle in the upper left and a triangle in the lower right. By combining multiple polygons, a 3D scene can be created or a model of a 3D scene can be created. This shows a simple sphere that has been detailed to create islands on a tiny planet. And another simple sphere that is unaltered to create the water.
This is a good example of how simple geometry can be modified in order to make a much more complex scene. Polygons like this one here can either be represented directly or smoothed to create the illusion of more continuous and flowing surfaces. If we take the example of two polygons, you can see that a very definite and defined edge is created.
But when smoothed, the appearance is much softer. This smoothing of polygons is known as subdivision surfaces and is very common in 3D graphics today. It allow artists to have control over a smooth surface without having to move around many, many control points. As you can see, in order to change the shape of this curve, all I need to do is change this center edge. Once polygons are created, textures or surfaces can be applied in order to give the model the appearance of a more complex surface. In this example, the polygons are textured with the surfaces of rock, sand, snow, water.
And in the final render, even the appearance of clovers on the surface of the island. With models and textures created, lighting can be put in place to simulate lighting found in the real world in studios or completely fictitious lighting as defined by the artist. With lights, textures, and models in place, cameras can be placed and animation can be created by moving and deforming objects in 3D space.
The finished results are then rendered to create realistic imagery or surrealistic imagery. All of these elements combined create the backbone of 3D design. modelling, texturing, lighting, animation, and rendering.
Author
Released
11/28/2012- What is MODO?
- Understanding 3D design
- The MODO layout tabs
- MODO fundamentals
- Working with modeling tools
- Materials, textures, and surfaces
- UV mapping
- Animation
- Lighting and rendering
Skill Level Beginner
Duration
Views
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Introduction
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Welcome1m 15s
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1. Getting Started
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What is MODO?2m 18s
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Understanding 3D design4m 4s
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How to use the project files1m 21s
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2. The MODO Layout Tabs
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Layout tabs: Model creation4m 11s
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Layout tabs: Render7m 50s
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3. MODO Fundamentals
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General preferences3m 57s
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Navigation in 3D space6m 58s
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Grids and the workplane5m 31s
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Making basic selections4m 23s
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Making complex selections8m 42s
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Basic object manipulation4m 45s
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4. Modeling Tools
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Basic object primitives10m 40s
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The Polygon Pen tool9m 5s
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The Text tool3m 3s
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Subdivision surfaces7m 52s
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Action centers9m 38s
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Symmetry4m 54s
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Falloffs9m 43s
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5. Materials, Textures, and Surfaces
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The preview renderer7m 40s
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Procedural textures6m 29s
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Bitmap textures7m 7s
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6. UV Mapping
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UV basics6m 52s
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Basic projection8m 34s
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Organic UV projection7m 31s
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7. Animation
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Animation basics2m 41s
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Creating keyframes5m 32s
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Using the graph editor4m 3s
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Rigged animation6m 12s
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Physics animation9m 29s
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Vertex maps3m 52s
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8. Lighting
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Lighting styles in 3D4m 4s
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Direct illumination7m 34s
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Indirect illumination6m 28s
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9. Rendering
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Camera setup4m 34s
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Render settings6m 9s
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Render outputs8m 9s
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Rendering animation3m 25s
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Conclusion
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Modeling next steps1m 52s
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Texturing next steps1m 57s
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UV mapping next steps3m 27s
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Animation next steps1m 31s
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Video: Understanding 3D design