3D CGI Artists this is your new home.

[Bucky McGillyCuddy 956]

So as i sit in my computer chair rendering a scene i'm working on and browsing the forums i think to myself, there are a lot of talented 2D artists in this fandom and i mean a LOT, but does anyone else here live and breath 3D? I know...I know. MLP is a 2D show, so it's only natural that 99% of the art discussion on this site is 2D related and if you have any doubts about 3D work you can take it up with my associates. 

 

 

 

 

But anyway, I kind of expect to be the only person inhabiting this thread but i think it would be absolutely awesome if there was a place on the forums where others like me could swap talk, give / receive feedback  on work etc etc. Not necessarily related to MLP but definitely welcome to. Maybe a few of us could collaborate on something truly awesome later on down the track?

   

Or maybe you've never used a 3D package but want to learn? I'd be glad to point you in the right direction on getting started. So if you're all for it leave some info on yourself and possibly a link to some of your work? Here's me:

 

3D Package: 3D Studio Max.

Preferred area: Effects

My work: http://www.youtube.com/user/QureFX/videos?view=0

3D Education: Self taught

 

A very early, outdated, render of the current scene i'm working on. Complete version is below 

 

Edited August 3, 2013 by Bucky_McGillycuddy

[Sky Warden 2,243]

Oh oh! Me me! I really want to learn 3D modeling and animation, but I can't find a kind of "Modeling tutorial for the most dumbest dumbass in the world" on the Internet. I have Blender, but have no idea have to use it. The documentation is just too confusing for me.

 

So, can you please share a link to a tutorial for people who are completely new to 3D stuff? At least I want to know exactly how it works and the terms.

 

By the way, are you interested in game development? Just a random question. :3

Edited April 22, 2013 by Sky Warden

[Gay Bird 421]

Ooh I use blender too! I'm not that good at modeling or animation in 3D though, I mostly do simple stuff. I do have a book about blender though that I've been reading through and I'll hopefully get better. I want to get good at it in the long run and move on to something like 3DS max or cinema 4D,but that won't be for a long while. For now I'll have to practice with blender.

[Bucky McGillyCuddy 956]

 

 

Oh oh! Me me! I really want to learn 3D modeling and animation, but I can't find a kind of "Modeling tutorial for the most dumbest dumbass in the world" on the Internet. I have Blender, but have no idea have to use it. The documentation is just too confusing for me.   So, can you please share a link to a tutorial for people who are completely new to 3D stuff? At least I want to know exactly how it works and the terms.   By the way, are you interested in game development? Just a random question. :3

How rude of me to claim i enjoy helping people so much and yet not reply until weeks later 

I wish i knew more about Blender to be honest. I've never really used anything apart from 3ds Max. I assume when you mean the documentation you mean the user manual? I had a look at it and the one thing about 3D packages, as with almost every form of software, is that they do a lot of the same stuff, but have a million and one different names for each of them, so it was a bit alien to me haha. If you were looking for a place to get tutorials probably the Internets best known source is cgpeers.com which I use it all the time to download tutorials and software. So i'd recommend setting up a free account and taking it from there (so long as you don't mind being a pirate).

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I think it turned out pretty damn good 

[Jokuc 8,174]

In my school we're learning 3DS Max and we've done a few beginner things in it such as a fork and a house and stuff.

 

I made this very bad house thingy some months ago.

 

 

(nothing in the vid below is a downloaded object, I made the shit myself)

 

 

 

I just know the basics and it would be nice to get some tips and tricks in Max to learn more since we'll be working with it for 2 more years.

 

 

by the way, I actually just downloaded 3DS Max 2014 from their website since we get free lisence codes from my school

 

This new feature is kinda cool

Edited May 4, 2013 by Jokuc

[akita-ken 581]

 

I think it turned out pretty damn good 

Comple Final.png

 

 

That. is. bucking. awesome. 

 

Dude. That's like straight out a movie. If you told me that was a screencap of some million dollar Hollywood sci-fi flick, I'd believe you!

 

Amazing work man. I can't say for sure but you might have just created the first thread regarding 3D art in Creative Resources that I've seen in my time here 

[Bucky McGillyCuddy 956]

 

 

I made this very bad house thingy some months ago.

That house is sweet. I'd live in it  That populate feature does look really handy as well. If there's any specific thing you'd like pointers on let me know, i might be able to help.

 

 

Dude. That's like straight out a movie. If you told me that was a screencap of some million dollar Hollywood sci-fi flick, I'd believe you!

 

That's so motivating. Thanks so much for the kind feedback!!

 

[navron 2]

Please excuse the thread necro. I figured it would be better to reply here rather than create a new topic.

 

As an aspiring filmmaker and VFX artist, I've recently been learning Maya. I'm moderately proficient in After Effects, and (in-case anybody needs help with it) I have over 12 years of Photoshop experience. I'm currently active duty military, and I plan on getting myself proficient enough with Maya and After Effects over the next few years, and seeking a career in VFX once out of the military.

 

Some of you may know me for music, or my few short ponies IRL videos under the youtube name "navybrony."

 

Anyway, I'm currently working on my own 3d pony model, and sort of jumped the gun straight to rigging before double checking my model: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/52284231/Silly%20Pony.mp4

 

Once the new model is all fixed up, I plan on fully rigging this character for animation, including a full set of blend shape controls (morph targets for all you 3dsMax guys), an integrated dynamic Maya hair system, and various other rigging techniques to make a true 3d character.

 

A goal I've set for myself is to create a short 3-4min fake trailer for a Fallout Equestria movie over the next year, utilizing Maya for the modeling/animation, Terragen 2 for the environment/landscape, and After Effects for compositing and special effects. Thankfully I've got an upcoming deployment, so for 5 straight months I'll have 8-10 hours free each day to work on this project.

 

Future plans include building a small render farm of 4 extra towers, which will bring my total render capability up to 6 computers, which should be more than enough to handle a 3-4min video.

 

I feel true 3d animation is a relatively untouched area within the fandom, and (given the complexities) rightfully so. Hopefully this project will inspire others to tackle the challenge, and perhaps a couple years down the road, there will be enough people familiar with the tools to create something truly amazing.

[Bucky McGillyCuddy 956]

I've recently been learning Maya.

Oh man Maya is the anti-christ. Trying to figure out it's UI gives me Derpy eyes haha. My navigation troubles aside, it's an amazing tool set. I look forward to seeing the trailer if you get around to it.

[Swick (ded) 436]

@Bucky - Subscribed.  Your stuff is sweet!

 

I was learning Cinema 4D for awhile, but then I became interested in game development. I wasn't making much progress anyway... I'll probably try 3D again one day.

Edited June 28, 2013 by Swick

[navron 2]

Oh man Maya is the anti-christ. Trying to figure out it's UI gives me Derpy eyes haha. My navigation troubles aside, it's an amazing tool set. I look forward to seeing the trailer if you get around to it.

 

No arguments there.  Maya is quite a sinister application.  At face value it isn't bad, until you realize that even with tons of in-your-face features, most of the things done in Maya involve manually linking attributes, nodes, and creating a clean hierarchy of your entire scene layout.

[navron 2]

So I've gotten to the rigging portion of my AJ character:

 

Going to bind the skin later today, add bendshapes for facial rigging, and then wrap it up with styling some dynamic hair for the head/tail, and wrapping it up with modeling a hat.

[Zerrodo 104]

I used to be a 3D CGI artist like you. Then I took a Blender 2.6 update to the knee.

 

Overused Internet memes aside, UV mapping with Blender 2.6 is a really difficult thing to do. No longer can I select multiple faces or groups of verticies. Nope, I have to move each singular vertex one by one. Another issue is rigging and animating in Blender. Just as difficult as my previously mentioned roadblock. If anyone can help me out here, I'd love that. I've found absolutely no solution to these problems anywhere.

Edited July 13, 2013 by Zerrodo

[Silvershock 69]

This is something I really want to get into. I have Blender, a good amount of technical know-how, and the right number of ideas to get started. It's just finding the time and talent to do it.

[Zerrodo 104]

My first time trying out the cycles renderer in Blender 3D, and this is what I came up with. This is actually my first time using bump maps. I think it turned out nicely.

 

 

 

Edited July 31, 2013 by Zerrodo

[Tired Brony 89]

I worked with Blender quite a bit before on my past videos. I still argue it seems more user friendly than 3ds Max but it's still not the industry standard. But with both I'm just not a fan of render times. 3d animation has its perks and drawbacks over 2d but at least 2d animation doesn't take hours to render something nice looking.

 

Oh and compositing, graph editor, scripting? Not even touching those. Still would like to see if I could combine Blender and Flash into something though...

Edited August 2, 2013 by Tired Brony

[Hansel 1,512]

I have pro skillz with Maya.

 

Check out my mad talent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I even used it to fix some scenes from LotR!  

Here's some before and after shots:

 

 

 

 

 

Modeled in Maya.

Compt in Paint.

Edited August 2, 2013 by Hansel

[~Scootaloo 440]

@@Hansel, If I wanted to get into 3D modeling (which I do) which software should I go for? Maya, or Blender? or what?

 

I really want to try modelling a few thins (ponies mainly lol)> 

[Hansel 1,512]

@@Hansel, If I wanted to get into 3D modeling (which I do) which software should I go for? Maya, or Blender? or what?

 

I really want to try modelling a few thins (ponies mainly lol)> 

 

Being a recent 2D graduate and what-not, my knowledge in 3D is pretty limited. 

 

From what I understand, Maya is an Industry standard modeling and animation software that's used by most major companies. Some companies also use 3ds Max, but Maya seems to be the biggest player in the Industry. Blender was never taught at my university, and I don't know anyone who uses it, so I don't really know anything about it. Between Maya and 3ds Max, I've been told by a lot of 3D students that 3ds Max is much easier to use.

At the end of the day, if you're just creating personal work, use whatever software you feel most comfortable with. If you're looking to get involved in it professionally, see if you can get your hands on Maya, or at least 3ds Max 

 

ZBrush and Mudbox also look like a lot of fun if you're into sculpting as opposed to modeling.

 

Edited August 2, 2013 by Hansel

[Bucky McGillyCuddy 956]

Subscribed.  Your stuff is sweet!

You're too kind. I really need to start uploading more stuff...

 

My first time trying out the cycles renderer in Blender 3D, and this is what I came up with. This is actually my first time using bump maps. I think it turned out nicely.

Nailed it.

 

I have pro skillz with Maya.

I'm sooo going to have nightmares tonight involving your character models face.

Edited August 3, 2013 by Bucky_McGillycuddy

[Hansel 1,512]

I'm sooo going to have nightmares tonight involving your character models face.

 

What? Why? HE'S BEAUTIFUL. Look at his flawless skin and incredible features. Why, with a bit of makeup and some training, I think he could model!

 

Look, he's already getting the hang of it.

Edited August 3, 2013 by Hansel

[navron 2]

Hey guys!  Long time no see   I've been deployed for a couple months now.  Internet's been pretty crappy, so no posting/uploading.

 

Anyway, after about 4 months of agonizing, pulling my hair out stress trying to wrap my mind around 3d and Maya, I'm finally starting to get the hang of it.

 

Remember the Applejack rig I was working on?  Well, I'm about 50% done with the blendshapes, I finally figured out how to attach a dynamic nHair system to a character, and I'm currently working on styling AJs ACTUAL hair, including the ribbons, which will likely have to be nCloth in order to wrap around dynamic hair realistically.

 

I still have to model a hat, but that won't be very hard once the model's complete.  New plane>Extrude>Smooth>Parent>......>Profit.

 

Here's a short animation test I rendered out with mentalRay to test the blendshapes I currently have, and the nHair system:

 

Didn't get much love on derpibooru (50/50 loved it/hated it) due to it falling right smack in the uncanny valley, but hopefully with some more tweaking I can break it out on the far side of the valley right into the realistic character portion.

 

My own thoughts?  I'm surprised I even reached the uncanny valley after 4 months of 3d work, so I'm looking forward to the next 2 months when this rig should be fully complete.

 

Unfortunately, I think plans for the Fallout Equestria trailer are out of the window, given how long it's taken just to model, texture, and rig a character from scratch.  Hopefully I can round up a small team of people to assist in the modeling and texturing stages.

[Bucky McGillyCuddy 956]

Hey guys!  Long time no see   I've been deployed for a couple months now.  Internet's been pretty crappy, so no posting/uploading.

 

Anyway, after about 4 months of agonizing, pulling my hair out stress trying to wrap my mind around 3d and Maya, I'm finally starting to get the hang of it.

 

Remember the Applejack rig I was working on?  Well, I'm about 50% done with the blendshapes, I finally figured out how to attach a dynamic nHair system to a character, and I'm currently working on styling AJs ACTUAL hair, including the ribbons, which will likely have to be nCloth in order to wrap around dynamic hair realistically.

 

I still have to model a hat, but that won't be very hard once the model's complete.  New plane>Extrude>Smooth>Parent>......>Profit.

 

Here's a short animation test I rendered out with mentalRay to test the blendshapes I currently have, and the nHair system:

 

Didn't get much love on derpibooru (50/50 loved it/hated it) due to it falling right smack in the uncanny valley, but hopefully with some more tweaking I can break it out on the far side of the valley right into the realistic character portion.

 

My own thoughts?  I'm surprised I even reached the uncanny valley after 4 months of 3d work, so I'm looking forward to the next 2 months when this rig should be fully complete.

 

Unfortunately, I think plans for the Fallout Equestria trailer are out of the window, given how long it's taken just to model, texture, and rig a character from scratch.  Hopefully I can round up a small team of people to assist in the modeling and texturing stages.

Dude, that is seriously awesome. Great work! Don't worry about what the parasites at Derpibooru say nothing gets upvoted on that site that isn't rule 34 stuff.

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I've taken a bit of a break form 3D recently but I think I'll be getting back into it shortly after a build a new Pc with an Octo-core processor to smash those long render times. It's been a while since I last did anything 3D but this is something I had to de after seeing The Lego Movie. everything was done from scratch and I learnt UVW mapping which is, after you get used to it, really quite fun. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TZ_a7_GH-4

 

Edited October 14, 2014 by Bucky McGillyCuddy

[Castle Bleck 19,386]

Hey guys!  Long time no see   I've been deployed for a couple months now.  Internet's been pretty crappy, so no posting/uploading.

 

Anyway, after about 4 months of agonizing, pulling my hair out stress trying to wrap my mind around 3d and Maya, I'm finally starting to get the hang of it.

 

Remember the Applejack rig I was working on?  Well, I'm about 50% done with the blendshapes, I finally figured out how to attach a dynamic nHair system to a character, and I'm currently working on styling AJs ACTUAL hair, including the ribbons, which will likely have to be nCloth in order to wrap around dynamic hair realistically.

 

I still have to model a hat, but that won't be very hard once the model's complete.  New plane>Extrude>Smooth>Parent>......>Profit.

 

Here's a short animation test I rendered out with mentalRay to test the blendshapes I currently have, and the nHair system:

 

Didn't get much love on derpibooru (50/50 loved it/hated it) due to it falling right smack in the uncanny valley, but hopefully with some more tweaking I can break it out on the far side of the valley right into the realistic character portion.

 

My own thoughts?  I'm surprised I even reached the uncanny valley after 4 months of 3d work, so I'm looking forward to the next 2 months when this rig should be fully complete.

 

Unfortunately, I think plans for the Fallout Equestria trailer are out of the window, given how long it's taken just to model, texture, and rig a character from scratch.  Hopefully I can round up a small team of people to assist in the modeling and texturing stages.

 

I'd make the eyes at least 3-4 times bigger.

 

Likewise, I'd made the muzzle more pointy.

 

Other than that, though, impressive.