INSIDE 3DS MAX® 7 [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Chapter 9. Character Modeling

By A.J. Jefferies

As technology and aspirations increase, we are seeing more and more jaw-dropping computer-generated effects in film and animation. Some the most prominent advances in this field are evident in the number of fully CG characters on the screen. It has become commonplace to see virtual stuntmen taking a fall, fantastic beasts storming a castle, or even a lead role being filled by an actor who exists entirely on a hard-drive. In fact, our culture has adapted to a point where we treat a videogame character as a celebrity, placing her on the front page of magazines and posters and even casting her in her own live-action films!

With 3D characters taking a stronger role, it's no wonder that characters are one of the most popular things to start modeling. However, they can also be one of the most daunting. With the myriad of character-modeling methods, styles, and applications, it can be hard to narrow down the best place to begin.

In this chapter, we're going learn some of the techniques used today to create characters, from the real to the surreal. First we're going to run through some of Editable Poly's useful features (while simultaneously creating a new friend). Then we'll attach severed limbs, build up some muscle without breaking a sweat, give a man the means to breathe, and create cartoon eyes.

So, nothing out of the ordinary there. Let's get started.