Jacquelin Vanderwood

August 1, 2000

This 2-video series is conducted by Jeremy Hubbell and covers a myriad of tips and tricks to boost your creative 3D Studio VIZ power. 

Project 1 in the series deals with conceptual design modeling. Modeling context objects is covered as well as building a stacked polygon building, draw heights, working in union mode, 2-1/2D and 3D, auto-grid, and putting objects on layers while making them see through. To further our knowledge, we're taught how to deal with editable mesh using color coding in polygon mode and selecting and extruding while right-clicking to change a square into a sloped object. 

Other topics include creating a cap for the top of a building and using the bevel mode to shape it, extruding down and up to create an interesting part of the tower, smoothing groups using the auto smooth option, asset browser--assigning material, map scale modifier for scaling texture maps. 

Furthermore, we're shown how to create a column for the entry way and how to use the spacing tool, why to turn on the snap tool, drawing an arc and why we should turn off draw heights, drawing a cylinder and the use of vertex snap, and creating a path for the cylinders. Pivot doors are dropped onto the building and applied between the columns and are then modified, then how to quickly create sidewalks and streets. Lighting is applied to the model using the sunlight system, and setting the time of day and year are explained.

We learn how to adjust lighting and create hotspots, animate the light, control the sunlight over time using motion, change the color of the sunlight through animation using the modify panel, and changing the multiplier values. Quite a lot was covered in Project 1 as you can see.

Project 2 shows how to maximize data from architectural desktop programs. In this instruction, topics covered are file link manager and link settings, turning off layers, replacing object property options, Auto-cad object properties dialog box, replacing and adjusting object size, automatic material linking, viewing materials using the material editor, ADT matte file, and the save as feature. 

Also covered under this project is the mechanical desktop file and it's file linking, along with making changes to model behavior, pivot points, rotation points, adjusting pivot and rotation points using the hierarchy panels, what is brand new in this version of VIZ, superimposing onto a photo, matte shadow objects, importing a photo, using the asset browser, and making cast shadows and light. 

Under linking, land development desktop files are covered, how to convert to layers, selecting contour lines, dropping a satellite picture onto a terrain, UVW map modifier, display panel and vertex button--assigning a vertex color map, and animating a camera along an arc. And lastly for project 2, linking to files and about missing pieces, explaining flipped normals, and rebuilding a face of a linked object. 

Project 3 covers the creation of realistic materials. Under plastics, a plastic part of an iron is given texture using the Phong shader, plus adding shininess, and adding a noise bump map. Under metals, a train is used as the object for creating a metals using the Strauss shader, and the glossiness and metalness buttons are also talked about. On the subject of cloth, a seat cushion is used for this model using the Oren-Nayer-Blinn shader. Decal placement is discussed next. Again our model is the train and we're shown how crop placement features, how to move the decal, changing textures, alpha channel transparency, using a composite map to create complicated textures including the use of many alpha channels to create very complex textures, and the alpha source panel. Next part of the lesson shows creating a tilable texture using Photoshop, using the offset filter, adjusting using the rubber stamp tool, and how to reset again using the offset filter. 

Project 4 highlights building a realistic outdoor and interior environment. It shows how to insert an background image, fogging the horizon, editing the environmental map and setting it to become spherical plus mirror and tile it, projecting shadows onto buildings from the clouds above, the combustion helper object and spherical gizmo, and cast atmospheric shadows.

Project 5 is the building of an interior environment, how to light it by creating and importing from Lightscape 3.0 and adding radiosity, importing back into VIZ, and volumetric lighting.

Project 6 details animation techniques using a lobby as the model. Shows how to create fly-arounds, the orbit mode, setting the camera, maneuvering the camera, moving the path to adjust it, and track view in the function curve mode.

Project 7 is the method of inverse kinematics using a simple crank as the model. Defining pivot points in hierarchy panels and adjustment of those points as well as testing the points, setting up a hierarchy for linking from child-to-parent, adding extra pivot points using dummy objects, further linking, binding, limits, and sliding joints.

Project 8 teaches quick dissolve methods used in VIZ, shows how to animate between a still and animation, and the mix map in the materials editor. 

That covers the video enough to peak your interest I hope.

If you're just beginning 3D Studio VIZ or would like to learn more, this is the series you should own. It's very informative, easy to follow, and Jeremy Hubbell knows his stuff. Great videos!

www.grubsrof.com

www.stayanimated.com

System Requirements 

Copyright 2000, Jacquelin Vanderwood, All Rights Reserved