Limit search to available items
Book Cover
E-book
Author Culbertson, William, author.

Title 3ds Max Basics for Modeling Video Game Assets. Volume 2, Model, Rig and Animate Characters for Export to Unity or Other Game Engines / Bill Culbertson
Edition First edition
Published Boca Raton, FL : CRC Press, 2021
©2021

Copies

Description 1 online resource (xiv, 468 pages)
Contents Cover -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Table of Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Author -- Introduction -- Chapter 1: Character Design -- Where to Start? -- References -- Design -- Chapter 1 Exercise: Design a King or Queen -- Chapter 2: Character Modeling: The Knight -- Preparing the Scene in 3ds Max -- Setting Up the Scene -- Creating the Template Planes -- The Slate Editor -- Making a Place Holder -- Modeling the Helmet -- The Helmet Visor -- Modeling the Body -- Modeling the Pauldrons -- Modeling the Legs -- Modeling the Foot -- Modeling the Upper Arm
Modeling the Lower Arm -- Unwrapping the Model -- Chapter 2 Exercise: The Knight Weapons -- Chapter 3: Rigging Basics -- Rigging a Basic Character -- Linking: The Parent-Child Relationship -- Animating the Knight -- Bones Exercise -- Bones -- Kinematics -- Forward Kinematics -- Inverse Kinematics -- IK Solvers -- History-Independent IK Solver (HI) -- History-Dependent IK Solver (HD) -- IK Limb Solver -- Spline IK -- Adding IK to a Bone Chain -- Exercise 2 -- Rig Helpers: Controllers -- Chapter 3 Exercise: Animating the Knight -- Chapter 4: Character Modeling: The Warhorse Knight
The Warhorse Knight -- Setting up the Warhorse Knight Scene -- Modeling the Placeholder -- Modeling the Base Section -- Modeling the Warhorse Body -- Adding the Tail -- Modeling the Warhorse Head -- Connecting the Head to the Body -- Unwrap UVW: Quick Peel -- Chapter 4 Exercise: The Warhorse Weapons -- Chapter 5: Character Rigging: Skin and the CAT Rig -- Character Rigging -- The Skin Modifier -- Adding Bones -- Envelopes -- Character Studio -- Character Animation Toolkit (CAT) -- Using the CAT Rig -- Creating Custom CAT Rig -- Adding the Skin Modifier -- The CATMotion Panel
Weighting the Helmet and Torso Vertices -- Weighting the Arm Vertices -- Weighting the Leg Vertices -- Adjusting the CATMotion Animation -- Adjusting the Torso Mesh -- Chapter 5 Exercise: Walk Variations -- Chapter 6: Rigging the Warhorse Knight -- Preparing the Model -- Merging the Knight Model -- Creating the Custom CAT Rig -- Weighting the Base Vertices -- Weighting the Warhorse Body -- Adjusting the CATMotion Editor -- Chapter 6 Exercise: Adding Weapons -- Chapter 7: Character Modeling: The Dragon -- Setting up the Templates -- The Placeholder -- Modeling the Body -- Modeling the Wing
Attaching the Wing to the Body -- Modeling the Front Leg -- Adding Details -- Adding Some Character -- Unwrapping the Dragon -- Quick Peel -- Chapter 7 Exercise: Color Variations -- Chapter 8: Rigging the Dragon -- Adjusting the Wings -- Adjusting the Front Left Leg -- Creating a Mirrored Right Leg -- Rebuilding the Wings -- The Body Bones -- Linking the Eyes -- Adding CATMotion -- Adding Skin and Weighting the Vertices -- Chapter 8 Exercise: Walk Cycle Refinement -- Chapter 9: Character Animations -- Game Character Animations -- Saving the Walk Cycle -- Creating the Idle Animation
Summary As a textbook for learning the fundamentals of modeling, rigging and animating 3D-modeled characters for use in video games, this step-by-step lesson book builds on the reader's modeling skills acquired from reading Volume I. The reader will model characters for the Castle Environment created in Volume I, which will be rigged using the Character Animation Toolkit (CAT) in 3ds Max and animated with game moves. The Skin Modifier is used for associating the meshes to the rigs and the characters are then exported to the Unity game engine and integrated into the Castle Scene with a Third Person Character camera. As the text introduces new modeling skills, it additionally calls on the reader to perform repetitive tasks, reinforcing skills learned in the process. The content is presented as if the reader is in a working video game studio, being responsible for researching asset design and providing the team with placeholder assets and final model assets that are unwrapped and custom textured using both box mapping and the 3ds Max Quick Peel tool. Although the text uses Autodesk 3ds Max for the modeling program, the principles are transferable to other major modeling programs. Key Features: The goal of this book is to teach the fundamentals of 3D modeling video game characters in a simplified, logical progression optimized for learning at a beginner level. Rigging principles (Linking, Inverse Kinematics [IK], Forward Kinematics [FK], Skin Deformation, Weighting Vertices and more) are introduced in a gradual progression to allow maximum comprehension and retention. This series of modeling exercises is the result of having successfully taught over 1000 video game students the fundamentals of 3D modeling. This complete, clearly written and concise text is written for self-paced learning, helping those instructors who might not be fully trained in 3D modeling and those interested in self-teaching. Includes instructions and project files for exporting the finished project environment into the 3D game engine, Unity. A companion site (www.3dsMaxBasics.com) includes working 3ds Max project files for chapters, notes and corrections, a 3ds Max user interface, 3ds Max shortcut keys and more
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index
Notes Saving the Idle Clip
As the founder of Whooplah LLC, Bill is committed to creating family-fun entertainment that helps parents meet and exceed their parenting goals. An experienced video game designer and developer, he recently released the large-scale video game environment portal, Pollywog Pond, for early learners. The game was nominated for a 2019 Kidscreen Award "Best New Video Game - Original." The game is being developed into a children's television series for national distribution, a co-production with RI PBS. A graduate of Towson University, MD, USA, Culbertson earned a Master of Art in Art Education degree from the Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI, USA. Commercially, he began his career at Hasbro, Inc. as an industrial designer in Research & Design. Within a short time, he was made Director of the Sculpture Department, guiding the company's popular toy lines such as G.I. Joe and My Little Pony. Moving into the freelance community, he developed a nationwide clientele including manufacturers, theme parks and cruise lines. Specializing in licensed characters, he has extensive experience working with clients such as The Walt Disney Company, Jim Henson Company, Sesame Street Workshop, Nickelodeon and others. As an inventor, he is responsible for numerous toy concepts and designs. Additionally, he has created and produced the award-winning puppet show "Li'l Rhody!" for Rhode Island PBS. As a fine artist, he has been recognized internationally for his sculptural work through numerous large-scale public art works worldwide, including most recently, a memorial to Jim Henson in Hyattsville, Maryland. He has the distinction of being named a Copley Master Artist by the Copley Society of Boston. A Professor at New England Institute of Technology, he is a faculty member of the University's nationally ranked Video Game Development and Design Department. With over 18 years of post-secondary teaching experience, his teaching emphasis is in 3D modeling, animation and game development
Online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on April 06, 2021)
SUBJECT 3ds max (Computer file) http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n2001005223
3ds max (Computer file) fast
Subject Three-dimensional display systems.
Video games -- Programming.
Computer-aided design.
Computer animation -- Computer programs
Computer-Aided Design
three-dimensional.
computer-aided designs (visual works)
computer-aided design (process)
COMPUTERS -- Computer Graphics -- General.
COMPUTERS -- General.
Computer-aided design
Computer animation -- Computer programs
Video games -- Programming
Three-dimensional display systems
Form Electronic book
ISBN 9781000348606
1000348601
9781003147961
1003147968
9781000348705
1000348709
9781000348651
1000348652