How you felt when u got into modelling?

[BStudios]

Hi, i downloaded blender about a week ago planning to model and create a very complex 5 - 15 second clip. I knew it would be hard but i thought i'll learn. I look at pics of the ships that i plan to model, and i'm amazed at the amount of detail in them. Everytime i look at them i get discouraged thinking that i'll never be able to model something like that in a million years. So now i ask all of you, what did u feel like when u first got into modelling or animation? Did you think it would be easy? Or were a discouraged about it?

[Pip]

Thankfully I got into it in the late 90's with a off-the-shelve program called MicrografX "simply 3D" (3.0) - Which had simple drag and drop animations, as well as very simple deformation tools for primitives.

That was before I got internet though, so it was first in 2000 I found the old SFA (scifi-art.com) forum - Once there, I found seeing the artwork great for inspiration and motivation.

The thing that I learned most from was probably the Work In Progress section.
Just being able to see what individual people do from start to finish helps a lot IMO.

[CrimsonLine]

Given that my first attempt turned out poorly, I was discouraged. I didn't understand some of the basic assumptions of building a 3D model, and I didn't know how to ask about it.

I was building a Starfleet ship, and I started making the whole thing as one object in Blender. I got a ways into it, and kept on finding that I was changing things I didn't want to change, because it was so complex. I was frustrated. If I'd known that most models are made up of hundreds, even thousands of objects, it would have been easier going. But I didn't even know how to phrase my questions. It wasn't until I accidentally deleted my entire model that I got frustrated enough to ask, even if I didn't have the words. It sounded like caveman-speech, no doubt, but I eventually got my answers. And I persevered.

I still get overwhelmed some times, if I keep expanding the scope of my project while it's yet unfinished. But if I keep my head down, finish one piece at a time, I have found that I can make it through.

[Ozylot]

I was excited.

My first encounter with 3D modeling was with Bryce. I began making groups of shapes, then I realized I could make lots of changes to them. Suddenly I was modeling.

Then one day I got the idea to try making a star trek scene. As I began to model, I thought "I wonder if there is a model on the internet that I could just insert?"

It was at about that time that I discovered the amazing things people have modeled. It made me realize that there was so much more that could be done. Looking back, I think I never would have got into it, if the program I had started with had been extremely complex.

[Lentowsky]

Originally Posted by Pip

Thankfully I got into it in the late 90's with a off-the-shelve program called MicrografX "simply 3D" (3.0) - Which had simple drag and drop animations, as well as very simple deformation tools for primitives.

I had that program myself way back when. Got it as a gift after I expressed an interest in some work one of my cousins was doing in Lightwave. It was a fun little prog, limited as hell, but fun.

I didn't realize until I started learning Max, just how little I had learned from S3D about modeling and lighting.

And I still feel overwhelmed by what I am aware I don't know, 7 years later.

[Nadesico]

My first few animations were pretty good, i was happy. But my modelling attempts.... well, let's just say i havent given up on making something decent yet.

[Melak]

Like 2 years ago I was somewhat into mapping for a doom3 mod, but found my self limited with the abilities of the editor. The smallest units were just not small enough, and the tools quite sparse.

After a while I discovered programs that could provide me with the tools and flexibility that the map editors lacked, and SFM at about the same time.

I hope no one remembers my first attempt at modeling, some time before the crash in 2006

Now I'm still amazed by all the things you can do with the right applications, not only modelling but also the scripting, animation, effects and tools!

To answer your question: Since I more or less stumbled upon modeling during mapping, I didn't think about it being hard or easy, I was just glad there were more sophisticated tools available!

[Dr-Timelord]

My first big project was the Ent B which was watched closley by everyone here.

It did feel overwhelming at times, and the long hours you put into model making really makes you feel like you have no social life life but the end result is always good

[Pip]

Originally Posted by Lentowsky

I had that program myself way back when. Got it as a gift after I expressed an interest in some work one of my cousins was doing in Lightwave. It was a fun little prog, limited as hell, but fun.

Heck I still have the CD today, and even some pictures of what I made in it. But yeah, it was very very limited.
I switched to trueSpace 4 in 2000.

I'm now at trueSpace 7, which will be my last. (It's really time to get something more "professional")

[Lentowsky]

Originally Posted by Pip

Heck I still have the CD today, and even some pictures of what I made in it. But yeah, it was very very limited.
I switched to trueSpace 4 in 2000.

I'm now at trueSpace 7, which will be my last. (It's really time to get something more "professional")

My CD is around here, I think. It doesn't work on my current computer, but I hate the thought of getting rid of it, so.....

A bunch of my pics from it are on my harddrive, something else I can't bring myself to get rid of. They give me something to laugh at now.