What is Texture Mapping?Texture mapping is the process of laying an image over a 3D rendering of an object to make it look more realistic. Think of it like wrapping a present, the texture is the wrapping paper, and the model is the present. How do You do it in 3DS Max?There are many options for texturing, such as checkerboard patterns, etc, but the method I will explain is bitmap textures. The first step is to select the model you want to texture, then you will hit "M" , which is the hotkey for the materials (AKA textures) window. Then you will add a box which is called a standard, which is basically instructions of how to wrap the texture to the model, and you will add a bitmap material which is the texture you're wrapping. When you add a bitmap, it will ask you to upload an image as your texture. Then you will drag a line from the word "diffuse" on the texture to the word "diffuse" on the model, which connects them. Then you want to right click the standard and hit "apply to selection" and when you render your object, it will be textured!
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What is 3DS Max3DS Max is a basic 3D modeling/animation program made mostly for short animation or static models. My First Impressions3DS Max is fairly easy to use, if you know EVERYTHING about it. Often the program will randomly change settings or certain things won't work for no reason, but if you know how to fix it the program is very useful. It's simple to use if you're fine with wrestling with it. Final Verdict.The program is one of the easiest for making short animations and static models. It's easier than programs like blender, but lacks complexity on subjects like model rigging. Overall I suggest the program.
ForewordFor about 3 years I have been using the Adobe Elements version of Premiere. Therefore, I have experience with video editing, and some experience with the program. This also means that it is more frustrating to me the changes between the two versions. What is Premiere?Premiere is the video equivalent of Photoshop. It is an easy and basic video editor that is regarded as one of the kings, up there with programs such as Sony Vegas. Many people use it and its one of the main names that comes to mind when talking about video editing. One of the few drawbacks for the common Joe is that the program does cost money. TLDR of the abovePremiere is a video editor made by Adobe. A lot of people use it, but it is kind of expensive. What Do I Think?You have to be really creative to get your moneys worth out of the program, and it takes a lot of learning. If you want to edit videos, I still use Premiere and ditched Vegas Pro very quickly. If you're feeling brave, try mixing the program with others like Windows Movie Maker, because Premiere is missing features that some other video editors have, and vice versa. Overall, I would recommend this product to anyone looking to have some fun making their own videos, because since my quirky little projects that got only a handful of thousands of views on Youtube from 7th grade until now, Premiere has always stayed on my desktop.
ForewordIf you read my recent blog post about bitmap game art (titled Bitmap Game Art), there was a section where I briefly went over what the difference between a vector and bitmap image are, so I'll now be going into depth more with what vector graphics are. What is a Vector Graphic?Vector graphics are images that are created using mathematical equations. It is the alternative to the other, more universal format for digital art, the bitmap format. A common misconception about vector graphics is that you have to write out mathematical equations to make the picture, which is not necessarily true. Many programs exist that work like standard paint programs, which is how most vector graphics are created, as it is far more convenient. Adobe IllustratorThe program we use in class is Adobe Illustrator. As you may have guessed by the creator of both programs, Illustrator is strikingly similarly laid out like Photoshop. However, since its vector graphics, the tools are a little different. If you've used Photoshop before, you will have a bit less trouble finding your way around Illustrator. What do I Think?All though there are certain things I like about illustrator, like the fact the lines come out more smooth and the such, I hereby have to revoke all negative statements I have ever made about Photoshop because I despise this garbage excuse for an "alternative to Photoshop". The entire program is a mess, and many times I have lost progress due to things I cannot for the life of me figure out how to fix. There are tools which I cant even tell you why anyone would use them, the swatch pallets are atrocious in my opinion, and the overall usage just isn't practical to me. I think in the future, I'll be sticking to bitmap.
Bitmap Game Art: A Brief OverviewA bitmap art piece is a piece of art made in the bitmap format. The bitmap format is, as explained here , is a format of digital images that uses a dot matrix to store data. It is opposite of the Vector image format. When used in a game, bitmap art is generally referred to as a sprite. TLDR: bitmap game art, also known as sprites, is a type of digital art that in this circumstance is used in games. What We Are Doing In ClassIn class, we are creating mock-up bitmap game art by following some online tutorials that help create a scene which contains elements that could be worked into a game. The All Dreaded: My OpinionThere are some good and bad things about these tutorials we do in class. A lot of it is nitpicks and personal gripes, so I'll just bullet point them.
Good: -The tutorials let you work at your own pace -Most of it is changeable to your own preferences and creativity -Pretty short, 24ish minutes in length each Bad: -Often misleading; instructor messes up halfway through, but doesn't edit his mistake out -Extremely overdragging intro -Doesn't explain all techniques Overall, It works but it's nothing amazing. If you are new to photoshop, I can't say it wouldn't help you because it most likely would. What is a Color Wheel?A color wheel is a circular diagram that shows off different colors and their combinations. There are two digital color wheels, the RGB and CMYK models. What is the difference?The models use different primary colors, the CMYK uses cyan, magenta, yellow and black, while the RGB uses red, green and blue. The RGB is most commonly used, used for things like color display on screens, and graphics for programs, while the CMYK is used for printing. My Personal OpinionHonestly, I feel like there isn't enough use for the CMYK model for it to matter, and I don't understand why they don't make RGB printers. The RGB model is really straightforward and anyone can pick it up in no time flat.
RelevanceFor the past few weeks we have been working with principals of design by making examples of certain elements in Photoshop documents. What are principles of design?The elements of design are abstract and organic shape, space, color, emphasis, texture, proportion, and perspective, but if you want a formal definition, some would describe it as; the elements are components or parts which can be isolated and defined in any visual design or work of art. What is The Use of The Elements?the elements are used in any piece of art, and when used together are called the principle of unity. Elements like emphasis are used to draw your eyes to a certain point of an image, or something like texture can define an object for what it is.
The Assignment In our class, we were given an assignment to draw a character and then use it in a comic strip. Admittedly, I am not very good at making original characters, so this was a very hard task for me. I did however create one eventually, and created a comic strip to accompany it. Drawing a CharacterThe first step is drawing a character, after all, a comic wouldn't be very interesting with no characters! If you want to draw a character that is easy to manipulate, you want to start by drawing your character in a T-pose (with their arms stretched out straight, and body and legs straight) , and in an orthographic sketch. Orthographic sketchingFor the millions of people that didn't have it beaten into them by their teacher (*cough cough*), an orthographic sketch of a character is a drawing of the character from the front, side and back. You would not believe how much detail needs to go into these drawings. It may seem nit-picky, but things like the feet not being perfectly lined up, or height being slightly off on one angle can be extremely detrimental to your drawing. These drawings are extremely crucial to character creation. Drawing a Comic StripNow you have your character, lets jump into giving them a world to live in. You're gonna want to think of a backstory for your main character; why they are where they are, how they got there, and what they would be doing in the world. This will most likely require you to repeat the last few steps to make some surrounding characters. Next, you want to give your character an objective. Now that you have the whole wide world created, you need to draw it out! You will want to make your drawings neat enough to be distinguished, and you should have a somewhat linear plot. ClosureCongratulations! You have your very own comic, and knowledge on how to make them. Happy trails paisano!
So far it's been a good few weeks in Mr. B's class. We Haven't learned all that much, but he sure keeps us on our toes with lots of projects. We've covered advanced search in google, the (heavily abridged) timeline of computers, and how to work in a few programs, but that's it, and that's one of my favorite things about the class. It's not about remembering the material, it's about going out and making something original, which I totally dig. Sure, almost everyone knows how to use Google, but it takes skill to use Google well. Our first lesson was on Advanced Search, a super secret method that makes it actually possible to use Google 95. This is where we come to our problem, is that Advance Search has sort of become obsolete. I believe the reason for this is that the fellows at Google Inc. realized people had to master the martial arts of using brackets, and updated the search engine to work better. To give an example, I went to www.google.com and searched for the creator of a random game I have, Kirby and the Amazing Mirror. I didn't get solid results when using advanced search, but did when I didn't use it. ConclusionOver all, this doesn't make advanced search a useless tool, just obsolete. It can also be helpful in many instances, but in my experience, it just doesn't work all that great.
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