Some things I found out about 3D modelling for games

I was researching this in relation to the Rapier I am currently building in max, and I went looking for suggestions about things I should really know if I were to say import my finished model into a game engine, and also things to keep in mind if I’m modelling for games.

I came across countless articles, but this one linked below, written by Antony Ward, author of Game Character Development in Maya (2004), Game Character Development (2008) and 3D Modeling in Silo (2010), articulated the information in a way that wasn’t too simple, but was still understandable for someone still learning to grasp the concepts and terminology of 3D, such as myself.

Simply, titled ‘How to create character models for games: 18 top tips’, Ward goes into great detail about things he has learned about modelling for games in his years of working in the industry.

Wards invaluable advice, provided me with a plethora of ideas and I have selected 3 of his 18 tips that stuck with me.

1. know your restrictions. – Apparently, when making a model think carefully not only about your polygon restrictions, but also think very carefully about the environment, which units you’ll be working in and also what exactly the model will be used for. Will it be animated? If so which bits need to move?
2. Do your research.  Keep a folder of reference images. Building from memory is fine, but even the most talented of artists still keep folders of images to work from. Building something without it is like drawing with your eyes closed.
3. Start simpleWhen you start working on your character, don’t rush in and try to create a fully detailed head or hand: this can come later. Block out the whole figure first using basic primitives and stitch them together. I personally like to start by using cylinders.

   This will give you a broad overview of the character’s proportions, and an immediate feel for how it will look. As an added bonus, this rough shape can be passed on to be rigged, and an animator can start blocking out some early moves. (Ward, 2011)

   http://www.creativebloq.com/how-create-character-models-games-18-top-tips-9113050

Bibliography:

Ward, A. (2011). How to create character models for games: 18 top tips | 3D modelling | Creative Bloq. Creativebloq.com. Retrieved 28 August 2015, from http://www.creativebloq.com/how-create-character-models-games-18-top-tips-9113050