This week we looked at how to texture models on Maya. I had missed the previous class on colouring models as I was sick, and so there were a few steps that I had to learn before texturing.
I didn’t struggle as much as I thought I would, especially given that I had missed the previous lesson, but there were still some instances where I needed help. Generally, however, I feel that I am now able to texturize and colour basic shapes by myself, which will come in handy when starting to do so on my fantasy world models. I am a little worried about this though, because I will be modelling trees and obscurely shaped homes for my fantasy world, which I fear will be quite challenging in and of itself, but then to take these models apart to be able to colour and texturize effectively will certainly pose an obstacle. Luckily, during classes, I can ask for help from my tutor if I ever need it, as well as other classmates who are more experienced in Maya.
What I found the most challenging from this process was puzzling out which grid (once separated from the original shape) was which side of the shape. We took the shapes apart into smaller, 2D faces, and while this is the most effective way to colour and texturize, it confused me sometimes as I had trouble picturing the grids into the whole shape in my mind. Perhaps I’m not explaining this helpfully, but it felt a little as though I was doing geometry. Math has never been a strong suit of mine so I did find myself getting a little frustrated at times. However, I know with more practice, this process will become much easier, and as I improve, I can move onto more complex shapes to prepare for colouring the texturizing my fantasy world models.
We first learned to colour and texture a basic shape – a cube – and then went onto a slightly more complex shape, a treasure chest. Below are photos of this process in class.
