After trying different lights and different renderers, I decided to render with Arnold. The result was really realistic.

I first created a simple background and added two lights. I worked on the intensity of the light as well as the temperature.

I then realized that depending on the angle of the camera, there were bad reflecting effects due to the blinn type of the material I put on my model but also because of the light directions.

That is why I decided to change my background to an environment that I created out of a sphere, to create a smooth lighting all over the scene. I used backface culling to color the inside of the sphere.

(The assets and the lights are inside the environment shpere)

Here is the result :

I chose to make my AK47 shoot a flower instead of a bullet. I will not go into every details of the creation process since it is not the main object of the animation but rather, key points in the creation.

Petal :

I used the non-linear deformer “bend” that we saw previously to create the curve of the petal. I then duplicated the petal and repeated the process.

Center of the flower :

I used the “Lattice” to shape the center of the flower. This tool created a zone around the assets that you have selected. You can then shape the assets along the points of the zone created.

Texturing :

Again, I found some images on internet and made a texture image out of Photoshop.

Rigging :

I created 5 joints. One of them is of course the root joint which controls the entire model. It is skinned with the entire AK47. The next one is located at the tip of the model, but the most important ones are the one controlling : - the magazine - the trigger - the slider

Those joints will permit the movement of each part during the shooting process. But keeping them attached to the gun even while moving the entire prop.

Camera :

The textures of the image I chose as a reference looked really nice and detailed so I basically cropped the image into Photoshop into several pieces. I also cropped the metal, wood parts and other parts that I tought will be necessary for some parts of the model.

UV Unwrapping :

Last part of the modelling. I finished the fire system on top as well as the slider on the side. The left and right side of the gun are now different according to the real AK47.

Homework #3

A path animation controls the position and rotation of an object along a curve. It can be time saving and allows you to get softer movements.

1. First you need to create a curve

Go to Create>Curve Tools and choose the type of curve you want. In this tutorial, I use EP Curve Tool.

Left clicking creates new points, it is how you shape your curve. Press enter when you are finished to validate the shape of the curve.

 2. Have your object ready

The point of this tutorial is not modelling so I will just use a simple cube.

Now select your object AND your curve by left clicking and holding shift.

3. Attach the object to the path

Now go to Constrain>Motion Paths>Attach to Motion Path. Make sure the “Animation Mode” is on. You can find it on the top left corner of your screen.

Chose your settings and click “Attach”.

Your object is now attached to the curve.

You can press “Play” to see the animation. If you have done everything right, you should see the object move along the curve.

Homework #2

As indicated by the name, you can add deformation effects to your objects using a deformer. A deformer is a tool that allows you to transform or animate an object. There are different kinds of deformers. In this tutorial, we are going to have a look at nonlinear deformers (bend, flare, twist…).

First, you need an object to deform. To have a better look at the changes on the object, I am going to take a simple shape.

You will find all the deformers in the deform menu on the top of your screen.

Select your object and then chose one of the linear deformers. You will find all the settings of the deformation in the attribute editor on the right. If the attribute editor didn’t show up, open it by cliking on it (on the right of your screen, below the modelling toolkit).

For each deformer, you will see an axis appear. It controls the deforming effect of your object. You can rotate it depending on the effect you want to give to your object. I’ll let you play with the settings. Here is 3 deformed objects. On the left side, the object is bent. In the middle, it is flared. Finally, on the right side, the object is twisted.

I have been playing shooting games since I was a kid. One of my favourite weapon of all times is the AK47. Thus, I decided to model it.

I feel like it is a good exercise that will help me understand how the weapon works. How ? By modelling each part of the assault rifle.

The extrude tool in Maya is essential. Extruding is a quick and effective way of shaping your object without changing it completely. To illustrate it in a simple way, I am going to take a cube. Press on the cube icon on the top of your screen.

Hold right click and select faces.

Select the face you want to extrude with left click. You can select several faces holding shift. Go to “Edit Mesh” and select “Extrude”. You can also find the extrude tool holding shift and right click.

Et voila ! You can now move it, scale it and shape it...

Here is a short basic poly modelling tutorial for beginners. Basically, a polygon is made of 3 elements : - vertices - edges - faces

Homework #1

Tim Urban talks about the mind of a procrastinator in TED Talks.

He hypothesizes that the brain of a procrastinator is different than others. According to his hypothesis, everyone has a “Rational Decision-Maker” entity. What's changing for procrastinators is the existence of a “Instant Gratification Monkey”.

Basically, everytime that the Rational Decision-Maker entity will make a rational decision, the Instant Gratification Monkey will change his plans to make something fun and easy.

He also talks about a third entity, the “Panic Monster”, the only thing that the Instant Gratification Monkey is scared of. He suddenly wakes up anytime a deadline gets too close.

Here is a tutorial for Maya 2018 looking at 3D navigation and movement made with Benjamin Hudson.