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Official Modeling Class REGISTRATION IS CLOSED


Vince
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I expect to have the official signup for the modeling class ready by next week (about Nov. 24th).  It will run through the end of November, with the class starting the first week of December.

By officially signing up for the class, you agree to get and install the required software or equivalents (all free), to make an honest effort to study the suggested reading and do the class exercises and, where you can, post to help other students keep up.  In return you will be a full member of the modeling class with access for both reading and posting.  If you complete all the classes and exercises you will receive a TES Alliance modeling medal.  Most importantly, once you have completed the class, you should have sufficient understanding that you can continue expanding your 3D modeling skill on your own, concentrating in the areas that interest you most.

This will not be a class where I, as the instructor, speak ex cathedra about how you should model this way and that.  On the contrary, the class will be a group of modders who are determined to substantially improve their 3D modeling skills.  I, having a bit more modeling experience and having taught a modeling class before, will be your guide.  I will prepare the material for the first four sessions.  We, as a class, will decide what to do for the fifth and final session.  The modeling class forum will be open to anyone as read only  So, someone with a good deal of modeling experience could "audit" the class where they might find a few new tidbits of information.

In the first session, we will make a wooden stool.  The fit, finish, and level of detail will be at least as good as the items in vanilla Oblivion.  We will cover basic modeling, UV mapping, vertex painting, extracting and using textures from the Oblivion .bsa compressed files, mesh scrubbing, and adding collision in NifScope.  Here is a screen shot of the stool:TESA_Stool.png

In session 2 we will create a wavy bladed long dagger.  We will create an graceful pitcher in session 3 and a vine with leaves in session 4.  As noted, the class will decide what we do in session 5.

To prepare for the class, you should download and read the Subdivision Modeling Primer: Subdivision Modeling Primer

Also, go to the following site and download Chapter 3- Creating and Editing Objects (it's a .pdf). CD Schools Blender Manual

If you are very new to 3D modeling you might benefit from reading The Very Basics of 3D Modeling for Games in the Modeling class forum.

We will use Blender as our 3D modeling program.  If you haven't already, you will need to update to version 2.48.  Major changes were introduced in 2.46 and the following 2.47 and 2.48 squished most of the bugs.  You will also need a 2D paint program.  Your best bet is Photoshop, the GIMP, or Paint.Net.  Paint.Net can read and write Direct Draw Surface (.dds) files directly.  For the others, you will need the .dds plugin or you can use DDS Converter 2 (free from the net).  Of course you will need NifScope, version 1.02 or later.   Lastly, you will need a program to extract textures and meshes from Bethesda's compressed (.bsa) format.  I use BSA Commander although BSA Unpacker should also work.  Both are available free from the net.  Although not absolutely essential, having a way to convert bump maps to normal maps would be useful.  There are plugins for all three listed 2D programs.  If you would rather, you can use Nvidia's Texture Tools 2, also available free on the net.  While you're there, check out Nvidia's DDS Thumbnail Viewer.  With it you can see .dds file thumbnails in directory listings just like .jpg, .bmp, etc.

If you have any questions about this, you should post them this weekend before the official sign-up starts.

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I will join.One question, however -Will creature meshes ever be covered in the class as well?
I'm glad you will be joining the class.  We won't be covering creature creation in this initial class, partly because it would, of necessity, require covering animation, rigging, bones, etc., but more importantly, because I have zero skill in sculpting  or UV mapping faces of any kind.  I think a class on creature creation and animation would be a good idea and maybe later we could find someone to teach it.
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Oh. <_>Edit: Is the first 'yes I will join' post absolute and final?
No.  I do expect those that sign-up to be active participants, reading the material, doing the exercises, and helping the other students.  However, some may find that the class wasn't what they thought it would be.  Others may have issues in RL that need to be addressed.  So, you can opt out at any time.
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As I mentioned in your other thread, I am interested in taking part in this, and have no prior modeling experience (well, I know a very little about NifSkope, but otherwise, nothing).  Anyway, I'm both excited and scared by the way this looks like it will operate as an actual class; I love the time put into this, and I'm sure this will be very useful, but I am generally very busy, and am not sure I can spend much time on t his regularly.  Anyway, my question is, how much time are you guess-timating this will take on a weekly basis.  Also, how long are sessions?  Thanks for taking the time to put this together for us noobs :-P

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As I mentioned in your other thread, I am interested in taking part in this, and have no prior modeling experience (well, I know a very little about NifSkope, but otherwise, nothing).  Anyway, I'm both excited and scared by the way this looks like it will operate as an actual class; I love the time put into this, and I'm sure this will be very useful, but I am generally very busy, and am not sure I can spend much time on t his regularly.  Anyway, my question is, how much time are you guess-timating this will take on a weekly basis.  Also, how long are sessions? CC
'A reasonable question.  There will be around three weeks or more between the start of each session.  I have a RL (more or less) and it takes many hours to prepare the material for each session.  To some extent, the amout of time you devote to each session depends on you.  Also, the amount you learn is directly related to the amount of time you spend on it.  I would guess the minimum time each student should spend on each session is around four hours.  Ideal is about twice that.  Obviously you can always spend more.  So, if you don't think you can devote a solid four hours or more, every three weeks or so (about an hour a week), you would probably be better off auditing the class.

3D modeling is not an easy thing to learn and Blender is not a noob friendly program.  That doesn't mean you can't learn it, but it will take a significant effort on your part.  Imagine you were listening to AC/DC and thought, "I wish I could play guitar like Angus Young".  How long do you think that would take?  Of course, our class won't require that level of effort, but I think you get the idea.  There's a reason that only a small percentage of modders create their own 3D models.
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Oh, no worries with that amount of time :-P  I'm currently taking a course on java where an estimated 2 hrs a day are required, and I was afraid this would be a huge-calibur thing like that, that required, say, 7 hrs per week (in some countries known as an hour per day :-P).  I am totally in!

(btw, I woulda gone for a U2 referance, buy AC/DC works :-D [oh no!  I just turned this into a "what are you listening to?" thread!  Please don't kill me Mr. Moderator-Who-Knows-All!])

Ai...

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I will join.One question, however -Will creature meshes ever be covered in the class as well?
I'm glad you will be joining the class.  We won't be covering creature creation in this initial class, partly because it would, of necessity, require covering animation, rigging, bones, etc., but more importantly, because I have zero skill in sculpting  or UV mapping faces of any kind.  I think a class on creature creation and animation would be a good idea and maybe later we could find someone to teach it.


I know how to UV Map. Do you wish to learn? So that you can teach others to make everything complete? PM me and I'll give you detailed info.
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wait am i signing up here or the other forum?   :pints:
nanno, as we discussed in the Sign-up Here topic, I suggested that you not sign-up for the modeling class.  You said you had no modding experience.  Although modeling experience is not a prerequisite, modding experience is.  Creating new 3D content from scratch is not easy.  Please re-read the suggestions I made to you last week in the Sigh-Up Here topic.  In that topic you said you understood.

For the record for anyone: sign-up for the modeling class ended on the 1st of December.  The class is aimed toward those with Oblivion modding experience, but not necessarily any 3D modeling experience.
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