Research Report: Specialisation project

My reasoning for choosing to create a fairy kingdom scene, was to better learn how to create natural objects in Maya, rather than hard surface. However along the way I have also learnt about normal maps and how to use them correctly. Before starting this project I still didn't completely know what a normal map was or how to create one let alone how to implement them.

Below are a series of Videos that I have watched that have helped me understand how to model nature, and how to create normal maps.

I have taken aspect from these videos to help me create my faerie scene, these aspects being: learning the use of beveling and soft selection, and how to apply normal maps to my texture nodes. I have also learned how important the texture nodes are themselves and how important it is to have them configured correctly to create the best result once rendered.

This research has definitely helped me understand how to create better natural forms in Maya and how to use normal maps.

References

VFX Point. (2017, February 23rd) .Maya Normal Maps. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VMgo3_gyE4

Red Shift 3D. (2017, May 15th). Maya - Bump And Normal Mapping Tutorial. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z86M-w2q3AQ

Creative Park. (2016, August 7th). Game Designing - How to Model a Low Poly Plant 01 in Maya Part 02. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylfpdBeTIJU

CG Geek. (2015, August 27th). How to Create Low Poly Nature - Blender Tutorial. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gF6qkByl-_M

Cheparev, A. (2016, June 4th). Modeling a landscape with MASH in Maya 2016 Extension 2 / 2017. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyHBui1easo