Could any anons here direct me towards a tutorial or website that I can use to learn how to create hard surface objects? I've been trying to make a few things, here and there after scraping some info from some images I've found and youtube videos but it still just feels like I'm spinning my wheels here.
I do not feel confident in my ability to make something as simple as say, a panel on a sphere without there being any pinching or stray hard edges all over the thing and it drives me mad.
>>578212
Check out Grant Warwick (Mastering CGI)
He has stuff on Youtube, Vimeo, Twitch, some content you have to purchase, or browse your favourite torrent website (he doesnt mind)
Boi, you need rounded edge workflow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBH5POU_ew4
SubD is a thing of the past, it's tedious as fuck, hard to iterate on, and even the simplest operations take a lot of time and planning.
If you can't wrap your mind around SubD modeling, definitely consider giving rounded edge a go, it lets you boolean whatever the fuck you want and use a shader to add bevel magic.
I like Tim Bergholz tutorials for 3ds max
>>578215
This. Watched his hard surface modeling series and it's great for just going zero to hero in no time. Also, he uses really simple techniques very effectively, so his methods can be applied to any package.
>>578320
Video doesn't work for me, but I have an idea of what you're implying. The problem with that method comes into play when you want to gradually draw an edge apart and have it transition into a smooth plane, shaders generally only work when you have fixed-width bevels.
If you're modeling stuff like guns that predominantly consist of identical bevels on every edge, then go right ahead. But if you say watched any of Warwick's videos, you'll see that his style has very "organic" hard surfaces that continually flow from one profile to another, and there's really no getting around using subdivision surfaces for that.
It really depends on the kind of thing you're making and whether you want to take the time to perfectly define your edge profile or just quickly knock out a bake for something where it's not going to matter or be appreciated.
Also of key mention is that his method is fully compatible with sculpt-based workflows and that it's basically trivial to throw a mesh into ZBrush or Mudbox for further detailing, while if you had booleans you'd waste even more time just quadrifying your mesh and avoid dynameshing it, which can ruin definition.
>>578329
Good info in your post, and I agree with everything you've said.
I don't think rounded edge is incompatible with organic workflows, though. You've very right in outlining it's a *different* method from crease/subd, but the two can actually be used together (which is what Tor Frick has been doing recently). With live booleans it's even possible to use rounded edge operations (dirty booleans) onto sub-d meshes without being destructive at all.
I personally like to use both, though I think for very "flowy" hard-surface Zbrush has become a better option (I have a friend who does great-looking hard surface in zbrush very quickly while knowing next to nothing about the old modeling techniques).
OP here, I checked out Grant Warwick's vid on hard surface modeling essentials and it's a great primer for someone as clueless as me! Looked up the guy's website and he has a whole course on it too. Unfortunately I do not currently have the funds for the class so I'll have to nab it from somewhere if I go ahead with it probably.
Next up I'll check this Tim Bergholz dude (is chamferzone his channel?)
and then Tor Frik
Thanks for pointing them out guys. I'm still open to more l material of course, the more good content the better
>>578342
just watch Tor Frick. The others are outdated grandpas
>>578343
Watch everyone and learn everything. Reading too much into the style of one artist limits your own flexibility, especially if your own mental quirks don't match those of the person you're trying to learn from. A realist won't get much use receiving aspiration from a well-known impressionist, even though realism may utilize aspects of impressionism for laying down the core of your artwork.
For instance, I appreciate what some artists demonstrate being able to do just with booleans, but it's just not my style to use them, and while there are many excellent examples of hard surfaces being done purely in ZBrush, I wouldn't feel comfortable taking it that far either.
You have to find the balance that makes sense to you.
Yeah, looking at it objectively, Warwick's technique is basically from well over 10 years ago, however, because of that he also has the fundamentals nailed down hard. And when you have perfect understanding of how to make edge loops do anything you want them to, it makes anything involving geometry so much easier to comprehend regardless of the methods you choose to use yourself. It just helps to know how others work even if you end up going a totally different way yourself.
>>578345
>Watch everyone and learn everything.
you only have a limited time dumbass. Tor Frick is the only one worth watching at this time, period.
>>578347
Limited time for what? Still have my whole life ahead of me. Artists aren't athletes who go into pension at 35. In intellectual fields you never stop learning or working.
>>578342
>is chamferzone his channel?
Yep.
Idk about the others but he seems to really care about teaching. Just finished the modeling part of his grenade tutorial and it took me like 10 hours but it was the first time I ever did anything in 3ds max.
It's great that he actually goes through the entire process from low poly to high poly to unwrapping to texturing.
>>578347
Not true. Even though I'm the most partial to the rounded edge technique, it's not commonly used in the industry yet and knowing other forms of modeling is still very important.
Even just understanding the basics of subdivision/crease modeling is crucial. You don't need to spend a lot of time on them but setting aside a week or two to practice them will let you use them should you need to. Even Tor uses some Sub-d in his workflow, and there's some stuff you can't make without it.
>>578215
Cannot recommend Grant's work enough. Not just for modeling, but shading too. His free tutorials alone got me from nothing to pic related.
>>578347
Try watching his streams sometime. He still uses sub-d himself and has said on multiple occasions that he considers it an essential skill.
>>578215
Anyone here know where I can grab the Grant Warwick course? I'm either a dumbass or am not looking in the right places or both.
>>579737
Cgpeers
>>579739
Oh I've heard of that. is it worth it though? I mean, as I understand you have to register and contribute as well. I'd just go to mooch because I'm a poorfag with a crappy connection thatd get me instabooted or ignore entirely no?
>>579741
Supposedly you have to upload at least as much mb as you download, but in practice all torrents are freelech, you can download without restriction
>>579744
I've never seeded anything on cgpeers and never been restricted from downloading.
>>579745
Well in that case I'll wait for the registration days then... I suppose they post invitation links somewhere for people to join the forums?
>>579796
You can register freely, you just have to wait for certain days