Conclusion

In conclusion, this project has taught me several useul methods and tips about 3D Studio Max and Photoshop. Perhaps the biggest tip that I have learnt is the importance of using references and to take my time when modeling.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, before i started to work on this model, I hardly ever used a reference image when modeling. I would just play it by ear and hope for the best. Now I understand that reference images just make life so much easier when modeling. Not only does it help create accurate models, but they can also help plan the initial stages of the model creation. Without them, there is no way that my model would have turned out anything like it is today. I would have probably used box modeling had I not been following the tutorial, but now I believe that spline modeling is the way to go!

The model turned out so much better than I expected. While there are some things about my model that I am not too happy with (as described in the Photo and Model Comparison post), overall it grealtly resembles me. The one part about my model that I would like to change is the blend between the skin surrounding and attached to the front of the ear. I tried very hard to get the 2 parts to blend into each other, but because they were on seperate parts of the UVW unwrap, it was very difficult to accurately judge. In the end I had to give up. Its not too noticable on the model, its just something that bugs me...

Other changes that I would like to make would be to reduce the number of ploygons. The guy in the tutorial seemingly used the bare minimum amount of polygons, yet his model turned out more natural than mine. While it is true that this person is a more experienced modeler than myself, its still quite annoying to see. The larger amount of polygons that I had also meant that it was harder for me to connect all of the vertecies together when joining the ear to the head. I got there in the end, but I am sure that with a smaller amount of polygons, I could have done a better job.

When using 3D Studio Max in the future, I will be using as many of these techniques as possible where necessary. They have helped me in so many ways, and I believe they have improved my chances of getting into some kind of career in this area.

Overall, I believe that this project has turned out to be a great success and I am very proud of it. It has definately inspired me to do this again sometime in the future!