Home
Username:
Password:

Game Design: Character Development 1 Tutorials

Online Contents For This Course

We have made some of the video tutorials for

Game Design: Character Development 1

freely available to help you evaluate our training. Click on any of the linked lesson listings below to preview FREE!
   Course Description
This course was specifically designed to help demonstrate the many tools and techniques used within the 3D game and film industry in regards to character creation. The course begins with the very basics of setting ideal preference settings and creating a customized tool shelf for fast and efficient workflow. Author and 3D expert Michael Ingrassia then takes users through the very basic techniques of box modeling, UV layout and traditional texture map creation using Maya and Photoshop software. As the lessons progress, Michael begins to demonstrate much more advanced tools and techniques. Finally, he pushes Maya and Zbrush to it's breaking point generating a final character sculpted mesh to 33 million polygons before exporting the necessary maps and finalizing the low poly mesh back into Maya for exporting into a game engine. The various tools and techniques demonstrated here will certainly be beneficial to beginners as well as seasoned professionals alike. And his Zbrush texturing lessons alone make these videos worth the price. A DVD containing work files is included. To begin learning today, simply click on one of the movie links.

Choose your media type:

Introduction to Character Development
  The Workflow Overview (01:35) T
  Techniques & Processes Taught (00:54) T
Maya Navigation & Customization
  Maya Quick Tour (06:21) T
  Saving / Exporting & Setting Projects (02:30) T
  Settings & Preferences (03:03) T
  Displays & Navigation (03:52) T
  Customizing the Tool Shelf (03:30) T
  Installing Scripts & Plugins (03:23) T
  Maya Hot Keys (05:09) T
  Most Used Tools & Menus pt. 1 (05:26) T
  Most Used Tools & Menus pt. 2 (04:02) T
  Setting up a Modeling Template (06:08) T
Basic Modeling Techniques
  Setting up the Weapon Template (05:58) T
  Basic Box Modeling - Extruding Faces (06:04) T
  Image Based Modeling pt. 1 (05:07) T
  Image Based Modeling pt. 2 (02:55) T
  Image Based Modeling pt. 3 (05:16) T
  Cylindrical Box Modeling pt. 1 (03:44) T
  Cylindrical Box Modeling pt. 2 (04:21) T
  Adding Further Details (05:22) T
  Completing the Weapon Body (06:37) T
  Adding the Bullet Cartridge (04:14) T
  Adding the Grip Handle (04:57) T
  Creating the Pump Handle (07:10) T
  Adding the Trigger (02:09) T
  Model Cleanup (06:41) T
Basic UV Layout
  Intro to the UV Editor (01:15)
  Using Planar Projection Maps (06:13)
  Using Automatic Mapping (03:23)
  Creating Shells with the Move & Sew Tool (04:59)
  Checker Map Testing (02:20)
  UV Set Assembly (03:09)
  Cylindrical Projection Trick (03:41)
  Organizing the UV Layout (05:49)
  Creating the UV Snapshot (05:59)
Basic Texturing
  Blocking Out the Basic Color Map (03:15)
  Preparing the Basic Bump Map (04:30)
  Preparing Maps for Transferring (05:38)
  Using the Transfer Map Tool (04:11)
  Generating a New Color & Bump Map (05:02)
  Adding Dirt & Grunge Detail pt. 1 (05:57)
  Adding Dirt & Grunge Detail pt. 2 (01:39)
Additional Map Creation
  nVidia Normal Map with Photoshop Filter (06:34)
  Generating a Specular Map (03:04)
  Amb/Occ Shadow Map Creation (06:52)
  Overlaying the Amb/Occ Map (02:52)
  Texture Map Cleanup (06:00)
  Final Thoughts (00:34)
Understanding ZBrush
  Interface / Tools & Settings (03:20)
  Navigation & Importing Mesh (02:52)
  Divide / Crease & Sculpting pt. 1 (02:50)
  Divide / Crease & Sculpting pt. 2 (03:27)
  Brushes & Strokes (03:41)
  Using Masks (03:02)
  Using Alpha Masking Maps (04:40)
  Creating an Alpha Mask MAp (02:41)
  Using Polymesh & Subtools (04:35)
  Sculpting with Symmetry (04:10)
  Projection Master & ZApp Link (04:25)
Character Modeling: Getting Started
  Mesh & Templates Overview (02:35)
  First Stage - Blocking the Mesh (05:48)
  First Stage - The Arm (06:40)
  First Stage - The Hand (05:07)
  Second Stage - Adding Mesh Divisions (04:52)
  Third Stage - Attaching the Arm (04:05)
  Third Stage - Building the Boot (06:02)
  Extracting Mesh for Detail Modeling (03:10)
Detailing the Body
  Collar Detail (05:41)
  Chest & Back (02:35)
  Waist / Hips & Legs (05:09)
  Arms & Hands (06:25)
  Boots pt. 1 (02:43)
  Boots pt. 2 (04:47)
Creating the Head
  Head Modeling (02:37)
  Eye Cavity pt. 1 (06:38)
  Eye Cavity pt. 2 (04:57)
  Finishing the Face (05:26)
  Cranial Mesh (04:57)
  Adding the Neck (05:06)
  Creating the Ear pt. 1 (04:26)
  Creating the Ear pt. 2 (04:30)
  Detailing the Cap & Respirator (06:21)
  Finishing the Head (05:52)
Mesh Prep & Advanced UV's
  Understanding Subdivision (02:43)
  Subdividing the Arm (05:18)
  Unwrapping the Arm UVs pt. 1 (06:53)
  Unwrapping the Arm UVs pt. 2 (03:28)
  Head UVs - Unwrapping the Cap (07:20)
  Head UVs - Unwrapping the Face (06:20)
  Head UVs - Unwrapping the Respirator (04:17)
  Cleanup & Inspection (02:49)
Character Sculpting in ZBrush
  Creating the Head Alpha Mask (01:07)
  Creating the Skin Alpha Map (02:54)
  Sculpting Underlying Muscles (06:40)
  Skin Texture & Wrinkles (04:21)
  Detailing Eyebrows & Skullcap (04:01)
  Alpha Stamping Details (05:35)
  Adding a Scar with 3D Layers (04:07)
Texture Painting
  Using Polypaint (04:34)
  Flesh Temperature Zones (05:26)
  Detailing & Shadows (04:20)
  Cavity Painting (02:44)
  Burnishing & Highlights (04:09)
  Finishing Details & Final Thoughts (03:44)
Maps & Assembly
  Baking Polypaint to Textures (03:16)
  Generating Normals & Exporting Mesh (03:07)
  Shader Setup in Maya (04:06)
  Assembling Final Mesh (06:50)
Conclusion & Credits
  Course Wrap Up (01:49)
  About the Author (01:03)

Course Information

Course:

Game Design: Character Development 1

Author: Michael Ingrassia
SKU: 34000
ISBN: 1-935320-48-3
Release Date: 2009-06-11
Duration: 8 hrs / 110 tutorials
Work Files: Yes
Captions: Available on CD and Online University

Subscription / Purchase Information

Visitors to VTC.com will be able to view all introductory videos for each training course.
Free Trial Members will gain access to first three chapters for each training course. Sign up for a Free Trial
Full Access Members have full access to VTC.com’s entire library of video tutorials. If you are already a member, please login here.

Learn More

Also Available in CD format

Single User: US$ 99.95Add to Cart

  • No Forums started yet.