HARE'S MIND: My Experience Battling with 3D Design (Patreon)

Apologies for the lack of an update last month, but we wanted to share our progress with you as I have finally started making progress in my 3D studies! Although everything is very much still a work in progress, I wanted to do some ranting and openly share the journey has been 3D.

Just jump into it...?

While some people can just jump into something without knowing the basics, I'm not one of those people. I need to understand the fundamentals first or else I'll get tripped up on the little things when I'm trying to follow tutorials. So, I figured I'd start by studying the basics before immediately jumping into a more complex project.

As a result...

I came across a long, one-page website titled "What do I need to create 3D models?" or something similar. However, the information provided was superficial and vague, leaving me unsure which specific steps to take. I realized that what I needed to focus on was understanding "Blender's manipulation methods," "texture creation techniques," and "workflow suitable for fault." Since I couldn't find a comprehensive guide covering everything systematically, I opted to watch countless hours of YouTube videos. But even then, the information often seemed scattered and specific to particular items or techniques. If I want to learn the entire process comprehensively, it might be more efficient to enroll in a school that offers courses on the subject.

Personally, the most challenging aspect for me was realizing the significant differences between 3D modeling for film production versus video game development. While watching tutorials and trying to put ideas into practice, it took me a considerable amount of time to figure out precisely what steps were needed to implement these ideas successfully in a game.

After keeping in mind super basic essential tips such as "overuse of polygon count is not desirable" and "texture creation takes up half the quality of the model" and searching for a technique that could guide me from start to finish, I stumbled upon a tutorial video that provided just that.

Blenderで大規模なファンタジー都市を作成する

Although the video I watched was intended for film production, it provided valuable insights into the most efficient and cost-effective methods for creating models. The tutorial detailed the tools and techniques involved while showing the work process at normal speed, making it an excellent resource.

However, even with the tutorial's guidance, I still had questions that I couldn't find answers to by searching online. That's when ChatGPT came to my rescue. It's incredibly helpful to have a resource that can provide quick answers to colloquial questions not found in online searches, even if they occasionally provide incorrect information.

Though there was a lingering issue. Yes, this issue plagues anything work doing...  and no amount of studying can mitigate this fundamental problem: THERES TOO MANY DAMN THINGS TO DO.

Difficult but Fun; Fun but No Time :(

I was always keen on trying 3D modeling but kept putting it off. When I finally got into it, there were times it was overwhelming, but now I've learned so much and find myself excitedly thinking about what to create next.

After getting to the stage of drawing concept art, I've come to understand why game developers use 3D models from the asset store. There's so much to learn besides just being good at drawing, and it's impossible to make everything from scratch in a short amount of time.

So, while I continue to use asset store models to save time, I'm also creating areas that show off my creativity and personal style. I'm having so much fun with it!

3D for Video Games and it's Hurdles

I've become acutely aware of the difficulties involved in creating a playable environment, even more so than I initially anticipated. When working with 3D models as a part of a film or illustration, visual appeal is the typically the number one priority, but for video games, there are player interactions to consider, not to mention performance metrics such as polygon count.

Map creation is an exceptionally challenging aspect as it requires the creation of a location that can be reused in several places in the game. Making it "however I like" is not an option, as adjustments later on will be required. I'm still learning how to plan properly for these adjustments since I still lack the necessary expertise, but I'm eager to find the right balance between functionality and artistic quality within my work.

As for the hourglass object in the middle of the bar, this is what it looks like as of right now...! I'm eager to move on to texture creation soon (Making texture is soooo fun. :) )

Bar centerpiece hour glass.