3D Max Nightmares.

I am no newbie (noob!) to 3D Studio Max, in Glasgow I was studying for my NQ Animation, Art & Design whilst also doing a night school class every week for 3 months studying an Introduction to 3Ds Max. We learned to model using a number of modifier tools, basic texturing and animation, so I figured I would have a head start on those at uni who hadn’t touched the package at all: NOT SO. Fevered dreams, cold sweats and panic attacks are a frequent sight in my household these last few months, with a general feeling of complete helplessness.

3Ds Max is a total headache, especially UV mapping. The time consuming process of unwrapping and editing texture maps is a nightmare all on its own, let along the specular mapping and all the rest.

I never believe older folk when they said “I can’t work that, it’s too complicated, I’m too old.” At 25 I’m beginning to see what they mean. I used to pride myself in my efficiency at picking up new subjects or technologies with relative ease after a few shown examples, however, no matter how much I read and practice, I just cannot get to grips with this software and what I learn one week goes straight out my head the next. What is going on? 5 years ago I seriously wouldn’t have been having this problem. I just feel slow and cumbersome and spend more time looking up tutorials to get something to work than actually getting the work done. It’s infuriating because I don’t have the time to spare to read and read and read to get the information to sink in.

Anyway, that’s enough of that rambling. Personally I think I should have stuck to animation, that’s the one thing I can do with ease in 3Ds Max. Perhaps I should leave the modelling and texturing to some other sorry soul.

So far at Uni I’ve modelled a Dalek, a Wheelie Bin, An Interesting Building and some trees…None have gone particularly well…perhaps maybe the bin…

If looking at that doesn’t make you just want to end it all, you’re made of sterner stuff than most! I’m hoping the next semester will lead to it all suddenly falling into place and it’s just been some teething problems and my late nights, stress and lack of sleep will be a thing of the past.