Softimage 101: Jumpstart

Getting Started

• Understanding the 3D environment


• Touring the interface


• Setting preferences correctly


• Creating primitive objects


• Transforming objects

Modelling

• Spline theory


• Creating and editing 2D spline shapes


• Create 3D objects from 2D shapes


• Applying modifiers


• Creating multiple model concepts from one idea (lab)


• Polygon theory


• Creating and editing 3D polygon objects.


• Add detail to the building concept lab (lab)

Materials and Mapping

• The principles of a surface


• Introduction to the materials editor


• Different types of material


• Applying materials


• Making materials by hand (lab)


• Using 2D maps


• Introduction to UVW Mapping


• Editing UVW map coordinates


• Applying materials & maps to the building concept lab (lab)


• Introduction to Mental Ray materials


• Applying and editing Mental Ray materials


• Applying Mental Ray materials to the building concept and comparing them to standard materials (lab

Lighting

• Lighting Theory


• Introduction to direct lighting


• Creating 3 point & dome lighting rigs


• Shadows & shadow theory


• How to get the most from using shadows by adjusting their parameters


• Using sky light & light tracer for external scenes


• Colour light theory


• Using lights in Mental Ray


• The Daylight System


• Photorealistic lighting using Global Illumination and Final Gather in Mental Ray

Animation

• Learning General Principles


• Working with Key-frames


• Animating Objects


• Working with the Track View Editor


• Animating an object with key-frames ( lab )


• Understanding Animation Controllers


• Working with Object Hierarchies


• Animating Bipeds (lab)


• Camera Theory


• Creating & editing cameras


• How to compose a scene in the camera view correctly


• Wiring storyboards and cinema-graphic techniques