Assignment PT 1

Story

Story of a rat racing around a track on a mousetrap car.

Rat was racing around the track when he saw something. The long straight track up ahead was not there! It is replaced by a bass guitar and rat have to drive the car on the strings of the guitar. He positioned his car to drive on the two thickest strings to have a higher assurance that his car will not lose balance and endanger his life or worse, lose the match.

Shape

There will be four tuning pegs on the head, the body and neck of the guitar, the bridge, the strap system, four knobs for different controls like volume control, the frets, the pickups, the nut, the input jack and the strings.

The body, neck and head will be formed from a rectangle. The neck and head will be extruded from the body. The bridge, knobs, strap system, input jack and pickups will be extruded from the body and the tuning pegs will be extruded from the head. The frets will be extruded from the neck and cylinders can be used for the strings.

Design

Photo of the front of the guitar

Photo of the back of the guitar

Photo of the side of the guitar

Photo of the top of the guitar

Photo of the bottom of the guitar

3D Mindset

Does multi-tasking give you a real or false sense of having accomplished something?

I am naturally bad at multi-tasking and from my experience, multi-tasking gives me a false sense of accomplishment. I multi-tasked and at the end of it, I felt like I achieved many things in a span of three hours. However, I realized the fact is I did not achieve anything at all when I sat for my test. This made me realize that multi-tasking is not the way when doing stuff and focusing on one thing at a time is still the best way.

Is learning 3D and design different from learning programming, or is all learning the same?Why?

To me, learning is different for different modules as interest in areas vary. For 3D and design, I am naturally bad when it comes to putting what I have conceived in my mind onto paper or Maya, as I am not efficient with the interface and I am bad at drawing. Step by step procedures makes it easy to do 3D but 3D is based on one's own imagination and the possibilities are limitless. For programing, it is more on the logic of the codes and there is a fixed answer like mathematics. This is achieved through knowing codes and having a strong logic. However, these two are similar in a aspect of practice. Both needs practice to be fluent and for me practicing is a form of similar learning. This being said, I somehow prefer 3D compared to programming as I find 3D fun. Interest is what makes learning different.

The article states that “Learning is actually a very complex operation for an individual”. Do you agree with this? Do you feel that you approach your learning in the best way – if yes, how, and if no, how can you change your work style?

I agree that “Learning is actually a very complex operation for an individual”. Every person have their own learning style and personally, I have not found mine yet. My current working style is definitely not the best way as I leave everything to the eleventh hour. The best way is actually doing work consistently everyday and practicing is a key factor to efficient learning. I am easily distracted by any possible thing and I have to be more disciplined in order for me to approach my learning in the best way.

What are your thoughts about the last paragraph in the extract?

The last paragraph in the extract is really about what is happening today in many different areas. Communication is an essential factor in determining success. Even if someone is talented but does not have the personality and is unable to communicate with others, he/she will be unable to be successful. However, with this said, it is a fact that communication is difficult as people have different mindsets and different personalities. Without allowances, two or more strong personalities will clash and will affect the team's performance. Communication is a difficult but necessary skill to achieve success.

Should your lecturers also focus on your work attitude, or just leave you to sink or swim on your own? Why?

Lecturers should focus on our work attitude to a certain extent. With motivation, there are students who will respond positively and have a positive work attitude. However, when students respond negatively after countless times of motivating, lecturers should leave him/her alone and focus on the students who are responding positively until that student choose to change his work attitude. This is due to making him/her to be responsible for his/her own studies and future. Without their own conviction to do well, no amount of pushing will work on them.

Primitive Breakdown

I choose easy objects as I am naturally bad at drawing and dislike drawing unless I am appreciating drawings. Even easy models present a tough challenge to me but I manage to draw these two models.

Washboard

My washboard. Align tool can sometimes be a burden and difficult to use although it is normally otherwise. Extrude, bevel and alignment. Serve as a practice for me.

Track

This is my track. Using create polygon tool, extrude, insert edge loop tool and bend is simple to follow. I have one problem, the two blue lines. If I delete them, I will lose my curve as the lines are the bendlines. However it is ugly to have the lines and I do not know how to remove them. Other than that, this exercise is pretty easy and reinforcing what is taught in other lessons.

Gear

This is my gear. Just pipe and extrude. I tried to smooth it to see the effect but it does not look very nice with smooth in my opinion.

Cardboard Box

This is my cardboard box. From this I learned that I can set the subdivisions for the number of lines I want which makes it easier than having to draw the lines and worry if the gaps in between are equidistance . I learned that I can scale the vertices easily using the drop down menu so its is precise and neat than manual scaling. Pick-walk process is useful if I want to select points that are very hard to select like vertices that are in the middle of two 'objects' which is much easier than having to zoom in to select it one by one and ensuring the correct vertices are selected. I can change the pivot point for things like moving the pivot point to rotate the object the way I intend to to have the effect i want. Smoothing it gives it a more realistic feel in my point of view.

Bucket

This is my bucket. Revolve is convinent to use provided if I know the optimal settings for what I want to create. For the handle, I used the three point circular arc and create a curve. I drew a 2D cursive H and snap it to one end of the curve. I used extrude in polygon mode and set the extrude face options divisions to 30. This really surprise me and I still do not understand how this method works.

Toy Train

This is my toy train. This is mainly just using the lessons from blocks modelling like difference and bevel. For my back carriage, I used extrude to make the inner compartment for the three squarish blocks to contain. The train is quite simple after doing the blocks and not as complex as I feared

Prison & Toontown

Prison is a place for criminals to reflect on their actions. The square like buildings with sharp corners gives the place a serious, strict and stringent feel. The height and size of the buildings gives a threatening feeling compared to smaller scale buildings. These feelings are meant to be portrayed to instill fear in criminals so they will not repeat their mistakes and turn over a new leaf.

Toontown is mainly made up of round like buildings which provides a sense of comfort and ease. The small size and short height of the building further amplify the feeling of ease and people can relax. Toontown is a place mainly for people to enjoy themselves so the sense of comfort and ease compliments the objective of people going to Toontown.

Blocks

These are my blocks. I made these blocks by learning beveling and difference. I learn how to make the edges look round and cut out the shapes I want using two different shapes. This broadens my ability to make shapes I want and the shape looks nice. I also learned that selecting edges to bevel affects the result.

Robot

Robot: RoboCleanP001

Type: Build for cleaning

This robot is made for cleaning up places. Its hands and feet are vacuum cleaners and the waste is stored in the belly. It has 0 combat ability and 100% safe. It cannot converse with people and just does its job. It is just made up of shapes and piecing it together. No techniques involved except learning basic maya user interface.

Companion robot! A dog with a flashlight at the end of the tail and an LCD screen on its body displaying the date, time and many more like an iPad.