Page 1022 - Kitab3DsMax

Part IX: Working with Characters
human figures, being familiar with anatomy is helpful. Understanding the structure of muscles and skeletal
systems helps explain the funny bumps you see in your elbow and why muscles bulge in certain ways.
Tip
If you don’t have the model physique, then a copy of Gray’s Anatomy can help. With its detailed pictures of the
underlying muscular and skeletal systems, you’ll have all the details you need without having to pull your own
skin back. n
The curse and blessing of symmetry
The other benefit of the human body is that it is symmetrical. You can use this to your benefit as you build
your characters, but be aware that unless you’re creating a band of killer robots, it is often the imperfections
in the characters that give them, well, character. Positioning an eye a little off normal might give your char-
acter that menacing look you need.
Dealing with details
When you start to model a human figure, you quickly realize that the body includes lots of detail, but
before you start naming an object “toenail lint on left foot,” look for details you won’t need. For example,
modeling toes is pointless if your character will be wearing shoes and won’t be taking them off. (In fact, I
think shoes were invented so that animators wouldn’t have to model toes.)
At the same time, details in the right places add to your character. Look for the right details to help give
your character life—a pirate with an earring, a clown with a big, red nose, a tiger with claws, a robot with
rivets, and so on.
Figure 40.1 shows two good examples. The ninja warrior on the left doesn’t need the details of a mouth or
teeth because they are hidden behind his mask. In fact, if you were to remove his mask, it would leave a
large gaping hole. The Greek woman statue model on the right includes many necessary details including
fingernails, toes, a bellybutton, and, uh, well, uh, other details.
Note
You can actually find these two character models on the DVD at the back of the book, compliments of Viewpoint
Datalabs. n

FIGURE 40.1
These two characters have details modeled where needed.

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