Okay... I need an opinion...

[Captain Comatose]

Okay, I've been looking through this forum as some friends and I are looking at potentially making a mod for this game. We're all newbs... and I'm going to try my hand at mapping and modeling. I think I can handle making some basic maps with Editor, but modelling, blech...

I've played around with Milkshape and read some tutorials, but honestly this looks REAL time consuming. How long do you vets spend on a model now and how long did it take you starting off?

In your opinion, can ANYONE model with enough practice?

I welcome ANY help that you all will offer.

[Michael Harris]

I'm not a modeler, but let me give you what I think the generic answer is, with respect to most any craft/art/discipline.

Yes, with enough discipline and work, anyone can model (or pretty much anything else).  Not everyone will be great, over even good, but anyone who wants to bad enough and works at it long and hard enough can do it.

If you read interviews with folks in a lot of different crafts/arts/disciplines, the thing that tends to get hammered home is that discipline and simple hard work count for more than inspiration or genius.

Be clear on the distinction that doing it is something separate from getting paid for or famous from it.

You basically have to periodically reassess/readjust your priorities, then pursue them for a time, then reassess/readjust, then pursue, then reassess/readjust, .......

As for how long it takes......... nothing ventured, nothing gained    :)

Good luck.

[Bursar]

I think the best advice is to start off small.

It's great to have loads of ideas for what you want to code/map/model, but if you don't have much experience, the chances are that none of these great ideas will see the light of day.

Start with simple things like creating a basic weapon model (even if it's only two boxes in a rough pistol shape) and get used to the steps needed to get the model out of the 3D package, into Modeller, skinned and and then into the game.

You'll get a fair sense of achievement from doing this (even if the model is basic) and you'll gain a fair bit of knowledge.

Once you have these basic steps down, it's just a case of seeing where your artistic ability will take you.

Similar things apply to mapping and coding.

I'm still at this relative beginner stage myself, and have fallen over at the getting the model out of Max and into Modeller. I'm sure I'll get there, and when I do, I'll step up a notch.

[Admir Elezovic]

From my expirience, knowing your tools is number one, you need to know what it can be done and what cant, where are obstacles etc... Another thing, when you staring something, its hard to keep concentration, you need to have goal and try to fullfil it, like guys said start small, learn tools, make same model 100 times until you are happy with it. Another thing is to get as much as possoble of visual references to things you are modeling, it will help you MUCH. Finally having good idea is important than making good model, if you have ideas, you will craft your modeling skills eventually.

Admir

[Planerunner]

Listen to Admir, the guy just spent 4 years making Sam, we can't get advice like that just anywhere. He knows his stuff!

BTW, check out the AVI modeling tutorials on the Milkshape website, they're great for learning the program and show you the primary things you'll be doing over and over to creat your models. Extrude and scale is your friend. Lithium Unwrapper is awesome for assigning UV coordinates and skinning. Photoshop (the best) or Paintshop Pro (best bang for the buck) is awesome for making the skins.

And if they didn't say it already (they did?) well lemme say it again. Start small, and be persistent. Those two things are great advice in any field, but particularly in the gaming industry and making a mod.

Now if you don't mind, I have to go take some sketch drawings for my mod over to Kinkos to be scanned so I can put them up at my site for Mecha Arena. Once that's done, I can use them to refine my models. Another goal accomplished, see? Keep at it!