3D Model Final Evaluation.

Perspective view from the Left

Perspective view from the Right

View from Bottom

View from Top

View from the Left side

View of the Right side

View from top

view from back

The rendered view of the 3D model

The final model of this naginata gun was not exactly how I envisioned it to look. The main thing about the gun that I dislike is the colouring of the gun, which is black-yellow-red-brown I looked good when I did the colour concepts in Photoshop in 2D but the colouring in Maya didn’t seem right. Instead of it looking metallic like I wanted it to, it looked more plastic and tacky without the textures – However with the textures added to the model I am happy that the model no longer looks as unrefined as it once did. There are things that I would like to change on the textures, of course, like setting out the UV’s properly so that some areas of the model did not look so mismatched.

So the next time I am to create a 3D model I shall spend more time manipulating the UV’s to make the overall model look better and more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. This is because when in a game if there is a problem with the aesthetics of an object players tend to get distracted by them.

The second thing about the model was where the staff met the orb, near the barrel. It is warped compared to the majority of the pole. The zigzagged bit of the staff was hard for me to create, this ended up more pointy and angular than I wanted it to be, however it still had the main shape and form as the original design and it still fits in with the model visually.

The barrel end of the gun could have been less pointed at the top so that it would have matched the design better, but I think that personally it looks better with the point at the top. The bottom of the barrel could have been narrower so that it would have looked more like the naginata that the design was derived from.

A common occurrence that I have noticed with this weapon is that when people usually see it, they seem to think that the barrel end of the gun is the handle. If I was to create another weapon of this sort, I would not do two uniquely designed ends like I have with this weapon. It would seem that this type of design causes some confusion.

What I do like about the weapon is the end of the staff, I like the organic feel it has to it and this is because that was the look I was going for. I wanted it smoother and rounded rather than angular and that is exactly what I got using the ‘Smooth Mesh Preview to Polygons’ converter. If I was to ever need more organic looking item again, I would definitely use this method again.

The glow special effect on the gun was something that I really liked about the materials used on the naginata. It makes the orange ready and charged to project out lasers.

Making this model has been challenging due to it being the first model that I have constructed, coloured and textured, however, it has been a good learning experience. I have learnt how to texture basic shapes effectively and I have also found ways of doing things in the Maya programme faster than I was originally doing.

In future I shall take into account, time and instruction from tutors, as a bigger factor in making the model. With more time I would have been able to influence the UV’s, and get them more accurate, and with instruction from tutors they could have gave me pointers, to easier ways to texture my 3D model.