Character
Modeling
Character
modeling includes the modeling of any characters in your scene, from humanoids to
animals to ordinary objects that are animated to life. Most characters are
organic forms, such as animals, humans, aliens, and so on. However, a talking
cheese sandwich is just as much a character as the person holding it. A good
character modeler always keeps in mind the animation needs of a character when
modeling. It’s important to know what you need from your shot way ahead of
time, so you can model appropriately.
Traditional
characters, like people, need to appear seamless once they’re modeled. Character
animation usually requires the model to deform in some way—bending and warping
at certain points such as at the elbows. The pieces that make up the model may tear
apart if the character is not built to properly account for deformation and
movement.
Similar
to the park bench analogy, your character must also be built to the level of
detail required
by the scene. As a matter of fact, several models for a single character can be
built to account for any differences. Using different versions of the same
character can help keep the scene efficient and workable.
