Character Modeling with Maya and ZBrush

The focus of this book, of course, is character modeling, but it is important to see how modeling
fi ts into the pipeline. Typically multiple people will work on the same model in diff erent capacities
and that work is often done concurrently.
After modeling, an object can be textured and rigged concurrently.
During the texturing phase, a model needs to have the UV texture coordinate laid out. UVs are
used to conform and hold the textures to an object. Maya creates UVs automatically, but these will
almost always need to be changed. At many game companies the modeler lays out the UVs, while
at a larger fi lm company, there might be a dedicated person working on the UVs. Proper UVs are
vital for a model to look correct once textured, but be forewarned, UV editing can be a very timeconsuming
process.
Once the UVs are complete, the textures can be created. The UVs can then be brought into an
image editing program like Adobe Photoshop to be used as a template when creating the textures.
Rigging is the process of preparing a model for animation. There are many steps within the
rigging phase. First a skeleton comprised of joints and bones needs to be created. A skeleton in 3D
functions the same as a skeleton in the real world; it acts as the framework for the body. In 3D the
body being the mesh is created by the modeler. The mesh needs to be bound and weighted to the
joints so that the mesh will move with the skeleton.
After the rigging is complete, any blendshapes needed are created. Blendshapes (also known as
morph targets) can be used for facial animation or for correcting problematic mesh deformations.
To help keep the art consistent, blendshapes are usually created by the same person that modeled
the character.