Learning 3D Animation
January 26th, 2010Everyone has been waiting for it… the golden nugget… the one little thing that makes everything click… so here it is at last: The secret to learning animation is that there is no secret.
I know… how Kung Fu of me.
Seriously though, I’ve received a lot of “learning 3D” questions and I never quite have time to respond to properly, so I figured I’d just do one big post and link to it rather than give a half baked answer via email, facebook, twitter, or any other web 2.0 site we’re using. This post also functions as a bit of a catch-all/FAQ for getting started with 3D. I’ll update the post occasionally and put the link in the top right of the main blog page.
Question #1: What software should I use?
This is number 1 for a very good reason. It is hands down the most asked question, and also completely irrelevant. People are so preoccupied with the tools, that they forget that 3D is a skillset. Sure there are some benefits to the higher-end software, but if you don’t know how to drive a car, how are you going to handle a 757? In fact, I’d probably recommend that you start out with something simple. Hell, Google SketchUp is free and extremely easy to use. Sure you won’t be able to make a multi-million dollar film with it, but you can make some cool models and learn the basics without having to deal with inverted normals on a non-manifold polymesh.
Question #2: But don’t I need to know about inverted normals on a non-manhole polymer?
Eventually, yes. But not when you’re just starting out. There is no “right” way to do things so just start playing around and when you run into a problem, see if you can figure out how to solve it. That’s how humans learn. First we scoot, then crawl, then stand, then walk, then run. Show me a baby that can run before he crawls and I’ll show you one screwed up kid.
Question #3: Let me rephrase that… what software do you use?
ARGH!!! You know what, I’m not even going to tell you. Sorry for being so touchy, but this is the one and only question that rubs me the wrong way. Its basically like asking someone “What expensive doo-dad can I buy that will make my work good?” It discounts all of the years (and often decades) that someone has devoted to learning their craft and is akin to saying that you could be better than Leonardo if he would only loan you his paintbrushes. At the risk of beating a dead horse, there’s one more story that makes my point. When I was 9, I wanted to play the saxophone. My parents looked all over for a horn that we could afford and finally found an old Conn. (Basic, cheap, student model horn) I played that thing for 8 years, until I finally started to get to a point where I just couldn’t get the sound I wanted out of it. Before I went to college, we went to the music store and I played every Selmer, Yamaha, and King model that they had. After playing the student-level Conn for years, the pro-level horns were like butter. Excellent range, very little resistance, much more in tune… the difference was HUGE. I finally settled on a Selmer because the Yamaha sounded a bit brittle, and the King wasn’t versatile enough for more symphonic styles like I’d have to play in college. My point is, you’re not going to be able to decide between those subtle nuances between tools when you’re starting out, so just use whatever is available and affordable. Eventually, you’ll hit the limits of what it can do and by then you’ll be able to appreciate the differences between the software packages. (And you’ll be able to take one look at my screen captures and know that I use —edited for content—)
Question #4: Do I need to go to school to learn 3D?
School is not necessary, but it doesn’t hurt. If you learn better in a classroom setting, then it might be worth it. The important thing to remember is that school is like hiring a guide. They can show you where to go, but you’re still going to have to walk there on your own two legs. Personally, I like to go out and wander around on my own. Sure it might take a little longer to get there and I might even get lost, but I also get to see parts of the city that most tourists don’t even know exists. You find the back alley shortcuts that shave 10 minutes off of your commute, and you meet the mafia boss who can save your butt when a big project is due tomorrow and the renders keep crashing. (I’d better stop before this metaphor gets even more off track)
Question #5: What should I focus on when I’m starting out?
In case you haven’t noticed yet, I adopt a very laissez faire attitude towards the educational process. So once again, my answer is that “it doesn’t matter.” Its a great idea to have a goal. Maybe a picture you want to create, or a film you want to make. By attempting to do those projects (and probably failing at first) you’ll do research that teaches you the basics and the different parts of the process. You’ll also find yourself gravitating towards certain things. For instance, I love rigging and when I started out, I didn’t even know what rigging was. It was only by doing a project that I got to try out all of the different parts of 3D and see what I enjoy most.
This is one of my favorite videos that really sums up my thoughts better than I can myself. Be warned that its PG-13 (but hilarious.)
On a related note, Joaquin Baldwin recorded a quick chat with me about how we got started in animation. (Sorry for the audio, we just grabbed his camera and recorded this before heading to the airport.)