I need Sculptie tutor

Dear all

I want to build a skill in sculpties and 3D modelling with and find the subject difficult for 3D newbies like myself. I am learing MAYA and dont really have scripting or programming skills, but I am resourceful (can learn - smile) and have built complex multi-prim stiletto shoes in SL. I have a level of PHOTOSHOP skiles to make multiltayered patent- leather textures.

I need help with MAYA and getting my head around creating shapes that have uv mapped textures. Its still not clear to me if the texture map ( not the texture defining the shape) is applied to the prim afterwards in sl, or if it is part of the MAYA file that is imported and applied to the sculpted prim.

In short i am looking to hire a MAYA or 3D modelling tutor, as well as the same resources for executing my requirements in SL. I am establishing a RL consultancy for secondlife and for such i am building a showcase island and product range.

Thanks in advance
Stiletto Moody

(NOTE: THIS MESSAGE IS MORE CURRENT THAT THE SPECIFIC PROBLEMS RESOLVED BELOW AND THUS IS MY MOST CURRENT REQUEST IN THIS THREAD)

Have you seen this page?:

http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Sculpted_Prims

Don't buy Maya until you are sure, unless you have many thousands of dollars to spend, in which case you can afford a *very good* tutor

Blender seems to be a popular choice, and Wings3D can also be used.

As you know, in SL you have basic prim shapes, and can bend and twist them in various ways. You assemble several to make a shoe.

A sculptie is like a sphere that can be bent and twisted in many more ways. You use a 3D tool (Maya, Blender, Wings) to builk this shape in, which is saved as a file on your conmputer, which you then upload (like a texture) and apply to a prim. It causes the prim to change *poof* like magic to the shape from your 3D program.

For example, this allows one to make a very realistic banana, apple, or with only one prim. I think you might be able to make a nice high heel sole and heel with one prim, or accurate floppy boot tops with one prim, and so on.

Sculpties are best for "organic" shapes that are curvy and not so sharp and manufactured looking.

Thanks Lee

that introduction is just the intro that should head any official disucssion on sculpting. so where to next. It seems clear that everything happens first in blender, 3d or maya. Does anyone have an opinion of which is easiest and most powerful to use if the price consideration were taken out of the picture?

I don't think there is any debate that Wings 3D is the easiest of the three for someone picking up 3D modeling for the first time. It's the least powerful of the three for 3D modeling in general, but I don't know whether that will turn out to be true for SL sculpties in particular.

I went from no 3D Modelling experience at all, to importing sculpties onto the beta grid using Wings 3D and Omei's great exporter within a few hours. The learning curve is minor compared to Maya which I have been battling with for a few weeks now with little progress. There is still a lot to learn of course, but just being able to create a very basic sculpted prim and import it into SL gives you a lot of confidence and incentive to learn more. So I would advise getting Wings 3D and playing about with it, try and work it out by yourself and using the great advice given in this forum before laying out money for a tutor.

Dearly Darling,

I found the Wings 3D on over at SourceForge. Is there anything else I'll need to find to make it work? I sure hope this has little old lady directions. The Linden pages did not help me much.

Ever Yours,


Mrs. Showdog Tiger

So recognizing that scultped prims are going to throw a whole lot of people into #D modelling for the first time, i hope some beginner tutorials emerge. for instance i have not got MAYA and i am teaching myself how to use it but would really benefit from the most basic tutorial...how to save the export script available at the SL wiki ( i think i have done that)..but then how to take just a NURBS sphere and export it to SL as a start...i keep getting a syntax error...if i am even activating the script correctly that is...so i still ask if anyone can give me some private text-tutoring for some specific questions...or know if anyone has posted an example tutorial...a little like the blender one made which takes one from creating a shape to seeing it in Secondlife

ok..so i have tried to narrow down my problem
created simple polygon sphere
dragged the llsculpt.mel that i created into the workspace
and then SYNTAX ERROR
any ideas how to overcome this problem so i can continue to build and export to sl?

I am using Maya 8.5 unlimited for MAC
i have created a script file which i drag into workspace
also created script button inside maya which has similar problem

thanks in advance all!

The specific Syntax Error, to which i have seen reference i other threads is:

// Error: if (size($parents)*!= 0) //
// Error: Syntax error //

This was generated when applying the llSculpt mel to a simple NURBS sphere
Much appreciate anyone who can give me a laymans explanation of how to fix this.
With that i am sure i will be flying with maya and SL sculties.
Thanks in advance

yes i need a sculptie tutor i can't find a way to create a nice boot with maya...any help? maybe some tutorial? ty