Title: Room Turn Table
Media: Autodesk Maya
Class: 3D Animation I
Professor: Marcio Goncalves
Term: SP 23
Institution: The University of Tampa
Description: This assignment was one of the first in 3D I where I had the freedom to choose what I modeled, which was exciting. The task was to pick a simple object and create a 3D model of it. I started with a teapot and a few cups, but before long, I found myself expanding into a full scene. This project truly ignited my passion for 3D modeling and gave me a deeper appreciation for the creative possibilities it offers.

Title: Character Turn Table
Media: Autodesk Maya
Class: 3D Animation I
Professor: Marcio Goncalves
Term: SP 23
Institution: The University of Tampa
Description: For our final project in 3D I, we were tasked with creating and rigging our own character, which we would then animate. Given that I only had one semester of experience in Maya, I was somewhat ambitious in choosing to bring one of my original characters to life. While the process was challenging, I was overall pleased with the final result. I’m excited to continue developing my skills, and I’m confident that with more experience, my models and animations will only improve.

Title: Character Walk Cycle
Media: Autodesk Maya
Class: 3D Animation I
Professor: Marcio Goncalves
Term: SP 23
Institution: The University of Tampa
Description: The character walk cycle was our first real animation in the class, aside from the turntable exercise. I definitely faced some challenges with the walk cycle, as it was my first time animating in 3D and working with my own character. Looking back, I think revisiting the character design, rigging, and weight painting would greatly improve the smoothness and overall flow of the animation.

Title: Character Jump
Media: Autodesk Maya
Class: 3D Animation I
Professor: Marcio Goncalves
Term: SP 23
Institution: The University of Tampa
Description: For one assignment, we were tasked with having our character perform an action. I decided to start with something simple, like a jump. However, it turned out to be more challenging than I anticipated, particularly because certain parts of the character’s rig didn’t behave as expected, making it difficult to achieve the desired movement.

Title: Kuromi Turn Table
Media: Autodesk Maya
Class: 3D Animation I
Professor: Marcio Goncalves
Term: SP 23
Institution: The University of Tampa
Description: After completing the character practice assignment, we were asked to choose a cartoon character to recreate on our own. I decided to model Kuromi, one of the Sanrio characters. I was really pleased with how certain aspects of her turned out, like her feet, skull detail, and facial features. However, if I were to redo the model, I would focus on making her ears sharper and her hands rounder to capture more of her distinctive design.

Title: Magic Staff
Media: Autodesk Maya
Class: 3D Animation I
Professor: Marcio Goncalves
Term: SP 23
Institution: The University of Tampa
Description: For this assignment, we were tasked with creating a prop, similar to the sword and shield project. I chose to model a magic staff. Looking back, I can see areas where I’d approach the project differently now, but I’m still happy with certain elements, like the stars and the orbs on the staff. This was also my first time experimenting with adding textures on my own, which was a valuable learning experience.

Title: Character Practice
Media: Autodesk Maya
Class: 3D Animation I
Professor: Marcio Goncalves
Term: SP 23
Institution: The University of Tampa
Description: For the character practice, we followed a tutorial to model a character from scratch. The tutorial focused on utilizing Maya’s toolkit and taught essential skills, such as creating good topology. In addition to modeling the character, we also learned how to use tools like Smooth and Multi-Cut to refine the model, resulting in a cleaner, more polished appearance.

Title: Sword and Shield
Media: Autodesk Maya
Class: 3D Animation I
Professor: Marcio Goncalves
Term: SP 23
Institution: The University of Tampa
Description: The sword and shield project was another tutorial we followed, and it was a bit more advanced. It involved techniques like extruding and making cuts in more nuanced ways, which added complexity to the process. This tutorial was incredibly helpful in developing the skills needed to create our own props, as it provided a solid foundation for more intricate modeling techniques.

Title: Table and Chairs
Media: Autodesk Maya
Class: 3D Animation I
Professor: Marcio Goncalves
Term: SP 23
Institution: The University of Tampa
Description: The table and chairs tutorial was a step up from the shape train project, as it introduced more advanced techniques like extruding and cutting surfaces. We also transitioned from simply painting objects to applying textures, which helped make the models look more realistic and detailed.

Title: Poly Shape Train
Media: Autodesk Maya
Class: 3D Animation I
Professor: Marcio Goncalves
Term: SP 23
Institution: The University of Tampa
Description: The shape train was our first assignment and my introduction to using Maya. This project helped us get comfortable with working with primitives and the fundamentals of polygonal modeling. It also allowed us to become more familiar with Maya’s controls and camera views, laying the foundation for more complex projects down the line.