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Buzzsaw
Maya | 2011
After completing my studies at AACC, I enrolled at Towson University and once again delved into game design courses. This time, we utilized Maya for 3D modeling instead of 3ds Max. One of the initial projects assigned to us in Maya involved creating a tool or device that combined two different elements with multiple functions.
For this project, I envisioned a tool that merged a circular saw with a hatchet, resulting in a portable device capable of efficiently slicing through various objects, from tree limbs to zombies. To bring this concept to life, I began by constructing the handle of the tool using a scaled cylinder, which I repeatedly extruded and moved to form the curved shape of a hatchet handle. The head of the tool was crafted from a smoothed cube, with a chuck created through the use of a Boolean operation. Throughout the project, I extensively employed Boolean functions to achieve finer details, such as the grate on the air vent.
However, I encountered challenges in creating an efficient buzz saw blade. I experimented with selecting all sides of a cylinder simultaneously, attempting to extrude and scale them. Unfortunately, this method resulted in all the faces being joined together without creating the desired pointed shape. Additionally, I faced difficulties when transitioning between different versions of Maya (2012 and 2011). As I saved the file in Maya 2012 at home, Maya 2011 at school was unable to read it, forcing me to start the project from scratch.
Despite these challenges, I found the assignment to be valuable, as it allowed me to incorporate organic modeling techniques into the creation of the tool.
