It’s OK, to Be Creative With Your 3D Modeling Career

Dennis Francis
5 min readFeb 9, 2022

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I’ve been a closet 3D modeler for quite a while now. I don’t share this with my peers in content marketing or in small business consulting. It’s not that I’m ashamed of it, the topic isn’t in the same reality as people I come in contact with daily. Hell, I used to be a comic book illustrator and writer!

When I told people what I used to do, they just stare blankly at me. We change the subject and talk about SEO or video marketing. Video game enthusiasts get it.

In creating 3D models, you are creating a distinct reality in your head. Art is definitely involved. It’s like discovering that you have control over a part of another life. If you are a 3D creator, what you really want to do is make things come to life. It is important that you are passionate about that art form if you wish to pursue it as a career.

Years ago, I lived in a small college town and had a few friends who were into art and gaming. One day, they invited me to see their buddy who made 3D models for a living. That didn’t interest me, so I declined.

Besides not being interested in computers, I focused on comics as my sole artistic pursuit. It surprised them I wasn’t interested. During the years, we had a lot of fun drawing comics together. They were now getting into computer game design. This just wasn’t my thing.

I thought they were crazy for wasting their time on computer art. Eventually, another invitation to join the 3D modeling group appeared. Once again, I declined. Another invitation followed a week later. That invitation was also declined. Another request followed a week later. This time I agreed.

The sight of someone painstakingly creating boxes on a computer screen did not appeal to me. It turned me off. However, the results he produced fascinated me. It wasn’t until years later, when I worked in the movie and TV industry, that I realized just how significant the process was.

3D models for games have some unique requirements compared to other media, like film or visual rendering. You can adversely affect the performance of your game by not meeting these requirements. As a result, you’ll have to practice building models that are suitable for gaming.

The most efficient way to model 3D objects is through 3rd party software. If you’re experienced with basic 3D design software and are looking to refine your skills, Maya is an excellent next step in your 3D modeling journey.

The vast majority of 3D poly modeling tools, such as 3dx Max or Maya, do not have texture editing capabilities, and polygon painting options are limited.

A sculpting tool like 3DCoat supports both mesh and texture post-processing. The process includes cleaning up the scan from any defects or noise, as well as retopologizing high poly meshes and adding extra sculpting and painting on top of the model.

ZBrush is a one-of-a-kind 3D software for digital sculpting and painting. The software was developed by Pixologic and is now owned by Maxon. Advanced users turn to ZBrush for its sculpting capability, intuitive process and real-time feedback.

Maxon is the company that created Cinema 4D. This is another all-in-one 3D modeling and animation application. It is used by motion graphics professionals and modeling hobbyists alike. The program has a variety of functions for taking the 3D production process from start to finish.

Blender is a free open source software that also works as a Swiss Army Knife for 3d production. All you need is time to learn the various components of the software. It will not be easy, but for many people who cannot afford the price of software, it’s a great opportunity to get into the marketplace.

A lot of 3D models cannot be used for games. They need to be designed for that purpose. Models that are made for 3D printing also have requirements as well. That’s why it’s important to know what you are doing when making or buying 3D assets.

Honestly, creating 3D models is not easy. It’s going to take a lot of practice. It’s going to frustrate you. If you stick with it, you’ll eventually get the results you want.

If you decide to purchase a 3D model, you will need to determine if you want a low-poly model or a high-poly model. A low-poly model is one that has fewer polygons and, therefore, is less detailed. This type of model is suitable for games that have a few objects. For example, a game with only a few characters, or a game that has a limited number of levels.

Models with high polygon counts are more detailed and have more polygons. Games with many objects and levels are better suited to this model. A game with many characters, or one that moves through many locations, is an example.

A 2D or 3D model will also need to be selected. A 2D model has only two dimensions. They are typically used in 2D games, such as platformers and action-adventure games. In 3D, the model has three dimensions. Models such as these are suitable for games that use 3D graphics, such as role-playing games, driving games, and sports games.

If you just want to use models for your projects, I don’t recommend getting too far into creating assets yet. Making video games may be more cost-effective if you purchase your assets. Then, you can now concentrate on making the game.

Sites like Sketchfab.com, Models-Resource.com and CGTrader.com are excellent resources for getting models for gaming. You can get free models to start! It’s good to know more about how the models are made to ensure that you have a solid background on the process.

This a great time for independent creators to get started and develop their skills in game design. There are plenty of assets to work with right now. Let your creative spirit loose and have fun as you work.

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Dennis Francis
Dennis Francis

Written by Dennis Francis

Retired content marketing consultant. Author, artist, husband, father and owner of ContentMarketingMagic.co. Still helping small business owners daily.

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