Working with 3d Text

For a project that I was recently working on, I was browsing the internet for cool 3d text examples , and checking out tutorials on making 3d texts objects. Some of these sites include dzineblog.com and visualblast.com. I worked with maya and illustrators 3d capabilities. Now I’m gonna be honest, my skills in both are not up to par with where I want them to be, but i did my best. As a part of my design, i had a general idea that i wanted to have some 3d text curving around a globe. so first, I fumbled around with the illustrators 3d text option where you simply take a set of text and click “effect–>3d–>Distort and bevel” and then adjust your objects position, depth, etc.  This is a very handy tool, but it did not work for me because i wanted my 3d text curved, and setting up the letters individually proved very time consuming and tedious.  I found that the better solution to my problem was just to create the text using Mayas handy text option, where it allows you to select any text and it will automatically create a 3d text object. I was easily able to manipulate the text to how i wanted it and with a little help i was able to set up a camera and light up the scene and render out a pretty high quality 3d text with consistent lighting on all the text.

I did alot of reading about Mayas functions here, where basically it breaks down every single one of mayas functions and capabilities. From what i read about maya’s infinite functions, maya’s capabilities are a very plausible solution to almost any graphic design inquiry and indeed a very plausable solution to graphic design itself. just seeing what some of these professionals can do with maya is enough to inspire  me to learn all of maya functions and really explore to possibilities.

Computers: A Wonder To Design

As I was browsing the hundreds of graphic design sites, specifically abduzeedo.com, I couldn’t help but marvel at the insane amount of talent in the industry: some of the things that these guys can create on a computer are just mind boggling. Images of the impossible (monsters, aliens, abstract stuff,etc.) are rendered from scratch to a photo realistic quality, sparing no expense to detail. This leads me to marvel at the advancements in computer technology, which allows designers to create such works.

I believe that the computer is the ultimate medium because the precision of a computer cannot be matched. Vector lines on digital files can be sized any which way and can be edited at anytime, unlike any other non digital mediums. Computers can replicate any medium, not in texture but in appearance (ex. acrylic, oil, air brush,etc.). Also much like an artist layers his paintings, digital files can be layered and edited an infinite amount of times until the desired effect is achieved such as highlights, shadows, etc.  Also computers allow us to change the canvas size and print out designs in any size, which is huge in marketing and would be impossible without the advanced technology of the twentieth century.

Without the advancements in computer technology, design would not be the same, and not possible to the same degree. Today, the sky is the limit for what you can achieve on the computer, and all it takes is a little creativity and inspiration… and of coarse a lot of skill.