Model a Low Polygon Character in Autodesk Maya 2018

Create a no-face, low-poly character in Maya 2018 using a three-cylinder template, aiming for under 2000 polygons and an animation-ready setup.

Shape a low polygon body in Maya by modeling the torso from a cylinder, adjusting subdivisions and dimensions, and refining topology with cuts and vertex moves.

Add a leg to the low polygon character in Maya by shaping a cylinder, deleting caps, and refining with lattice, then join it to the body and monitor poly count.

Create a low-poly arm in Maya 2018 by adding a third shoulder cylinder, adjusting subdivisions, using lattice and mirror methods, and shaping a bendable elbow and forearm.

Attach the arm by shaping shoulder geometry with extra edges and rotating vertices. Define the shoulder boundary to form the deltoid and join it to the body.

Model a low-polygon foot in Maya by extruding edges, moving and scaling for shape, and using snapping and target weld to align vertices and cap the bottom.

Learn a hexagonal optimization technique to reduce arm and leg polygons using lattice adjustments, edge slide, and vertex merge, creating knee and elbow joints while preserving volume for rigging.

Learn to block a low-poly hand in Maya 2018, starting from a subdivided cube, shaping hexagonal fingers, and using a cylinder and lattice while observing knuckle curves and finger lengths.

Model a low-polygon hand in Maya 2018 by freezing transformations, deleting history, and building knuckle joints with edge tools, then duplicate fingers and use lattice taper for shaping.

Attach the fingers to the low-poly hand in Maya by combining components, bridging edges, adjusting divisions, and using target weld to create webbing for a natural look.

Attach and position the hand to the arm in Maya 2018 by snapping to a vertex and aligning in top and front views, then refine with scaling and bridging edges.

Model a low polygon character by shaping the chest, refining the pectoralis and deltoid, and adjusting vertices with the multi-cut tool and bevels for animation-ready geometry.

Set up a two-view window and convert a platonic solid into a low-polygon head in Maya 2018. Extrude and refine faces and vertices to shape the jaw, nose, and cheeks.

Model a low polygon humanoid head and neck with eyes in Maya, using platonic solids, quads, and bridges, then prep the geometry for UV mapping.

Map a low polygon character in Maya using a planar projection on the Z axis, then unfold and stitch the head, arms, and legs for clean UV layout.

Finish the uv map by cutting and unfolding the leg, torso, and hand, then layout a 2048 by 2048, non-overlapping atlas with mirrored uvs and preserved 3d ratios.

Grasp the basics of modeling a low-polygon skullcap in Maya 2018 by building hair geometry with the quad tool, snapping to the live surface, and refining edges and points.

Finish the skullcap and extrude the hair to add thickness and offset with the local translate z, while keeping faces together and merging nearby vertices for a clean result.

Fix sideburns, extrude hair tips with thickness, and collapse edges to reduce polygons; merge vertices and harden edges as you prepare the hair for uv mapping in the next lesson.

Map the hair for a low polygon character by applying planar UV projections, unfolding, layout, and edge stitching to create a coherent texture map in Maya 2018.

Create an aiStandardSurface shader for the character in Maya, adjust base color, subsurface color, radius, and weight, and use Arnold with discrete physical sky for test renders.

Explore surfacing the hair in Maya by balancing subsurface weight, radius, and color to control translucency and shadows, then switch to an AI standard surface for a brown clay look.

Explore studio vs. skydome lighting techniques in Maya by setting up a skydome, arranging lights and environment, adjusting exposure, and comparing shadow and bounce benefits for subsurface materials.

Create clothing for a low polygon character in Autodesk Maya 2018 by assigning standard surface materials (t-shirt, shorts, shoes) with Arnold shaders and adjusting color, specular, and roughness.