HUNTING KNIFE

I was challenged to take a real-life object that I owned (I chose this hunting knife) and recreate it in the 3D Modeling software Maya.

I chose to recreate this knife to challenge myself in a variety of ways. The knife had to be made as one solid object, so I wanted to challenge myself to create the varying thicknesses and part of the knife with connected topology. I also wanted to attempt to texture different parts of the knife with different materials. Most prominently, I wanted to be able to capture the organic curves and inorganic edges of the knife.

Hunting Knife 3D Model: Welcome

I started out by creating the knife model itself, starting with a simple cube and adding faces and edge loops to create new topology. I then began to manipulate vertices to better fit the object's features, being sure to maintain symmetry throughout.

Hunting Knife 3D Model: Image

After finishing the knife, I created UV maps. I cut certain edges between sections of the knife so that I could properly texture the materials, and have different materials for the blade and the handle. I then moved my UV map into Photoshop and placed my textures in the proper places.

Hunting Knife 3D Model: Image

Finally, after applying the textures, I changed the material of the knife to have better reflectance. I then placed the knife in a 3-point lighting studio scene and created several renders of the item.

This project was one of my first dives into 3D modeling, and I really enjoyed it. It was difficult and technical, but creating a object that seemed incredibly realistic in a short amount of time was incredibly rewarding. Even though it's a small object, I thought it would be really could to see in a game, and it helps me appreciate the details put into games with every small object like this one.

Hunting Knife 3D Model: Text

HUNTING KNIFE

I started out by creating the knife model itself, starting with a simple cube and adding faces and edge loops to create new topology. I then began to manipulate vertices to better fit the object's features, being sure to maintain symmetry throughout.

After finishing the knife, I created UV maps. I cut certain edges between sections of the knife so that I could properly texture the materials, and have different materials for the blade and the handle. I then moved my UV map into Photoshop and placed my textures in the proper places.

Finally, after applying the textures, I changed the material of the knife to have better reflectance. I then placed the knife in a 3-point lighting studio scene and created several renders of the item.

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