Bevel –

The bevel tool is used to create more of a rounded look rather than one harsh line to end at the edge of an object. 

Boolean –

The boolean tool allows you to select one shape, highlight another, and extract the second shape away from the first. 

In the example below, I have used the ‘difference’ boolean to extract a cylinder from a cube. 

Inserting Edge Loops –

Edge loops are a way of creating an edge within a shape. 

In the example below, I have selected the edge loop and placed it along the top horizontal line of the cube to create an edge that you can see travels vertically down the cube.

Extrude –

Extrude can be used to create more to the shape you started with. 

The extrude can be enlarged, moved up, down, left and right, and when combining this with another extrude, you are able to create more and more shapes that are connected to the original.

Below you can see that I had started with a cube, extruded and made the extrude plate smaller, extruded again, and then moved the object to the right to then make a smaller version of the original cube.

HyperShade and Texturing –

Using HyperShade, you are able to create materials and a new look for the object you are using.

I started with a normal cube.

Opened the HyperShade window

Created a new material that I wanted to assign to my object. Selected ‘file’ as I wanted to use a picture from my library.

Selected the picture from the file’s destination.

And then placed the image file into to the material. After this I assigned the material back to the object.

Lighting –

If you turn on the all lights button in Maya, the view will look like this, this is because there are no lights pr no lights have been created yet. 

Using a spotlight is a good way to show lights and shadows in the object. In the attribute editor you can change these settings for the spotlight and make it more intense, have a bigger dropoff etc. 

Once in the render view, you will be able to see a real-time shot of what the object looks like through the camera selected. 

I used the skills above to make my own model. I used reference imagery and created my own lights to make the model look as real as possible and have a professional lighting.

 

SA80 Rifle –

 

SA80 Rifle (Image)  –

SA80 Rifle (My rendered model) –