Learn Mari texture mapping and 3D painting [Wingfox, Michael Cox]
- Publisher
- Wingfox
- Product Type
- Video Course
- Product URL
- https://www.wingfox.com/c/8218
- Author
- Michael Cox
- Language
- English
- Duration
- 10:00
- Release date
- Aug 1, 2019
- Skill level
- Project Files
- Yes
- Product Price
- $160
Course Introduction
Learn Mari from the ground up with Michael Cox, an experienced Texture Director whose career includes work at Weta Digital, Digital Domain, and Base FX.Throughout 64 lessons, Michael analyzes a variety of production scenarios to explain Mari’s essential tools, workflows, and techniques. You will begin with the fundamentals before progressing to environmental assets, hard-surface objects, and realistic creatures.
Course Information
- Instructor: Michael Cox
- Level: Beginner to Advanced
- Duration: 11 hours
- Lessons: 64
- Software: Mari
- Focus: Professional texturing for film and television
- Suitable For: 3D modelers, texture artists, look-development artists, and digital painters
Why Choose This Course?
This course provides direct instruction from a highly experienced film-industry texture artist.Michael Cox shares knowledge gained throughout more than 20 years of professional production work. His film credits include Avatar, X-Men: First Class, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and The Adventures of Tintin.
By examining commonly used texturing scenarios, he makes Mari’s key concepts and production techniques easier to understand and apply.
What Will You Learn?
The course explores Mari through several practical projects and asset types, including:- Natural environments
- Rocks and trees
- Ceramics and other materials
- Firearms and hard-surface objects
- Fish and biological creatures
- Procedural materials
- Realistic skin and organic surfaces
- Production-ready texture maps
Mari Fundamentals
The introductory section establishes a strong foundation in Mari.Project Setup and Interface
You will learn how to:- Create and configure projects
- Navigate Mari’s interface
- Work with toolbars and navigation controls
- Use essential keyboard shortcuts
- Manage images and cached data
- Configure lighting inside Mari
Essential Texturing Tools
The second part introduces important concepts and systems, including:- Projection workflows
- Mari toolkits
- Texture-map analysis
- Material creation
- Channels
- Layers
- Non-destructive texturing techniques
Texturing Environmental Assets
This section demonstrates how to texture natural and environmental objects efficiently.Reference Collection and Material Creation
You will learn how to:- Collect useful references and source materials
- Plan an efficient texturing workflow
- Create ceramic and environmental textures
- Organize and manage layers
- Solve common production problems using Mari
Procedural Shading and Rendering
You will then explore:- Sketching and planning textures
- Applying texture maps
- Building procedural shaders with nodes
- Creating materials for different environmental elements
- Rendering completed model components through the Mari–MODO Bridge
Texturing Hard-Surface Assets
This section focuses on more advanced tools and techniques for realistic hard-surface objects.Advanced Node Systems
You will construct and manage advanced node-based setups for creating believable hard-surface materials. You will also learn how to bake different types of texture maps.Procedural Maps and Plugins
The course demonstrates how advanced node graphs and useful plugins can simplify complex procedural-texturing tasks and help generate individual model components.Exporting to a Rendering Package
Finally, you will organize the completed node-based textures and export the maps to a rendering package, preparing the asset for the final production stage.Texturing Creatures
The final part of the course introduces techniques for texturing biological and organic characters.Organic Materials and Skin
Michael demonstrates how to handle challenging realistic materials using techniques such as:- Subsurface scattering
- Oil and specular maps
- Organic surface variation
- Fine skin and creature details
Creating Believable Creatures
You will add realistic surface details that make biological characters appear more vivid and convincing. You will also learn how to design the necessary texture maps for different types of creatures.The section concludes with polishing all organic components and preparing the completed textures for presentation.
Learn from an Industry Veteran
More Than 20 Years of Professional Experience
Michael Cox has worked as a Texture Director at major visual-effects studios, including Weta Digital, Digital Domain, and Base FX.This course brings together the techniques and production knowledge he developed over more than two decades of creating textures for film and television.
Experience from Avatar and Other Major Productions
A Practical Approach to Realistic Texturing
Michael teaches practical methods for creating believable, real-world materials. You will study procedural texturing while also exploring the traditional linear workflow used in professional productions.The course covers everything from Mari’s fundamentals to environmental assets, hard surfaces, and biological creatures.
Start Learning Mari from the Basics
No previous Mari experience is required.The course begins with the software’s fundamental tools and gradually introduces more advanced production workflows. Practical exercises feature familiar subjects such as rocks, trees, ceramics, firearms, fish, and other organic creatures, making each technique easier to understand and apply.