90-day production roadmap (by target)
Goal: Produce 4 portfolio-ready assets (stylized character, hard-surface prop, game-ready prop set, FX shot).
Week 1–2 (setup + basics):
- Pick your main tool stack: (A) Blender only or (B) Blender + ZBrush + Maya/Houdini depending on goals. Install, run the official beginner project (Blender Donut) and export a simple model. (YouTube)
Week 3–6 (project 1 & 2):
- Stylized character: Sculpt base in ZBrush (or Blender sculpt), retopo, UV, and texture.
- Hard-surface prop: Model in Blender/3ds Max or Maya; focus on precise boolean/hard-edge modeling.
Week 7–10 (project 3):
- Game-ready asset set: Create 4 props, bake maps, PBR texture in Substance or Blender, export to Unreal/Unity to show in-engine.
Week 11–13 (project 4 / polish):
- FX shot: Learn a small procedural FX in Houdini (or use Blender’s Mantaflow for fluids), render a 8–12 sec shot and composite.
Deliverables: Turntable renders, in-engine screenshots, 1-page case studies (tools, time, problems solved), GitHub or ArtStation uploads.