Hey guys. Making some progress on a new project. Decided to work on an AK74 and focus on really refining my workflow. CC welcome as always. Appreciate it!
hi man, let me try keep this as short as possible. i have a server coming up for arma 3 and need someone who can do the 3d modelling for me. i will be willing to pay if the work is good. if you are willing and are up for the task please email me at Jbox336@gmail.com as soon as possible so we can begin the work. Thanks
Good luck finding no one to do that for you, and please don't spam the forums. "I will be willing to pay if the work is good..." ...is like saying, "Yeah I might pay you but if I don't like the model then you won't get anything and you've just worked for nothing...". These are very well made, professionally created hard-surface assets which look great I may add, and I doubt that a freelance artist trying to make a living will piggy-back off a "I will be willing to pay..." statement. Get real.
In any event, the going rate for an artist, at-least by looking at the quality of this asset would be around 35-50 Euros and hour. If you can afford that then decide whether coming to an industry forum is the right place to ask someone to work on a game mod with possibly very little return.
So silly, really.
As for the OP, very well presented model, I like the way you've used the shadow as a kind of silhouette outline... Edges have good consistency and should bake down nicely, will be following this thread. Do you plan on texturing it as-well?
You might want to double check references for the muzzle brake, magazine (specifically the thin extrusions) and stock (the indent should be shallow with a constant curve, no straight edges. The ends should also be more spherical)
@jbox I appreciate the offer, but as cookedpeanut said more information would be needed and "willing to pay if the work is good" is a bit of a red flag.
@cookedpeanut Thanks. Yea I will be making a game-ready asset from this project.
@bek Thanks for the CC I will double check the areas you mentioned for the the next update.
Hmmm... Are
you modeling this with an airsoft rifle as reference? Because I recognize quite
a lot of details from a particular model of airsoft replica.
I'd get
more reference of the real weapon (and from all angles) - currently a lot of
details are inexact.
In addition
to what Bek said, I think the rear sight (sides are mostly correct, but top is
wrong, mainly attachment of sight leaf), gas tube, gas block, front sight,
cleaning rod, handguards and receiver cover (top part) should be revised.
Otherwise the
model itself and presentation look good, model could just use some more accuracy
in details.
@stoy79. Thanks for the feedback. I'm definitely not using an airsoft rifles as reference. That said I appreciate your feedback and will go back and modify the areas you mentioned. In regards to the hand guard I'm seeing a few different styles for the AK.
Looks excellent to me, not sure how much you know about guns, specifically the AK line. AK 47 and 74s are originally made in Russia of course however, there are numerous other countries like Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, China, America, etc that make alterations to existing models or even make their own version. What is common with AK 74s in this instance, is that one company that may want to keep costs under or near $500 will use pieces of various rifles that they acquired at a good price, with defects of course (chances of one at least). Other companies like Arsenal for example try to go the extra mile and actually create a milled receiver and create new attachments/pieces for the gun. This is why you get so many references that are either mildly different or even wildly different.
If you want to make a specific model of an AK 74, perhaps choose one specific manufacture. Personally the Arsenal AK 74 Sam 7 Series are excellent looking rifles.
About handguards,
it's just a matter of when it was made (and where) - vents (only on the upper
handguard) was the early type. Later type didn't have any vents (same with AKS74U,
btw). Synthetic (plum) furniture was late 80's, later in the 90's it was also
made in black plastic as well. Same synthetic handguards (black) are still used
on the AK74M, but with a foldable stock.
(Last
picture is airsoft, btw)
I was
actually referring to the hand guard retainer. Otherwise your handguards are currently more AKM-ish
than AK74-ish. Technically interchangeable - so, possible - but doesn't give it
the pure-breed AK74 look.
Now, if
you're modeling an AK74, that's something quite specific - as 3dReaper pointed out it's been produced under licence (or not) by
other countries as well, but then these are not AK74 per say, as they all have
their differences even though they're based on the same weapon. I mean if
you're modeling an AK74, you're not modeling a Tantal, for example. Even the
AKK74 (Bulgarian version of the AK74), although almost identical to the Soviet
AK74 has some differences that identify it as AKK74. So, from my point of view,
if you're basing yourself on the SAM7 (which is 7,62x39, btw - thus not an AK74)
it'll be a SAM7, not an AK74.
Back at it again with the AK! Early block in of textures. Going to go in and beat up the wood quite a bit. Also noticing a couple smoothing issues on the stock that I'll go back and re-bake. Hoping to keep progress posts going forward. Thoughts and CC always welcome.
Looking good man, the only thing i noticed are the holes in the sightpost. There's a little pin that's cast into the main part (The part with the distance numbers) that retains it in there.
Also the pistol grip on those are usually made of a Bakelite material instead of wood, but artistic licence man go wild! Look forward to seeing the final result!
Imagine it as smooth resin layers pasted over each-other, a good reference is some of the old ww2 MP40s used the materials for their body (The brown parts in most images).
I think most AK74 mags are the same material too albit rougher.
The wear on the wood, especially the stock is looking sexy! You said you're using substance painter correct? How have you achieved the look? Have you just used a simple fill layer and painted the wear on? Or is it a texture/smart material that's created the wear? I assume anyway, that you've used a combo of generators and a hand painted approach, fills, or is it purely hand painted wear?
Nevertheless, for some critique. I suppose you'll be planning to add most of what i say, but anyway:
- Maybe add some dirt build up on the stock and hand guards. Doesn't have to be intense, but just some could add to the detail.
- On the receiver, were the safety switch is, you've added a scratch, which of course all AK's have this. However, i see on the rear sight, you've made subtle scratches, but on there, there is a definitive scratch that is created. Here's a ref i quickly searched (sorry for the watermark, but it was the only decent one i found quickly xD):
You can of course still see the mark Here's another one i've found: - The pistol stock could also use some grunge and wear & tear. Some dirt again would be good I'm really liking how this has come along, i'll be keeping an eye out on this Good job man!
Looks amazing, I think the grain in the wood for the stock should be tilted up a bit, right now it would use a piece of wood quite ineffectively and have less strength. It's a bit of a nit pick but I thought it was worth mentioning since the rest of it looks so stellar!
DwennieTodd - Thanks for the feedback. I actually use a mixture of Quixel and photoshop texturing on this. I used Quixel to establish base textures and then went from there and freehand painted scratches among other things. Great call on the safety switch scratch. Totally missed that... I will go back and add it as well as some more dirt on the grip.
Maxilator - Great point! Glad you like it!
Joshuag - Yea they do look a little dark. I may go back and change them this weekend.
Nice model. You have some large normal map errors on the stock, the triangles that touch the oval indent. More shading errors from the normal map on the rest of the model too. I would check how the map's being generated and rendered.
Mesh looks pretty good, aside of that big shading error on the stock. The AO on the mag is really strong. The textures have this typical glossy PBR look however, everything is too glossy and looks wet, the contrast between roughness values seems a bit off too. Try making everything rougher, I know glossy is always tempting but it looks game-y and unnatural in the end and makes it hard to read. Most things are rougher than they appear, if you look at the specular highlights of all the references, they are much broader in general (depending on which coating/material you want to mimic).
Replies
In any event, the going rate for an artist, at-least by looking at the quality of this asset would be around 35-50 Euros and hour. If you can afford that then decide whether coming to an industry forum is the right place to ask someone to work on a game mod with possibly very little return.
So silly, really.
As for the OP, very well presented model, I like the way you've used the shadow as a kind of silhouette outline... Edges have good consistency and should bake down nicely, will be following this thread. Do you plan on texturing it as-well?
@cookedpeanut Thanks. Yea I will be making a game-ready asset from this project.
@bek Thanks for the CC I will double check the areas you mentioned for the the next update.
Hmmm... Are you modeling this with an airsoft rifle as reference? Because I recognize quite a lot of details from a particular model of airsoft replica.
I'd get more reference of the real weapon (and from all angles) - currently a lot of details are inexact.
In addition to what Bek said, I think the rear sight (sides are mostly correct, but top is wrong, mainly attachment of sight leaf), gas tube, gas block, front sight, cleaning rod, handguards and receiver cover (top part) should be revised.
Otherwise the model itself and presentation look good, model could just use some more accuracy in details.
If you want to make a specific model of an AK 74, perhaps choose one specific manufacture. Personally the Arsenal AK 74 Sam 7 Series are excellent looking rifles.
http://www.arsenalinc.com/usa/SAM7-SERIES/
About handguards, it's just a matter of when it was made (and where) - vents (only on the upper handguard) was the early type. Later type didn't have any vents (same with AKS74U, btw). Synthetic (plum) furniture was late 80's, later in the 90's it was also made in black plastic as well. Same synthetic handguards (black) are still used on the AK74M, but with a foldable stock.
(Last picture is airsoft, btw)
I was actually referring to the hand guard retainer. Otherwise your handguards are currently more AKM-ish than AK74-ish. Technically interchangeable - so, possible - but doesn't give it the pure-breed AK74 look.
Now, if you're modeling an AK74, that's something quite specific - as 3dReaper pointed out it's been produced under licence (or not) by other countries as well, but then these are not AK74 per say, as they all have their differences even though they're based on the same weapon. I mean if you're modeling an AK74, you're not modeling a Tantal, for example. Even the AKK74 (Bulgarian version of the AK74), although almost identical to the Soviet AK74 has some differences that identify it as AKK74. So, from my point of view, if you're basing yourself on the SAM7 (which is 7,62x39, btw - thus not an AK74) it'll be a SAM7, not an AK74.
The magazine is sticked in there, betweend this two metal parts:
And when you press the Magazine Switch, you can remove then the magazine.
here's some good refs for anyone else looking to make an ak, sorry if i was a bit late to the party on this tho
There's a little pin that's cast into the main part (The part with the distance numbers) that retains it in there.
Also the pistol grip on those are usually made of a Bakelite material instead of wood, but artistic licence man go wild!
Look forward to seeing the final result!
@Kaine123 It's never to late and always appreciated. I think your link is broken though...
@keket Those are some great references. Thanks for that! I'll look into the bakelite material as well. Thanks!
I think most AK74 mags are the same material too albit rougher.
Hopefully these help
does this link work? it should be under assault rifles
I assume anyway, that you've used a combo of generators and a hand painted approach, fills, or is it purely hand painted wear?
Nevertheless, for some critique. I suppose you'll be planning to add most of what i say, but anyway:
- Maybe add some dirt build up on the stock and hand guards. Doesn't have to be intense, but just some could add to the detail.
- On the receiver, were the safety switch is, you've added a scratch, which of course all AK's have this. However, i see on the rear sight, you've made subtle scratches, but on there, there is a definitive scratch that is created. Here's a ref i quickly searched (sorry for the watermark, but it was the only decent one i found quickly xD):
You can of course still see the mark
Here's another one i've found:
- The pistol stock could also use some grunge and wear & tear. Some dirt again would be good
I'm really liking how this has come along, i'll be keeping an eye out on this
Good job man!
Maxilator - Great point! Glad you like it!
Joshuag - Yea they do look a little dark. I may go back and change them this weekend.
Poinball - Thanks!
The textures have this typical glossy PBR look however, everything is too glossy and looks wet, the contrast between roughness values seems a bit off too. Try making everything rougher, I know glossy is always tempting but it looks game-y and unnatural in the end and makes it hard to read. Most things are rougher than they appear, if you look at the specular highlights of all the references, they are much broader in general (depending on which coating/material you want to mimic).