How to make World of warcaft models/textures?
polycounter lvl 5
I have been searching over some informations on internet how to make world of warcraft or wow-like style models and textures. I could not find public documents or .pdf files that are officially published by Blizzard. For example - Steam has official .PDF file and tutorials for their Dota2 models, textures even shaders.
What I found were tutorials on youtube, artstation and gumroad.
1. Tutorial I found on artstation - www.artstation.com/artwork/OOxbg .This tutorial shows model created in zbrush, baked maps (Ao,normal,height...) and screenshoted matcaps from Zbrush. I assume that post processing is done in photoshop or any other program. But this whole process is in making 3D high-poly model and then bake it on 2D plane. It is not process of 3D High-poly and then 3D low-poly and making maps and etc..
2. Tutorial I found on polycount here - 4.bp.blogspot.com/-5j46dwq0ln4/UjFL4VWIo6I/AAAAAAAAAMY/5c2m6eIDLkM/s1600/prez_coal.jpg it is similiar to first one. 3D zbrush model, baked to 2D plane
3. Tutorial I found on Gumroad / Youtube - gumroad.com/l/rkYIK this tutorial is directly from 3D artist at Blizzard Entertainment. He makes low poly model and then in 3Dcoat he directly paint on it. It is also similiar to this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nTkUFHZCOw 3D low poly model and paint directly on it
4. Last Tutorial I use with some changes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPrzOBDhlWc He makes 3D Low-poly model then in zbrush he makes details ( High-poly model) and then bake all maps. In photoshop he makes Diffuse and then he uses gradient tool to color it. In 3Dcoat he paints details.
I follow last tutorial the most, I make Low poly then High-poly, bake maps, make Diffuse. Color it, and then paint it in 3D coat
Here is my high-poly model based from this concept
After my High-poly model is finished I go to Xnormal and Bake maps put it to the photoshop and than make diffuse map (3D coat preview)
In 3Dcoat I paint some shades and some light, Then I import it back to photshop and use action MBrunetTutorialGradients to color it
After base color is done I go to fix some colors, make color correction, shades, reflections and it looks like this: ( It is not done yet I have to paint black stones and skull)
So now here is my frustration. I dont know if it is worth to make high-poly then bake maps, then gradient it and still in 3Dcoat I must sometimes recolor the Diffuse map ( for me it seems like I did not even need to do process to above)
This is my 4th model in 3Dcoat i tried to paint (handpaint) it
Also i prefer to make Highpoly model to save time in painting. Coz (i think) I make better models in Zbrush than to paint directly on lowpoly model. I learn handpainting style so that is why I would prefer to help myself with Zbrush Highpoly model
But when I see some tutorials it feels like my photoshop order or opacity is bad or in 3Dcoat I have something wrong with smoothing/blending colors together, with brush in setup or in config . Also my document in 3D coat is 4096x4096 but texture is 2048x2048 so it might be a problem with smoothing or blending colors together or even my brush.
I use :
PS6 extended
3Dcoat version 4.7.11
Zbrush 4r7
Xnormal 3.19.3
So My conclusion is :
If someome can help me with posting tutorials, giving me advice or share their setup in 3Dcoat, setup/different order of layers in photoshop I would really be grateful
Also is it really only the way to make World of warcraft models with only low poly and paint directly on them? or is there anyway I can help myself with zbrush Highpoly model? Or my problem is in photshop, diffuse map or in 3Dcoat?
Thank you for your replay and sorry, my english is not the best .
What I found were tutorials on youtube, artstation and gumroad.
1. Tutorial I found on artstation - www.artstation.com/artwork/OOxbg .This tutorial shows model created in zbrush, baked maps (Ao,normal,height...) and screenshoted matcaps from Zbrush. I assume that post processing is done in photoshop or any other program. But this whole process is in making 3D high-poly model and then bake it on 2D plane. It is not process of 3D High-poly and then 3D low-poly and making maps and etc..
2. Tutorial I found on polycount here - 4.bp.blogspot.com/-5j46dwq0ln4/UjFL4VWIo6I/AAAAAAAAAMY/5c2m6eIDLkM/s1600/prez_coal.jpg it is similiar to first one. 3D zbrush model, baked to 2D plane
3. Tutorial I found on Gumroad / Youtube - gumroad.com/l/rkYIK this tutorial is directly from 3D artist at Blizzard Entertainment. He makes low poly model and then in 3Dcoat he directly paint on it. It is also similiar to this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nTkUFHZCOw 3D low poly model and paint directly on it
4. Last Tutorial I use with some changes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPrzOBDhlWc He makes 3D Low-poly model then in zbrush he makes details ( High-poly model) and then bake all maps. In photoshop he makes Diffuse and then he uses gradient tool to color it. In 3Dcoat he paints details.
I follow last tutorial the most, I make Low poly then High-poly, bake maps, make Diffuse. Color it, and then paint it in 3D coat
Here is my high-poly model based from this concept
After my High-poly model is finished I go to Xnormal and Bake maps put it to the photoshop and than make diffuse map (3D coat preview)
In 3Dcoat I paint some shades and some light, Then I import it back to photshop and use action MBrunetTutorialGradients to color it
After base color is done I go to fix some colors, make color correction, shades, reflections and it looks like this: ( It is not done yet I have to paint black stones and skull)
So now here is my frustration. I dont know if it is worth to make high-poly then bake maps, then gradient it and still in 3Dcoat I must sometimes recolor the Diffuse map ( for me it seems like I did not even need to do process to above)
This is my 4th model in 3Dcoat i tried to paint (handpaint) it
Also i prefer to make Highpoly model to save time in painting. Coz (i think) I make better models in Zbrush than to paint directly on lowpoly model. I learn handpainting style so that is why I would prefer to help myself with Zbrush Highpoly model
But when I see some tutorials it feels like my photoshop order or opacity is bad or in 3Dcoat I have something wrong with smoothing/blending colors together, with brush in setup or in config . Also my document in 3D coat is 4096x4096 but texture is 2048x2048 so it might be a problem with smoothing or blending colors together or even my brush.
I use :
PS6 extended
3Dcoat version 4.7.11
Zbrush 4r7
Xnormal 3.19.3
So My conclusion is :
If someome can help me with posting tutorials, giving me advice or share their setup in 3Dcoat, setup/different order of layers in photoshop I would really be grateful
Also is it really only the way to make World of warcraft models with only low poly and paint directly on them? or is there anyway I can help myself with zbrush Highpoly model? Or my problem is in photshop, diffuse map or in 3Dcoat?
Thank you for your replay and sorry, my english is not the best .
Replies
Faf posts things now and then.
http://polycount.com/discussion/125737/texturing-siege-of-orgrimmar-wow/p1
Orb was hired by Blizzard after this art was made.
http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/OrbCrasher
More similar tutorials here.
http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/EnvironmentSculpting
No extra tutorial will help at this point - what you need to do is to practice plain old painting. That is to say, understanding color, value and edge relationships for what they are - regardless of the tool or process used to generate the starting point.