My great learning project...please HELP
The last few days have been a eye opener for me. I realized that I haven't been able to move to the next level because I never fully finish a project. This was the forum http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=81885 if you need some back ground information.
So what I decided to do is start a project and have everyone help me along the way. Another problem I have is that I know many different ways of doing modeling, texturing, baking, but I am never sure which one is the best for the project and the end result is a mixture of crap.
So what I am asking from you is to critique and help me explore the different options through each step.
keep in mind, I have a very good understanding of advance techniques, so don't be afraid of shooting me something complex. But also, I may lack simple concepts as well, so if you see something basic I am lacking, please tell me just as well.
So this is the model I have been working on. Before I move on to unwraping and texturing, I would like some input on my modeling.
Here are the things I see that might be wrong or just questionable:
1. The small wall were the patio is located is not attached with geometry to the main house. Not sure if this is a bad model practice.
2. Is the overall geometry optimal for UDK? esp around the door and window?
3. Is this a high poly and tri count for this type of asset?
I look forward to hearing from you all and can't wait to move on and in return help other people like me.
So what I decided to do is start a project and have everyone help me along the way. Another problem I have is that I know many different ways of doing modeling, texturing, baking, but I am never sure which one is the best for the project and the end result is a mixture of crap.
So what I am asking from you is to critique and help me explore the different options through each step.
keep in mind, I have a very good understanding of advance techniques, so don't be afraid of shooting me something complex. But also, I may lack simple concepts as well, so if you see something basic I am lacking, please tell me just as well.
So this is the model I have been working on. Before I move on to unwraping and texturing, I would like some input on my modeling.
Here are the things I see that might be wrong or just questionable:
1. The small wall were the patio is located is not attached with geometry to the main house. Not sure if this is a bad model practice.
2. Is the overall geometry optimal for UDK? esp around the door and window?
3. Is this a high poly and tri count for this type of asset?
I look forward to hearing from you all and can't wait to move on and in return help other people like me.
Replies
floating geo is not really bad or wrong to do, but as a note you should consider the re-usability of the item and get as much out of them as you can...
its a lot of polys you have for little pay off right now. While you kept to quads as much as possible which is good, however if you wanted to sub-d this, I think it would go to hell quickly in some areas.
in this scenario it really all depends on what you want and the tools/skills you have (or skills you want), if its a background piece that won't be seen close up or a huge building, you can get away with having your textures carry the load for detail, but if your gonna get close up and personal with it or just want it to be awesome, then you know you need detail
if you want a high detail piece, then sub-d it, if you have ZBrush or MudBox, take it in there and model every damn stone and crack on the thing, then bring that back into max and make a low-poly version of it, much lower than you have it now. (note you can model a high poly in max and do it all in there as well if you want, it's a bit harder and can get messy) then you bake your normal map and get all that delicious detail for a low poly price
or
keep it roughly as is and make a normal map from your diffuse with crazybump or something, maybe modify that in photoshop to add some more detail and it will look ok, but you haven't learned that much
anyway, heres some other ideas in this paint over, good luck!
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For sake of time on this non-showcase project, keeping the model simple will allow for better exploration. So I am going to leave out a lot of details for this first run.
With that in mind, when I was model the house shell, I decided that I was not going to make a high poly but rather do a tillable texture. And since its going into udk, I am going to give it some exposed brick decals. So if I go the route of tillable texture, would taking my wood pieces into mudbox be overkill? or over shadow the rest of the house?
Hopefully get another update this afternoon.
I have been reading some of your topics that you have created lately, and I see you mention that you got a good understanding of modeling and advanced workflow, but when I look at your models you don't back that up, what you have made is very basic, and even then it's done wrong.
You need to get a better grasp of modeling before starting to post here, and even more since you say that you are a very good modeler.
LINK TIME!
[url]Http://cg.tutsplus.com/category/tutorials/autodesk-3d-studio-max/[/url]
[url]Http://www.cgarena.com/freestuff/tutorials/tutorials.html[/url]
[url]Http://wiki.polycount.com/CategoryEnvironmentModeling?highlight=(\bCategoryEnvironment\b[/url])
[url]Http://www.3dtotal.com/ffa/tutorials/tutorialsmax.php[/url]
So now after you have done all that, we are back to the critics.
The edges on the house are way to hard, if you look in the reference you can see that they are really soft, it would also benefit from a highpoly since it can be fun and it's a good habit to get into.
And your model has really bad topology, I can see faces there with 7 edges going in, the chamfer uses to many segments, you got to learn to model smart, not just slap it on there.
About the texture, it looks really flat and boring, the damage looks like you used the lasso tool in photoshop for a few sec to erase the stone, you have to take some time and not rush into it, there is no need to bring that into udk before it's finished.
So to learn some texturing.
LINK TIME!
[url]Http://wiki.polycount.com/TexturingTutorials[/url]
There is quite a few links for you, so now that it's been a year or two post what you got
Please understand that I'm trying to help you, it's not only to be a jackass
"Disclaimer: This has been written late in the night"
The model is basic and it was chosen so that I can have a better understanding of what's wrong with the model.
I was also trying to go with a tillable texture and not using a high poly bake like I did on my first one Here. I was advised that on this type of asset its not really needed.
As for the modeling, I need to know why the chamfers are bad? My reasoning is because I was only going to use a tillable texture and thought the added geometry was needed since the normal map was not going to make my corners smooth. Am I dealing with two schools of thought? Or am I justing mixing them both up and just have things backwards?
As the texturing goes, I am very pleased with it(minus the decal) The reason is, and going back to the "gaps in simple concepts", I just learned that tilling a texture in side of 3ds max gets exported to udk. This is simple and yet something that I should have known. I have watched hundreds of tutorials and I am not sure I ever heard this concept. Not saying its never mentioned, it just wasnt beaten into my head like the other concepts.
So ask you and everyone else to stick with me, I need the corrections. I cant continue going on my own thinking I am doing it right.
I hope I don't come off pompous, I don't mean it that way... so I am all ears and I will admit I am a noob.
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