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Axioms of Hard Surface Modeling?

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ambelamba polycounter lvl 6
 Currently I am working on modeling a tricycle, which is a class project from my Intro to Modeling class. I don't need to do this, but I am going all the way subD with my tricycle. 

 I don't have the screenshot now, but I can tell you that I messed up at the first attempt modeling the frame. Then something dawned on me. Someone told me that I should nail down the basic shape first, with all the control edges, THEN I should jump into the detail. 

 I wonder if it's one of the many unwritten rules when it comes to hard surface modeling. I am not saying they are iron-clad rules, but it seems like there are conventions that you really want to stick with. Are there any?

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  • jStins
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    jStins interpolator
    • Be specific in your reference photos and blueprints. Try to collect images of the exact same tricycle or at least the same make, model, year. Ebay can be a good source for this.

    • Use separate objects where separate pieces are used in the real world construction of the subject.

    • Topology only matters to the degree that...
    ---> The mesh is easy to work with
    ---> It smooths predictably and looks good when smoothed
    ---> Supports deformation or other technical requirements 
    ---> AKA, don't kill yourself trying to make a mesh that's all quads.

    • Use real world units / measurements


  • Amsterdam Hilton Hotel
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    Amsterdam Hilton Hotel insane polycounter
    I have a small set of rules I've developed privately that nobody uses but me


    PECS: A rubric for assessing the quality of a highpoly hardsurface model.

    PECS stands for Proportions, Edges, Construction, Shading.

    For a given model, each PECS component is scored from 1-5. The final PECS score is the sum of every component value. Higher scores are better, the best is 20 / 20.

    Proportions

    • 5: Matches reference from every angle. Scale indicators are accurate and immediately intuitive.

    • 4: Generally matches reference. Viewers can infer the asset’s scale.

    • 3: Recognizable to the reference, but major forms are slightly wrong.

    • 2: Large, obvious differences from reference. Scale may be misleading.

    • 1: Model doesn’t resemble concept.

    Edges

    • 5: Consistent edges, clear material definition, controlled transitions.

    • 4: Consistent edges, some uncontrolled transitions or lack of material differentiation.

    • 3: Edges somewhat controlled, but ambiguous materials and uncontrolled transitions.

    • 2: Edges have inconsistent quality. Little to no material definition. Uncontrolled transitions from edge to plane.

    • 1: Completely uncontrolled edges. No recognizable material properties. Sloppy transitions.

    Construction

    • 5: Clear component parts, intuitive signs of construction / assembly.

    • 4: Well-defined component parts and junctions, some subtle simplifications.

    • 3: Some construction details are present, but some components are assembled unrealistically.

    • 2: Some construction details, but they are mostly unrealistic or inconsistent to each other.

    • 1: Construction details are bizarre or nonexistent.

    Shading

    • 5: Shades well from any perspective, with any material, in any lighting condition.

    • 4: Appears mostly correct with a glossy material. Some pinching or warbling in minor areas.

    • 3: Looks acceptable with a dull material, but a glossy material suffers from pinching and warbling.

    • 2: Glossy material reveals major errors. Errors appear even with a dull material in harsh lighting.

    • 1: Obvious smoothing errors on major surfaces in most conditions.


  • ambelamba
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    ambelamba polycounter lvl 6
    Hey guys, sorry for the late response.

    So far I have been reworking on my tricycle project. Here are some screenshots. Some of the topology is quite messy, as you see. I followed the simple axiom: Nail down the big shape first and worry about the detail after that.


  • joker187
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    joker187 polycounter lvl 4
    my tread might be bad on my tanks but I can do this i like to hard stuff that i know i will almost fail i got a lot of people that like my tanks but thanks for telling me what i need to improve
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