Best Of

Re: Blast from the past, 2002

Thanks for taking me back Eric. I was just finishing up high school and working on getting into the game industry around that time

It was really exciting to watch the community figure out workflows for normal mapping, as resources were pretty limited back then. I think it was basically Crytek's MAX plug-in, Nvidia's app, and CrazyBump.

There was also a Polycount meetup in Vancouver in '06 I believe where I got to meet Flaagan, AdamBrome, and Keg. Good times!

Quasar

1 ·

Re: Blast from the past, 2002

Digging around here's a 2004 WAYWO
https://web.archive.org/web/20070329212104/http://boards.polycount.net/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=82&an=0&page=0

Max plugins 2004
https://web.archive.org/web/20050511085733/http://boards.polycount.net/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=4518&an=0&page=0

Head SDKs 2004
https://web.archive.org/web/20060706113527/http://boards.polycount.net/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=13950&an=0&page=0

Eric Chadwick

1 ·

Re: Sd.Kfz.182 Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.B "Königstiger" (Henschel Turret)

Total kickass!

kanga

1 ·

[TOOL] Hairflow - 2D Hair-Card Grooming & Atlas Baking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE3_pqw-KNU&t=2s

Hi everyone,

I’ve been working on Hairflow, a specialized 2D tool designed to bridge the gap between sculpting high-fidelity hair and the tedious process of creating hair card textures for real-time engines.

The philosophy is simple: Groom in 2D on a flat canvas, and bake instantly to a square atlas.

Key Features:

Procedural Modifiers: Stack effects like Frizz, Curl, Kink, and Split Ends non-destructively.
Specialized Block Types: Dedicated solvers for Braids, Dreadlocks, and Procedural Regions (for scalp/beards).
Grooming Brushes: Comb, Push, Smooth, and Spread brushes that work on top of the procedural stack.
PBR Map Export: One-click baking for Alpha, Albedo, Normal (tangent-space), AO, Depth, Flow (RG-encoded), Root/Tip masks, and ID maps.

The Workflow: Create -> Edit/Groom -> Bake -> Export. No more setting up complex XGen grooms just to get a few simple stray hair cards.

I’d love to get some feedback from the Polycount community. I'm looking for technical artists and character artists to put it through its paces.

Rufatm2

1 ·

Re: Sd.Kfz.182 Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.B "Königstiger" (Henschel Turret)

Generating skins

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/0d/wl9c3pqoq42a.png

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/2u/8gi3lxarrehn.png

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/f1/7qff70hr41js.png

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/tt/z6q9ffnom7pu.png

sacboi

3 ·

Re: What Are You Working On? (3D) 2026

Did a small stylized art direction study recently focusing on softer organic shapes mixed with sharper metallic forms.

Wanted to experiment with blending painterly textures and more realistic PBR materials together to see how far I could push the style. Would love to hear any thoughts or feedback.

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/0lN9nV

Study Mapping Room

lamar McHaney

1 ·

Re: What Are You Working On? (3D) 2026

Wouldn't be myself if didn't try to hop on the Trench Crusade hype train. Here's a glimpse on the custom artillery witch for my upcoming Patreon.
Funny how TC is now the new hot shit for wargamers, while I've been following Franchina since 2018. Finally, my extensive occult library can be put to proper use.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/y1/8z7nehhuhuf6.png

VinceOrcis

6 ·

Re: The Bi-Monthly Environment Art Challenge | May - June (102)

@BillyJackman, "stab at the eye" sounds really painful

But jokes aside, my only critique would be in regard to the eye itself. Right now everything about it is so perfectly round, it seems out of style with the rest of the prop. Maybe if the surface was less smooth and/or the pupil texture not as sharp..?

----------------
After taking another look at the blockout, I quickly realized that disconnecting the arcs was not a good move after all, so I added the missing things and re-arranged everything to resemble the concept a bit more (as I see it at least). I think this way it looks... sturdier:

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/eg/e140kvr2w4ub.jpg

Next focusing on the eye and fire before addressing the rest of the model, because I was least sure of how to approach it.
The eye is using refraction with a temporary texture: it uses a height map and "eye direction" vectors baked into Vertex Colors via Geometry Nodes.
The flame is... uhhh, crystalized, because I couldn't figure out another option. Even then, trying to model/sculpt something that vaguely resembles crystals took several failed attempts