The BRAWL² Tournament Challenge has been announced!
It starts May 12, and ends Sept 12. Let's see what you got!
https://polycount.com/discussion/237047/the-brawl²-tournament
It starts May 12, and ends Sept 12. Let's see what you got!
https://polycount.com/discussion/237047/the-brawl²-tournament
Best Of
Re: Gameboy 3d Model 8 bit by Benavidmark
Awesome project, love it! The PCB details are super cool, great work. 
kosh3d
1 ·
Re: 3ds Max 2025: FBX Export with Path deform for Unity
The path deform modifier deforms the mesh, so you'll have to export it in form of a vertex animation / point cache, which is why you need Alembic. You could try a Morpher perhaps if the transition between open and closed is linear (but then you probably wouldn't need a path deform).
If you want a collapsable animation (which would likely mean a bone or object for each shutter panel), then the path constraint animation controller is the right choice.
Edit: Seems like FBX can export/reference point caches after all. Haven't tried it, though, and no idea if Unity imports it.
https://download.autodesk.com/us/fbx/2013/3ds_Max_FBX_Plug-in_Help/index.html?url=files/GUID-691D1194-AE6E-4EE9-A6A3-F1797D2F3B27.htm,topicNumber=d30e2947
Very broadly speaking, bone animation is usually the preferred method for realtime graphics, but if your shutter is very lowpoly, it might make no real difference.
If you want a collapsable animation (which would likely mean a bone or object for each shutter panel), then the path constraint animation controller is the right choice.
Edit: Seems like FBX can export/reference point caches after all. Haven't tried it, though, and no idea if Unity imports it.
https://download.autodesk.com/us/fbx/2013/3ds_Max_FBX_Plug-in_Help/index.html?url=files/GUID-691D1194-AE6E-4EE9-A6A3-F1797D2F3B27.htm,topicNumber=d30e2947
Very broadly speaking, bone animation is usually the preferred method for realtime graphics, but if your shutter is very lowpoly, it might make no real difference.
Noren
1 ·
[WIP] Creature "Rope-Gut"
I publish the processes below.
In the blog, I want to document the stages of working on a character for a portfolio.
In the blog, I want to document the stages of working on a character for a portfolio.
Hellbrush
1 ·
Re: Sketchbook: Celosia
Eric Chadwick said:Mipping is typically very dependent on the hardware, PC vs Console vs Handhelds vs Mobile. You’ll see different thresholds and methods in different engines as well. So, having controls for these things is going to be helpful for consumers.
Also the alpha blending is a difficult thing. Some will need to depend on alpha test, like Shadows of the Colossus. We have some info on that in the wiki fwiw http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/HairTechnique
This page is the one that first introduced me to the technique. I keep returning it once in a while to refresh my memory. 😌
For people randomly stumbling on this thread in the future, two related sections on alpha:
http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/Transparency_map#Sorting_Problems
http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/Transparency_map#Alpha_Test
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I went back to the hair system this week. Created eyebrows and eyelashes to test how it's doing with very short, real hair, and because the hairless face was annoying me. Mixed results.
I breezed through the eyelashes because all they need are the cards. The eyebrow was more of a challenge and missed the mark. I'm going for dense but groomed eyebrows: Brushed, trimmed, with make up retouches. Not something I recall seeing in 3d yet. When people do good, realistic eyebrows they go for natural sparse or messy ones.
For that I outlined the eyebrow with a curve and used one of Higgas' geometry nodes groups to loft it into quads. It's a good geonodes setup but not ideal for what I'm doing. I created some parent cards using my system and used them as guides and edge hair, then used the base eyebrow mesh to create a gradient to spawn children and also paint the skin.
I'm using cards for edges because I want full artistic control over the placement. This went okay, the interpolated hair that's problematic.
The issue I'm having is the gradient. It's generated from the geometry, which isn't well spaced for what I'm doing (besides the ends of eyebrows curving inwards and top overlapping itself). And the gradient is important, I'm using it to control radius, length, opacity so the interpolated hair fades nicely. All this trouble so I can just drop the base mesh + hair onto new characters and tweak it without having to paint custom texture masks, which I hate.
I'll fallback to my usual way of lofting splines into meshes next, but only after doing the hair.
I also tested some ways to split hair (also not a priority for now). It's useful for more than the obvious, I used it already to get a more organic distribution in the eyelashes, getting a light "wet look" mascara effect.
I also finished refactoring the main system for hair (and completed all other tasks in my list) and don't think it'll change drastically now. So I can move on to doing hairstyles without worrying about having to redo anything because it became incompatible with the system, and that's what I'll do next. Wish me luck.
Celosia
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Re: [WIP] Creature "Rope-Gut"
I hear you. Yes, I'll attach a reference. The ultimate goal is to make a character for a portfolio. Thank you!
Hellbrush
1 ·
[WIP] RED V-Raptor camera, Plasticity practice
It's my first WIP post here, but not my first model in Plasticity. I bought it about two years ago and have used it occasionally for small tasks. However, the gaps between my uses were too long, so every time I came back, I had to learn it almost from the very beginning. That's why I decided to make something big, with lots of details.
Main goals:- To get comfortable with Plasticity and it's logic and methods.
- To assign convenient hotkeys.
- To create a good, complex piece for my portfolio.
The main object I'm modeling is a RED V-Raptor camera
Later I'll make a cage and a rig for it. Don't know configuration yet. But most parts will be from Tilta.
I have old version 1.4.20. So no fancy things like xNURBS. But I don't think they are needed for such project.
3d_legionary
1 ·
Re: Highschool Character (WIP)
Worked on a bunch of stuff since last time, jumping around a bit everywhere, worked on face, hair volume sculpt, socks, socks stickers, highschool logo on jacket (I normally do such embroidered logos in substance, but I wanted to see how it looks with a base in zbrush, a little experiment)
Gautham
1 ·
Re: [WIP] Tanah Airku (Final Major Project)
It's not about any specific map. It's just about having a pattern or texture with enough contrast so it lets you see what would end up being individual pixels in your target resolution. For example, a checker map is procedural, but if you tile one checker pair 1024 times, the indidivual squares will be equivalent to 1 pixel of a 2048 x 2048 resolution.Ong_Jian_Wei said:Alrighty! A checker map? Would it be the one that I have been using or the colour checked map? Also the checker image is generated to be 2048 by 2048 pixel.
As for the cupboard, I'd probably try to get it all on one texture, maybe 8192 x 4096 if need be, but 4096 x 4096 should be possible as well with better optimized UVs. The table was 2k? (Don't sue me if it doesn't work, though)
You could use a separate material and texture for the glass, or just a separate material. You can do it all in one, too, but it's a bit more optimized if opacity needs only to be considered for the actual glass part.
When using different textures, I would try to adjust the tiling of the UV checkers for an even checker size between different resolutions. So 4k should have double the tiling of a 2k texture. That way, you can see their relationship at a first glance. I don't know how this works in Blender, though.
As for the UV layout, you could try to find parts that can have repeating UVs again. E.g. we are unlikely to see both outer side pieces of the cupboard at the same time (unless there are a lot of them). But in the end, that's up to you and where you want to fall on the spectrum between optimized and unique textures. It would also be more complicated to get the edge damage to match to the mirrored sides on the on hand and a non-mirrored front on the other.
The shelves offer potential for reusing textures as well (you could separate the front facing bits and make those unique). But again, that's all a question of ressources, how much hassle you are wanting to put up with etc. Having it all unique is viable, too.
It's good thinking to keep the inside of the cupboards at a lower resolution if you are absolutely sure they won't be seen, but you might just as well reuse textures from other parts of the cupboard for that. But if someone decided to open them a bit more later, it could be a problem with the current config.
Other candidates for areas of less importance:
The top is unlikely to be seen in the current context.
The backside/bottom you already discarded I assume?
Not all three lower cupboard doors need unique backsides or handles.
You maybe could lay out the parts of the wooden pattern in the glass doors in a straightened out fasion (best to do the UVs already when modeling, though, in case you used splines). Again, that's some additional hassle as well, so up to you. You probably have a deadline.
Those elements and large parts of those doors don't need unique textures for front and back side, either.
What's your plan for shading and texturing? Normals? Baking? Sorry didn't read the project brief.
Noren
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