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: Early-Late 2000s CGI/Game textures
haha back in my day
This is the book I used for character art modelling.
This is the book I used for character art modelling.
HAWK12HT
3 ·
DeathStranding2 Sniper Rifle-- Need your critique to Learn
This is Tranq Sniper Rifle from deathstranding2. Basically I got lots of fusion360 modeling experience but this is my first attempt of rendering with Blender to get a clean pic. I've tried my best but I guess I will need others critique to improve. So I hope you can give me some advice, truly appreciate.
HOLLOVIA
3 ·
Re: 2D chain texture
@5rettski Observation and speculation can be informative but sometimes the best way to learn is to actually recreate the effect by starting from first principles. It may be helpful to break this problem down into it's constituent parts then work through solving each of them individually to build up an understanding of the entire process from start to finish.
Analysis of the original image: both the pendant and silver necklace chain float above the character's clothing and appear to be non-dimensional or "flat" when compared to the rest of the model. The way the structure of the necklace appears to twist as it comes up over the shoulder and the strong mipping on the texture there suggests that this is a poly strip (probably one sided) that has a basic tiling texture applied to it.
Since the textures on the necklace and pendant are see through and have a higher textel density than the rest of the clothing it's also quite likely that this part of the model has it's own texture sheet or larger portion of some other clothing / accessory sheet with an alpha channel.
These assumptions could be confirmed or proven by observing the model under different conditions in game, looking at how similar models were made in that era, or by viewing wire-frames of the model. If that's not possible or practical then the next best thing is to ask other artists how they think it was done and try to replicate the results based on whatever information can be found.
What's already been suggested: several experienced artists have already offered concise explanations of how things were likely done and provided links to similar examples and or tutorial content. Supporting content that's been shared points back to creating a trim sheet (Which only needs to tile in one direction and given how narrow the chain is that leaves plenty of room on a square texture sheet for the pendant's texture.) and creating a tiled poly strip to apply the chain texture to.
What's been found: so far there's at least two examples of low poly necklace models and both of the models and their corresponding texture sheets confirm a lot of what's already been suggested. (Both of these example models use poly strips or low poly quad tube geometry with tiling textures to represent the necklace chain.)
At this point there's enough information to attempt replicating the effect.
Recreating the chain texture: there's several different options and which makes the most sense depends on the type of chain and the visual style being replicated, as well as the available tool set.
Photosourcing could be as simple as doing an image search, finding a suitable photo, clipping out a section of the necklace chain, and inserting it into the texture sheet. If transparency is required between the links then there's the additional step of isolating or "clipping" the background out of the image. Depending on the quality of the photo and the consistency of the lighting it could be as simple as using the magic wand tool to select either the background or the chain itself or it may be necessary to manually select each link segment using the lasso tool, quick select too, or the pen / path tool.
Another option for photo sourcing is to find a pre-clipped stock image or stock texture that already has image transparency. When it comes to searching for images, start with a broad search to learn the specific terms related to the topic. In this case it's important to figure out what type of chain is used for each of the three necklaces.
A good place to start would be a general search for something like: "Jewelry chain styles" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewellery_chain#Styles) then compare the types of chain in the list to the chain in the model and narrow the image search down to a specific type. The links in both the first and second example models appear to have a flat locking overlap which visually matches the way Curb chain / Cuban chain lays.
(The argument could be made that the links in first example model might be a type of trace chain but the links in trace tend to sit perpendicular to each other. Since the chain the second example is definitely a type of Cuban chain it makes more sense to go with that for this exercise.)
Drawing the links in a 2D application might sound like a lot of work but it's actually pretty easy. Just trace out or free hand a single link as a transparent layer then tile it by copying that single drawing several times. This could be done in something like Photoshop or Illustrator or even Substance Designer. One of the benefits of this approach is the texture already has transparency information and it's possible to quickly add consistent lighting effects with things like gradients, shadows, emboss, and other non-destructive layer effects.
Baking the links in a 3D application provides a lot more control over the texture and it can be as simple or as complex as required. Though, depending on the complexity of the bake and just needing 3D skills, this approach probably takes a bit more effort or time to setup than the 2D approach.
If all that's needed is the basic shape, unlit shading, and image transparency then it's as simple as modeling a single link, duplicating it with an array, then grab an isometric viewport render of the chain section. If more complex surface information like normals, AO, curves, etc. are required then just place an unwrapped poly strip above the high poly chain model and bake it the same as any other model.
Putting it all together: here's a simple example of what this all could look like. Start by modeling a basic Cuban chain link then copy it with an array modifier, switch to a neutral unlit matcap, and render the viewport. Save the resulting image to a format that has transparency and do whatever image editing needs to be done to get into the texture sheet.
Here's a link to a write-up that covers modeling Cuban chain links: https://polycount.com/discussion/comment/2710581#Comment_2710581
Create a single rectangular poly strip, unwrap it, and place the UV island over the tiling chain trim section in the texture sheet, then subdivide or add loop cuts to the poly strip to create additional segments. Insert a curve (either open ended or closed loop) and edit the vertices to form the path around the character's neck, shoulders, and torso. Select the poly strip and use a deform along curve / path modifier to conform it along the shape of the curve object then use an array modifier to copy the poly strip along the length of the curve. Adjust tilt of the curve to turn the direction of the outer faces of the poly strip and adjust the length of the poly strip to match the length of the curve.
This same basic process can be used with more complex low poly strips and trim textures. It's not uncommon to see L or diamond shape poly strips and trim textures with edge details that bleed off onto the sides to create the illusion of depth or thickness. Also, depending on the technical limitations or resource constraints, it wasn't all that uncommon for transparency on tiling textures to be substituted with a darker solid background color on older or lower spec game models.
When it comes down to it, there's a lot of ways to approach each step of the process and sometimes the best way to figure out the strengths and weakness of each is to try them and compare the results. Actually working through a sample project like this using active learning and first principles techniques can really help build a ground up understanding of the how and why behind the way things are done.
This is just something of an aside, not directed at anyone in particular, but thinking tools like Socratic questioning and rubber duck debugging can also be useful for self directed discovery. It's often helpful to structure the line of inquiry towards a tangible goal like a practical demonstration of knowledge or skills, so there's a measurable outcome and a way to tell if things are getting closer or further away from the desired answers.
Search really seems to be geared for instant gratification now and while that has it's place, some of these technical topics have a sort of depth to them that requires looking at things both top down and bottom up. To understand the why you must understand the how and to understand the how you must understand the why. Something that tends to require active learning through the practical application of knowledge to work on a sample project.
There's also this sort of elegant simplicity to a lot of older technical solutions to modeling, texturing, and rendering problems. At the same time, certain older workflows were either poorly documented, obtuse, or otherwise confusing for many artists back then and probably seem even more so now. Which is why it often requires a slightly different thought process when compared to now when it's possible to brute force stuff by just throwing polygons, complex shaders, and compute power at things.
That doesn't make it right or wrong, better or worse, simply different.
Additional links to write-ups and discussions about similar models with poly strips and tiling trim sheets:
FrankPolygon
4 ·
Re: AI and future of 3d artists
We're currently 5 years into AI taking your coding job in six months..
It's all bullshit - all of it.
Also - there's no quick buck to be found here. making 3d models does not pay well
It's all bullshit - all of it.
Also - there's no quick buck to be found here. making 3d models does not pay well
poopipe
3 ·
Re: AI and future of 3d artists
if the goal is to make money to pay bills right now, I can't recommend 3d modeling. Takes years of study and practice to get to a point where you can start making money, and that money is not good unless you're in the top 10% with good connections. The industry is in shambles, and competition is silly.
As for AI, as someone with 10+ years as a 3d artist and solo developer on the side; AI hasn't changed much since our crafts require 1:1 precision & iteration, context awareness, non-destructive workflows and optimization. Ethics and legal issues aside, AI is not the right tool for these things.
My advice for you is to pursue web design as a serious hobby that will evolve into a career, pick up a job that isn't absolute shit and that will sustain you financially, and ignore the 'threat' of AI for now. It's a bubble that will burst soon; you don't want to be caught in the blast radius of a multi-trillion dollar flop.
As for AI, as someone with 10+ years as a 3d artist and solo developer on the side; AI hasn't changed much since our crafts require 1:1 precision & iteration, context awareness, non-destructive workflows and optimization. Ethics and legal issues aside, AI is not the right tool for these things.
My advice for you is to pursue web design as a serious hobby that will evolve into a career, pick up a job that isn't absolute shit and that will sustain you financially, and ignore the 'threat' of AI for now. It's a bubble that will burst soon; you don't want to be caught in the blast radius of a multi-trillion dollar flop.
zetheros
6 ·
Re: The Bi-Monthly Environment Art Challenge | July - August (97)
Hi everyone, I'm between projects at the moment and thought it would be nice to return to my hand painting roots. I wanted to focus more on adding a little something something to the given concept, so I gave the mailbox a tail (like a mailbox flag) and tried to add more to the environment with plants that are also in the concept.
Excluding the background elements:
1339 Verts | 1293 Faces | 2608 Tris
stahlwart
6 ·
Re: People with Autism + ADHD innatentive who aren't medicated do you have any advice to be productive?
pior said:
TLDR, if you feel stuck and dissatisfied with your art it may be time to refocus part of your energy on art fundamentals.
This 100%
Also a quoted excerpt grabbed from a defunct vfx community I was a member of some years ago which had struck a chord that was definitely pertinent then as now, why artists should learn these traditional artistic tenets:
And
Anatomy for Artists Authored by Scott Eaton
sacboi
3 ·
Re: People with Autism + ADHD innatentive who aren't medicated do you have any advice to be productive?
Holy shit, you're like me. Maybe my thoughts can help.
Inattentive ADHD and autism is a pretty common combination, and a destructive one at that.
The 'tism made me unwaveringly principled, with no other acceptable substitute to my moral code than a better one.
Divide by ADHD, and my ability to act in accordance became, let's say, flimsy. The resulting cognitive dissonance was *chef's kiss* perfection.
It's the perfect combination to make me fuck up, hyper-fixate on exactly that, and make me feel all kinds of bad about myself.
Oh, what's that? ADHD comes bundled with depression? Can't patch it out? A core feature, you say? Oh. Oh no.
It escalated so slowly and over so many years that I didn't recognize that I'd lost control, completely becoming a passenger in my life.
All I could do was look at my failures and impotently claw at fixing things. It's not that I didn't try, I tried so fucking hard, but all of my effort and energy was spent trying to fix the wrong things.
I truly hope you're not unknowingly fighting for your life as I was, completely unaware of the danger I was in, and that I had malaphorically brought a spoon to a gun fight.
In retrospect, it's easy to put into words with introspect, how and why things worsened to the degree that they did. Of course at the time I didn't know even half of it. I didn't truly understand how ADHD functioned, how destructive it was, so all of the effort to improve my situation were focused on the wrong things. As I got older, the weight of it all became too much, and I had to completely break down to realize that I needed help if I was going to survive.
[Intentional tonal shift]
I said all of that so you'd take me seriously when I say that therapy will not give you the ability to focus.
I'm lucky! In Socialist Norway, therapy is free, and so are the drugs. Or, well, free enough.
The first thing I learned in therapy, is about therapy, that its' one and only function is to help point you in the direction of the information that you need, so that you can eventually help yourself. That sounds so obvious, but I hadn't really considered what the process would look like.
Once they had pointed, therapy instantly became useless to me. I completely took over, and fixed what needed fixing.
Most of the things that bother us are linked to not achieving our goals, despite all the work we put in. Things like altering expectations, fundamental reasoning of why we think we want something, what success is defined as, etc. are the most impactful changes one can do.
Again, therapy can only tell you this, and inspire you to do the work. Then you go find the things that can better help you, like support groups, proper self-help guides, etc.
For me, one of the most useful tools were the insight gained from youtube channels by and for people that have different types of ADHD that would share their experiences, thoughts and epiphanies that helped them realize WHY their brain was wonky, and what they needed to do to get better.
In a sense, solving ADHD related mental health issues through therapy is like reprogramming your brain. Therapy is a "coding for dummies" book.
If I may equate this to something you are fundamentally good at, 3d modelling: You didn't need a "3d modelling for dummies" book, you needed a support forum like Polycount. The rest you did yourself.
Remember when I said therapy is free? If I had to pay for it, I'd be seriously let down. Imagine having paid to go to school so you could learn how to model something, and literally all they did was say "Yeah you're bad at topology. Go to Polycount and ask them how to get better.".
I'm not saying therapy is a scam, but I personally didn't need it after I had started the process. A lot of people need their help and guidance and support, but I am not that person, and based on your posts I don't think you are either.
Remember when I said drugs are free? They're $30/month. If they had cost me $1000 a month, they'd be well worth it. Without them, I still randomly fail by getting distracted, hyper-fixate on the wrong things, randomly pivot into doing something technically productive but not in accordance with my priority list, still get distracted, so eventually still end up depressed, anxious, stressed, overworked because I have to overcompensate, and feeling like I've failed myself due to the 'tism.
All of that shit is due to the frontal-lobe shenanigans which unmedicated ADHD directly causes, and that aspect can't be helped with any amount of therapy self-help.
If it seems like I'm projecting a whole lot here, please excuse me. I'm only trying to give my take on such a situation, with my personal experience, and English isn't my first language.
Thanks for coming to the first part of my TED talk, my name is Faeniel.
For part two, I'll answer the second half of your question.
Inattentive ADHD and autism is a pretty common combination, and a destructive one at that.
The 'tism made me unwaveringly principled, with no other acceptable substitute to my moral code than a better one.
Divide by ADHD, and my ability to act in accordance became, let's say, flimsy. The resulting cognitive dissonance was *chef's kiss* perfection.
It's the perfect combination to make me fuck up, hyper-fixate on exactly that, and make me feel all kinds of bad about myself.
Oh, what's that? ADHD comes bundled with depression? Can't patch it out? A core feature, you say? Oh. Oh no.
It escalated so slowly and over so many years that I didn't recognize that I'd lost control, completely becoming a passenger in my life.
All I could do was look at my failures and impotently claw at fixing things. It's not that I didn't try, I tried so fucking hard, but all of my effort and energy was spent trying to fix the wrong things.
I truly hope you're not unknowingly fighting for your life as I was, completely unaware of the danger I was in, and that I had malaphorically brought a spoon to a gun fight.
In retrospect, it's easy to put into words with introspect, how and why things worsened to the degree that they did. Of course at the time I didn't know even half of it. I didn't truly understand how ADHD functioned, how destructive it was, so all of the effort to improve my situation were focused on the wrong things. As I got older, the weight of it all became too much, and I had to completely break down to realize that I needed help if I was going to survive.
[Intentional tonal shift]
I said all of that so you'd take me seriously when I say that therapy will not give you the ability to focus.
I'm lucky! In Socialist Norway, therapy is free, and so are the drugs. Or, well, free enough.
The first thing I learned in therapy, is about therapy, that its' one and only function is to help point you in the direction of the information that you need, so that you can eventually help yourself. That sounds so obvious, but I hadn't really considered what the process would look like.
Once they had pointed, therapy instantly became useless to me. I completely took over, and fixed what needed fixing.
Most of the things that bother us are linked to not achieving our goals, despite all the work we put in. Things like altering expectations, fundamental reasoning of why we think we want something, what success is defined as, etc. are the most impactful changes one can do.
Again, therapy can only tell you this, and inspire you to do the work. Then you go find the things that can better help you, like support groups, proper self-help guides, etc.
For me, one of the most useful tools were the insight gained from youtube channels by and for people that have different types of ADHD that would share their experiences, thoughts and epiphanies that helped them realize WHY their brain was wonky, and what they needed to do to get better.
In a sense, solving ADHD related mental health issues through therapy is like reprogramming your brain. Therapy is a "coding for dummies" book.
If I may equate this to something you are fundamentally good at, 3d modelling: You didn't need a "3d modelling for dummies" book, you needed a support forum like Polycount. The rest you did yourself.
Remember when I said therapy is free? If I had to pay for it, I'd be seriously let down. Imagine having paid to go to school so you could learn how to model something, and literally all they did was say "Yeah you're bad at topology. Go to Polycount and ask them how to get better.".
I'm not saying therapy is a scam, but I personally didn't need it after I had started the process. A lot of people need their help and guidance and support, but I am not that person, and based on your posts I don't think you are either.
Remember when I said drugs are free? They're $30/month. If they had cost me $1000 a month, they'd be well worth it. Without them, I still randomly fail by getting distracted, hyper-fixate on the wrong things, randomly pivot into doing something technically productive but not in accordance with my priority list, still get distracted, so eventually still end up depressed, anxious, stressed, overworked because I have to overcompensate, and feeling like I've failed myself due to the 'tism.
All of that shit is due to the frontal-lobe shenanigans which unmedicated ADHD directly causes, and that aspect can't be helped with any amount of therapy self-help.
If it seems like I'm projecting a whole lot here, please excuse me. I'm only trying to give my take on such a situation, with my personal experience, and English isn't my first language.
Thanks for coming to the first part of my TED talk, my name is Faeniel.
For part two, I'll answer the second half of your question.
Thanez
3 ·