Castle Neuschwanstein (3ds max,zbrush,cryengine) WIP

nufftalon

Well here is what I have so far I am not feeling the molding I made on top of the tower I have to figure something out or I might do it in zbrush with radial symmetry because my polygon modeling skills in max is lacking a bit. Then I could just retopo it. Unless someone knows a better method.

KSMO

Can we have some context?

Are you working from a concept?

nufftalon

Sure this is what I'm trying to do in max I did it easily in zbrush as you see with radial symmetry





Here is a shot of the whole front I'm trying to do. Call me crazy but I feel like I will have better luck making it all in zbrush

nufftalon

I didn't get to work on this as much as I would of liked to. I have to work more on the bricks but this is what I have so far. I need to fix the top and pull it outwards more as well.

Colditz

I think 3ds max would be better at this job. You can save a lot of work if you are doing only a few bricks and parts in zbrush, using the same parts and normal map texture again and again. Besides that, the tower looks much to roundish, but good. Build a few different bricks, more accurate one, and re import and align them in 3ds max. Take a looks at the bricks of the two towers:



And remember:

nufftalon

Thanks I'm gonna try that out tomorrow.

EMC3D

I would seriously step back from doing any type of zbrush / polish, and focus on your blockout. Spend a good day or two blocking out the shapes for the castle, get your scale right and nail down where everything needs to be.

From there you can start refining your shapes alongside creating tilable and re-usable texutures. You're going down the wrong path by sculpting all this stuff so early on, you need to think in a modular way, trim sheets, tiling textures and so on.

That's my opinion on the work so far.

nufftalon

Thanks Mr Bear your right I need to take a step back and size everything in relation to each other. I will work on that.

nufftalon

At my current level as far 3ds max goes this project is bigger then my head. I thought I could just do it in zbrush retopo in max and be done with it. I am not sure about this whole blocking things out because I never did it before. I may just make the front piece for now. I was trying to block things out by the size using photo ref and eyeing it. I am not sure how everyone does it.

Mark.N

Mr Bear wrote: »

I would seriously step back from doing any type of zbrush / polish, and focus on your blockout. Spend a good day or two blocking out the shapes for the castle, get your scale right and nail down where everything needs to be.

From there you can start refining your shapes alongside creating tilable and re-usable texutures. You're going down the wrong path by sculpting all this stuff so early on, you need to think in a modular way, trim sheets, tiling textures and so on.

That's my opinion on the work so far.

I can't second this enough. You really need to step back and identify what are going to be the major modular pieces in your scene, establish your scale/size of the scene/what texel density you'll want to use, and then begin to block out your scene. Don't even think about sculpting until you can clearly see that your scene is built properly and to scale (Not sure what the conversion for units is for 3DSM > Cryengine but I think it just uses metric).

Try loading up all your reference into Photoshop (or at least one good overview shot) and go in and colorize any like pieces that the castle is constructed from. Ie, tint the brick walls red, the block walls pink, towers blue, windows green, etc...and after doing that it should give you a good idea of what all your like elements are for the scene; then block it out using those individual pieces as your lego set (as shown to a degree in Kevin's amazing tut above).

Try focusing more on building numerous small repeating elements for the scene, rather than building them out in large chunks. It should help you make sense of the scene more while giving you more control and the ability to expand the scene if you so desire to make it a castle of your own.

nufftalon

Thanks I think I need to do something simpler. My last environment project I did basic modeling in max then zbrush and final in udk but this has so many small parts I need a small enviro project for now something I could finish in a couple of days like others have said its better to get alot of projects in your portfolio and slowly build yourself up. Thanks Mark N I will revisit this project definitely once I gain some more experience. I have neglected my basic poly modeling skills I have been knee deep in zbrush. I should of kept using both like my friend had warned. I have some major brushing up to do in max. I thank everyone for giving me suggestions and helping me understand that I need to plan things out carefully before sculpting. For the time being I will continue to work on my 4 armed character as I have never completed it. I am not sure if I want to do environment work or character work. I feel I can create characters quicker then environments I like the freedom of working in zbrush and being loose not caring about any topology until retopo time in max. I feel I may have an internal battle I have alot of failing to do as it pertains to environment work before I succeed.