I think this is definitely one of the best polycount submissions, it's looked awesome throughout all the iterations. I really like the spikes on the backs of the snake/tentacles, but I liked when they had eyes too. They still look really cool, overall this is awesome.
this is what i have. Now i think that highpoly done. So i want to have some rest and drink somthing and then return to retopology. Cant wait for your feedback.
i didnt know what to do with the tail cause hydrolisk already has spiky tail and i didnt want copy it. also some guy made venomancer too and use just a bit changed his "V" tail. Anyway i hope that heavy lobster tail make hormony and balance with his fron side. Maybe somebody like it From the top view it looks pretty good.
here is low rez for LOD (0).
At firs i simply retopo highpoly, pull doun polys and ptimise mash. Then i import low rez mesh into zbrush and move some parts on highpoly for better baking. Anyway textures are 256x256 and character will be very small in game. I can also cut polys on tail and helmet but i have already pass under polycount, so i think its not very important.
This is the best set i have seen in the comp so far. But i am little worried how you are going to get all that awesomeness into those small polybugets for lod 1?
The tail obviously is already set to go, but the head only has 250 and the weapon is only 650. It you manage this please tell us how you did it I'm having major trouble with it myself. Keep up the good work! Looks really badass!
Another tip is also to maybe cut off or deform some of the resemblance to Games Workshop so you don't get into copyright issues. It's obvious you have been inspired by Tyranids, like the rest of us GW has some of the best artists in the world and they are quite eager to protect their brand.
We would love to see your Lod1, can we get some pics of those? Maybe some pics from the itemstest also? Looking forward to see this set textured!
also, woud you like glowing spikes or standart? If standart i must make spikes not so contast and make it like venomancers teeth.
One more question, i saw MANY great works so judges from valve choose 10 winners. And what with others? Will their items be in game? For sell or just like in game loot?
As i know before the competition people show their works and they were stand for the sale. Hmmmm.
Anyway i do this project for myself.
Update. Again only diffuse, normal, spec and glow. Other maps are ready but marmoset doesn`t allow to use foe example spec exponental or spec tint. So here what i have in marmoset. There is one artifact with poly. (marked on picture). I cant find out whats wrong - no double polygons or vertecs. 3ds max doesnt show this artifact, UDK too.
Also want to say that marmoset makes colors too green, but i picked colors from default body texture. Anyway diffuse looks god in 3dsmax viewport. Hope it will looks good in the engine. Also do you know, can i import unskined model without lod1 in the engine to see how will textures looks like?
I like importing the smd's using wunderboys importer, after importing everything save the scene, you can start clicking on objects on the model and at the modifier location you will see edit mesh / skin in the stack their you can see what goes to what.
But they use some verts on different locations to different bones, you can skin them to one bone, example head 1 bone can have all of the helmet mesh, but during animation playback if it looks funny or just wrong you then would have to skin it to other bones to sort out those issues but also export each bone you assign a vert to.
I have yet to import animation and so far haven't needed to.
You don't have to import the other LOD it is optional.
You have to have all the maps, if you want to edit quickly or just look at stuff I think you can get away with making all the mask maps black, but i didn't check to see if that worked, but it should.
Good luck.
Also that triangle could be a normals issue, flip that one and see what happens.
Hey there! Im here, but still have not much time, but i made huge work trying many variants of diffuse textures. So i think this is pre final one. Also im not sure about stingers texture, so i simply hide them. I made all the masks, but still have problems with import into the engine. Im not sure if problems are couse of 3ds max FBX default file but i will try to do same with Maya and SMD files.
This is diffuse only. I reduse bright colors because all the parts looks too separate from the body, so i have another old diffuse maps and i can return to them any time. I like this one much more, hope you too. If you have any advices, please post them! Anyway i think its better to see it right in the engine, so i trying to solve problems.
When you figure out the other textures you might change a few things around, just read the guide It's very helpful, took me a few times of experimenting when you figure them out you'll be happier.
Error:
Probably units setup in 3dsmax ?
It's centimeters then import the fbx's then that is the size your object replacements should be, in case you run into that problem.
Export skinned parts with bones, just incase you missed that one.
All textures 24-Bit TGA unless they use an Alpha then it's 32-Bit TGA, a.f.a.i.k.
Critic/Advice:
I like your textures just be sure to keep the top sides bright, use the default textures as your reference for that, look at the key lighting they put at key areas and try to replicate that in your design, such as at the edges of your shoulders, elbow, top of head ect.
When you finally get them in-game you should concentrate on all the texture mumbo jumbo.
Best of luck, love the set.
Edit to add:
Also love the glowing texture parts on page 2, just tone it down so you retain those textures and the glow.
Fuck this at all!!!!!!!
I totaly hate this chellenge! I cant easly import this fucking mesh into sourse engine!! Buuuaaghhh!!!! What i did wrong!???
I made everything step by step over this tutorial! http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_ohMu9YhRtY#!
I import model into a new scene, reset it with attaching to sphere and then delete this sphere, reset Xform and skin. I select only bones that belong to this jew. I export mesh and these bones, only mesh, mesh and all bones, tried to change units when export it into fbx. Damn! Nothing helped me.
Here are screenshots. Please guys help me!!!!!!
Without bones when exporting. Only skinned mesh. Also same looks result when exporting with bones,but jew looks like it attachet somwere right in the body.
All the bones were expored with skined mesh.
Units changed inti Meters.
My import window
Viewport. Bones selected, pivot in 0. Xform done.
I dont really know what to do. Fuck this all. I go to drink something and try to fall asleep.
Also here are updated textures. Only diffuse as i said before. Also i didnt bake any lightmaps, so did it later as soon as i can import all this shit into the engine.
Application suggestions:
I don't know, did you update your max to the latest service pack?
Their was some issue with fbx i think in their docs so that might help you out.(guessing)
Skinning info:
Anyway,
If you've exported with the bones that are assigned to the piece and they are all skinned and RED check this out with Edit Envelopes, if they are not red then they are not skinned. Here is were referencing to the original model comes into play, at least for me it was.
I'd check were they assigned which verts went to what part of the object and mimick then edited what I needed were I needed It so my object conforms to the bones smoothly..
EXPORTING:
When I export I don't have a xform in my stack, don't know if that matters but I collapse the stack then add my skin and bones for export.
You have to select the bones you assigned your object to and the object, when you export to FBX.
I included an image in my post with the settings, yes you should be in meters a.f.a.i.k I saved my exporting scene once i got it right so I don't have to deal with the size issues for that character anyway.
Just stating you have to skin and export both lod's.
LOD:
What I do is create the in-game mesh then upscale the triangle count refraining from altering the UV seams of moving things around to much, so generally just curve areas out as needed.
Hope I've helped I feel like making an entire guide but video/tutorials do take a long damn time, at least for me when I even attempt them.
Some rest helps and don't worry you still got time.
Still no result with import... tomorrow try ro do it with maya with help of my collegues who work in maya. If anybody import model into engine from max, please post here sort of step by step tutorial. It will be very helpfull. Also i can upload "head" Part of model to rghosr or any othe filehost, so somebody can try to import it.
Thans for this words man. Im happy that you like it, but i dont want money, so tired that i simply want to finish this model and import it. Everything ok in UDK, so i dont know why so problems with this engine.
Still no result with import... tomorrow try ro do it with maya with help of my collegues who work in maya. If anybody import model into engine from max, please post here sort of step by step tutorial. It will be very helpfull. Also i can upload "head" Part of model to rghosr or any othe filehost, so somebody can try to import it.
From max is quite easy, easy mode would be; import the "armor" to the model scene. go onto schematic view window and attach the armor to the bone. then select bone and armor and export as fbx, woala
Great thanks, man! So i decompilate another smd, here are the resolts. Much better, but still mesh scaling along in the engine and have much space from the body. Tomorrow try to solve.
On the first picture i skin everything like you did and using default mesh skin as reference using same bones like default mesh use.. On the second picture i skin right to the one main bone.
Not sure what exactly is the area with the spacing but that might be the pivot, i'd cheat and move the pivot slightly to the right and re-skin the object till it matched the position you want if it doesn't work at 0,0,0.
^ The above situation is why it is so important when you start this stuff to have a functional scene to work from so that when it comes time to get them in-game you don't run into these problems, but I was just like you and had to find out the hard way that the scene I created my earlier assets for was wrong.
I had to do some funny business with my bracers to get them to look right, like I thought they would go to the wrist but nope they went to the elbow and bicep, go figure. So just adjust the position of your pivot's axis and you should be good again we do what we got to, to make It work if it looks good and is passable I wouldn't worry too much, just check all the animation, even though it is known that clipping will occur, even the base armor has It.
Edit:
Yea bugball thats why I'm helping him, it is a nice set.
BHAHAHAHAHHAHHHADH!!!!
I DID IT!!!!!YEEEAAH!!!!
I dont know how it works but its simply need to place xform right over the skin modifier, not under. So i skin highpoly and low poly head and misc which is helmet, i get results, so manablies of head use to be scale down a bit, other is pretty good. One problem i have is that glow does not work. Character has "ON" glow map in its shader - eyes, so i think problem is in my textures, or something else. I will try to find it out. Also i dont like shader masks of the base body, but my stuff use not to be different. Other side i d like to low rim light map and add more difference in power map. Other side its not good for reallism in DOTA2 and its kind of simply cartoon stile. OK, ok i simply shut up and continue to work
Only question i have is "How to view all the stuff together in the engine, huh?"
Also if i had a bit of time and everything will be done till 3 of december i will try something with their particles. Do you now about them? Does it work?
How people download to the workshop the whole character? They render and compose it? As i know i cant upload all the parts simultaneously. Anyway i will use xoliul for beauty shot.
View All together:
No, only in your rendering application, as you said xoliul, or you can look at the technical section for a custom shader Mr.AceAngel awesomely provided.
Particles:
No can't create particles yet, don't know if they will allow us to, I also would be interested in messing with that stuff.
Submit items:
Use the left panel to send in your stuff, make sure each piece is correct in the right "socket", arm/arm leg/leg ect.
Glad it worked out and yes if you get no glow it's your maps, just figure out what glows that doesn't and match the colors. Reviewing the provided maps that came with the models from the official website is how you figure things out quicker if you need to.
Ok, here is the tail. I fixed glow issue, so now everything is ok. Started with his arms. If anybody has advices or thoughts, please post it here!
One i dislike is SO HARDCORE RIMLIGHT. But i m worry if ill turn it a bit down, Everything will looks a bit different from the body. Huh? What can you advice, $!nz?
Also one more question. God damn, how can i skin hands if this f.cking skeleton is out of symmetry!? Something mistic happened to him so it looks like. All the SMD files looks like it. SMD compilated from game too.
Maya scene is ok, but i work in 3DS Max. Is Maya the only way?
Here is the progress. Simmetrical mouth grabbers. I dont like how it looks with default body, but i think it will be sort of item set, so it works good with my all set.
Time for hands. Guys can anybody say wich side of hand bones is better to use? (pictures of bones in post number 145). Also think its a good idea to do it in maya.
ALSO: i upload portrait geometry into the engine but when i press portrait button in the animations presets, nothing change, i still see LOD(1) geometry. What is wrong?
here is the progress:
Dude, you haven't been doing this in Maya? Do you like pain? I find that skinning/weighting is much easier in Maya than in Max. Less colorful, but much, much easier.
Replies
I'm concerned that you might not be able to get all of that under the poly limit but if you can it will be awesome.
Also thanks for the comment, i m so alone here ^_^
Seems alright though I am not aware of the limitations of this guy, still looking nice though.
At firs i simply retopo highpoly, pull doun polys and ptimise mash. Then i import low rez mesh into zbrush and move some parts on highpoly for better baking. Anyway textures are 256x256 and character will be very small in game. I can also cut polys on tail and helmet but i have already pass under polycount, so i think its not very important.
The tail obviously is already set to go, but the head only has 250 and the weapon is only 650. It you manage this please tell us how you did it
Guys i think this one is the winner.
Where's that thread? Anyway..no thread since start is not a winner..
Nice work so far on getting the low done it looks great, keep it up can't wait to see some texturing.
No offense but I prefer yours a way more. It haves a lot more of personality, imho.
Keep it up!
And edit!: focus on your stuff and try to don't compare it. Trust me, I can tell you is truly good.
We would love to see your Lod1, can we get some pics of those? Maybe some pics from the itemstest also? Looking forward to see this set textured!
One more question, i saw MANY great works so judges from valve choose 10 winners. And what with others? Will their items be in game? For sell or just like in game loot?
As i know before the competition people show their works and they were stand for the sale. Hmmmm.
Anyway i do this project for myself.
Probably one of the masks, or an alpha in the diffuse or normal map.
http://www.dota2.com/workshop/requirements/Venomancer
I like importing the smd's using wunderboys importer, after importing everything save the scene, you can start clicking on objects on the model and at the modifier location you will see edit mesh / skin in the stack their you can see what goes to what.
But they use some verts on different locations to different bones, you can skin them to one bone, example head 1 bone can have all of the helmet mesh, but during animation playback if it looks funny or just wrong you then would have to skin it to other bones to sort out those issues but also export each bone you assign a vert to.
I have yet to import animation and so far haven't needed to.
You don't have to import the other LOD it is optional.
You have to have all the maps, if you want to edit quickly or just look at stuff I think you can get away with making all the mask maps black, but i didn't check to see if that worked, but it should.
Good luck.
Also that triangle could be a normals issue, flip that one and see what happens.
There is no doible polygons, normal issues or something else. Checked twice.
This is diffuse only. I reduse bright colors because all the parts looks too separate from the body, so i have another old diffuse maps and i can return to them any time. I like this one much more, hope you too. If you have any advices, please post them! Anyway i think its better to see it right in the engine, so i trying to solve problems.
Error:
Probably units setup in 3dsmax ?
It's centimeters then import the fbx's then that is the size your object replacements should be, in case you run into that problem.
Export skinned parts with bones, just incase you missed that one.
All textures 24-Bit TGA unless they use an Alpha then it's 32-Bit TGA, a.f.a.i.k.
Critic/Advice:
I like your textures just be sure to keep the top sides bright, use the default textures as your reference for that, look at the key lighting they put at key areas and try to replicate that in your design, such as at the edges of your shoulders, elbow, top of head ect.
When you finally get them in-game you should concentrate on all the texture mumbo jumbo.
Best of luck, love the set.
Edit to add:
Also love the glowing texture parts on page 2, just tone it down so you retain those textures and the glow.
I totaly hate this chellenge! I cant easly import this fucking mesh into sourse engine!! Buuuaaghhh!!!! What i did wrong!???
I made everything step by step over this tutorial!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_ohMu9YhRtY#!
I import model into a new scene, reset it with attaching to sphere and then delete this sphere, reset Xform and skin. I select only bones that belong to this jew. I export mesh and these bones, only mesh, mesh and all bones, tried to change units when export it into fbx. Damn! Nothing helped me.
Here are screenshots. Please guys help me!!!!!!
Without bones when exporting. Only skinned mesh. Also same looks result when exporting with bones,but jew looks like it attachet somwere right in the body.
All the bones were expored with skined mesh.
Units changed inti Meters.
My import window
Viewport. Bones selected, pivot in 0. Xform done.
I dont really know what to do. Fuck this all. I go to drink something and try to fall asleep.
I don't know, did you update your max to the latest service pack?
Their was some issue with fbx i think in their docs so that might help you out.(guessing)
Skinning info:
Anyway,
If you've exported with the bones that are assigned to the piece and they are all skinned and RED check this out with Edit Envelopes, if they are not red then they are not skinned. Here is were referencing to the original model comes into play, at least for me it was.
I'd check were they assigned which verts went to what part of the object and mimick then edited what I needed were I needed It so my object conforms to the bones smoothly..
EXPORTING:
When I export I don't have a xform in my stack, don't know if that matters but I collapse the stack then add my skin and bones for export.
You have to select the bones you assigned your object to and the object, when you export to FBX.
I included an image in my post with the settings, yes you should be in meters a.f.a.i.k I saved my exporting scene once i got it right so I don't have to deal with the size issues for that character anyway.
Just stating you have to skin and export both lod's.
LOD:
What I do is create the in-game mesh then upscale the triangle count refraining from altering the UV seams of moving things around to much, so generally just curve areas out as needed.
Hope I've helped I feel like making an entire guide but video/tutorials do take a long damn time, at least for me when I even attempt them.
Some rest helps and don't worry you still got time.
awesome, game fitting, quickass venomancer.
So good you discarted the eye firing glandules, so much better now
Thans for this words man. Im happy that you like it, but i dont want money, so tired that i simply want to finish this model and import it. Everything ok in UDK, so i dont know why so problems with this engine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOK4j8W2o9E
Here you go man, hope this helps any questions let me know.
On the first picture i skin everything like you did and using default mesh skin as reference using same bones like default mesh use.. On the second picture i skin right to the one main bone.
Not sure what exactly is the area with the spacing but that might be the pivot, i'd cheat and move the pivot slightly to the right and re-skin the object till it matched the position you want if it doesn't work at 0,0,0.
^ The above situation is why it is so important when you start this stuff to have a functional scene to work from so that when it comes time to get them in-game you don't run into these problems, but I was just like you and had to find out the hard way that the scene I created my earlier assets for was wrong.
I had to do some funny business with my bracers to get them to look right, like I thought they would go to the wrist but nope they went to the elbow and bicep, go figure. So just adjust the position of your pivot's axis and you should be good again
Edit:
Yea bugball thats why I'm helping him, it is a nice set.
I DID IT!!!!!YEEEAAH!!!!
I dont know how it works but its simply need to place xform right over the skin modifier, not under. So i skin highpoly and low poly head and misc which is helmet, i get results, so manablies of head use to be scale down a bit, other is pretty good. One problem i have is that glow does not work. Character has "ON" glow map in its shader - eyes, so i think problem is in my textures, or something else. I will try to find it out. Also i dont like shader masks of the base body, but my stuff use not to be different. Other side i d like to low rim light map and add more difference in power map. Other side its not good for reallism in DOTA2 and its kind of simply cartoon stile. OK, ok i simply shut up and continue to work
Only question i have is "How to view all the stuff together in the engine, huh?"
Also if i had a bit of time and everything will be done till 3 of december i will try something with their particles. Do you now about them? Does it work?
How people download to the workshop the whole character? They render and compose it? As i know i cant upload all the parts simultaneously. Anyway i will use xoliul for beauty shot.
I'm loving the new head.
No, only in your rendering application, as you said xoliul, or you can look at the technical section for a custom shader Mr.AceAngel awesomely provided.
Particles:
No can't create particles yet, don't know if they will allow us to, I also would be interested in messing with that stuff.
Submit items:
Use the left panel to send in your stuff, make sure each piece is correct in the right "socket", arm/arm leg/leg ect.
Glad it worked out and yes if you get no glow it's your maps, just figure out what glows that doesn't and match the colors. Reviewing the provided maps that came with the models from the official website is how you figure things out quicker if you need to.
Looks great.
One i dislike is SO HARDCORE RIMLIGHT. But i m worry if ill turn it a bit down, Everything will looks a bit different from the body. Huh? What can you advice, $!nz?
Also one more question.
God damn, how can i skin hands if this f.cking skeleton is out of symmetry!? Something mistic happened to him so it looks like. All the SMD files looks like it. SMD compilated from game too.
Maya scene is ok, but i work in 3DS Max. Is Maya the only way?
Skeleton problem :
Front view :
Time for hands. Guys can anybody say wich side of hand bones is better to use? (pictures of bones in post number 145). Also think its a good idea to do it in maya.
ALSO: i upload portrait geometry into the engine but when i press portrait button in the animations presets, nothing change, i still see LOD(1) geometry. What is wrong?
here is the progress: