Swizzle, did you try to experiment with photogrammetry ? It's heavily dependent of photo quality but the results could be very impressive.
Agisoft Photoscan is pretty good and not too expensive.
I've only played with it a little bit and the results I've gotten haven't been very good, but I also didn't have very good photos to work from. I may do a bit of experimentation with that soon, though.
I refined the sculpt a little. Probably going to do a full-body scan tomorrow and start doing other parts to add to this. I should probably start a thread for this stuff.
blocking one last animation for my reel..
nice of valve to include skinned characters in the source sdk, too bad getting a hold of the weapons (still no textures) was a pain in the back side..
still blocking and timing stuff around..
the thing at the end there, was thinking the spy has his cigarette fly into the air as he goes invisible the first time, then comes back to pick it up as it's falling back down..
Been working on my abandoned hotel scene a bit more, in the new version of Cryengine. It's a great update, loving the lens flare stuff. Might have gone a bit overboard with it actually haha.
Been experimenting with a way to approximately sort of fake PBL inside of UDK while still being able to bake lighting and such. Still using regular phong lighting, but using emissive geo to simulate area lights with different shapes (like in the Killzone Shadow Fall video) and packed RGBA maps to control roughness (LERPing between low-contrast sky/clouds cubemaps for now), metallic control, AO, etc... It's my first time packing textures into channels and I really like it. Keeps things neat and tidy.
Using it to more or less replicate an old tin can from my desk. The PBL thread has some discussion about "fudging values" and I can definitely relate - going overboard on a spec map or gloss scalar to tweak it and have it look horrible from other angles or under different lights. The material itself looks something like this (slightly old version with redundant nodes)
Something that I sculpted for baking normal maps. Iยดm still learning to use ZBrush but I love it already. 10 000 000 polys started to make my pc run slow so I need much more horsepower!
BJA: Also, to take a stab at your symmetrical corridor question...it's a good question, btw.
In sci-fi design, most environments are either deep ocean or deep space. In nature, symmetry = strength (fractal universe). Any haphazard design will most likely collapse without structural integrity. Pressure of any kind will find the weak spot and destroy it, either immediately or over a period of time. In visual design and communication, the eye needs to "buy" that this structure has purpose and strength and the brain tends to except this based on symmetry.
BJA: Also, to take a stab at your symmetrical corridor question...it's a good question, btw.
In sci-fi design, most environments are either deep ocean or deep space. In nature, symmetry = strength (fractal universe). Any haphazard design will most likely collapse without structural integrity. Pressure of any kind will find the weak spot and destroy it, either immediately or over a period of time. In visual design and communication, the eye needs to "buy" that this structure has purpose and strength and the brain tends to except this based on symmetry.
...imo:)
No, not really. I suppose the only truth in your argument at all is that there is strength in symmetry, but even that is typically on a macro level, where ships and stations have weight distributed evenly. It does not required that corridors be symmetrical.
Actually, the utilitarian nature of a ship corridor would almost require that the design be a-symmetrical, seeing as corridors would be leading in different directions, piping would be traveling to specific locations, structural beams would be supporting the entire ship and not just one corridor etc.
If you want proof, look up naval ship images. Yes, some corridors are symmetrical, but not most, not by a long shot.
Finally, design wise, an asymmetrical design is more interesting and "easier to sell". The symmetry of it immediately makes it stand out as cg, to me, anyways. I would be much more impressed by a design that makes use of space and leads my eye somewhere except straight down the middle. Piping, interesting corridors, structural beams that follow the contour of the hull and no the hall, portholes on outer walls, all of these things make me think an actual ship exists outside that one hallway.
cleaned the animation a bit today.. not enjoying the spy's arms after spinning around, I'll get to that wondering about the cigarette idea at the end.. might sell it once I go over the animation..
Looking good thatanimator. The only part that seems off is the scouts jump and the ensuing legs splits. It almost seems as if the legs split occurs after he hits solid ground with his feet, which would make jumping useless for power.
Anyways though it's looking great otherwise, and please take the above with a grain of salt, I am a terrible animator and have no eyes for it at this point. One thing I would say for sure though is that is not a nice background for this, even the grid you had before was much better.
It almost seems as if the legs split occurs after he hits solid ground with his feet, which would make jumping useless for power.
he lands with both feet, but I could try to split the legs a bit quicker/earlier. I wanted to get him very low to the ground and have the volume of him squashed down.. I think it looks good, but I'll try to hurry them up two frames or so!
One thing I would say for sure though is that is not a nice background for this, even the grid you had before was much better.
haha! :poly122:
that's the background that's scrolling in my reel.. I guess I could tone it down a bit, make it more gray and whatnot.. good thing I didn't print my reel cd-case yet :poly142:
thanks for the feedback!
Just moved back to Vancouver, dont really have alot of time for art right now but this is one of the last things i worked on over at Digital Extremes. the retro MarkV armor for Halo 4 Champions bundle DLC that came out recently.(Techsuit,Gun,and background map created by 343 artists)
Hey guys! Just finished this piece for the blizzcon art contest. Hope you enjoy!
Not sure what feedback you got on this piece. Seems like a lot of hard work went in to it, however for a competition - if I were a judge (which I am not!) - I would say that it's a bit visually confusing, I'm not really sure whats going on in this scene. The main character appears to be holding some kind of bleeding spider legs behind him.
Its not clear where where they came from or why he's holding them behind him and how they contained so much blood. Maybe they are tubes? Giant veins?
Might be easier on the eye if you got rid of them and just made him hold some swords.
HOT DAMN, I wish I had talents like you guys... Everyone on this thread is pretty much amazing... If you guys don't mind, and this isn't the wrong place to ask such a thing, but how long did it take for you to get this kind of quality in your work? Just want to know whats ahead of me should I go down a similar road.
been working on this Smith & Wesson model 27, for a character thats in progress. Pretty pleased with it seen as its the first weapon I have created, texturing still in progress and some more work on the handle needs to be done
Replies
I was inspired by the Monthly Noob Challenge 8. Even though it's over I might try my hand at it just for shits and giggles!
I took another whack at the hair. What IS the proper way to do hair in zbrush?
I've only played with it a little bit and the results I've gotten haven't been very good, but I also didn't have very good photos to work from. I may do a bit of experimentation with that soon, though.
I refined the sculpt a little. Probably going to do a full-body scan tomorrow and start doing other parts to add to this. I should probably start a thread for this stuff.
looks really solid man. you should get some eyelashes on there (i would just use a plane strip) to really sell the eyes.
I really LOVE her face! But I liked the former hair with more volume better.
Her nose+lips+horns are LOVELY. Looks really solid and delicous.
why did you lose the lush smooth surface and go for that shitty hard edged look on the red part?
for shame Giles with your laziness.
It needed it's own photography studio.
blocking one last animation for my reel..
nice of valve to include skinned characters in the source sdk, too bad getting a hold of the weapons (still no textures) was a pain in the back side..
still blocking and timing stuff around..
the thing at the end there, was thinking the spy has his cigarette fly into the air as he goes invisible the first time, then comes back to pick it up as it's falling back down..
Very inaccurate. Remember to look at your references often.
Unity Webplayer test!
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123999
Using it to more or less replicate an old tin can from my desk. The PBL thread has some discussion about "fudging values" and I can definitely relate - going overboard on a spec map or gloss scalar to tweak it and have it look horrible from other angles or under different lights.
The material itself looks something like this (slightly old version with redundant nodes)
looking ace!
also for the hairs i'd suggest this http://www.zbrushworkshops.com/member/zbrush-with-ryan-kingslien/creating-dynamic-hair/ ... Ryan Kingslien just wins at sculpting!
Looking good though @airdrummer
Its been a long week for me and Peng Zhang we decided to create a character in a week and not only any character...the crow concepted by Riick
http://s.cghub.com/files/Image/534001-535000/534055/164_max.jpg
So after exactly 6 days of unpleasant slavery we are DONE...(kinda).
Should I improve the model somewere? Tell me please!
In sci-fi design, most environments are either deep ocean or deep space. In nature, symmetry = strength (fractal universe). Any haphazard design will most likely collapse without structural integrity. Pressure of any kind will find the weak spot and destroy it, either immediately or over a period of time. In visual design and communication, the eye needs to "buy" that this structure has purpose and strength and the brain tends to except this based on symmetry.
...imo:)
No, not really. I suppose the only truth in your argument at all is that there is strength in symmetry, but even that is typically on a macro level, where ships and stations have weight distributed evenly. It does not required that corridors be symmetrical.
Actually, the utilitarian nature of a ship corridor would almost require that the design be a-symmetrical, seeing as corridors would be leading in different directions, piping would be traveling to specific locations, structural beams would be supporting the entire ship and not just one corridor etc.
If you want proof, look up naval ship images. Yes, some corridors are symmetrical, but not most, not by a long shot.
Finally, design wise, an asymmetrical design is more interesting and "easier to sell". The symmetry of it immediately makes it stand out as cg, to me, anyways. I would be much more impressed by a design that makes use of space and leads my eye somewhere except straight down the middle. Piping, interesting corridors, structural beams that follow the contour of the hull and no the hall, portholes on outer walls, all of these things make me think an actual ship exists outside that one hallway.
cleaned the animation a bit today.. not enjoying the spy's arms after spinning around, I'll get to that
Anyways though it's looking great otherwise, and please take the above with a grain of salt, I am a terrible animator and have no eyes for it at this point. One thing I would say for sure though is that is not a nice background for this, even the grid you had before was much better.
Just did a breakdown on my texture process if anyone is curious! Check it out. Let me know what you guys think.
Pestilent Cross post
that's the background that's scrolling in my reel.. I guess I could tone it down a bit, make it more gray and whatnot.. good thing I didn't print my reel cd-case yet :poly142:
thanks for the feedback!
Just for fun, Eleanor
I'm open to suggestions for improving these, thanks
Looking good! The eyes seem like they could be really expressive.
Here's the first pass at texturing my Wanderer character:
The full thread is here: http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=121812
C&C totally welcome over there!
Thanks for checking it out!
Finished up the texture on my cement barrier! cnc welcome!
Not sure what feedback you got on this piece. Seems like a lot of hard work went in to it, however for a competition - if I were a judge (which I am not!) - I would say that it's a bit visually confusing, I'm not really sure whats going on in this scene. The main character appears to be holding some kind of bleeding spider legs behind him.
Its not clear where where they came from or why he's holding them behind him and how they contained so much blood. Maybe they are tubes? Giant veins?
Might be easier on the eye if you got rid of them and just made him hold some swords.
My latest thing...was great to have some "reference" during the making.
(Crossposting from my thread.)
So much stuff to make!