GunBoat - back to modelling [ WIP ]

kHellstr

This project changed a lot, don't know if I should post a new thread. Anyways my plan was to make boat model and finish it. And then maybe use it in some game. (I need something finished to portfolio). But before I finished model I started coding also. My initial plan was some kind of RTS/RGB hybrid. But I made boat too detailed and when I coded boat moving scripts I found out that it was fun to drive:

UNITY WEBPLAYER DEMO

CONTROLS:
Arrows or WASD to move boat | Right mouse to move camera | scroll wheel to zoom.

Towing:
1. Install tow line by clicking tow reel in back of the boat and drag line to Iceberg.
2. Remove line by clicking tow reel again.

Anyways I will keep this thread up here because I already got some good advice. I try to keep this more art related, I have thread in unity forums where I have more code/ unity specific things.
[ unity forum thread ]


screenshot with 5 min "logo". ( wanted to write name down, don't know if good typeface)



OLD POST

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>

Hi

I have been modelling now and then over ten years, but never have had enough patience to really finish a model. Get everything done and polished. I saw that my favorite 3D software Modo has released new version, so I downloaded the 701 trial and try to get this GunBoat ready before trial ends. So decided to post here to keep up motivation.

// Latest:
Unity webpPlayer demo.
Left click to move boat | space + left click to move camera



// Bonus: Every ship needs a captain and crew:



// orginal post >>>

Renders:



Trying to achieve semi-realistic cartoon style, like in Dishonored or in borderlands. Any tips? (except skills, talent and hard work).

Wire:




Another project I have is to make an small RTS with Unity, don't know if it will ever get finished. In that game you fight with boat's and towers in small lake and canyons between lakes, of course in post-apocalyptic world. So this boat is first unit I'm modelling.

I know there is way too much detail for ingame model (for rts), even if baked. I believe lot small stuff will become just ugly noise if baked in normalmap. I have bad habit to begin modelling bold and mutters in some areas when I have barely boxed out half of my model. That's part of reason I never get anything finished. Another thing I'm doing wrong, is that I look up model way too little from "rts perspective" , almost topview. So I ad details to areas that will not be seen. Maybe I use this in cutscenes (that I will never make...)

Have a colorful autumn!
updating this as I proceed...

Stefan_Martens

I think you hit the nail on the head when you said that you spend to much time on details you won't see.

A great tip that pops up on polycount now and then is to look at your model as a silhouette (assign a pure black shader, or disable all lights in the scene). Now go to the RTS perspective you had in mind. Now all the little details you've added will probably be gone.

This means that every detail that doesn't add to the silhouette, should probably be replaced by; either a less dense mesh or textures.

You shouldn't underestimate the power of textures.

One last thing.

You seem to model things by extruding all the details out, this is a valid way of modeling, but usually modeling seperate pieces and optimizing them afterwards is a quicker and cleaner solution!

XanthV

Hey, cool boat. given some current RTS games out, I think you have a good amount of detail, and could even stand for a bit more. For instance, some more radio/radar equipment on the top of the boat would help add to the silhouette, maybe even the hint of railings on the sides. Maybe add some tires on the side, since this looks like a converted tug boat or something similar for more interest.
You might also want to rethink how that gun is mounted to the boat. It resembles a Flak18 gun which if you look at that offers a good base to mount to the boat with.
The exagerated size of the gun along with the bridge i think will lend well to that "catoony" feeling you are going for, but the rest may be achieved in the texture.

XanthV

You might want to look at gun emplacements like a flak18 for how the base of them works. You're gun could use something that attaches to the boat better and looks more functional.

kHellstr

Thanks you for tips, in particular that silhuette thing is something I will keep in mind.

I'm modelling this as highpoly model and going to bake textures from it, and probably over paint them afterwards if needed.

I extrude lot of details out, sometimes create new mesh items. This is first models where I don't care over lapping polygons; few year ago for example I would have spend countless hours fitting the deck and
cabin together so that vertex and edge meet (deck is slightly curved). Now cabin mesh just go trough the deck about half an meter.

I find it useful to use existing polygons for details. When you extrude "details" out; rotation, scale and position are right straight away. But just realized that is powerful to extrude something, then cut it and paste it to its own layer/mesh and add details. That way you can keep simple base mesh. Maybe retopo it to one mesh later.


Ps.
I'm having trouble with Modos gamma settings, cant figure out what would be right combination. There are gamma settings in preferences/render output and image processing. Now I have to change gamma in Image processing to 1 every time so render would not be washed out.

Latest:

kHellstr

I'm having hard times with holes. Have read and watched too many tutorials and still can't figure out right workflow to make holes in SubD surface and keep remaining geometry smooth and clean:



Maybe I shouldn't add holes before I'm perfectly satisfied with primary shape of the mesh where I add holes. And probably just have to do some tweaking.

With this model I don't bother so much, because I'm planning to make ship rusty and dent
,but I have left many models unfinished because I have ended up tweaking some hole in curved surface and never get it right.

kHellstr

Adding detail, too much, too tired.



Render is over exposured because I accidentally had turned one
spare directional light on. Took 30 min to render with my lazy laptop, so want render it again today.

[EDIT. Did new render anyway]:

kHellstr

Some color:



Bit grainy and dark render. Looking for good settings that would also render in resonable time.

Worked also with shape and topology of hull:



I'm pleased with stern but have to work with that highlighted area and "inset railing" in bow. Then I probably will sculpt dents and welds etc to Hull. Waiting for that, I have wanted to do 3d sculpt for years but never have get into it.

kHellstr

I got email that said someone just replied this thread. But it seems to be nothing here. Any one know what to issues is? It had good advice, so Thank you X*****. [edit. it was there now ..]

I use Global Illumination in these renders, scene illuminated with enviroment picture. I think it's bit overkill, at least for my lazy HP pavilion G6. Picture below took 20 min to render. I think I should use some simple three-point lightning set up, with out GI. Looking for tips and tutorials for fast and good looking WIP renders...






Maybe little bit too much that thing in tip of the gun.

kHellstr

Had to leave computer and go outside, drew this in metro. Every ship needs Captain & Crew:



Latest render:

kHellstr

XanthV, yuor post was that I didn't see in this thread but in my email. Thank for advices and now I now what gun I was modelling, Flak18. I had that one in my reference pictures, but I used others too. But find more good reference pictures now because I have name of the gun

The exagerated size of the gun along with the bridge i think will lend well to that "catoony" feeling you are going for, but the rest may be achieved in the texture.

Actually bridge size is not exaggerated very much, gun is. Ships have crazy designs. Here is reference/inspiration picture I used:


Boat in picture below will be next "reference", if I ever finish this one:


newest renders, added tugger winch, and made boat few meters longer.




Now I think I'm finished tweaking the hull and tomorrow I will begin to sculpt some dents in it.

Wire:

kHellstr

twisted roof the of bridge, but too much. Added a hatch and some other minor changes:

kHellstr

Tried sculpt wrinkles to hull, but get only blobs and smudge, so I decided to model them, Maybe I will sculpt minor details later, but probably use displacement map.

Render:

Don't like how upper rope hole blends to hull, will fix that and tweak hole thing more. Now it looks too much a cloth sheet.

Wire:

kHellstr

tweaking...

kHellstr

Tried out some procedural texturing and shading. I plan to use those textures for base that I will paint over where needed. ( if needed. I try to keep out of uncanny valley. And if I see I'm going to towards it, I will take less realistic route)

kHellstr

Boat in "rts" environment Unity web player. Left click to move boat, space + left click to move camera

thepapercut

Nice looking boat, have you though about increasing the details in the texture maps?

kHellstr

thanks thepapercut. I made that test scene above and realized that I have way too much detail for rts model. But anyways I will keep working at detail level I'm, and will add more details, both meshes and textures.

If/when I make lowPoly version, then I probably get rid of some details and emphasize others. Now some details are just causing unreadable noise. Any Tip & tutorials?

kHellstr

This project changed a lot, don't know if I should post a new thread. Anyways my plan was to make boat model and finish it. And then maybe use it in some game. (I need something finished to portfolio). But before I finished model I started coding also. My initial plan was some kind of RTS/RGB hybrid. But I made boat too detailed and when I coded boat moving scripts I found out that it was fun to drive:

UNITY WEBPLAYER DEMO

CONTROLS:
Arrows or WASD to move boat | Right mouse to move camera | scroll wheel to zoom.

Towing:
1. Install tow line by clicking tow reel in back of the boat and drag line to Iceberg.
2. Remove line by clicking tow reel again.

Anyways I will keep this thread up here because I already got some good advice. I try to keep this more art related, I have thread in unity forums where I have more code/ unity specific things.
[ unity forum thread ]


screenshot with 5 min "logo". ( wanted to write name down, don't know if good typeface)

kHellstr

Anyone bakes normal maps in Modo? I have issues with UV seems:


I know problem lies somewhere in vertex normals and Modos fbx export, but I'm tired of googling and testing all possible settings. So if anyone knows right work pipe to get Normalmapped assets from Modo to Unity, I'd love to hear (or read).

Or should I just give up with modo and install xNormal+