Futuristic-fantasy knight

ShockInfinite

Hey gang,

Aside from the Street Fighter character I'm working on, I'm also working on a 3d rendition of one of my characters of a game I'm working on for class.

I just started working on his armor as well today.

What do you guys recommend to give it that sharp look?

*Also, the artwork was done by a fellow classmate of mine

Lord Waffles

If you're doing hard surface in Zbrush then I would make extensive use of the clipping brushes and the "mask and extract" techniques. Personally I would just sub d model the armor in Max then send it to Zbrush for detailing. If you're doing it all in Zbrush then I would roughly sketch out the armor with dynamesh then mask off pieces and extract them or use ztool re-topology to create new clean geo.

ShockInfinite

Thanks Lord Waffles.

I hate Max and I'm a fan of Maya. I may just go the route you suggested.

ShockInfinite

Forgive me as I'm a bit new to zbrush but what do the clipping brushes do?

ShockInfinite

After some research I'm going to try Lord Waffles method.

How else would you guys go about doing this?

Do you feel that I'm starting right?

GrungyStudios

You're going to have less head aches if you go with the second technique that Lord Waffles suggested. It's probably going to be easier if you just model the peices in a modeling program, add supporting edges so you don't loose the silhouette when sub dividing, then export it and just sculpt over it. Doing it in z-brush is going to require more time/energy//really good knowledge of zbrush hard surface techniques

ShockInfinite

Thanks Grungy.

I'll work on it in maya and post it up again.

ShockInfinite

Here's an update:






I started via the polygon split tool but I'm really happy with it right now....

sigh

PyrZern

Extrude Edge, move them, extrude more edges, move them again. It's pretty fast once you get used to it.

Lord Waffles

You are on the right track for the most part. Build the armor in pieces, just like how it would actually be made. It's a lot of poly pushing, but you get better with time. Focus on matching the silhouette of the pieces and do your best to make your geometry even so when you take it into Zbrush it subdivides well.

ShockInfinite

Hey guys,

I'm going with a combination of masking and extracting and overall concepting via duplicating the mesh underneath and then sculpting the armor before retoping the actually mesh.

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ShockInfinite

Another concept

ShockInfinite

I think that sculpting it out in Zbrush gives more freedom and I enjoy it more

stevston89

You are going to run into a ton of problems trying to sculpt all of that armor out. It's much less of a headache to model out base meshes for each piece and then sculpt in the detail.

ShockInfinite

Really?

What kind of issues do you foresee?

I'm going to use the concept to create the actual geometry of the mesh.

GrungyStudios

It looks as though you are not even using any masking/extracting techniques in zbrush and you are actually trying to sculpt all the armour all onto one subtool, i dont think you are going to get desirable results this way. A couple images up you seem to have started modeling the armour in maya, why did you stop with this method?

stevston89

You will run into alot of resolution issues. You will want to subdivide more, but not have the memory to do so, as you have to subdivide the entire mesh not just the armor pieces. You won't be able to get nice clean edges for your armor pieces. Your bake will be very muddy. The quality of the sculpt can only go so far with it all as one mesh for the sculpt. You just won't get good quality keeping it all as one mesh. If you are serious about making a good piece, I highly suggest you make good meshes for each piece of armor before you start sculpting.

Also you should really start with the anatomy underneath. Get a good male anatomy character done first. Have all of the proportions correct before building the armor. I can already see alot of proportion issues with what you have here.

ShockInfinite

Gotcha.

Thanks!

I already did the anatomy stevston89.

Where do you think I need to fix?

Grungy, it's just another method I'm trying. I do most of my work in Maya, but I felt that I need to challenge myself and learn ZBrush.

I think it's of absolute necessity for myself or any hopeful game designer.