Deus Ex HR Combat Rifle

Doomathon

Hi all,

Started a new project and I just got done doing the block out. I usually get carried away with a block out and start modeling detail. Gotta stop that!

Let me know what you all think! Also, I was thinking of modeling the entire purple part (color block image) as one mesh. Is that a good idea? Trying to think of a way to properly approach that piece.


Thanks!

Doomathon

Got done with the high poly! Please let me know if something leaps out at you guys/gals that I need to fix before diving into the low-poly.

I also didn't model the entire inside of the receiver that tilts forward since it isn't viewed at all during the reload animation. Should I model the entire inside? I am unsure if it will cause some baking issues or if it even matters. Any insight with that would be wonderful!

Doomathon

Low poly done! (?) Maybe. I did my best to get the tri count down, it's about 8,019 total. I still am trying to understand how to triangulate my low poly and get a good result and minimal shading errors when I split up the smoothing groups. Have a loose understanding of what "rules" apply when doing that...

Anyhoo, hope I did a good job! I plan on texturing it with substance painter to try something new. Pretty damn pumped to do it too.



[sketchfab]373833878c45462297fafb93d04c3b5e[/sketchfab]
Deus Ex Combat Rifle fan art - tk by doomathon on Sketchfab

Doomathon

Got it done! It was a little more thinking put into the execution since this was my first time using Substance Painter, but I really liked it. I also broke up most of the base metal and the rubber parts into two 2k texture sheets, I've heard it's more optimized than using 4k res for all the maps. It was a new approach if anything.

I also changed the colors a bit to match the in-game model more than the bare metal in the concept. Overall I liked how it turned out and I got a great bake which is what I was trying to practice.

Any crits would be appreciated! Thanks!

beefaroni

I would see if you can work some slight damage into the weapon. Right now, the materials are pretty dirty, but there is no depth to them at all, everything is super flat.

Maybe some knicks on the edges of the metal and a lighter, more rough rubber where it's gripped/rubbed against stuff.

Jack M.

I like the model but I think the textures are lacking quite a bit in personality and story. The material definition could also use quite a bit of work.

The materials look quite off. I think the gun metal is fine but the plastic doesn't set itself apart enough from the metal in my opinion.

The textures are also way too dirty for the Deus Ex universe. Looking through some references and watching the latest Mankind Divided trailer I noticed the cybernetics/machined items are almost always extremely clean with little to no detail in the textures from any sort of wear, grime, or signs of use. Everything else on the other hand tends to be pretty grimy. I imagine this is because the creative team over there want's to juxtapose the old world of mortality with the new where living forever has become a legitimate possibility (a little assumption here on what they were/are trying to communicate but you have to try and understand what they're trying to accomplish in order to strike the same feeling in your own work).

That said here's some references gathered from the latest mankind divided trailer. They're a little low res thanks to youtube compression but it's still easy enough to gather what you need from it.

Notice how grimy the back wall is and how clean the cybernetics are.


Here is an up close cybernetic. Notice how there is very little detail in the open spaces. Most of the interest is coming from the model itself.


Hope that explanation helps.

killnpc

I think your bakes turned out very clean, nice model work.

You could push the textures a bit further, making the piece even better.

Overall, it's very nice.

EdHanley

It's a little late maybe for this comment but I think you might not have made the pikatinny rails correct (I'm assuming that's what they are supposed to be) on the top and sides of the weapon. It looks like you have them in a box shape where they should be more like a stretched out diamond like this image.



I'm not an expert on weapons so I'm sorry if I'm wrong, but if I'm right then it might just be something to keep in mind for your next weapon

Ed

Doomathon

Thanks all for your critiques! Very helpful to hear your insights!!

@beefaroni & Jack M. I agree, the texturing was something I should have put more thought into. I had in-game screens and I noticed there was little to no actual details on the weapon, which is why I didn't put too much wear and tear on it. But I get what you are saying now, even that was too much! I'll try to define the materials better, because you're right they don't fit in the universe. And thanks for the images, they do help very much.

@killnpc: thank you, I tried really hard to get great bakes with this project and understand better Texel density as well. I'll work on the textures, because it is holding it back, you're right!

@eddie10sixty6: Thanks for the reference, I didn't know that! I will definitely keep that in mind next time I do a weapon.