Game art models - sketchbook

McGavish · Nov 2015

Hi everyone.
In this sketchbook I will post my game-art models.
Any suggestions, comments or criticism welcome.

Sketchfab:
https://sketchfab.com/models/f87a95746c1e4c06ada2934a69678c8a

Wooden Barrel (Blender, Substance Painter, 504 tris, 2k textures):

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/hf/63mr7qaq85wa.jpg

McGavish · Nov 2015

Update:
(Cycles)

(Substance Painter)

Sketchfab · Nov 2015

The site update broke our integration here on Polycount, but it should be fixed soon. We'll provide updates here:

http://polycount.com/discussion/160887/sketchfab-integration-on-polycount-is-broken#latest

^bart

McGavish · Nov 2015

Thanks @Sketchfab for the information!

Barrel finished:

McGavish · Nov 2015

Hi!
Next model (high-poly):

McGavish · Dec 2015

Textures are almost finished:
Criticism is welcome
Sketchfab: https://sketchfab.com/models/554235b3e36744068d28f95928f45661

DweenieTodd · Dec 2015

The barrel looks sweet man! Here's some criticism:

- I would tone down the colours in the Albedo map. Personally i preferred the albedo's texture in the 2nd renders. Right now, i feel the bright patches are too bright, and just need toning down a little, to compliment the rest of the barrel.

- I would push the intensity down of the normal map a little bit too. Nothing too drastic, but wood's a so and so one with the normal map. You don't want it too intense, but of course need a subtle normal maps to bring out grains and so forth.

- My last suggestion is more if you feel this could be necessary to the barrel. Personal i would add this but heck, it's not going to define if it's a great asset or not

What i would suggest is adding little chips, and pealed off areas on the barrel. Almost like wear and tear. I've provided an image i found on an artist Portfolio website, as a way of explaining what i mean.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/x3/qx44rqrhu7qj.jpg

You see how on the edges of the wood, and in and around other areas wood has peeled away? I feel this could add something extra, particularly with the barrel looking worn.

Hope this helps, and i'll keep an eye on everything else you do.

McGavish · Dec 2015

Thank you so much @DweenieTodd ! I will improve those barrels and publish here soon.

I decided to create the rest of the compressor.

McGavish · Dec 2015

Update! High and low poly are finished. Now I have to bake everything and texture.

High-poly (3M triangles):

xhi · Dec 2015

I really like the barrel. Is it a displacement map for when the metal bands have more dimension? Also I was always told not to have many edges share one vertex. I know that mudbox doesn't take models in with that. Maybe if it is important, edit that part n_n

McGavish · Dec 2015

Thank you @xhi
These metal bands aren't displacement map. I just created two versions of barrels, one more detailed and the second one less.
I don't use Mudbox but thank you for this information.

Cloudydays · Dec 2015

xhi said:

I really like the barrel. Is it a displacement map for when the metal bands have more dimension? Also I was always told not to have many edges share one vertex. I know that mudbox doesn't take models in with that. Maybe if it is important, edit that part n_n

Yeah the idea is that good edge flow has mostly all four-sided polygons (minimal tris) and very little "stars" - or places where 5 edges connect at a vertex. Here is what I mean:

Try to keep all of your edge flows clean like in the first image rather than in the second image:

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/ah/kdvxyzhkchxl.png

The idea is that when you bring these assets into an engine - say UE4 or Unity - these engines will triangulate these assets for you and so you don't have to do it yourself in Maya or whatever 3D modeling toolkit you're using. There's a bit of problem solving that goes into trying to keep clean edge loops - and it isn't a strict of "No stars allowed!" but there are advantages to clean edge loops. Also, feel free to break down meshes into multiple pieces in order to make your life easier.

McGavish · Dec 2015

@Cloudydays: Thank you. So even on the low poly model I have to do clean mesh? What about meshes like below?

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/hz/xzmyi5y89uh0.jpg

Cloudydays · Dec 2015

McGavish said:

@Cloudydays: Thank you. So even on the low poly model I have to do clean mesh? What about meshes like below?

Yeah something like that is not optimal and you could have better edge loop flow to deal with a shape like that. It's a matter of thinking of different ways to approach making different shapes when you're modeling. So for a shape like this, while it's not exactly the shape you have, I would approach it with a basic pipe shape and take it from there like this:

If you're going for a nut & bolt/divet look you could consider breaking it down into two different pieces - the rounder bolt piece and the flat piece and then combining them. But do you notice how the 4 vertices on the outermost edges of your shape have a lot of edges connecting at them? It makes for poor topology/edge loops. I obviously used more polys than necessary in my example but you can see that I have better edge loops making for cleaner topology. Again - it's not the shape that you have but it's a good start for one.

McGavish · Dec 2015

@Cloudydays Yes, I know the topology is very important in high-poly models especially when I use turbosmooth or subsurf. Does the topology really matter in low poly models where normal-maps do almost the whole work?
Example (https://www.artstation.com/artwork/XPzyR )

McGavish · Dec 2015

Doubled post

heklis · Dec 2015

McGavish said:

@Cloudydays: Thank you. So even on the low poly model I have to do clean mesh? What about meshes like below?

I think its absolutly fine. I think low poly have just a few rules ... tris and quads are absolutely alright. The less visible, the less geo and optimize how much as possible. Maybe I forgot something important but if it works in engine almost always're on the right way...
edit: nice welds on compressor

McGavish · Jan 2016

Thanks @heklis

Textures are finished, I'm not sure about this oil leakage.
Let me know what do you think about it.
Blender, Substance Painter, Marmoset, almost 16k triangles.

Sketchfab https://sketchfab.com/models/0152053061374f4c856c2fede0eac6ad

Rawbert · Jan 2016

be careful with the bloom!
other then that, great model, i love it

McGavish · Jan 2016

Thank you for your critique @Rawbert ! I will use less bloom next time.

Maxilator · Jan 2016

Looks pretty good, I think those oil leaks trails look a bit too thin, I also think the plastic part with the switch looks a bit off, like too clean or something.