Reallusion Character Design - Zetheros

zetheros

Hey guys! For this contest I'll be using modo, zbrush, photoshop, substance painter, and UE4 to create a character called Zetheros; a demi-god spellsword who utilizes elemental fire and corporeal displacement in combat.

Philsip

That's really nice! I do think that the point of this contest was to start something during the 3 month period and work it to completion within that timeframe, though. Based on your sketchfab, this model was started at least a year ago so you might want to work on a different idea. There's still some time left if you get started quickly!

Your project on your website looks really neat! I hope you manage to complete it!

zetheros

@philsip that was a different version of the same character I started this sculpt a week ago.

Philsip

Fair enough, then. Don't let me stand in your way.

zetheros

no worries xD I understand. I've learned quite a lot since last year, so I'm redoing the character with what I've learned. Some images of the old sculpt, if you guys are interested;

zetheros

If anyone has any questions about where this is going, or what my methods are, or have suggestions/crits, they're very welcome. This is supposed to be a WIP thread after all

zetheros

Cower mortals, before the Angel of Depth.

zetheros

Went into modo, made some armour-piercing stilettos, added leather straps and other materials for more pizzaz. Still needs zweihander, polish/surface detail, polypaint, and I can move onto retopo and substance painter.

zetheros

Beginning to repousse the pauldrons.

zetheros

zetheros

Lunch break!

disanski

Wow!!! This is just amazing man. Can't wait to see more of this.

AdventDestiny

I can actually see the transition of the bird design motif as you develop it, that's so cool!

zetheros

Thanks guys!

zetheros

Every hero needs a belt full of potions. Congratulations if you recognize which game they're from.

zetheros

TFW you notice a dead centipede squashed between some of your longkong fruit.

zetheros

zetheros

ABorre12

Those armor pieces are pretty wicked! Nice job. Though I have to say shoulder movement wearing that armor seems awfully limited.

What are you using to retopo? I want to try to find something beyond Zremesher and Maya's tools, but from what I've seen it's a slow painful task no matter what the workflow.

zetheros

@ABorre12 thanks man! Yeahhhh, unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a way of getting the same results of hand-made retopology automatically. There are ways to speed it up; zremesher, and poly-modeling tools like you mention, but other than that, just gotta stick to the grind until true automatic retopology becomes a thing.

I use modo, instead of maya. I tried maya, but the UI felt unintuitive to me. Modo's retopology tools are super powerful, but then again I haven't used maya extensively, so I wouldn't know how it'd compare.

zetheros

zetheros

Hmm... I have work again; although I still think I can finish this entry. I already have a rig, and UE4 level in mind for the video. I'll be done with the retopo of the character tonight, and will get it all baked tomorrow. Gogogo

zetheros

Fresh from the retopo forge! 40 hours of free time to get this done! FOR BLOOD AND GLORY!

zetheros

Speedrunning char dev! Polypaint, UV mapping. Every hour counts. Going to sleep, gl hf - you're all going downnn

zetheros

Update while I'm waiting for xnormal. Adding polish before adding floating meshes (stilettos, potions, pauldron feathers, zweihander.) Then it's touch-up in substance painter.

zetheros

exploded additional items for baking. gogogogo

zetheros

zetheros

Sword complete!

zetheros

Floating geo retopo'd - time to pack it all into the existing UV map.

zetheros

Could do a whole lot better and probably save another 10-15% texture space, but have to keep going.

zetheros

Getting my ACS rig set up while xnormal bakes a nice 8k texture.

zetheros

Rigging while I render. I decided to get some more worth out of my UV map.


Look at all that wasted space

much better!

zetheros

righto - just got back from lunch; about 15 hours to finish rigging/weightmapping, make animations, polish the texture up in photoshop and substance painter, make a turntable base, and upload it all to youtube and sketchfab.

zetheros

So I might not be able to make it; I'll keep trying, but I'm getting hung up on the cloth sim. I might just do it all in UE4 and have a static sketchfab model, but was really hoping to get an animated/cloth sim'd version in sketchfab.

Philsip

I was a bit overenthusiastic about cloth simulation too. It takes a lot of time and work to get it looking decent (which is something none of us really have). 

zetheros

Good luck for those who managed to upload a video and qualify for prizes! It's been a fun journey, but in the end I valued sleep more than the winnings. Here are some renders of the low-poly, posed.

Saaamoth

Dude this is so great, it reminds me of Dark Souls in a way. 

Wolfer

I got to say that is one amazing character you did there. The design and detail are just incredible.  It actually makes me on the model design and all.  Great job on this.