Advanced Question: Complex Triple AAA, Sci-fi ninja multi-sub tool character setup/workflow?
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Hello, I am an intermediate user of 3d programs. Been working on 3DS Max, Zbrush, 3D coat, used Marmoset Toolbag and Keyshot. And have been learning Unreal Engine 4 lately. And as of yet have been able to do some mediocre to good renders and intermediate sculpts. Including organic figures, clothed characters, robots, basic animals like rigged dogs, creatures and props. Plus I do some environment art for the relaxing part of the day.
The sea is a calming topological feature.
Anyways, I have a solid grasp on the procedure within these programs. I am a bit less certain about weight mapping and complex rigging. So more of a props/environment generalist. I sort of avoid the complex stuff. And I somehow landed a job teaching people about video editing, but I also received a beginner course to teach people in beginner 3DS Max.
So as the title implies, complexity is not my forte.
The assignment I was tasked by my team at work was a bit over the top for my skills but I really have to get it done since the people who pay for the work are betting big on a sci-fi project. So they thought, heck let's give this guy a chance to show his skill. And yeah, this is where the good/bad stuff happens. They require a fully functional sci-fi ninja with sword animation and sword-holder in the back or side of the character. As an active/passive mode switch while the character is running with swords in hand. Eventually this will have to go to Unreal Engine 4.
I was like: "Hey maybe the senior guy could really be more suited for this..." And they were like: "Nah, you can handle it."
Which was a boost in confidence but also an uppercut to the digestive system/stress organs.
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In a nutshell, my idea was:
1) I will try and use a basic human preset and start from there in Zbrush sculpt using polishing techniques, panel loops, masking, Zmodeler and more hard surface techniques to get a humanoid/robot hybrid armor. ( + I will eventually have to build a human mesh to fit inside the exoskeleton armor. Also the potential animation of individual armor parts is a must. And perhaps an armor on/ armor off mode.) Oh, and also I need to sculpt a sword.
2) Once that is done I will simply retopo in 3D Coat.
3) Bake the base maps including ID, based on the difference between the HP and the LP mesh.
4) Do my PBR pass in 3D Coat (some people say Coat is not good for this but I am satisfied with what it does)
5) Solve the texture and other reflectivity maps and export.
6) With the proper swizzle coordinate directions for Max import mesh.
7) Do my basic rigging.
And here I start getting lost:
8) - - - > How should these multiple object be set up in relation one to another? < - - -
Say I have:
1 outer exoskeleton robotic ninja mesh
1 human mesh inside the exoskeleton mesh
1 ninja katana that will have to follow his arms but that he might want to switch hands, or perhaps he will have dual-wield if the weapon is a two sided separable object.
1 carrier item backpack on his back if I want to have the short katana(s) to be on the sides of the mesh?
How would you go about doing this?
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THIS ENDS MY QUESTION
Additional thoughts:
In a sense gravity and mesh collision seems to be my issue. But I want to have the process work 3ds Max, and sort of have it also work when I import in Unreal. Any comments on this?
But what about the sci-fi mask on his head? How will I solve the animation? How do I manage complex features like translucent mirrors going up and down on the character helmet mesh for cutscenes? The meshes going one inside the other? Thinking like an automotive technician? Should there be small overlapping, or space for mesh to work out within one another? (for multi-subtool helmets, etc) How do I make sure the individual objects don't go one inside the other while animating? Say the sword inside his hand? Or if he has a sci fi backpack? How do I make sure that while animating this structure stays perfectly on top of the other mesh while the collision occurs? Allowing for a natural feeling of gravity while the subtool follows the mesh?
I'm guessing some seriously complex IK rig/ wiring parameters. Could you guys just give a broad idea of how you would approach this task?
Thanks in advance.
PS: I'm new to Polycount forums, hi everyone ! ! ! !
The sea is a calming topological feature.
Anyways, I have a solid grasp on the procedure within these programs. I am a bit less certain about weight mapping and complex rigging. So more of a props/environment generalist. I sort of avoid the complex stuff. And I somehow landed a job teaching people about video editing, but I also received a beginner course to teach people in beginner 3DS Max.
So as the title implies, complexity is not my forte.
The assignment I was tasked by my team at work was a bit over the top for my skills but I really have to get it done since the people who pay for the work are betting big on a sci-fi project. So they thought, heck let's give this guy a chance to show his skill. And yeah, this is where the good/bad stuff happens. They require a fully functional sci-fi ninja with sword animation and sword-holder in the back or side of the character. As an active/passive mode switch while the character is running with swords in hand. Eventually this will have to go to Unreal Engine 4.
I was like: "Hey maybe the senior guy could really be more suited for this..." And they were like: "Nah, you can handle it."
Which was a boost in confidence but also an uppercut to the digestive system/stress organs.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
In a nutshell, my idea was:
1) I will try and use a basic human preset and start from there in Zbrush sculpt using polishing techniques, panel loops, masking, Zmodeler and more hard surface techniques to get a humanoid/robot hybrid armor. ( + I will eventually have to build a human mesh to fit inside the exoskeleton armor. Also the potential animation of individual armor parts is a must. And perhaps an armor on/ armor off mode.) Oh, and also I need to sculpt a sword.
2) Once that is done I will simply retopo in 3D Coat.
3) Bake the base maps including ID, based on the difference between the HP and the LP mesh.
4) Do my PBR pass in 3D Coat (some people say Coat is not good for this but I am satisfied with what it does)
5) Solve the texture and other reflectivity maps and export.
6) With the proper swizzle coordinate directions for Max import mesh.
7) Do my basic rigging.
And here I start getting lost:
8) - - - > How should these multiple object be set up in relation one to another? < - - -
Say I have:
1 outer exoskeleton robotic ninja mesh
1 human mesh inside the exoskeleton mesh
1 ninja katana that will have to follow his arms but that he might want to switch hands, or perhaps he will have dual-wield if the weapon is a two sided separable object.
1 carrier item backpack on his back if I want to have the short katana(s) to be on the sides of the mesh?
How would you go about doing this?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
THIS ENDS MY QUESTION
Additional thoughts:
In a sense gravity and mesh collision seems to be my issue. But I want to have the process work 3ds Max, and sort of have it also work when I import in Unreal. Any comments on this?
But what about the sci-fi mask on his head? How will I solve the animation? How do I manage complex features like translucent mirrors going up and down on the character helmet mesh for cutscenes? The meshes going one inside the other? Thinking like an automotive technician? Should there be small overlapping, or space for mesh to work out within one another? (for multi-subtool helmets, etc) How do I make sure the individual objects don't go one inside the other while animating? Say the sword inside his hand? Or if he has a sci fi backpack? How do I make sure that while animating this structure stays perfectly on top of the other mesh while the collision occurs? Allowing for a natural feeling of gravity while the subtool follows the mesh?
I'm guessing some seriously complex IK rig/ wiring parameters. Could you guys just give a broad idea of how you would approach this task?
Thanks in advance.
PS: I'm new to Polycount forums, hi everyone ! ! ! !
Replies
Were I tasked with this I would want to spend a fair bit of time prototyping various solutions with block-out meshes so I could settle on articulation and animation behaviour in engine before i went anywhere near a sculpt, let alone textures.
Work in layers of fidelity. Get a basic rigged mesh into game, then worry about sword animations, then worry about mask animations, then worry about what bounces around and so on.
Once you've got all that working you can think about replacing your block out meshes with real art
What do you mean textures are a problem? And why do you need LOD levels? I presumed this was a hero character.