UE4 Props show reel advice

Cloudyko

https://vimeo.com/334562937

Hello folks, I've been putting together a showreel for prop creation roles and would like some advice on how to improve. Sorry, the Vimeo video is not embedded, I couldn't find a way to do so. Thanks for taking the time to look!  

TheGabmeister

I think it would be great if you put your props into a scene to highlight the context. Perhaps you can place the command boat in the middle of the sea with a sunset in the background, and the drop ship on a landing pad with soldiers walking towards it. With some interesting camera angles and lighting, you can create a scene with a sense of story and character in it.

Taylor Brown

Everything is moving so fast that I can't focus on anything. You could keep the length of the video the same but cut out half the shots and slow them way down so that a person can appreciate your modeling / texturing. 

Obscura

^ This is the reason for why static images are better for showcasing ... Well...Basically anything other than animations. Spinning stuff in front of the camera is particularly bad, you can't see anything properly. Also the video length limits how long you can look at things, and noone wants to pause/ rewind all the time. I would say you are much better with some nicely rendered stills on artstation for example, and this kind of showcase videos are just damaging.

Cloudyko

Thank you guys for the feedback, will update on the progress.

Cloudyko

Updated showreel with stills posted to artstation, hopefully the pacing is better. https://nabinphauja.artstation.com/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-RDQqNuics
Sorry, still couldn't get embedded videos to work.
As for the environment sets for the props, I've started working on them  

Ashervisalis

Somehow, in your texturing, you're making it look like your models are toy models, or miniatures. That boat is pretty big, you might want to think about using tiling textures on something like that.

Alex_J

Regarding the boat, I think the modeling is good but the textures are detracting from that. The scale and uniformity of the grunge gives an impression like you put on smart material on in SP and called it quits there.

I think the stridsbat 90 is your ref, right? It's a pretty large boat. Note the size of the occupant in this photo. The kind of dents and scratches and edge wear you have applied is at such a scale that I feel the same as @a@Ashervisalis -- your model looks like a miniature. The scale of the water ripples exacerbates that as well.

I think going over your textures and presentation could do wonders for that model. Just more careful attention to detail and it could be awesome. Looks like you got it split into a few materials so getting enough resolution for properly scaled microsurface detail shouldn't be an issue. Perhaps keep most the surface clean with only mild fading, but allow some small wear to expose the metal on high-traffic areas of the deck. I think its pretty common for weapon and vehicle artist to kind of go crazy with the wear and tear, but if this is a professional military operating this boat they're gonna keep it immaculately clean.

Quick look at your other models and I think textures and presentation are the weak links as well.

I think including a background for your models is a nice touch and demonstrates pride in your work, however they must necessarily be up to the same quality if you are going to include them. So if you will have water and mountains along with the boat, and you retexture it to a photorealistic quality, I think then you should find a very nice water shader and perhaps some high quality mountains or make your own in world machine.

As an exercise in focusing on higher quality, I'd take a look at a model like this:

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/m2-browning-m2hb-machine-gun-9f54a2b8ae8d46249d963132b332ea01

which is the same machine gun your boat has. Just one small component of your larger model. But much higher quality. If you can make a machine gun to that level of quality, then making the rest of the boat to the same quality will just be a matter of putting in the time.

Cloudyko

Thank you for your critiques guys, will address them as quickly as I can.

Cloudyko

Texturing update, would you say I am in the right direction? (Substance render)

Cloudyko

In engine update, feedback welcome

Cloudyko

Update. 

Cloudyko

Hello folks, I've been updating my showreel and will continue to fix the other segments but would like feedback on the current state. Thanks
https://youtu.be/oCYLjWgrBys 

Cloudyko

Drop ship update

Cloudyko

Working on a bike

Cloudyko

Putting a hold on my bike, working on environments for my props. Will go back to finishing the bike and make an environment for it too.




 

Cloudyko

Update

Cloudyko

Alongside my bike (update)



I have been working on a landscape.



The problem is I am not too sure how to go about making large scale trees such as the ones in Star Wars Battlefront Endor forest. From what I can see from online posts is that they scan sections of the tree like the base roots and trunks and apply a spline for length? I doubt it's just one large UV texture map. How do they get great detail up close for a large scale object? Any information or resources would be greatly appreciated ) 

Cloudyko

Update. Still, things to improve but at least I can play around with the formation. 

Cloudyko

Going back to the train station and updating it. Reworking the whole scene, the tracks have been done first. 

Cloudyko

Update

Cloudyko

Update

Cloudyko

Update, trees from treeit

Dethling

The ship is a really nice model, but it also shows the main problem with all your assets: texturing.
Your textures really scream "one material + substance Painter smart masks and done". 
Try to Texture different parts of the ship with different materials, think of where dos dirt gather, which parts are bleached by the sun or water. Look for references and try to Mimik them, maybe even went to a harbor and take photos from similar ships and how their painting behave. 

Use smart masks only as a base, afterwards put grunge layers above it to break it up and then a paint layer to modify and push it by hand. 

Cloudyko

Dethling said:

The ship is a really nice model, but it also shows the main problem with all your assets: texturing.
Your textures really scream "one material + substance Painter smart masks and done". 
Try to Texture different parts of the ship with different materials, think of where dos dirt gather, which parts are bleached by the sun or water. Look for references and try to Mimik them, maybe even went to a harbor and take photos from similar ships and how their painting behave. 

Use smart masks only as a base, afterwards put grunge layers above it to break it up and then a paint layer to modify and push it by hand. 

Thanks for your comment , I plan to remodel the entire ship to make it more detailed and include an interior. Right now I'm trying to finish the environment first, then finish the detail on the bike then finally back to the ship. =_)

As for texturing, I feel like I include all the appropriate erosion and variation layers (for the newer models). Maybe I'm just being too subtle or spent too long staring at my work again. I've updated the texture to be more dramatic, would you consider it better?
The platform floor definitely needs more variation and improvement though. 

Cloudyko

Update