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Worraps
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Worraps node
Hello everyone.
Few days ago, I opened this thread https://polycount.com/discussion/comment/2734111#Comment_2734111 concerning the basic pipeline to follow when you want to make a game asset. I've received the answers I needed to start a project and try to follow the "checklist" of the 3D Game Artist. BUT of course I'm a newbbie and, you can guess if I'm here, I encountered somes issues. 
I base my project on this link : http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/Texture_Baking, I know I won't necessary have to do each one of theses steps, but anyway I'm already stuck to step 3 x) Looking back, I might be gone a bit too far with the details and the complexity since this is my very first attempt following the game asset workflow, but I have hope once I will have completed it I will have learned a lot ! 

So here is my High-Poly mesh made in Blender : 
I tried to retopologize, then UV and test some normal baking with Blender internal tool, and I quickly saw it was absolutely terrible, be prepared ( Yes this is a 4k normalMap) : 


So after that big failure, I came back here and read anything I could find about Normal Baking, UVs and LowPoly from HighPoly. So I quickly understood that I had to start over the step 1, after the HighPoly modeling, because the first of my problems was that my lowpoly geometry was too lowpoly and not close enough from my highpoly mesh, especially for all these cylinders. I know I have also done a terrible job while UV unwrapping, but this will come in a second time.

So the first time I tried to make my lowpoly model, I duplicated my HighPoly, applied all the modifiers ( including Array, Mirror, bevel... ) and started by adding a plane, by enabling face snapping and adding a shrinkwrap modifier just to be sure, and I made the "lowpoliest" model I could. But I wonder : should I instead of applying my modifiers, keep them until the very end, so I dont have to retopologize and then UV unwrap the same object 10 times since I use a Array Modifier ? More obvious, my model is pretty much symmetrical and I use a mirror modifier for most of my part, can I just... retopologize and UV Unwrap only a half of my model THEN apply the modifiers once I get to the baking step ? I think I spent 2 days on retopology and UV, but I guess this could have been way faster if I had not applied my modifiers and used them ? Now that I want to start it over, I'd like to do it the most efficient way. And just to be sure : do we agree that my lowpoly shading must be flat, because the bevels 

Also, I know my baking troubles aren't due only to the lowpoly model, but this is the first step I've done wrong, so the others parts will come later ^^ 

Thank you for your 

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  • gnoop
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    gnoop polycounter
      it could be even more low poly for phone games.     Cylindrical forms  needs  some special treatment:  a cage and extra loops you later could remove.

    You also can adjust the cage ( a source of  baking rays) the  way it give you desirable projecting angle   .  But   it will never  be perfect until more geometry .  

    But  for simple solution   I wouldn't even do  Hi poly version for such model.  It could all be baked on low poly itself with slightly rounded edges  from bevel shader .     All the bolts  you could just paint in Substance Painter later

    Based on your   tubes  you  also  need to make smooth shading  on them and other cylindrical forms too.    Use  few pixels  of " margin"   and let some  space in between UV islands


  • Worraps
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    Worraps node
    I don't know what appened, this is a duplicate of this topic here : https://polycount.com/discussion/221753/blender-making-my-first-game-asset-isnt-easy-troubles-with-retopo-and-uvs#latest, seems like this is an unfinished draft ? I'll edit the title to get it removed. Thank you @gnoop for you answer, with work on this project I also figured I went in the wrong direction making a SubD modelling with theses shapes. I re-worked them later to get a nice smooth effect with way less polygons. I'll post updates of it in my first topic, to show where I'm getting with this very first try ! 

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