retopology + texture

Lesyndrel

Hello! I'm new here. have lots of questions 
I have issues with retopology ( I have no idea how it should look like)
it's an asset, no animation so far.
tris limit is 7k. but I've used a bit more than 2k (do I have to use 7k tris, if the shape is ok? or it isn't..)
should there be only quads, or triangles also ok.. should I add some lines along the edges, in order to make them smoother?
ps. sorry for stupid questions. I have no experience yet.
appreciate any feedback 

Neox

A. triangles are generally fine, in engine everything will be triangulated in either case

B. if you limit is 7k and you are using 2k, why are you doing this? Do you have reference assets and this is their usualy poly density? if not, use the budget you have. No need to make things look lowepoly if you do not have. round out the silhouete. make sure the hose doesnt look like a 4 sided extrusion

how close can you get to the asset? i mean if its some game where its  abackground prop, this is probably allright, but if its 1st person or 3rd person and you can get close, make sure all the round stuff actually does look round.

Lesyndrel

Neox said:

A. triangles are generally fine, in engine everything will be triangulated in either case

B. if you limit is 7k and you are using 2k, why are you doing this? Do you have reference assets and this is their usualy poly density? if not, use the budget you have. No need to make things look lowepoly if you do not have. round out the silhouete. make sure the hose doesnt look like a 4 sided extrusion

how close can you get to the asset? i mean if its some game where its  abackground prop, this is probably allright, but if its 1st person or 3rd person and you can get close, make sure all the round stuff actually does look round.

Thanks for your reply!!)
I will inscease the polycount and try to make the sides look more round (and show the result later)

I'm a rough beginner in all that modelling stuff. I'm looking for job (as a junior character artist...(I prefer sculpting) but I found that unreal.. experience is needed and I have none)
actually this asset is a test assignment (I worry a lot.. I may say, maya and modelling is something complicated for me now.) I have no mentor to help, thats why I post stupid questiond here)

Neox

don't feel like this is stupid

how else are you supposed to get answers? scrubbing through endless hours of youtube videos can only get you so far.

In either case, even as a character artist. Knowing how to model is super important. At least on our end, if you can't model but only sculpt, the thing you will barely touch is zbrush and you'll model until it clicks. Modelling is the base for any clean asset. Be it as the basemesh (editing a sculpt is so much easer with a clean basemesh for instance) or using it for the lowpoly.

In the case you showed i would actually not retopo but use the basemesh of your highpoly to make the lowpoly from.

I can only speak from our perspective and dependent on the style or project there is more flexibility. But something like say Overwatch, it's 90% or more pure modelling, and only a tiny fraction of detailling in zBrush on top.

Lesyndrel

wow! I got it. Thanks for moral support)))

Lesyndrel

Could anybody help with the UV overlap? or better say 'mirror'. how can I mirror these two parts correctly (to save space and have the same texture)
thanks))

defragger

Use the full poly limit. It will be lodded down for distance anyway.

I like to remove parts from the LP that are mirrored. Just mirror them back after the bake. That way I dont have to unwrap stuff that's mirrored anyway and I don't have to deal with packing / baking overlapping UVs.

Lesyndrel

defragger said:

Use the full poly limit. It will be lodded down for distance anyway.

I like to remove parts from the LP that are mirrored. Just mirror them back after the bake. That way I dont have to unwrap stuff that's mirrored anyway and I don't have to deal with packing / baking overlapping UVs.

just delete poligons from one side? after unfolding and proper layout, bake that all.. and after duplicate this part and transfer along the axis? (and merge the points again) that is the algorithm?

defragger

Yes, exactly! That's one way to do it.

Lesyndrel

one more question) how this transparent glass can be made in Subtance painter? can it be displayed in the wievport? or I can see it while rendering only?
thanx in advance 


when I switch 'spec-gloss' to 'Lens-Studio' or ''pbr-metal-rough-with alpha blending'' everything turns  white(

Lesyndrel

 

Lesyndrel

final result

GOODGRIEF

Hi Lesyndrel,

I think this turned out really well! The model looks good and your texture work is looking sharp. The asset feels worn but not to the point of feeling unrealistic.

Great work overall, hope you learned some new things along the way!

Lesyndrel

GOODGRIEF said:

Hi Lesyndrel,

I think this turned out really well! The model looks good and your texture work is looking sharp. The asset feels worn but not to the point of feeling unrealistic.

Great work overall, hope you learned some new things along the way!

thank you!)
i've got one more problem..

I can't assign material to the shadow catcher in marmoset, in order to make kind of a pavement, where this pump is installed.. is it possible to do actually? or I should import a plane..?

GOODGRIEF

Lesyndrel said:

GOODGRIEF said:

Hi Lesyndrel,

I think this turned out really well! The model looks good and your texture work is looking sharp. The asset feels worn but not to the point of feeling unrealistic.

Great work overall, hope you learned some new things along the way!

thank you!)
i've got one more problem..

I can't assign material to the shadow catcher in marmoset, in order to make kind of a pavement, where this pump is installed.. is it possible to do actually? or I should import a plane..?

@Lesyndrel I don't have much experience with Marmoset, but my understanding of shadow catchers in general is that they don't render out like regular geometry since they're meant be rendered transparent and just show shadows, so that's very likely why you can't assign a material to it. You'll probably have to import geo, like a plane as you mentioned, to go ahead and setup a floor for the pump and assign your pavement material to that. 

Lesyndrel

yes.. the plane