Quick objects

LouiseR2

Object 1 - Plant

The aim of this project is to make things fast and as optimized as possible, whilst still looking good. I have written how long each step took.

My reference pictures
    

Model - 50 mins
Low poly tris: 527


UVing - 27 min

I've got no packing addon so getting it just right was long .

Texturing (substance painter) - 1 hour, 10 min
1 material at 1024 sized texture.


 

Final renders
With size 1024
 
With size 512 texture

I think the biggest change is the quality of the dirt.

End reflection:

I could have increased the poly count for the pot, it was 15 faces. I could have also bevelled the bottom edge loop.
The dirt could have some mesh to make it a little lumpier instead of just normal maps.
The leaves could be a bit smoother with a couple more edge loops in some areas.
The texture works for both 1024 and 512 which is a nice surprise. The leaves are the most important and I think they remain pretty similar, especially from a distance and the size it is.
I've never really done foliage before so I'd say this turned out alright. Hopefully, the next time I model the low and high poly it will be a bit faster. The struggle was to get the leaves curling realistically.

I didn't want to create too many polygons as this asset would be on a desk somewhere (I don't imagine a player looking too close at it)

LouiseR2

Object 2 - Old tape measure

 
Model - 54 mins
Low poly tris: 1,022
Low poly:

UVing - 10 mins

Annoying sized to pack well.

Texturing in Substance Painter
Texturing 2 hours 10 mins.
This is a 1024 texture



This is Unity packed

Of course, it's worth a shot in a 512 texture too.

It is not extremely bad in 512, but I wouldn't recommend it unless it's far from the player.

End reflection:

I could have increased the poly count going around, again. But the point is to be low poly.
The leather is a little hard to replicate as it's been glossed over and crusty whilst also being leathery. Very weird.
The tape looks rushed and a little too low poly, some more time could have gone into it.

Joopson

This is a fun and worthwhile project! I'm enjoying watching and reading along.

DEVLiminal

First of all, I must say I admire your approach during the texturing phase, especially the stitching details in the middle section, they look really nice, well done. I notice UV seam lines on the top and bottom parts of the model; perhaps you could try making the 'leather layer' a bit more challenging to see by activating 'Tri-Planar Projection' in the Projection section. During the UV mapping stage, splitting larger islands in half might optimize them further. If you're going for a 512px resolution material output, utilizing the UV map as much as possible could be beneficial. Additionally, be cautious about some islands relying on the UV map's edge, as it might lead to issues during baking and texturing stages.

When creating the leather material, consider opening a 'Fill' layer, leaving only the Roughness value, then applying a Grunge mask on top to achieve a mix of glossy/matte areas in the leather material. I believe this could present your material in a more practical and efficient manner.