modeling TV

cturbo

What approach do you recommend for modeling this while including all the vents? I'm currently using booleans, but I'm curious about how you would avoid having too many edges around the model just for the vents. Are there any helpful tutorials out there?

Fabi_G

Hi! Are you creating a game asset? What's your reason for modeling all the vents? You can take notes from existing models, how they solve such details (sketchfab, polyhaven).

For a game asset, I wouldn't model such details since they go inwards, not contributing much to the silhouette. I would add the detail in texture instead. Here you could either use floaters when baking, or you stamp the detail on during texturing (don't have to account for skewing when baking with averaged vertex normals when doing it that way). Yet another approach would be to create a texture atlas and map the lowpolys UVs to it.

sacboi

"Yet another approach would be to create a texture atlas and map the lowpolys UVs to it."

A bit OT but this brings to mind a Scifi environment mapped to just one 256*512 texture, consequently in the process as a lurking noob had my mind fairly blown into orbit unable to decipher the wherewithal how it was made, although tbf some aspects of his workflow still have me downright flummoxed today, years later.

An exercise in modular textures - Scifi lab UDK - https://polycount.com/discussion/89682/an-exercise-in-modular-textures-scifi-lab-udk/p1

Eric Chadwick

Example image here of the trim sheets used for that scene: http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/MultiTexture#Trim_Sheets

cturbo

Absolutely! This is for a game asset. I initially thought I needed to model it directly into the mesh, but I also considered using a trim sheet for the vent. I've made some progress and would like your advice on whether the buttons and the front speaker should be included in the low poly version or just in the high poly one because they stick out. As I'm new to game development, I was curious about your comment on not modeling inward details. Could you clarify why that is and if it's a general guideline to avoid modeling inward features?

poopipe

normal maps can capture changes in surface direction but they cannot affect sillhouette. 

if the feature you want to represent doesn't meaningfully affect the silhouette of the object from any useful view angle there's no visual benefit to using geometry to represent it - therefore you're wasting time and resources by modelling it.

additional geometry adds cost, additonal information in your existing normal map does not

cturbo

I appreciate all your guidance! I'm planning to create a trim sheet for the details. Just to confirm, should I include all the front details like the speaker, buttons, and the volume control button that I've extruded into the low poly model on the trim sheets instead? My teacher advised me to place all the buttons on the high poly model and then bake them onto the low poly. I did bring up the idea of using trim sheets, but he suggested going with his approach. I'm a bit concerned that these large, chunky buttons might appear flat when viewed from the side.

Eric Chadwick

It's important to consider how your asset will typically be viewed in an actual running game. This kind of asset is a prop, not a "hero asset" and thus will not be allocated a ton of resources. It needs to be simple, low poly, not worried about silhouette except the most roughest shape.

cturbo

Sure, I understand! I'm currently compiling all the details onto a trim sheet, which will include everything from the front and back.

cturbo

I'm baking my trim sheet, but I've noticed that the vent holes are coming out misaligned. What could be causing this, and how can I correct it?

Not to worry i fixed it!

Eric Chadwick

• Skew you buddy! Making sense of skewed normal map details.
• Understanding averaged normals and ray projection/Who put waviness in my normal map?

Plus a bonus article 

• Of Bit Depths, Banding and Normal Maps

cturbo

Amazing

Eric Chadwick said:

• Skew you buddy! Making sense of skewed normal map details.
• Understanding averaged normals and ray projection/Who put waviness in my normal map?

Plus a bonus article 

• Of Bit Depths, Banding and Normal Maps

I really appreciate those articles! I created the TV model and applied all the textures onto a trim sheet.

Eric Chadwick

I found what looks like the same model TV: 1982 Sony Trinitron KV-1913
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NU6oAKfZRM

I think it would help to not use pure black for the plastic, as you're losing some of that 80's "charm" in the look of the plastic parts. I find this site super helpful for getting color values for real-world surfaces. https://physicallybased.info/

Also would be good to make the channel buttons and volume slider with actual 3D cubes.
 
A helpful exercise when duplicating something is to put your render side-by-side with the reference, makes it easy to see where it might be improved.

cturbo

Yes that’s what I wasn’t sure on, if the buttons should be on a trim sheet because they don’t look chunky enough. I will also check out that link on matching colours. Thanks for the advice and tips again!

Eric Chadwick

I would suggest using little beveled boxes for those buttons, with face-weighted normals. No need to texture them, except to use a part of the trim sheet that has 100% metal and the correct roughness value you want. 

A guide I made recently:
https://github.com/KhronosGroup/glTF-Sample-Assets/tree/main/Models/SunglassesKhronos#modeling-with-face-weighted-normals

cturbo

I did the buttons in 3d as you suggested and it looks better.

Eric Chadwick

Don't be afraid to get the camera up close, show us the details, not so much empty space around it.
For example look at how this is presented: https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/tv-sonya-8k-pbr-textures-2073310

cturbo

Absolutely, I appreciate you mentioning that; it really assists me in presenting it. I was experimenting with it in Unreal and learning how to create films, so I hadn't finished the lighting and presentation yet.