Polycount - Generals - [Makk]

Makk

This is a fantastic idea for a comp, there have been soo much awesome looking work...cgchat is ok too I guess!

Well Im going to use this comp to try to develop some normal mapping skills since I havent done any.
My concept at this stage is a WIP. He is going to have mechanical arms and boots. Pretty generic I know, but I care less about the design and more on learning normal mapping characters.

Will probably age him more and give him grey hair. The facial hair on him at the moment might change as well

Here is here Im at with the high poly..



Any feedback on the model would be great as Im pretty inexperienced with high poly work.

Makk

*EDITED*

ok, more work on the pants. The folds are progresing and though some dont look completly natural, Im fairly happy with the direction its going considering its my first time doing high poly cloth.
Oh and I will be adding wrinkles to the top coat as well.
Crits are more then welcome

ElysiumGX

Great start for a concept. My first thought is that there isn't much too him so far. For what you're attempting, you'll really have to place most of your effort into visualizing his demeanor. His expression and stance will have to depict someone you definately want on your side of the battle.

So far you modeling looks boxy. Anatomy is important. Good luck in concepting the mechanical bits. Those could really help this guy stand out. Keep it simple.

Makk

Thanks Elysium I want to put alot of character into his face. The boots will be fairly simple as I would like the attention on the upper half...

Anyway, a small update-

stupid fool

too sqaured. he looks like a front view just juxtaposed onto a side view. a human isn't a cube ...

EarthQuake

Stupid fool: I see you havent met my good friend, let me introduce you.

cholden

I have to agree with what's been said about the box body. A powerful shape here can strongly influence the normal mapping process, so I hope to see some defined anatomy under those clothes. Nevertheless, looks like you've got a good start on some normal mapped details.

The head will definitely make this piece.

I'd love to see him with a Union Office's Civil War sword, and a regal looking Doberman by his side.

toebeeone

Yeah a bit boxy on the torso. Legs look nice, just round out that torso a bit

Makk

Im am teh SUHH-LOOO-OWWW
Uh-ho, EQ discovered this guys deep dark secret....he IS Gumby!

Anyway, some updates



Tweaked his torso abit so he is hopefully less boxy, let me know if he still is. Also, somethings wrong with the feet...hmmm to small around the ankle area perhaps. I have been staring at this for too long..
The head at the moment is just a placeholder, going to have a go detialing in zbrush.
Chris Holden, ahh a doberman is a great idea! I probably wont have time to do if before the deadline, but its something I would like to add to him.

Makk

Ok, quick update on the head...
First pass in zbrush..

fogmann

Looks nice, although I think the torso is still a bit too blocky. Try curving out the back a little more, add volume to the rib cage, and round the sides some more. As for the head, nice wrinkle detail, and I couldn't help but notice the ears look kind of awkward, as if they were just attached and not actually part of the head. Also, the nose could do with some more definition. Here's what I mean:

Makk

*sigh*
Well decided to do my podium on the weekend. However Im getting pretty crappy results when I try to get the nromal map from my high poly source.
Here is the the two side by side-

and a closer look ath the high poly


Now here they are overlapped in wireframe mode. A ilttle hard to see but the black edges are the low poly and the grey edges are the high poly.


Here is the normal map and it applied to the model-



You can see it is a bit dogdy and placs. In oother words it shit. Ugh... this is really putting me off and yet my general is going to be normal mapped as well.

Any tips on getting a better normal map. I built my low poly mesh around the high poly as close as possible. Its not perfect but I would have that it would have close enough.
How far should I push the cage after I reset it?

Blah.

cholden

I noticed your vertical edges to your insets didn't render to your normal. Make sure your inset details aren't perfect 90 degrees extruded in. Scale them in a little bit so when you're looking straight at the high detail model, you can see all the sides of your details. Otherwise, when you render out your normal, they won't show up. Also, you may need to touch up your normal in photoshop a bit to clean up or enhance some spots.

Makk

Ahh, thanks for that tip Chris. I'll have to play around with that.

I was also wondering a few other things.
For the high poly source, can you leave the mesh smooth modifer ontop of the stack or do you have to collapse it?

And secondly, does the high poly have to be closed off. Meaning can I i have open edges, like that the base of the neck and the border around the eye socket.

Finally does it matter if the models are eMesh or ePoly?

MoP

You can have open edges, yeah. Doesn't matter if they're editable mesh or poly, either is fine. Also it's fine to leave the meshsmooth on top of the highpoly, no need to collapse.

it looks to me like you need to tweak your Projection cage a little more to get it nice and accurate.
also it's worth turning on Supersampling in the Options section of Render-to-Texture, it'll smooth out those jaggies.

Your general is looking pretty good, the body is still boxy and that needs work, but I like where the face is going.

Chris gives a good point about 90 degree angles, try and have a bevel and slight angle on everything, that way the depth effect will be maximised.

Makk

Ta for that Mop

Well here is where Im at...

Still too boxy?

Im completly stuck for ideas for the arms. If anyone has a ny suggestions would like to do a paintover or whatever, then go ahead. The only condition is that I want them to be mechanical.

Makk

Well this completly sucks...

I hate the arms, they are actually make look luaghable which is not a good thing when youre supposed to be some badass general.

Im calling it quits on this model.
Since I dont have a job or anything Ive got time to do a non-normal mapped character, but you know, it would require me to actaully have a "good" idea *gasp*

animeboyz

Don't give up man! You're like 75% there!!

You just need to look at some photoreference, mabye look at some other work for insperation, and you'll get those arms looking bulked up!

You're so close!

I recommend using the Poly Sculpt tool or average vertices to smooth out those boxy edges on the model.


Is there a way to NOT give him arms? and make him look cool? Like ... just give him guns... or somesort of robotic appendige that gives him an advantage on giving out orders and commands on the battle field?

Ninjas

I think the arms are fine. Maybe you could just scale them to make them fatter? Or add some bolt-on armor plates

Wells

I would either bulk up the arms [and add some length to the bicep-area] or minimize them even more. Simplify them down to very simple prosthetics that a poor war general could afford, so that they match his cane a little better. Who knows, maybe they came in the same box. The hands also seem a bit tiny.

Makk

ok, well I havent given up yet. Went back into the trenches and came out with this going on some the suggestions...


Kind of satisfied with it. Enough to push on.

Im going to try and model a Doberman Pinscher for him. Its going to be a big challange though so I might not.

Also, here is a closeup of the face..
]http://members.optusnet.com.au/~rowanfamily/general/high_poly_11.jpg[/img]
Thats going to be a cigar in his mouth.
Planning on use the PS normal map filter to paint in the detial for his hair at the back of his head.

Hopefully I will start on the low poly mesh soon.

Makk

ok, so that /\ one sucks big time. So here is a new entry...