I'll give that a try in a few weeks (which should be a good test for idiot-proofing). Maybe numbering your steps would help arrange the information, or make section headings. Mega props for returning what you learned back to the community.
Now I've got one less excuse to work on my higher poly character modeling. I've added this tutorial to my Model Resources link page under a new heading.
Yay, thanks for taking the time, man! And you're using Blender! Double plus good! You wouldn't happen to have a tut on Hi-Lo poly workflow in Blender? Or know where I could find one?
I don't know if that's what people call a workflow but I just model the highpoly and then make a lowpoly around it that has roughly half of its surface inside and half outside the highpoly (all outside or all inside would distort the volume too much I think). Split according to texture sheets and if you foresee rendering trouble (e.g. surfaces that don't belong together too close to each other), export into .obj (one mesh per file) and throw into xNormal. Use the normalmap and the UV wires as a guidance for painting the texture (I don't do much more than colouring the diffuse and spec maps but that's simply because I can't paint any sharp details or shading convincingly and stay away from stuff that would require more than I can do).
I'm just getting started in blender, but my approach is to abuse the Catmull-Clark subsurfs. First I get my low-poly model as I like it, then I subsurf the whole damn thing. Then I go through and set the subsurf creases (select edge, crease subsurf, type in a big number) to make the subsurfed-model look good. Then I use the subsurfed model because I'm a slacker who'se just using it because I'm too lazy to code a phong shader and just want the subsurf for good normal maps. Subsurfed version = high poly, original = low poly.
I'm thinking about adding simple details through the "displacement map" feature, which lets you use a texture like a bumpmap except that it actually physicall extrudes the vertices of the subsurface rather than doing tricks of shading. Hopefully this, together, should provide a good workflow for my slacker-ish models.
If you really want to add other details, I guess you could apply the subsurf modifier and start editing the subsurfed model.
You can adjust edge weights with shift-E and dragging away or towards the transformation center. The biggest possible value is 1.
Displacement maps aren't optimal, modelling details allows you to shape the meshflow accordingly, displacing the subdivided model forces you to work with the polies that are there which means you need a higher resolution which means too many polies that slow down the normalmap renderer. Never mind that you can just use a bumpmap if you're going to paint the details anyway, at least that way you can use the full texture resolution.
Displacement maps aren't optimal, modelling details allows you to shape the meshflow accordingly, displacing the subdivided model forces you to work with the polies that are there which means you need a higher resolution which means too many polies that slow down the normalmap renderer. Never mind that you can just use a bumpmap if you're going to paint the details anyway, at least that way you can use the full texture resolution:poly142:
Replies
I should be using this soon...
Should I assume some familiarity with the console (e.g. that pageup/down scrolls and that tab autocompletes)?
I'm thinking about adding simple details through the "displacement map" feature, which lets you use a texture like a bumpmap except that it actually physicall extrudes the vertices of the subsurface rather than doing tricks of shading. Hopefully this, together, should provide a good workflow for my slacker-ish models.
If you really want to add other details, I guess you could apply the subsurf modifier and start editing the subsurfed model.
Displacement maps aren't optimal, modelling details allows you to shape the meshflow accordingly, displacing the subdivided model forces you to work with the polies that are there which means you need a higher resolution which means too many polies that slow down the normalmap renderer. Never mind that you can just use a bumpmap if you're going to paint the details anyway, at least that way you can use the full texture resolution.
Displacement maps aren't optimal, modelling details allows you to shape the meshflow accordingly, displacing the subdivided model forces you to work with the polies that are there which means you need a higher resolution which means too many polies that slow down the normalmap renderer. Never mind that you can just use a bumpmap if you're going to paint the details anyway, at least that way you can use the full texture resolution:poly142: