Jason Lavoie - Generic Marine (Learning Purposes)

JasonLavoie

Hey all, getting back on the saddle once again, and this time it is super important. basically from now untill next September, I need to get a solid portfolio ready for university (applications... having a good portfolio to back it up is quite handy) So with your help, hopefully I can get something together that people won't go at.

So as the topic says, this is a basic Marine, but everything I am learning, and about to learn, is going into this. My goal for this model is at the end, notice that I have imporved in every category I have set: Modeling, Normal Mapping, Texturing, and Rigging/ Animation. I need to get back into the groove of modeling, and this is probably the best way of doing... which is learning new more effiecent way to Model (in general).

So right now I am focusing on the construction of the model, such as edge loops, poly distribution etc. Have a look and see, and tell me what you think (again, its pretty basic... but hopefully it gets the job done)



BIG THANKS TO BEN MATHIS AND HIS TUT VIDEO'S!

Slipstream

Its looking good so far. There are just a couple of areas where the poly flow could use some improvement, I think.

First would be the butt area. The way you have it know, I'm not sure that it would deform well; I dunno. I guess it could work, but maybe you rig a quick bone to the leg and see if it deforms alright before continuing?

If you're trying to save polygons you can probably get rid of that entire line of edges at the back of the knee, that way you'll have an easy time rigging, and no bad deforming at that area.

poopinmymouth

I know you've been struggling with areas that will deform, so I suggest you build out a biped now, and do a rough rig, have some quick movements on the biped, and then check how your mesh deforms. It will take you a bit longer, but if you really want to use this as a practice model for learing good edge loops for deformations, I think it will be time well spent. If you find one area collapsing, add more loops, then rerig and check again. I learned the most about areas that deform when I started having to rig them myself.

ebagg

I'd give him some junk in the trunk, he looks flat-assed and it's awkward looking with his thighs that spread. Otherwise, great start!

JasonLavoie

Thanks all for the feedback guys

I think what I am going to do, is finish up the model (well, got some detail in the hands and head) and then do a quick rig, so I can focus on all the sections (or should I fix it up right now?)

Ha ha ebagg, by having the legs spread that far (oh yeah... lol) isn't it easier to rig, so you don't get verts intersecting each other. I just found it when I rigged a character with close legs, it was more difficult to "suck" verts to the correct point, but this was when I didn't know that you could assign verts to links.

Anyways, thanks guys, here is an update. Next one will have the hands done, and maybe the head (I have an 8 page essay to write, so my time is needed else where)

ultra

The model look really cool, love the pose, i hope the head ll look like the rest of the model, GL!

JasonLavoie

Here we go, I bring you a little update, this one was more toward minor tweaking then anything. I did however get the hands done, and I'll be working on them somemore as I continue this model. Next is the head (I am really looking forward to this) because I feel with all the observing I have been doing these past weeks, I feel like I have a better understanding on how to model the a head correctly.

Any crits are welcomed, and thanks in advance

JasonLavoie

Here is another quick update before I go onto the head, nothing really much to say, I lowered the poly count in the torso, and yeah

JasonLavoie

Alrighty, so it is so VERY late (its like 2:30 in the morning) and I have work at 6 am But this model is important, and when I get into it, I can't stop... ha ha (I don't know if thats a good thing or bad thing...)

Alrighty here we go...

Rick Stirling

I really don't think you need any help I'm loving the geo shaping of the head.


A few MINOR crits
- the armpit seems very wide. I'd djust the chest, and just pull it out slightly to make him a little more broad.

- where the chest meets the abdomen, you'd collapsed from a quad ring down to a triangle. I'd image thst there will be a quite a lot of latral twisting there, so I'd chamfer the back edges back into a quad loop.

- the same is true for the lower part of the abdomen.

- the elbows will deform well, because on the inside of the hinge you have 3 loops of edges close together. However, it LOOKS like this is not true for the back of the knees. Cutting in the middle loop will aid deformation.

- finally, purely a functional observation on the collar. The topmost edge has a sharp terminaton. In real life that would cut! Also, it **might** give you shading issues, so I'd square that edge off a little.

JasonLavoie

Alrighty so now it is just me playing around with colour scheme, I did some work on the head, and yet it is still 2288 (I added some cuts to the head to make the silhouette smoother)

So this is what I have so far, I kinda like where it is going, but crits are definatly welcomed, it is hard to pick a colour scheme you want follow, so it doesn't toally ruin you're model. After I have decided, and tweaked everything I can, i'll test rig it, once that is done and tweaked, high poly time... my first time with normal maps, its going to be interesting.



Rick: Thanks man for the awesome crits. The armpit area does need help, thanks for pointing it out to me, also, the tip about the tris for animating. I did have the knee with another edgle loop going, but some people told me that it is not needed, but I do agree with you, and next update I will have everything fixed, until the next fixing

Thanks man, awesome crits

Wells

No real crits to add that haven't been said, but you're much better off rendering out on the background you did in the first picture, much easier to see whats going on. I jacked up my gamma and can now see you didn't render on pure black, but its still pretty dark.

JasonLavoie

Really... mine is quite fine, I can see everything, but I did have the same problem you have with my old monitor. So if I were to change the background you could see it better, I'll remember that from now on

Thanks for telling me Sectaurs.

JasonLavoie

Alrighty, so if anyone wants to know what a quick 2 minute rig job looks like, take a look... ha ha, I just quickly did my biped, set that up (at least the biped is set up) as for actually rigging, ha ha ha... i'm not this bad

But this is good because now I can focus on rigging and animating, with this character I will be doing a run / walk animation, and figure out how to get a "gun shot" type animation going. Once that is done, and I have 3 animations done, then I'll move onto normal mapping

For people who haven't rigged before... and for people who have, you can already see some deformation issues around the crotch area (i need to add another edge loop) as well with the bum bum I haven't really had time to check everything else, but right off the bat I see some deformation issues, so weee

Enjoy (this was just for a fun)

Ramucho

Looks great dude, I can really feel Bobo's naughty influence on the style of your model

JasonLavoie

Ha ha thanks man, its weird that there is more influence from Bobo the Mr. Poop, since I study Ben's models more

But thanks, next update should look more proper