Almost done with the low poly head. I took it into zbrush, used auto uv and ran it through zmapper as a quick test.
I was hoping to give xnormal a shot for this one, but my computer shits itself if I try to export the highest level meshes. So unless there is a polygon reduction tool in zbrush I don't know about, it looks like zmapper is the only option.
Coolnez materialized! I'm looking forward seeing your project finished
"it looks like zmapper is the only option." According to my experience, ZMapper is a strong tool, so I'd say it's a good choice. Becuase on the other hand, my experience with xNormals lies beyond me wanting to use it.. xD
I'm shooting for UK 2007/Gears of War type specs (bet you've never heard that before <cough>. I've read that Gears of War characters are about 10k triangles and 2048 texture maps. I'm not sure if that's true though.
Anyway, this is the low poly model, it's a bit under 9,200 triangles, still a bit of optimization to do. Given the two, large extra limbs and all all the protuberances sticking out, I knew it was going to require a fair few polys, and I've been trying to keep the silhoutte close to the high res and interesting.
Do you think this would be acceptable for a showreel? I'd prefer to get your opinions before I uv map and do normal/texture maps, instead of doing them and then everyone telling me it's way too much hehe. I'm also hoping to import this into UT2007 once it's out, for some great ingame shots
Had a few problems here and there (currently another with the arm), but I should have that ironed out tomorrow. Anyway, here are some tests of the normal map in xnormal, minus the arms.
There are some fairly bland areas at the moment. I'm planning on using parts of the texture (once done) to create normal maps to blend into the main one.
I'm planning on using the diffuse texture to help 'break up' the model, so you can tell what is what instead of thinking zbrush vomited some polygons on a cricket.
Still got some proportions to tweak, and I need to fill in the part where all the mouth tentacles converge in the middle.
Been using photoshop and CrazyBump to add more detail to the normal map. I think once that is done I'll take the model into zbrush and throw some colours on in there to test colour schemes. Then touch it up a bit in photosohp.
Hmm, are you overlaying your normal maps correctly and then re-normalising them? You've lost a lot of detail from the original baked normals (see between the shoulder joints, just above the lower set of arms, on the comparison pic).
Also, I think your textures are a tad too uniform, noisy and bumpy - doesn't really look like fleshy textures, and like Electro says you've gone a bit overkill, they're overriding and destroying the nice highpoly detail.
Tone them down a little, use them more sparingly, and in a more natural fashion (google up some lizards or slimy-skinned creatures for reference of what sort of surface texture best fit where), and don't just apply it uniformly over an area.
On the lower comparison pic, I actually prefer the backs of the lower set of arms before you added the extra noise/bump - it just looks more natural and less like concrete or wood or something.
The back definitely needs some extra surface detail, but try using a larger, more obvious pattern, and don't make it so strong - I think that might work better.
I placed the crazybump map ontop of the original and set it to overlay, what is this renormalising thing and how do you do it?
It was at full opacity, so I'll have a shot at reducing that for a more subtle effect.
Overlay is right, but you should run Levels on your bump layer, select the Blue channel only, and drop the maximum level from 255 to 128.
Renormalisation makes sure all the vectors add up to 1 (like they should but don't once you blend more than one map) - it's a setting in the nVidia photoshop filter, just select "Normalize Only" rather than "Average RGB" or whatever the setting to convert from greyscale is. It'll have a subtle (maybe not even visible) effect, but it does help. Run it after you've flattened your normalmaps down to one layer, normalize that, then save as TGA or whatever.
That, along with reducing the overlay opacity, should help to stop it blurring out and obscuring the original high-poly detail.
Ahhhh, much thanks. I've got the nvidia plugin installed but it crashes whenever I use it, so I'll need to get it again.
I tried blending by having two versions of the overlay normal map. One only had the blue channel visible which was on multiply 15%, the other was the green and red channel, set to overlay 50%. The result was better, the details were there but more subtle and there was more of the original map present. I'll try what you suggested.
I got a layer that is basically a few shapes filled with black/white gradients. I'm wanting to take this layer and use it as a mask for another layer, but I don't know how to do it.
This is a screengrab with the way it is at the moment; with the a solid colour mixed with the gradient layer. What I'd like to be able to do is have 2 colour layers and have the gradient as a mask on the top one. This would make it easy to mix up colours and switch them about.
Any ideas?
PS. Colour scheme ideas would be much appreciate for the whole thing
In photshop, select all in the layer with the gradiant, copy that to the clipboard. go to the layer you want the mask applied, create a new mask. make sure the mask is selected, not the part of the layer you paint in. paste that sucker in there, and BAM. you've your mask.
Weird, I'd tried that several times and it didn't work. Even took the layer out, greyscaled it (even though it was already black and white) and loaded it in, but nothing. Now, after restarting photoshop it is pasting in the mask.
Been a weird couple of days, first XSI decides to set the undo level to 0, then this.
Create a new layer, add a new mask, select it and fill it with black, CTRL+Click the gradients/selection layer to get its selection then select the mask and fill the selection with white...colour away!!
I've restarted texturing this git a few times now, I just wasn't happy with the way it was turning out.
This time I've just gone for a more standard method of an overlay to give colour variation, and painting colour tones on top. Going for a lobster type look, at the moment just focusing on the exoskeleton. Once that's done I'll do the soft parts and the striated areas seen through the holes in the skeleton.
I don't know, I'm not a big fan of the white and purple... at least not the super saturated royal purple they used. Perhaps a more bone color with a different hue of purple would look nice...
Yeah I fiddled around with purple before but couldn't really get it to look decent. I'll fiddle around with hues at the end and try stuff out. At the moment I'll just stick with the red scheme.
Toned down the contrast between the reds/yellows in the main exoskeleton, it was just too noisy before. Gave a fleshy look to the soft parts of the claws and I'm working on reducing that black border around some of the holes in the exoskeleton. I intend on keeping a border as it helps bring out the striated parts, but it's just too strong at the moment. Also going to fix the gradients for the colours on the leg plates.
Looking ace Lupus, could do with some darker lowlights to bring out the details a bit better but then, you're still blocking in color so you probably already know that...
I'm calling it done now as I need to get started on the next character. I could keep going on with this one for awhile, refining it further, but I need to get moving
I'll post wires and stuff later, when I can be bothered hehe.
what about putting him on one of those gameworkshop bases, you know with grass or a little deco instead of that boring background ?
It's sad because it's not serving the model at all
He's going to be on my showreel, spinning and stuff so I'll be putting a thing for him to stand on. I had a quick go at rendering him on a a plane to get the shadow, but for some reason it wasn't working. It's after 1am here so I can't be bothered trying right now (and I'll be doing a proper base later anyway).
As mentioned, the foot is bugging me too so I'll touch that up a bit when I put the showreel together.
Wow, that is awesome... I think you need to go with the bone colored hooves, but that is just my opinion. Any way you cut it it is really awesome and completely brings the character to life.
Yeah I would definetly put this guy on a base. I know the McFarlane Spawn figures and other different ones come with pretty sick bases. Take a look at those and get some inspiration.
you should use the stereotypical games-workshop blue/white gradient as a background to go with the base
turned out nice! i'd probably have gone with a little more colour variation and darker tones in the diffuse texture (especially around the mouth area) and bumped up the specular to make him look a bit more slimy in places.
Replies
I was hoping to give xnormal a shot for this one, but my computer shits itself if I try to export the highest level meshes. So unless there is a polygon reduction tool in zbrush I don't know about, it looks like zmapper is the only option.
Enough dribble, here's the test pic.
"it looks like zmapper is the only option." According to my experience, ZMapper is a strong tool, so I'd say it's a good choice. Becuase on the other hand, my experience with xNormals lies beyond me wanting to use it.. xD
Anyway, this is the low poly model, it's a bit under 9,200 triangles, still a bit of optimization to do. Given the two, large extra limbs and all all the protuberances sticking out, I knew it was going to require a fair few polys, and I've been trying to keep the silhoutte close to the high res and interesting.
Do you think this would be acceptable for a showreel? I'd prefer to get your opinions before I uv map and do normal/texture maps, instead of doing them and then everyone telling me it's way too much hehe. I'm also hoping to import this into UT2007 once it's out, for some great ingame shots
Enough verbal diarrhea:
Had a few problems here and there (currently another with the arm), but I should have that ironed out tomorrow. Anyway, here are some tests of the normal map in xnormal, minus the arms.
There are some fairly bland areas at the moment. I'm planning on using parts of the texture (once done) to create normal maps to blend into the main one.
Keep up the great stuff!
I'm planning on using the diffuse texture to help 'break up' the model, so you can tell what is what instead of thinking zbrush vomited some polygons on a cricket.
Still got some proportions to tweak, and I need to fill in the part where all the mouth tentacles converge in the middle.
can u make his legs bigger?
i kind of liked the smoother bone/shell thing on the back that sprawled out across the front of the chest
Also, I think your textures are a tad too uniform, noisy and bumpy - doesn't really look like fleshy textures, and like Electro says you've gone a bit overkill, they're overriding and destroying the nice highpoly detail.
Tone them down a little, use them more sparingly, and in a more natural fashion (google up some lizards or slimy-skinned creatures for reference of what sort of surface texture best fit where), and don't just apply it uniformly over an area.
On the lower comparison pic, I actually prefer the backs of the lower set of arms before you added the extra noise/bump - it just looks more natural and less like concrete or wood or something.
The back definitely needs some extra surface detail, but try using a larger, more obvious pattern, and don't make it so strong - I think that might work better.
Keep it up!
It was at full opacity, so I'll have a shot at reducing that for a more subtle effect.
Renormalisation makes sure all the vectors add up to 1 (like they should but don't once you blend more than one map) - it's a setting in the nVidia photoshop filter, just select "Normalize Only" rather than "Average RGB" or whatever the setting to convert from greyscale is. It'll have a subtle (maybe not even visible) effect, but it does help. Run it after you've flattened your normalmaps down to one layer, normalize that, then save as TGA or whatever.
That, along with reducing the overlay opacity, should help to stop it blurring out and obscuring the original high-poly detail.
I tried blending by having two versions of the overlay normal map. One only had the blue channel visible which was on multiply 15%, the other was the green and red channel, set to overlay 50%. The result was better, the details were there but more subtle and there was more of the original map present. I'll try what you suggested.
Cheers
I got a layer that is basically a few shapes filled with black/white gradients. I'm wanting to take this layer and use it as a mask for another layer, but I don't know how to do it.
This is a screengrab with the way it is at the moment; with the a solid colour mixed with the gradient layer. What I'd like to be able to do is have 2 colour layers and have the gradient as a mask on the top one. This would make it easy to mix up colours and switch them about.
Any ideas?
PS. Colour scheme ideas would be much appreciate for the whole thing
http://www.poopinmymouth.com/tutorial/masks.htm
Been a weird couple of days, first XSI decides to set the undo level to 0, then this.
Thanks for the help guys.
This time I've just gone for a more standard method of an overlay to give colour variation, and painting colour tones on top. Going for a lobster type look, at the moment just focusing on the exoskeleton. Once that's done I'll do the soft parts and the striated areas seen through the holes in the skeleton.
Hope you like.
I don't know, I'm not a big fan of the white and purple... at least not the super saturated royal purple they used. Perhaps a more bone color with a different hue of purple would look nice...
you gotta do the old style carnefax next o/~
I'll post wires and stuff later, when I can be bothered hehe.
9,213 triangles, 2048x2048 normal/diffuse/specular maps
High res:
http://img279.imageshack.us/img279/4123/lictorfinalrender1highri4.jpg
It's sad because it's not serving the model at all
good work on it tho
As mentioned, the foot is bugging me too so I'll touch that up a bit when I put the showreel together.
turned out nice! i'd probably have gone with a little more colour variation and darker tones in the diffuse texture (especially around the mouth area) and bumped up the specular to make him look a bit more slimy in places.
nice work though, definitely good for a showreel
Great Job!
High res:
http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/9519/lictorfinalrender1composhibhe7.jpg