CHARACTER MODELING QUESTION!! PLEASE HELP!

PStrive

Whats up everyone. This is my first post on polycount but definitly not the last! anyways I am a character artist in training. I am in school and just learning about using edgeloops and zbrush to model characters. I finished my first character head and used it in zbrush...

anyways my question is. As a video game artist doing characters. Should I model the human form first and model clothes and all accesories separtely? Or does it just depend. For example I am modeling right now a WW2 German solider and am not sure weither I just model the basic uniform separetly or not.. Any advice would be cool. thanks

Xenobond

Well, it'd make good practice to make it all. ^_^

PStrive

but If I do that and it would there be a issue when Im rigging the character? So basically I should make a nude model and model everything seperately?

animatr

as a video game artist, you model the form of the character design. If the character is a soldier, with pants and a coat, you model that form. To my knowledge, no games have nude characters with clothing and accessories on top, there would be no point to it. Accessories, maybe, like backpacks and goggles, can be put on top, but not the full wardrobe.

Go look up some good character art portfolios, and you'll see what I mean. Or just look at some of the pieces on this board. maybe go look at the "So what are you working on" thread.

PStrive

cool thanks I appreciate your knowledge. anybody else who could give me some advice would be awesome

Vailias

Notable exceptions to animatr's post being Morrowind, and I think oblivion too.

For MOST (like 90%+)games yes you'll just model the guy as he is presented. Having a body under the clothing is a waste of resources, as it will never be seen. If you are in a production where uniform/clothing changes are a regular part of the gameplay then it makes sense to model the base nudeish character and their accessories separately.

Jarrod1937

[ QUOTE ]
Notable exceptions to animatr's post being Morrowind, and I think oblivion too.

For MOST (like 90%+)games yes you'll just model the guy as he is presented. Having a body under the clothing is a waste of resources, as it will never be seen. If you are in a production where uniform/clothing changes are a regular part of the gameplay then it makes sense to model the base nudeish character and their accessories separately.

[/ QUOTE ]
and even in morrowind/oblivion there are body parts that are swapped out to change cloths, that way no overlaying is done to keep the poly coutn low. so for example, if you chnage a shirt new mid-section and arm models are loaded and changed on the character. it must be a bitch though to get them all to lineup nice and neat.

skankerzero

It's good to have a nude base to begin all your meshes with.

The end result depends on the game. As mentioned, games like Oblivion and whatnot have a nude model under all the clothing.

most other games do not.

Still, it's good to have a good nude base to build around.

Ruz

just out of interest, why is there a penis like object sticking out of his head:)

Jaco

He's obviously seen something he likes...

EarthQuake

penis like object? I feel bad for you if thats what your cock looks like.

PStrive

haha its a mohawk. hey anybody know about this book? http://www.amazon.com/Edgeloop-Character...TF8&s=books

Ruz

earthquake, doesn't everyones look like that?

Joking aside its quite a nice model overall PStrive
Pay attnetion to the mouth and the nose, looks a bit funky in places

PStrive

thanks Ruz. I am struggling to really grasp modeling characters. Its so difficult compared to modeling environmental assets. I am going slow and steady and looking for all sources of knowledge so I can become the shit! I got some Gnomon DVDs also. Hey I'm just about done modeling my WW2 solider. Should I unwrap all the UV's before I start zbrushing? Thanx

Ruz

well i tend to do my uv's first, but you can adjust them after if you like.
Yeah man keep going,its practice and more practice and you will get there.

kakikukeko

You can start to sculpt your model before unwrapping your UV and swap your tool with a unwrap model at any moment (be carefull not to change the point order though ) ... but you better unwrap the earliest you can (you can find many modelling tricks by applying a texture as a reference or a mask etc..)