Insanely-low-poly penguin WIP

WhiteRavenAnim

So far, the model, UV's and a base color layer are done.

Painting the texture at 512, intend to reduce it down to 128 at the end.

Also considering taking out a couple of horizontal loops around the upper back, above the shoulder, and another just below the armpit; not that it's not already low poly...maybe it could be lower.

Crits welcomed (when I finally get this blasted thing rolling )

Steve Schulze

You could save some polys by making the wings/flippers 2d or even alpha mapped if you wanted to be really frugal. I'd doubt at the (presumably) DS res, you'd ever notice the difference.

If you smash a 512 by 512 texture down to 128 you're going to lose every scerick of detail and wind up with a big mush mess. Paint it at true res. Its particularly important on textures this low res.

WhiteRavenAnim

Thank you very much for the feedback, Jack!

I'll definitely look into pulling down the count to under/around 300, and thanks for the heads-up about the texture; I'll be sure to change the res I'm working at!

dfacto

You can mash the feet down into an alpha mapped plane as well. Penguins have flat feet, so you wouldn't notice that either.

pliang

Also you only use that big of a resolution when its say fro walls with moderate details like effects and wears etc....

Wells

looks good!

but don't go slinging that 'insanely low-poly' around here until you've seen the 64 triangle characters people bust out.

WhiteRavenAnim

Thanks for all crits!

As per dfacto's advice, the feet are now flat planes as well; nothing but a flat color on them right now, so they don't read as feet yet.

The flippers are also now 2d planes, as is the tail. Cut down the tri count to 200 (100 per half of the model).

And allrighty, Sectaurs, I'll be sure to be careful with my word-choice, and keep an eye out for those low-poly models.



Just have to put my screenshots together, and I'll post again in a min. or two...

WhiteRavenAnim

Bottom-left is the UV layout for bits that will have transparency (the flipper, tail and feet), and bottom-right is the body, "leg" (stumpy as it is) and head.

Both 128's.

WhiteRavenAnim

*Runs in circles, flapping arms and emitting penguin sounds*



Yet to do:

+ Touch up the feet color and shading/highlights (like they can get much better on a 128 ).
+ Alpha for the flipper.
+ Considering darkening the light-grey on the front of the 'guin; a bit too bright, methinks...
+ Paint some color at the eye-region of the head.



EDIT:

By the way, here's the 'guin I've been looking at for colors/shapes/etc...



The belly "bleeds" into the white background...but I think I got the shape right in my model...*crosses fingers*

Also, I get the feeling that a lot of atmospheric/environmental/ambient "blue" is coming onto the 'guin; I've intentionally left that out of my textures.

oobersli

why does the foot have its own texture?

sama.van

Oh! a cute penguin

Just be carful on the neck pattern...

psd file on click

ElysiumGX

360 polies is too much. I was expecting a single face with a penguin painted on it, and you disappointed me.

WhiteRavenAnim

*Hugs for all the crits*

@ oobersli:

I'm not sure how the image texture appears to you, but the foot, flipper and "tail feathers" are all on the 128x128 transparency map together; the flipper and the tail may be too dark to make out.

@ sama.van:

Heh, glad you find it cute...I do too, to be honest. ^_^

And thanks for the paint-over; I will fix the shape so that it's more squat-candy-corn shaped, rather than egg-ish.

@ ElysiumGX:

Lol, yeah...I'm not looking to get that crazy. Maybe ask BoBo; he could pull it off, I'm sure.

Though I am thinking of taking off one or two horizontal loops around the torso; that could take off another 16-32 tris.

WhiteRavenAnim

While we're checking out penguins...

oobersli

ah, I didn't notice the other stuff on the texture with the foot. it almost looks all black. you could fit all of that in with the body texture.

WhiteRavenAnim

The shape at the neck/shoulder region is a bit smudgey/blurry right now; I intend to fix that.

Apart from that, I still have to add an eye, and touch up the feet a bit.

pliang

I wonder if its OK if you can add some nice subtle specular map for the shiny fur coat and the beak etc?