I brought this along further so there'd be something a bit more worth critiquing. This is the high poly right now. I'm considering just starting from the ground up for the low poly, but haven't decided yet.
Small update on what I've done. A few more details added to the model, as well as a hood. I'm going for a assassin/necromancer vibe with this character. I think the lighting I threw in just for fun helps give the desired persona. I can post another pic without if anyone wants me to.
Now my big question is I do have a low poly model built, but I'm not sure to what extent the normal map will effect it. If it turns out that most of the raised bits of the armor don't work (the low poly is pretty much just the skin of the guy) should I go back into the low poly and raise him a bit as well, or should I try to rely on a displacement map?
Also, I'd like to be able to animate this fellow, but obviously there is some cloth. I'm running 3ds Max 2008. I know in 9 the cloth was a pain to get to work. Could someone give me some pointers or direct me to where I could learn to at least have it interact with my mesh?
Looks Allright, here are some crits:
The head loobs a bit strange, especially the jaw, it need to to be less curvy and the checks bones at the front look to fat from what i can see. The hands look too simple, the fingers need to vary more in there length. It looks like hes missing shoes/boots!?
You could put much more details in your high poly to get a good normal map, like folds and rivets for example. You should also put more shapes in your armor. Keep in mind that you need beveled edges in some way to make raised bits show up in the normal. Rendering a normal is also good for rendering an Ambient Occlusion with it.
You could use bones to animate your cloth, but i dont know how to make them interact with your mesh that is something that the game engine would handle.
[ QUOTE ]
Looks Allright, here are some crits:
The head loobs a bit strange, especially the jaw, it need to to be less curvy and the checks bones at the front look to fat from what i can see. The hands look too simple, the fingers need to vary more in there length. It looks like hes missing shoes/boots!?
You could put much more details in your high poly to get a good normal map, like folds and rivets for example. You should also put more shapes in your armor. Keep in mind that you need beveled edges in some way to make raised bits show up in the normal. Rendering a normal is also good for rendering an Ambient Occlusion with it.
You could use bones to animate your cloth, but i dont know how to make them interact with your mesh that is something that the game engine would handle.
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Could you define shapes for me perhaps? And as far as rivets go, I would have thought that they could have been done in a bump map a bit more effectively than muddling up the mesh. Is there some kind of advantage to doing this I'm not aware of or is my way a fine alternative?
Actually I think I might just restart this entirely. The high poly is getting too cluttered and the low poly isn't anywhere near where it should be, nor is it as clean as I'd like it. I'll post a revamp soonly.
I mean with shapes more stuff that can be rendered in the normal map, smaller things that lay on top of the main elements, more extruding.
The problem with making rivets later in the texture is that you uwv wont be without stretching so the normally round rivets will be also stretched. You dont have to make rivets out of your mesh you can put them just on top of it, you can do that also with details that go inwardly. To avoid mudding up your mesh it is better to work with a lot of objects.
I do appreciate the critique so far, let me make that clear. I'm learning a little bit from this thread.
Let me ask this: As far as modeling the armor and the like, I see a lot fo conflicting opinions on the matter. I see some models where the armor is modeled right into the body mesh. I see other's where the armor is a separate object linked to the mesh.
While I was learning how to model and the like I was doing the later of the two, but I started getting the impression that this is far too many polys being created than what needs to happen. When would you suggest modeling directly onto the body mesh and when would you make a separate object to my linked in a case like mine?
Replies
Now my big question is I do have a low poly model built, but I'm not sure to what extent the normal map will effect it. If it turns out that most of the raised bits of the armor don't work (the low poly is pretty much just the skin of the guy) should I go back into the low poly and raise him a bit as well, or should I try to rely on a displacement map?
Also, I'd like to be able to animate this fellow, but obviously there is some cloth. I'm running 3ds Max 2008. I know in 9 the cloth was a pain to get to work. Could someone give me some pointers or direct me to where I could learn to at least have it interact with my mesh?
The head loobs a bit strange, especially the jaw, it need to to be less curvy and the checks bones at the front look to fat from what i can see. The hands look too simple, the fingers need to vary more in there length. It looks like hes missing shoes/boots!?
You could put much more details in your high poly to get a good normal map, like folds and rivets for example. You should also put more shapes in your armor. Keep in mind that you need beveled edges in some way to make raised bits show up in the normal. Rendering a normal is also good for rendering an Ambient Occlusion with it.
You could use bones to animate your cloth, but i dont know how to make them interact with your mesh that is something that the game engine would handle.
Looks Allright, here are some crits:
The head loobs a bit strange, especially the jaw, it need to to be less curvy and the checks bones at the front look to fat from what i can see. The hands look too simple, the fingers need to vary more in there length. It looks like hes missing shoes/boots!?
You could put much more details in your high poly to get a good normal map, like folds and rivets for example. You should also put more shapes in your armor. Keep in mind that you need beveled edges in some way to make raised bits show up in the normal. Rendering a normal is also good for rendering an Ambient Occlusion with it.
You could use bones to animate your cloth, but i dont know how to make them interact with your mesh that is something that the game engine would handle.
[/ QUOTE ]
Could you define shapes for me perhaps? And as far as rivets go, I would have thought that they could have been done in a bump map a bit more effectively than muddling up the mesh. Is there some kind of advantage to doing this I'm not aware of or is my way a fine alternative?
The problem with making rivets later in the texture is that you uwv wont be without stretching so the normally round rivets will be also stretched. You dont have to make rivets out of your mesh you can put them just on top of it, you can do that also with details that go inwardly. To avoid mudding up your mesh it is better to work with a lot of objects.
Let me ask this: As far as modeling the armor and the like, I see a lot fo conflicting opinions on the matter. I see some models where the armor is modeled right into the body mesh. I see other's where the armor is a separate object linked to the mesh.
While I was learning how to model and the like I was doing the later of the two, but I started getting the impression that this is far too many polys being created than what needs to happen. When would you suggest modeling directly onto the body mesh and when would you make a separate object to my linked in a case like mine?