Max has smoothing groups which can help make surfaces look perfectly smooth, doesn't need to be a sub-divided bevel with lots of polys to get a smooth result.
I'm going to disagree with you there. You should always sub-divide hi-poly geometry to ensure that the edges, bevels, chamfers, etc. are nice and clean. I can see several places on your hi-poly crate wireframe that would benefit greatly if you Sub-D'ed the geometry; it would give you a nicer, more believable normal map, which would result in a better illusion of a hi-poly crate being mapped on low-poly geometry. You don't have to go crazy and sub-divide every nut and bolt, but the main geometry should be turbosmoothed.
Eraserhead: The normalmap comes out with a nice smooth gradient in all the right places
Yeah there are situations where smoothing is great, but I didn't need it for the design I was going for.
Good work on the crates guys! Need to make a single environment warehouse and put them all in it.
There are some nice crates in here. Good job guys. This is actually my first crate and I really need to finish it. Still a lot of texturing to do. Stands at 382 tris.
Here's the only screenie I have of my very first crate. Up there in the top right, quite a prop heavy cargohold as you can see. From an unreal 2004 mod, made long long ago.
Replies
I'm going to disagree with you there. You should always sub-divide hi-poly geometry to ensure that the edges, bevels, chamfers, etc. are nice and clean. I can see several places on your hi-poly crate wireframe that would benefit greatly if you Sub-D'ed the geometry; it would give you a nicer, more believable normal map, which would result in a better illusion of a hi-poly crate being mapped on low-poly geometry. You don't have to go crazy and sub-divide every nut and bolt, but the main geometry should be turbosmoothed.
Eraserhead: The normalmap comes out with a nice smooth gradient in all the right places
Yeah there are situations where smoothing is great, but I didn't need it for the design I was going for.
Good work on the crates guys! Need to make a single environment warehouse and put them all in it.
I made this in like 20 minutes, it has a normal map, a spec map, and a color map.
(Spec is very low)
I hope this counts
84 tris :O (chamfer edges... catches light better in-game)
235tris!
@electro: jesus christ, that thing looks like it's coming right out of doom 3.. or 4! :poly122:
Here's the only screenie I have of my very first crate. Up there in the top right, quite a prop heavy cargohold as you can see. From an unreal 2004 mod, made long long ago.
Well I made this crate a few years ago.
as an added bonus I included my first ever BARREL! Which was made right after the crate.
I like the barrel more.
a barrel in a crate thread? GET OUT OF HERE, we'durn like yer' 'kind 'ere!:poly127:
looks pretty cool.
My first time using a transparency map too. I have no clue how to properly light this scene.