I started a thread in the technical talk, but continued working. I have since then added some rust and what not to my barrel, and think I need to ask how she looks. I am also going to include what I asked in the OP. Maybe someone can help me out here.
ORIGINAL POST.
I do not know how I got to this point, but I am wondering where to go. I took some pictures the other day of textures I might want to use later. Well,
one picture was of a barrel, and for practice I wanted to model a, not high poly, but higher poly barrel, try to bake out an occlusion pass and attach it to a lower poly version of it and try to get a version very similar. I have tried this before, and never gotten actual results worth posting. Well I could have posted this in the P&P but I want to know a couple of things.
1. Is the way I got to this point a weird way? I started as just practice and now I want to expand on this.
2. Should I try to model out the top? Or flat texture it in?
3. I attached the occlusion map to a flat shaded lower poly version where you would attach your normal/bump map and got a pretty good result. Is this where I need to apply the occlusion map? Or is there another place to attach this?
4. To make the color map I just put big blocks of solid color on top of the occlusion map and set it to multiply so the same detail was shown through the color. Now I will add decals and dirt and grime on to the color map but how will I incorporate that into the bump map?
Umm I hope these questions make sense, if not maybe these will help.
The barrel on the left is 840 triangles, and the 2 on the right are 384, with the occlusion map baked from the 840 attached to them.
These are the options I used to bake the occlusion map that I applied as a normal map to the lower poly version.
http://zacharyrussellphotography.com/__oneclick_uploads/2008/10/baking-options.jpg
This is the occlusion map that I applied as a bump map.
http://zacharyrussellphotography.com/__oneclick_uploads/2008/10/baked.jpg
This is what I have added since that post.
What you think?
Replies
The second lot is much better and more interesting because of the new texture. Maybe needs a tiny bit of specular highlights.
I am not sure yet...:poly122:
I may try to add a spec map to this and see what my results are...This started out as experimentation...
Thanks to you toast!
also maybe consider a 512 texture size 1024 is pretty high for an object that would not be very large on screen.
2nd, The Texture looks stretched (because it is) textures don't always need to be square.
3rd, The lids are uniquely unwrapped but are missing any kind of unique detail.
Looks like the ribs are going in not out.
Given that the ribs effect the silhouette, you might as well model them. Let the normal handle things like the rim lip, the tap, paint chips, the label and the weld seam.
Most 55 gal drums are made from a rolled sheet of metal and welded. Not only is the weld a source of detail but wear and tear often spring from it.
A normal map without a spec is only defining half the material. On a painted surface I'd say a spec map almost trumps the normal in importance.
Ref:
How was it sealed?
http://www.highpriorityparts.com/images/55-gallon-drum.gif
Wheres the weld seam?
http://teatreeoil.net.au/products/teatreeoil/IM000357.JPG
Wheres the tap?
http://www.gorin-images.com/blog/images/20060502221914_acs060421odc000001.jpg
Hows whatever is inside, getting out?
http://www.ferret.com.au/odin/images/165763/Oil-Drum-Pump-165763.jpg
It can be a separate prop, but its always a nice touch to have one of these sitting in a crowd of barrels.
And don't forget labels.
http://www.ecompressedair.com/images/turboblend46-55.jpg
if your going to bake from high to low, dont do a half assed job , your only using that high to make the horizonatl patterns which is really half the job, what about the horizontal smoothing . as the HP(??) is the same as the low in this respect it adds nothing, this is a waste of in game resources, much worse than a waste of rendering resources.