M1 Garand model

DudeinCA

Hey was sup. This is my 1st post on this site and I was hoping for some good critiques for my work and I heard this was the site to go for that.I am about to graduate in Game Art & Design and I'm getting my portfolio pieces finished up. So here is the 1st of more to come.

This is my M1 Garand. I made it in Maya. It has a normal map (made with NIVIDIA), spec map, and diffuse map on it.

CowmasterStudios

What kind of game did you have in mind when you modeled this? Its Low Poly so I'm guessing its not meant for FPS view.

The first thing that instantly pops are your normals. They are far too bumpy to convincingly sell the wood/metal textures. Create the normals yourself by using Crazy Bump or Zbrush... that Nvidia plug-in is crap... believe me I used to use it!

Just a question.... are you by any chance graduating from the Art Institute?

pliang

It seems to me that you simply laid over a simple wooden texture without considering the wood type that they use or really dirtying it up. The metal also seem quite bland and monotone in color/frequency. I'd like to see the texture layouts first before I go any further.

Did you just ran through the normal/bump maps as well? Regardless of Nvidia, Crazybump etc, if the texture needs work, then the normal map would be just as bad to work with.

BradMyers82

I agree with pliang.

It looks like you just ran a crazybump or nvidia normal pass on the diffuse. When-ever you are using a 2d photo to generate normals it ALWAYS has to be preped first.

Check this out: http://www.game-artist.net/forums/support/6126-mini-tutorial-normal-maps-how-not-do-them.html
Good luck.

garriola83

on weapons, it'd be best if you model a high-poly sub-d mesh first to bake your normals from. then add on to the normal with subtleties of detail. wood does bump that way and you dont have the "rings" of wood on the texture. might want to look at some more references or just go to an army surplus and get a non working rifle for cheap.

DudeinCA

awesome. ill get to work right away

and ya i go to The Art Institute of California – Orange County

CowmasterStudios

I knew from the moment I saw your model that came from the Art Institute OC. I graduated from there earlier this summer.

My biggest suggestion is to really work on higher poly models for your portfolio. For some reason my time at that school was spent mostly following low poly work-flow. I'm still trying to lose that mind set so I can try to make more Next Gen looking pieces.

I believe now they offered a Z brush prop modeling class like a quarter after I graduated. I wish I could have taken that class.

Have you taken Sarges portfolio review class yet? He has great critiques that I think would be of great use to you. I'm actually going to visit him next week to get some advice. Just ask him to be brutally honest.