Modeling cables without going overboard.

oXYnary

How would you guys model this for the low poly version? Specifically the broken cables thingies. I already have a pretty hefty tricount in the rest of the model.. This model will be displayed in different sizes, so I cant go to too low detail.

I was hoping to get away with one object that surrounded all the cables and just paint black for where there are no hits when rendering out the AO and normal map. Doesn't look like its going to work.

I guess what Im saying is am I stuck remodeling low polies of all those? If so any efficiency I can use to not go crazy with the polycount without having wacked out Normal Maps. These are not like hairs or leaves, so I don't believe I can get away with image planes. The engine doesn't do double sided NM anyways. Plus again, the sizes will vary greatly.

*And when I mean the broken cables, the entire thing, not just the rectangular wire stuff coming out the end - I'm not that crazy.

pior

I don't get it, don't you just need one straight lowpoly cable?

oXYnary

perna wrote: »

you're doin it wrong.
First you plan out how to make your lowpoly model, then you make your hipoly model.

Well that depends on who you ask and the project, but usually I do build them around the same time. I cant build a totally low poly version and build off a high poly basically since I optimize so much trying to sub-d a low poly to high fails miserably. I usually a have a "middle" quad model that I can take in either direction. This case however I was working from scratch.

Pior, I guess I don't understand what you are asking? The cables aren't straight (purposely - like they have been sheared off

pior

Yeah but what's the point of modelling the whole thing in highpoly, bended and all, when all you need is one lowpoly cable in the specs of your project ? (most of it could be done with no highpoly modelling whatsoever thanks to smart texture sharing aso)

You just make that one clean ingame prop using whatever means necessary (highpoly modelling, crazybump hacks, or whatever yuo can think of), then duplicate it, bend the duplicates, create your composition and so on...

I don't think Per was talking about building your *final* lowpoly, ingame model right at the beginning. What you could do is simply test your composition using simple bended cylinders and see what you need accordingly. Then you can model that one source highpoly cable that you need, and finally, make your final lowpoly prop.

It all depends on the scale of that scene really.

oXYnary

Yea, I have gone back and made a "master" low poly and am cloning it as a instance. Since their lofts, I can replicate the whole bunch and then insert higher divisions and a more defined circular spline. I still cant use one large item to encompass them as the shear rate (height) between each of the strands would be too great.

It wasn't really one cable.. Well I cant go into details and such NDAs and all (yes got permission to post). But this thing was more just something that no design spec except whatever I came up with. So Im to blame for the complexity.

Thanks for kick starting my brain all.