WIP: Models for reel

Sage

I'm working a few models for my reel this is the first of them. Then I'm going to make some environment scenes.

Working on this AH Thunderbolt. It has 603 tris, textured with 1 512 x512. Let me know what you think thanks.

pior

i think you really should avoid showing that black shaded screenshot. No lowpoly model would ever look good under such 'mayadefault' conditions. Or, tint your ambiant something nice!

You could also drastically scale down your texture, and show it with a nice sharp pixelated look.

Good luck!

MoP

What is your aim for your reel? Are you looking for higher-end work (XBox, PS3, PC) or handheld / portable / maybe even Wii stuff?

Currently this model doesn't seem to fit well into any of the categories. It's got a 512x512 texture, which is probably too low-res for "next-gen" and too high-res for anything else (RTS unit, or handheld game for example).
Same applies to the polygon count of the model. You've gone for a weird middle ground - it's probably around or a bit more than most RTS units would warrant, but well below what any other PC/console game would use (flight sim plane, or as an environment prop in an RPG or FPS).

Additionally, your UV map seems completely unique, yet if you look at the pics of the model the only thing that is different is the camo pattern, and even that is still very similar - I doubt many people would notice the difference if you just mirrored the whole model, and you'd cut your texture size in half already that way.

Basically I think you have created something which is not quite what anyone hiring needs - you should probably push it one of three ways IMHO:

1. Drop the polygon count by about 100 or so, and reduce the texture size to 128x128 or 256x256 and use more mirroring to get texture resolution back a bit. Texture it as if it was for a DS or handheld game, or an RTS unit that you will only see at a distance. As Pior says, try displaying this texture unfiltered for a "retro" look.
2. Go stylised. This is clearly a handpainted texture, but it doesn't have any cool style - no exaggerated colours and no sharp, strong shapes. If you go this way, you should exaggerate parts of the model (make it almost cartoony - big engines, comically small wings, make the face on the front really prominent).
3. Go "next-gen" - add more polys, take it up to 2000-3000 or more, get lots of photo ref and add lots of believable detail. Give it a 1024 texture (or even 2048!) and use photosource and maybe even bake down from highpoly and normal-map it to make an awesome next-gen asset. Obviously this route will take the longest and most work, but it's also what a lot of companies regularly look for in an artist.

I think those are the three real options you have. Currently this work is very middling - there is really nothing to make it stand out from the crowd in any respect, and as such I think it won't add anything to your reel and portfolio.

Sorry if that seems a bit harsh, it's just my opinion on what I think you have to do in order to really make a great impression with your work - and that's what you want to do, right?

Sage

With this first model I was mostly concerned with with my ability to shade things properly. I might bring this down to 256 x 256 but decided to leave this like it is and make it a unique texture. I'm still working on the texture. I have yet to add any overlays or anything of that nature just working the shading mostly. The first image didn't have a self illuminated texture so that's why it looks so dark compared to the bottom shot. I want to paint all the shading.

The style is the typical "realistic" rts look that a few games had a few years ago and that used a large texture... I was thinking of making this 512 x 256 when I first unwrapped it but decided to just make things unique instead. I have not done that yet since it's a WIP.

No harsh comments from either of you, just very helpful. Thanks for that. Once this is finished it might be too generic though Lets see. Thanks for the feedback. I'll probably scrap the unqiue texture and just make it as sharp as possible.

SHEPEIRO

ok yeah if your going to continue at the same res iw ould be tempted to add a few more tris here and there, it seam out of balance with the resoloution, because of this texture lines that could be nice and flowing across the forms are very blocky and will make it harder to read esp with more detail. im not talking much maybe 1000 instaed of 600 would give you a really solid mesh.

on the texturing front, the shading is ok, but could be much better ATM its cartoony, i would suggest removing (or hiding for latter) all the fine detail and start to split the shaes up into panels, copying what you have into a seperate layer with a mask, then start working inot each panel by itself. this way you will quickly get a better feel for the shapes you are trying to portray.

ive done a few planes like this and the large shapes can be hard to make readable without adding too much lighting, the key is to get the smaller shapes right ontop of those, then add really small details.

hope this helps.

looking at this may help, similar specs
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m221/osart/CG1.jpg
http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c346/Shepeiro/?action=view&current=scoutpirate.jpg

t4paN

Instead of handpainting the shadows, why don't you bake a shadowsmap under a global illum light with raytracing on and then overlay it on the texture? Not only will it give you a more real shadow, but it'll allow you to spend more time on the real details of the texture.

Besides, you will be able to use it as a "guide" of sorts...

/btw I like the second picture (first one is obviously from a previous state in the texture so maybe you didn't have to include it) and I think going with MOP's first idea (dropping the polycount and stylizing) would benefit the model a whole lot. Also, put some red in the mouth, like the gums over and under the teeth or something to that effect. Always looks nastier when gums are shown

Zwebbie

I think MoP is a bit behind on Real Time Strategy specs; Command and Conquer games are pretty much the lowest spec around and even they use 1000+ polygons and 512^2 textures. On the high end of the spectrum, Company of Heroes uses 5000 polygon vehicles with 1024^2 textures. On top of that, all modern RTS games use normal and specular maps, so if that's what you're aiming for, downgrading is the wrong way to go.

I think there's a problem between polygon count and texture size; 256^2 is far more fitted for a polygon count of 603. Or you could add a 1000 extra triangles to match the 512^2.

SHEPEIRO

t4pan- dont just use baked light, use it as a guide at most, woking on a mesh this low alot of the textures work is to disguise low polys, so you dont want to light it as it is, more as you want it to be

Sage

The reason I painting the lighting the way I am is practice. I feel I'm lacking in those skills. I didn't want to deal wit 128 x128 limitations, since it doesn't allow for just regular painting. I'll probably light it and use different views as a guide. Since it doesn't have enough tris the shading I'm trying to fake would be off if I just used a light bake. Of course adding more tris would be easy. I chose 600 tris since I find it hard for me to make things look good at that res. I think I'll bring this up in tris as suggested. That way I can add the missiles! I'll probably redo the uvs. Back to work.

Thanks for posting those images Shepeiro, very helpful. I'll push my shading more, since it's seems off to me. I probably have to increase the contrast a little and add more color to it.

Thanks for the feedback.

Alex

MoP

Zwebbie, heh, you got me. I haven't played an RTS in years. I guess these days you can zoom right in and run around with your guys on the field!

Sage

I added more triangles and missiles. I remade the uvs to mirror as much as possible. Now it has 1251 tris.





Light set up for reference.. Not sure if it's good.



new uvs



I will start texturing again after work.. Let me know what you think. Thanks.

mziskandar

Bump!..

Nice model.. can't wait to see it with bump + texture!

Sage

Quick update to my texture. Just blocking it out, nothing pretty to see or final. I use my reference to give me something to work with to see if I can do this quicker than I usually do things. It's going by way faster than expected. Let me know what you think. So far I'm digging the new uv layout way better than before. Thanks.







Alex

Ghostscape

The first version wasn't very interesting but this next version is showing some real promise!

Gannon

Big improvements on the texture, good job so far keep it up.

You could still probably stand to bulk up the model itself, look up tri counts for most vehicles in games and then base it off that if you're going for high end gaming studios. I think unreal vehicles can be around 8k.

Try rounding out the engines and missles, or model the landing gears and wheels =D.

Sage

I added more triangles and remodeled a few things I didn't like. Added missles, redoing uvs to fit all the new stuff. It's still under 2000 tris. I can't remember it's late. I should start texturing soon again. I hope to finish by Sunday. I was playing with decals to deal with the text, and other things that don't mirror well... Thanks for the feedback.

quyeno

the second iteration looks alot better already and very promising but I think you really should decide which platform you're aiming for and tailor your model accordingly. also check out games like Air Combat and HAWX for inspiration and study the level of detail they're using.

SHEPEIRO

seams weird to me that your adding details like tiny missiles while ignoring the cockpit, a simple seat and head should do. also if this is RTS spec, things under the wings are not really that important, personnally id suggest they could be as simple as possible like befor without much difference.

try mocking up a scene to get the camera distance right and rendering out with game quality AA and see how much you can see/ if it becomes too noisy

Sage

Good point Shepeiro. I was thinking of scaling up the missiles a bit since they seem to get lost, for now I'm just trying to see how much I can get out of this. I want it to look as realistic as possible and good up close. I was also wanting to use this as a model that could be used in a simulation for military training as well, that requires the model to be low poly. I think I'll add the inside of the cockpit too. And just model the landing gear as well. That's what going through my head at the moment.

Trying to make this scene, since I think it cool.