Workshop #2 - Breakneck

breakneck

time to throw my hat into the ring. Pretty much nothing at this point, but more a chance to outline my approach to hi/low modeling and maybe I can get some advice in that area. I understand the process pretty well, but I am very open to suggestions and or anything that will help me. I will be using 3Ds Max which I am really noob with so modeling technique suggestions will also be very helpful. Thanks!

My plan is this:
1) start by making a solid low poly model that will be duplicated and then built up to my high poly model.
2) Once done with the high poly, modify the saved original low poly and optimize where necessary for a better bake down.
3) Possibly do the explode style bake method in max (haven't tried it yet). If that doesn't work out so well, I will try xNormal ( have tried it once ).
note: trying to see places where I can reuse UV space and the only thing that I see is the obvious one - the bar. anyone have any suggestions?
4) Make the textures, make the awesome.
- ta da!

oh yea, my progress:

MoP

Good idea to break down your workflow steps like that.
So this is basically your "blockout" stage, right?
I would suggest making each main element of the chainsaw a different object, rather than modelling it all from a single mesh as you've done here. That means you can use each piece of the blockout as a starting point for modelling that main shape in highpoly.

Good start anyway

OBlastradiusO

Excellent start. That how I plan to attack this.

divi

I thought about how i'd save texture space before the contest started in case i'd join and since those workshops are all about sharing and learning - here are all the things i remember right now that might work and be worth looking at.



p.s.: sorry for the terrible writing. i suck at writing with my mouse

EarthQuake

Yeah the main shape lends its self to some creative use of mirrored textures, just leaving a few sections that need to be for the unique stuff.

breakneck

thanks for the comments dudes.
EQ: i'll be breaking the main body into several pieces for sure. I already started with the handle area - next i'll break off the top.

divi: cool, didn't think about mirroring some of those pieces!

hopefully more progress tonight

breakneck

alrighty, just some more tinkerin' on this piece - still working on a solid block out.
I will probably start really knockin out some hi poly pieces tomorrow.

MoP

cool, looks like you've got all the main shapes there.

if anything, i'd even try getting rid of a few edge loops here and there, you seem to have some geometry which isn't really defining any shape at all - i know it's a blockout, but I assume you're going to use these meshes as a base for your highpoly, in which case you're probably gonna end up removing a lot of those loops anyway (if not, you might end up with control meshes which are more complex than they need to be).