modeling technique questions

Alec3d

I have a few questions about modeling complex characters such as this :


1. If you create a head with more vertexes than the neck, what is the best strategy to go about connecting the two, or should you have it as a "floater"

2. Would objects like the shoulder straps/body armor be seperate objects from the main mesh?

3. Can anyone walk through what techniques they would use to model a charcter similar to this:




I'd appreciate more general advice or tutorial/dvd references that you guy shave in mind. Thanks for your time.

praxedes

Wow- big ask man- how to create that model would be the topic of a gnomon 6 hour dvd!

And in fact, there is one! Check out the next gen game characters dvd which came out recently. It takes you through the process of sculpting a high poly character, then creating the low and making the maps between the two. Also look over the making of Nox on vimeo, posted on polycount as awesome tutorial from dominance war iv winner- this shows a lot of good techniques for hard surface modelling at high resolution for amrour and the like. I got the DVD is question and it is a mind blower for someone new to next gen game modelling!

As for your other questions, bearing in mind I am no expert, but heads should join necks unless its mechanical like a helpmet, in which case a seam is acceptable I supposse. Collapsing edges to bring edgeloops into triangular intersections is pretty much the way of reducing the vertexes to connect up. Straps and armour- can be main mesh or separate floating geometry depending entirely on modelling flow, design, poly count and numerous other considerations. I aim for everything to be a single mesh except where this would mess up topology- f'rinstace a pipe intersecting a flat plate is simpler as two pieces rather than cutting out and quadding up al the points of intersection. Hope this helps!

~P~

Alec3d

Thanks a lot man, actually at the time of writing this I was pondering through the gnomon dvds and I found what you were talking about, the gears of war creature-like dude, I'm probably going to snatch that up very soon. I did watch that Nox thing but I found it kinda confusing but I don't think i was further enough in the video.

praxedes

yeah- the "locust guy" vid is very good. The one with the more normal human merc is equally worthwhile. Hope i've helped

~P~

Alec3d

too many dvd's they are so expensive!

praxedes

lol- now you know where all (and I mean ALL) my money goes every month! If it's not gnomon it's massive black

Trust me though, find the priority ones and buy a couple- it'll be worth it

~P~