welp, it's a few days past the Dec 1st deadline, meaning that whatever Holiday Items that have a chance at getting in are already entered for selection.
So let me just say: good luck to everyone!
pretty much every Holiday item uploaded here has been awesome, best of luck to you all.
Watcher, here's some advices.
TF2 items, and weapons above all, barely use normal maps. If they use it, it's for carving stuff, like on the ambassador.
Hence, baking a high poly model is a bit off (exception made for all organic hats)
A clean low poly + clever hard edges will give you a better result.
Then, your resolution is way to high. Seems like it's a 2k texture. 1024 is the maximum, and for this model, a 512 map is probably acceptable.
I wouldn't bother to sculpt those carvings btw, but do it 2d, with ndo or crazybump or such software.
The worn edges are too constant and loose. The metal doesnt look great, too blurry, strokes aren't large enough. You should open valve textures (the eyelander for instance) and mimic them.
Watcher, here's some advices.
TF2 items, and weapons above all, barely use normal maps. If they use it, it's for carving stuff, like on the ambassador.
Hence, baking a high poly model is a bit off (exception made for all organic hats)
A clean low poly + clever hard edges will give you a better result.
Then, your resolution is way to high. Seems like it's a 2k texture. 1024 is the maximum, and for this model, a 512 map is probably acceptable.
I wouldn't bother to sculpt those carvings btw, but do it 2d, with ndo or crazybump or such software.
The worn edges are too constant and loose. The metal doesnt look great, too blurry, strokes aren't large enough. You should open valve textures (the eyelander for instance) and mimic them.
Thanks for the critique on the texture. It was a first pass and my first "real attempt" at texturing. And I never claimed it was easy. Just because I'm more used to photorealistic styles, do this model+texture is more of an experiment for me where if the end result is good I'll submit to the workshop. As for the normals, as I said, I use them to enunciate the details. When I baked, I made sure to bake as a complete map in addition to the normals. So I do have a diffuse that resembles the map without normals, in case I decide I have a good enough spec/phong that makes up for it.
And you are right, both diffuse & normal maps right now are at 1024x2. After I finalize, I intend to shrink it down to 512x2 or even 256x2, if it retains the detail.
I'll be sure to inspect the valve textures closer, and I've been using that little guide for my first run through for textures, before I come up with a "beat" of my own.
i'd like to invite all of you to join my workshop group.
The group's purposes are as follows:
*Get your ideas posted to a place where artists can see them and hopefully collaborate to create the item. (post your ideas on the group comments)
*Give exposure to your workshop items. (post the links to your workshop item in the group comments. I also plan to announce to the whole group some notable workshop items)
Feel free to invite your friends to join the group. Feel free to contact the person who came up with the idea that you see in the group. You can PM me for questions or post your comments here.
I'd post my ideas in the roninworkshop, but I'm sure someone will steal them without crediting me. I'll be taking my ideas to my grave along with my crappy modeling skills.
But really I should try to improve my modeling skills, instead of procrastinating...
So I got to touching my cart up but after recompiling it my normals seem to be twisted, making it look rather ugly. Before was just fine and I have no idea what could've happened. Would anyone be able to help out?
So I got to touching my cart up but after recompiling it my normals seem to be twisted, making it look rather ugly. Before was just fine and I have no idea what could've happened. Would anyone be able to help out?
are you using 3ds max? if so, i would suggest the box trick.
box trick is simple.
make a box, convert to editable mesh, attach the mesh you want to fix, delete the box element.
The Pneumatic Pounder
"Looking to improve long-lost performance in the workshop, garage or bedroom? Increase speed, durability and your special skill with the application of pressurized gas and a little lubrication."
Click to vote! With that much innuendo, how could you not?
"Copyright infringement: Even if you made the model yourself, if you used an existing likeness, its copyright infringement. We can't and won't put other people's intellectual property in our game, for the simple reason that we don't own it. They do. We will automatically reject any items based on existing intellectual property."
The Bison/Balrog hat is generic enough that it got in. This is way too specific. Maybe see if there is a way you can keep the undertones of the reference there without it being an issue for the valve lawyers?
"Copyright infringement: Even if you made the model yourself, if you used an existing likeness, its copyright infringement. We can't and won't put other people's intellectual property in our game, for the simple reason that we don't own it. They do. We will automatically reject any items based on existing intellectual property."
The Bison/Balrog hat is generic enough that it got in. This is way too specific. Maybe see if there is a way you can keep the undertones of the reference there without it being an issue for the valve lawyers?
Same happened to me with this
but I just had to do it because I love Bioshock :P
@NeoDement - I was going to release them as mods initially, but then had to change hard disk and then got more stuff in the way. I guess it's just a matter of plugging in the old hard disk and releasing it. I even have two more Bioshock inspired items unfinished there hehe.
@chelovek(MAPAT) - top looks a bit pointy. I like the idea though.
Okay, so I made a post over at Facepunch regarding this, but figured that I've throw it over here too, now then:
I've been mulling this over a bit now. I've noticed that just about everything I've seen in the Emporium/Workshop is based off existing animations and there aren't any custom animation projects going on nor is the the motivation to.
I'd like to bypass this mental barrier by having an item or two be made with the developer (or team of) making new animations to go with it. Obviously that would require a LOT of work with little motivation. Now, I recollect the name Polycount showing up several times over when the original item sets made it in (Gas Jockey, Saharan Spy, etc). Now, assuming I'm not breaking any rules here or anything, I think it'd be interesting to hold another Polycount contest for TF2 involving individuals and/or teams making new models and animations to go with them. It is possible to add unique animations in-engine (I have a tutorial posted on Facepunch, but don't want to link offsite in fear of accidentally violating a rule).
If such a contest were held, I could help with getting animations together and functioning and all that jazz.
So, would anybody here be up for such a contest or not really?
@Gamemaster, the reason there aren't many custom animations is because Valve has said that using custom animations highly reduces the chance of your item getting in because they don't have a system in place to import submitted animations easily. I think the only community items with custom animations are a few weapons from the Polycount Pack and those might even have been tweaked to use the stock animations by Valve.
@Gamemaster1379 - I agree with Zipfinator. But I'm very interested in that tutorial you mentioned :santa:. I did a very small custom animation for the Lighter in the Spy pack and I certainly would like to learn a better way/workflow to do animations. I ended up with around 15 temporary files for this animation XD [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4upR9sCpnbA"][TF2 Contribute] Spy - Lighter Animation Fixed - YouTube[/ame]
@roninsmastermix - Nice. Although those things on the back seem a bit like stickers :S
Also, some scrapped model that I didn't get to finish on time for the festive update. And it would've had copyright issues anyway XD. I called it "The Nightmare Before Smissmass".
And it seems like I finally started to learn Hammer!
@Jackablade: you can only edit in the workshop section in TF2, just like you're submitting. You can edit the text there and submit without uploading the zip again.
EDIT: ninja'd!
Hey guys. A Valve employee contacted Juicebox and I about the goggles and here's something he said:
nice idea. just a casual observation about the laser. you could try using a body group of some translucent card's that fade out in opacity over distance.
We have no idea about how to do this so if anybody knows we could use some help. He said "casual observation" and I asume it's no big deal but better to take it into consideration.
He maybe just meant a mesh that fades out with an alpha or vertex alpha. The draugr eyes in Skyrim have an awesome motion trail effect but i don't know how it could be done in source.
@re-wind: Jagged Jaw, Jurassic Jaw, Dromaeosaurid Dagger, Bony Basher
IMO fits sniper the best, but could fit scout too. Wrapping on the other end of the stick might look good.
Replies
Model is pretty well done, but open to changes -- texture is coming along quite well!
So let me just say: good luck to everyone!
pretty much every Holiday item uploaded here has been awesome, best of luck to you all.
no texture on the jetpack yet.
TF2 items, and weapons above all, barely use normal maps. If they use it, it's for carving stuff, like on the ambassador.
Hence, baking a high poly model is a bit off (exception made for all organic hats)
A clean low poly + clever hard edges will give you a better result.
Then, your resolution is way to high. Seems like it's a 2k texture. 1024 is the maximum, and for this model, a 512 map is probably acceptable.
I wouldn't bother to sculpt those carvings btw, but do it 2d, with ndo or crazybump or such software.
The worn edges are too constant and loose. The metal doesnt look great, too blurry, strokes aren't large enough. You should open valve textures (the eyelander for instance) and mimic them.
+
this
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=73559
tf2 style looks easy to do, but it's not so easy
The Steely Stare
A more decent picture and name.
I'd call it "The H-EYE-phen Goggles" myself, lol
looks awesome, best of luck
Lovely Luke
Go vote for it!
And you are right, both diffuse & normal maps right now are at 1024x2. After I finalize, I intend to shrink it down to 512x2 or even 256x2, if it retains the detail.
I'll be sure to inspect the valve textures closer, and I've been using that little guide for my first run through for textures, before I come up with a "beat" of my own.
i'd like to invite all of you to join my workshop group.
The group's purposes are as follows:
*Get your ideas posted to a place where artists can see them and hopefully collaborate to create the item. (post your ideas on the group comments)
*Give exposure to your workshop items. (post the links to your workshop item in the group comments. I also plan to announce to the whole group some notable workshop items)
Feel free to invite your friends to join the group. Feel free to contact the person who came up with the idea that you see in the group. You can PM me for questions or post your comments here.
But really I should try to improve my modeling skills, instead of procrastinating...
Might as well post here as I wont be working on them.
A bathroom theme for Pyro. A shower cap with poka dot design, a large back brush and a rubber duck on shoulder.
Garbage theme for Demoman. A dustbin / garbage can shield and a mop with jiggled brush strands.
Some lesser ideas:
An old cane sword for Demoman and a syringe for Spy with a clear capsule for blood. Stats are on backstab + 25 health.
as someone with no 3D modeling experience and abundant ideas, I can safely say that this sounds like a fantastic idea.
are you using 3ds max? if so, i would suggest the box trick.
box trick is simple.
make a box, convert to editable mesh, attach the mesh you want to fix, delete the box element.
[Link]
It was just going to be pizza slicer-like and just roll when you hit something with it.
That looks interesting. What's the wheel on the medigun for?
Just for silhouette mostly, the Medigun was called "Heals-on-Wheels" in the earlier in the year.
The Pneumatic Pounder
"Looking to improve long-lost performance in the workshop, garage or bedroom? Increase speed, durability and your special skill with the application of pressurized gas and a little lubrication."
Click to vote! With that much innuendo, how could you not?
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=5234
finnaly finished. calling it the "Time Traveler's Terror" votes greatly appreciated
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=5235
And we're submitted. Quite the epic process for what is a pretty damn simple item.
"Copyright infringement: Even if you made the model yourself, if you used an existing likeness, its copyright infringement. We can't and won't put other people's intellectual property in our game, for the simple reason that we don't own it. They do. We will automatically reject any items based on existing intellectual property."
The Bison/Balrog hat is generic enough that it got in. This is way too specific. Maybe see if there is a way you can keep the undertones of the reference there without it being an issue for the valve lawyers?
Donnie's Dumb Mask heheheheheh god I hate that film nice model though
update. textures almost done. Back to work on the helmet otherwise.
Same happened to me with this
but I just had to do it because I love Bioshock :P
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=5247
@chelovek(MAPAT) - top looks a bit pointy. I like the idea though.
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=4777
Updated
I've been mulling this over a bit now. I've noticed that just about everything I've seen in the Emporium/Workshop is based off existing animations and there aren't any custom animation projects going on nor is the the motivation to.
I'd like to bypass this mental barrier by having an item or two be made with the developer (or team of) making new animations to go with it. Obviously that would require a LOT of work with little motivation. Now, I recollect the name Polycount showing up several times over when the original item sets made it in (Gas Jockey, Saharan Spy, etc). Now, assuming I'm not breaking any rules here or anything, I think it'd be interesting to hold another Polycount contest for TF2 involving individuals and/or teams making new models and animations to go with them. It is possible to add unique animations in-engine (I have a tutorial posted on Facepunch, but don't want to link offsite in fear of accidentally violating a rule).
If such a contest were held, I could help with getting animations together and functioning and all that jazz.
So, would anybody here be up for such a contest or not really?
Comments and crits are welcome.
@roninsmastermix - Nice. Although those things on the back seem a bit like stickers :S
@Zalakzik - texture looks much better
Some work in progress of a collaboration with Rada. No UVs/AO yet.
The helmet is already submitted to the workshop (http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=4220).
Also, some scrapped model that I didn't get to finish on time for the festive update. And it would've had copyright issues anyway XD. I called it "The Nightmare Before Smissmass".
And it seems like I finally started to learn Hammer!
EDIT: ninja'd!
We have no idea about how to do this so if anybody knows we could use some help. He said "casual observation" and I asume it's no big deal but better to take it into consideration.
name, class, and suggestions welcome.
It does kind of look like it needs a certain something else to add interest to the model.
But some simple tweaking with a bend modifier at the tip could add a lot.
IMO fits sniper the best, but could fit scout too. Wrapping on the other end of the stick might look good.