Hey, so this is what I am encountering when I am trying to form my rocks... is this what is supposed to happen, and I'm just an idiot for not knowing how to do this? Or is there truly a step I am missing? Maybe I'm just stupid.
@prophecies: The difference between what you are doing and what I suspect adam did is that you are moving the geometry in all the axes, whereas if you want to keep the UV coordinates you should cut the geometry and move verts on the Z axis, perpindicular to the plane.
Yeah that is what I figured, but the main thing I'm not quite sure how to do is aligning the verts to the shape of the rock. If I try aligning my edges along the curve of the rock, it just wont let me.
What? No way dude. This threads meant for everyone so if you've questions about something I'm doing its more than welcomed in here. I'm glad others were able to show you the light
EDIT: Yeah don't start from a grid like that. Start from 1 plane and cut the edges in to contour to your texture underneath. Then buy it a couple of drinks while flirting with it slightly before you try to manipulate it in to shapes and forms it may not want to do.
Check this out. The mesh on the left went down on the first date, the filthy whore. See how the edges line up with the texture? From there I just push and pull verts to get what I wanted and in return it gives me a little spanking when I get off the couch to take a whiz.
I think I said I wouldn't post again until I had a few more things done, but whatever it's been a while since I posted.
The cat-tails are done and in and I am currently working on a couple rock models. One of them are done, the other will be completed this weekend and HOPEFULLY I can finally get started on tree's and finally make this mofo look like a forest.
Dude that looks so sexy! The colour pallet is very green and brown, not that that is bad or anything but will you be adding some other colour variation in there? Perhaps making the sky a nice blue and tieing that into the foreground with blue or purple flowers instead of the red ones you have
Also I dunno if its me working long hours or if I'm just loosing my mind but that rock wall looks like it can come alive at any minute! =O
Just wanted to say congratulations, this is looking spectacular already, I'll be following this for sure as I want to get involved in creating environments as well and I'm still confused about the workflow.
Love the foliage adam, you are really breathing love into this environment (*takes note) :P
I was wondering, is there any specific way you go about cutting detail into the plane (for your rocks) like any tools you use that can make the process faster, or do you just use the cut tool.
And.. one other thing I was wondering, is there a way in Max where you can retain the initial UV's (of the plane) as you cut and move verts around?
Thanks everyone I through some tree's from my old 'Leaving Solace' scene and its looking even more like a forest now. I just have to do some actual new tree's for this before I post again.
Jason - Cut tool just make sure 'Preserve UV's' isn't checked.
I'm loving this so far. I do think the fresnel effect on the rocks is a bit much in some areas.
Don't get me wrong, I love the effect, but it seems a bit blurry or something in certain areas. Maybe try it at like 85% of what you're using now.
These are not the tree's I'll be using. They're from my 'Leaving Solace' environment on my portfolio, without their leaves. I just dropped some in to get an idea for size/scale.
Great work so far, if it doesn't effect much of the aesthetics I think it'd be cool to see some trees kind of form an arch over the closest section of the two cliff sides, but that's just me. Keep it coming Adam!
whoa, those trees are crazy, definitely looks more like an evil genious's hidden forest base now. They kinda throw the scale off though. If i think about just the rocks and fog volume, the scene has a much grander scale, when i think about the foliage it suddenly shrinks down. Sure you're workin' on it though, keep it commin'!
Please read what I write whenever I make a post.That's all I ask - and most of you are, which is great!
I want these threads to be about more than just the images I'm posting, as the information I am sharing is just as important if we're going to learn together.
Thanks for the comments so far. I'll get back to you about the tri counts as I just got in and its late.
These tree's were a poor choice as they're too thick at the bottom and don't help gauge scale every well. But they do show how this will start to fill out with a busier horizon. My tree's for this scene will be skinnier and taller, with much more visual noise to them since they'll have their leaves.
So with that, Mr. Crazyfingers :poly124:, I give you...
Adam, I think everything in the scene looks good, but you should really work on the little green men. I think they kind of pull the eye away from the really successful environment work.
Thanks for sharing man, I'm definitely tracking this thread and enjoying it.
Hey Adam, this project is just completely inspiring!
Been following this thread, read through your walls of text, so I'm pretty sure this question hasn't been asked.
How did you model your rocks? I am trying to understand how organic environments are made, and rocks and trees still stump me. (no pun intended) As my environmental modelling so far has all been flat planes with textures.
Hope its not too much trouble! Otherwise you could just point me in the direction of some basic tutorials.
How did you model your rocks? I am trying to understand how organic environments are made, and rocks and trees still stump me. (no pun intended) As my environmental modelling so far has all been flat planes with textures.
He talked about his technique on the previous page:
Start from 1 plane and cut the edges in to contour to your texture underneath. Then buy it a couple of drinks while flirting with it slightly before you try to manipulate it in to shapes and forms it may not want to do.
Check this out. The mesh on the left went down on the first date, the filthy whore. See how the edges line up with the texture? From there I just push and pull verts to get what I wanted and in return it gives me a little spanking when I get off the couch to take a whiz.
After pulling up many of these stubborn plants from our beachfront this past summer, I notice the cattails don't look quite right.
This is a pretty good example of what the whole plant looks like. I'm by no means a cattail expert, but we have plenty surrounding our lake. From my experience and comparing to yours:
- There's more leaves/grass than tail.
- The leaves are as tall or taller than the tail.
- They're bunched up and grow in stalks.
- I'm not sure if they'd grow so sparse in the wild (especially if left untended).
- To help establish scale, cattails easily grow as tall as a person (especially if left untended).
- They also look really cool when some of them are torn up into fluff! Birds use them for making their nests.
Amazing work, I think those are the best looking rocks I've ever seen. This project is massively inspirational and helpful on so many levels, sharing even your planning workflow is awesome. Thanks!
Looking forward to seeing this one progress!
I do have one hugely important, totally relevant and entirely critical question though...
Looks great so far, especially those rock faces, and all the explanations have been invaluable. Maybe a silly question, but how are you going about doing the 3d grass in the last few pictures? Is it as simple as just a plane with a 2-sided texture applied to it repeated a lot over the ground?
Looks great so far, especially those rock faces, and all the explanations have been invaluable. Maybe a silly question, but how are you going about doing the 3d grass in the last few pictures? Is it as simple as just a plane with a 2-sided texture applied to it repeated a lot over the ground?
I'm a bit late to this party; but it's looking great.
really helpful reading other enviro-artist's techniques. particularly with the ground textures, i think you've got yourself a great blend of style, detail, and amount of time required.
Dude you should make a map pack and sell it... this stuff is insanely good. Those cattails and bushes are those defaults in unreal or did you make them too?
Hey thanks everyone I'm in the middle of making the tree's up (and figure out how I'll do them exactly). Once I have the first tree done (birch) I'll post it up and with an outline as to how I've made it.
Replies
They've already been changed to be more fitting - good catch though!
*hahaha, im kidding.
@prophecies: The difference between what you are doing and what I suspect adam did is that you are moving the geometry in all the axes, whereas if you want to keep the UV coordinates you should cut the geometry and move verts on the Z axis, perpindicular to the plane.
Hope it makes sense..
P.S. Sorry for hijacking your thread Adam.
EDIT: Yeah don't start from a grid like that. Start from 1 plane and cut the edges in to contour to your texture underneath. Then buy it a couple of drinks while flirting with it slightly before you try to manipulate it in to shapes and forms it may not want to do.
Check this out. The mesh on the left went down on the first date, the filthy whore. See how the edges line up with the texture? From there I just push and pull verts to get what I wanted and in return it gives me a little spanking when I get off the couch to take a whiz.
Dude that looks so sexy! The colour pallet is very green and brown, not that that is bad or anything but will you be adding some other colour variation in there? Perhaps making the sky a nice blue and tieing that into the foreground with blue or purple flowers instead of the red ones you have
Also I dunno if its me working long hours or if I'm just loosing my mind but that rock wall looks like it can come alive at any minute! =O
haha its still awesome though. That rock is sexy.
I was wondering, is there any specific way you go about cutting detail into the plane (for your rocks) like any tools you use that can make the process faster, or do you just use the cut tool.
And.. one other thing I was wondering, is there a way in Max where you can retain the initial UV's (of the plane) as you cut and move verts around?
Jason - Cut tool just make sure 'Preserve UV's' isn't checked.
Don't get me wrong, I love the effect, but it seems a bit blurry or something in certain areas. Maybe try it at like 85% of what you're using now.
I'm gonna try making some similar foliage for a current project of mine, wish me luck : p
hahaha... I always have that checked... it just sounded so... nice.
Thanks adam, thats gonna help me SOOO much!
I was tired last night.
I want these threads to be about more than just the images I'm posting, as the information I am sharing is just as important if we're going to learn together.
Thanks for the comments so far. I'll get back to you about the tri counts as I just got in and its late.
These tree's were a poor choice as they're too thick at the bottom and don't help gauge scale every well. But they do show how this will start to fill out with a busier horizon. My tree's for this scene will be skinnier and taller, with much more visual noise to them since they'll have their leaves.
So with that, Mr. Crazyfingers :poly124:, I give you...
Thanks for sharing man, I'm definitely tracking this thread and enjoying it.
Some blueish hue, heavier fog, and a squirrel in a top hat, it would be epic. But now I'm sidetracking, hehe.
Been following this thread, read through your walls of text, so I'm pretty sure this question hasn't been asked.
How did you model your rocks? I am trying to understand how organic environments are made, and rocks and trees still stump me. (no pun intended) As my environmental modelling so far has all been flat planes with textures.
Hope its not too much trouble! Otherwise you could just point me in the direction of some basic tutorials.
Keep up the good work man, I'm rooting for you!:D
He talked about his technique on the previous page:
Guess its been a longer day than i thought, thanks for pointing that out doeseph!
But just to double check, does this mean that you texture a plane and cut the one face accordingly?
I am terribly new at this. thanks again!
Thanks everyone else. It's awesome to see others helping out others if/when I'm not around to answer things myself. Awesome!
Yeah I texture 1 single plane then cut the geometry in.
This is a pretty good example of what the whole plant looks like. I'm by no means a cattail expert, but we have plenty surrounding our lake. From my experience and comparing to yours:
- There's more leaves/grass than tail.
- The leaves are as tall or taller than the tail.
- They're bunched up and grow in stalks.
- I'm not sure if they'd grow so sparse in the wild (especially if left untended).
- To help establish scale, cattails easily grow as tall as a person (especially if left untended).
- They also look really cool when some of them are torn up into fluff! Birds use them for making their nests.
Great tips and info so far in this thread, Adam
Looking forward to seeing this one progress!
I do have one hugely important, totally relevant and entirely critical question though...
What Firefox theme are you using?
He explains it here. But yeah, its a single plane put over the place with an alpha on it.
http://boards.polycount.net/showpost.php?p=1070873&postcount=110
really helpful reading other enviro-artist's techniques. particularly with the ground textures, i think you've got yourself a great blend of style, detail, and amount of time required.
looking forward to more.
Those are his as well.