Islamic Steeple

Hoopla!

Hey guys, working on this sample art test i was able to download from a local studio.

Here are the instructions:

"As an environmental artist you will sometimes have a limited amount of reference material for an asset that needs to be created. This tall structure is an example of something that has a high level of visibility and importance in the level but we do not have a lot of good reference for. Model and texture the main steeple part of this structure to be as visually interesting as possible with rich surfaces and material detail. Make good use of normal and specular maps to create appropriate lighting interaction with different surface types.

Polygon Limit: 2,000 triangles
Texture Limit: 2 1024x1024 texture sets (or equivalent texture space) including seperate diffuse, normal, and specular.

Geometry Format: XSI, LWO (Modo or Lightwave), MAX or OBJ
Texture Format: TGA"


Here are the reference images:





Here is my optimized model:










Its at like 600 polys right now but i obviously have some cloning to do.. i have a hi poly version ready for export to zbrush where details like the slit windows, planks underneath the roof, the circles in the lower part, ribs on the upper roof cap thing [what are those called?] and the details in the little parts along with some overall damage. the railing will be two plains with alphas. im a bit confused as to what to put on the top of the thing so i think i have decided to make it something more interesting, any thoughts about that? the little pillars will go in tomorrow.

I'm done with it for today as i have to go do other things, but if anyone has any suggestions or tweeks i should make i would really really appreciate it.

is it too optimized, should i put more supporting geometry back in?


Thanks and have a great weekend! please make with the c&c

ps: i know there isnt much to crit at this point but i wanted to get a wip thread going anyway :P

crazyfingers

Looks like you got a great start. What you need to do is really nail that brick texture. Time spent on that's going to do more for this piece than anything.

As for the top bit, maybe expand on the electical aspect of the tower? I see there are speakers attached to it in the photo, how about wires and a large antennae at the top? This sorta towers would go into an FPS i'd assume so it'd be fitting.

As for the dome itself, you can definitely draw from Unreal 3, if any game had kick ass domes, it was that one:


Good luck with this, should be fun watching it progress.

Oh and don't be afraid to really push the limits of the texture size and poly count. Art directors generally care less about that stuff these days, just make the most kick ass art you can within the limits.

Hoopla!

Thanks crazyfingers! those "domes" (cant believe i forgot the name) look sweet! very inspirational.

i just had a thought, by the description, im assuming this is not going to be something to walk around in, im assuming its just environment that looks nice when you walk by it?

i like the idea about the electrical stuff to, i had thought about it but wasnt sure if it was appropriate.

thanks again. im still workn the hi res so get a good style going here b4 the texture, i agree that the brick is going to be crucial.

Rhinokey

what is that pointy bit you show, (closeup in 5th pic) do not see it in any of the pics, an you took a way upclose images so i guess its someting

Hoopla!

Rhinokey wrote: »

what is that pointy bit you show, (closeup in 5th pic) do not see it in any of the pics, an you took a way upclose images so i guess its someting

not sure what you mean bro.

Axios

Pretty sure he means this:

Krypteia

I think it's those little geometry bits above the window slit. Look at the window slit in the 3rd reference image and go up.

Hoopla!

oh, i see, yeah its the little bits above the slit windows in the lower portion of the steeple.

here are some wip updates, screen caps of ztool

pior

Can you explain a bit further how you went from such a simple basemesh, to such straight ornaments on the Ztool? I know its a common technique amongst Zbrush artists by now but I kind of missed that boat and I am curious to hear more about it.

Thanks!

Vailias

off to a good start, however May I suggest that you work on the larger forms before detailing the accents like you have done.

The general description of this asset, and the texture budget suggest that, while it is a set piece, it is also not approachable to the distance you're showing with that detailed window area.

Really look at the reference pics and double check how much detail will show up in the 1024 map's you're allotted, and if the details do show, how will they look from afar? will they add to it or just become visual noise?

I do like how you've added some interest to the dome. Only critique on that i(which is minor) is that the twisty onion domes I think are more Eastern European in origin than specifically Arabian or Turkish. I could be wrong.

Hoopla!

Thanks Vailias! I make this mistake a bit more often then i would like to admit, i really enjoy the sculpting phase of projects. i think the limit actually looks more like 512 as i will have spec and normal maps so, by all means you are right, at this detail level, from the distance it will be seen from and the map size allotted to it, it stands a solid chance at becoming more noise then a point of interest.

hmm, my dilemma is that, by itself, the reference art is a little plain. the shape of the building is pretty simple, couple boxes, an octagon and a cylinder. everything is smoothed so the corners will get a solid spec going, but other then that not a lot is scheduled to get done to them as a ztool, i have some engravings, islamic carved writing and obviously the brick texture is going to have to be very solid, but i think all that is gona go on post zb, hope that mkaes sense?

Hey pior! hmm, heres my pipeline i try to fallow (hopefully someone who actually knows what they are doing will improve on this):

block out with primitives to match reference art. (in 3ds max or z spheres etc)
i try to make it as low poly to start as possible, then i try to think about how to make some
key loops and tweeks just trying to match the basic cage look of whatever it is, i think its
better to fake indents with normals then protrusions.

Make a high poly to export to zbrush. this step can go either way for me, sometimes i will do
the whole hi poly in max if its a less organic or object, or almost all of it in zbrush if its more
organic. either way, you want to take your low poly model and add a bunch of edge loops to
corral the turbo smooth that goes on after that.

Import into zbrush (if you want i can direct you to some great tutes for all this stuff, im sure
they explain better then i do :P ) probably divide it some more now to.

Begin sculpting! lol, that would always bug me when i very first started in zbrush. "How the heck do i just start sculpting??!"

man, reading this im even getting confused, well its been a long day for me, GO SAINTS! but i really hope this helps brother, iv had so many people help me so much i hope i can give any amount back . im probably leaving out the step you were most interested lol, let me know if this is the case or if you wanted more details or step by step. iv found with zbrush, if youre a little new to it, usually one thing will completely ruin your day, kinda strange considering the program was made to be more user friendly... anyway

Cheers!

Hoopla!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_architecture

it would appear they do use the domes with ridges, not sure about the twisting thing, that might even be russian?

Michael Knubben

Pior: You can also import and use the smooth groups in basically the same way as turbosmooth does when it uses smooth groups.