Invader Fluff's TF2 Projects
Hi. I'm Invader Fluff, and I'm fairly new to Polycount. I only recently gained enough knowledge in 3D modeling to even be able to attempt making items for Team Fortress 2, let alone video games. I've only been doing 3D modeling for about two years, but I've learned a lot, and am still learning. I really want to improve the items I've made so far and eventually move on to new ones, but since I'm new and less experienced, I haven't been getting much feedback on my items here, and some of the feedback that I have been getting here hasn't been all that helpful. That's why I thought it would be a good idea for me to make my own thread on here. That way, my stuff isn't taking up space in the thread I've been posting to, and I can get more feedback on my items, which will allow me to improve.
So now that I've finished boring you with the story about this thread, feel free to leave constructive criticism on my items. First up, I have this cloche hat called the Cloche Call that I've nearly completed. It's called the Cloche Call, because the pronunciation for cloche sounds an awful lot like close. I've compiled it into the game as a replacement for the Madame Dixie. I'm really happy with it so far, but I've been told that it needs brush strokes to make it fit the painterly style of TF2. I do have a version that has the brush strokes, but I'm very insecure about my painting abilities. My interests and talents seem to lie more with the modeling aspect of 3D, so I'm completely clueless about what to do with my brush strokes. Since it is suppose to be made of fabric, I'm afraid the wrong kinds of brush strokes could make it look like metal, wood, or some other material that I don't want my hat to be made out of. I'll submit any updates I make to my items. I'm also currently working on a chalice called the Malice Chalice, my take on the Kurgan's helmet, a hook for the Demoman that references the Candyman movies and is called Bee My Victim, and a fedora style porkpie hat called Picket's Porkpie (Picket is a synonym for spy, by the way).
Please leave me constructive criticism. Praise is okay, and it keeps me going, but it doesn't help me improve. Also, outright bashing doesn't help either. I'm new to modeling and to this community. I'd like to think we're all professionals here, and bashing isn't professional and doesn't help me improve either. I know you've seen better and I don't want to hear it. Besides...we've all got to start somewhere, don't we? I also have to warn you that I'm slightly autistic. That doesn't mean I'm expecting to be treated like I'm a special snowflake, it means that I have a tendency to sometimes misunderstand what people mean and also have a tendency to offend people without meaning to. If that happens, please be patient with me and kindly let me know. With that in mind...fire away.
Replies
Read some tutorials, practice, get some simple objects working in the game, and then start on something that you can really sink your teeth into, and not necessarily just for TF2. Honestly, making stuff for TF2 is a bad idea for somebody who's just starting in game art because it has a very specific, tightly defined style. If you only try to do things in the TF2 style, you're going to stagnate and not make any progress as an artist.
Learn how to make things that look realistic, examine real life things, understand how materials work both in terms of textures and how they move and interact with each other, and then you can branch out and do some stuff in weird styles like TF2's.
To stay on topic and keep my thread from turning into a place where people critique me and what I'm like and not my work, I'm posting what my cloche hat looks like so far, now that I've worked on it some more. I fixed the smoothing groups, so the brim and the belt have sharper edges, and I fixed my ambient occlusion so it has more noise. I also have the brush strokes I was talking about earlier.
If you're struggling with texturing, take a look at this thread
Texturing for Team Fortress 2: A Short Guide
also study the textures that valve did and try to replicate it.
Lastly, preview your models on a neutral background, pure white or black is hard on the eye. When in doubt, 128 gray works.
Since I essentially needed to make my ambient occlusion more noisy, I tried just adding noise to the AO layer to see what that does. I'm not trying to come up with excuses and I have been experimenting with brush strokes...a lot...but nothing seems to look right for my hat. I've also been told by people here that the new hat textures only have ambient occlusion applied. If adding noise to the AO layer helps, then maybe that was all it needed. If I'm wrong, then let me know.
This shot is better looking than what you've posted in this thread, what's going on?
With only AO and a proper alpha channel your hat could be any color in game, if you don't want that that's fine too. You can always have an Ao layer in your PSD, then put blu and red layers on top with a blend mode (probably multipy) and you can test AO, red or blu that way.
Honestly I have no idea how to test 'paint' in game, afaik your hat would have to be implemented by Valve, then you'd have to buy paint...
Three things would help for crits I think.
1- give us a shot with AO only, so we can judge the base texture. IMO from the earlier shots the AO is almost non-existant. In the later one the contrast on it looks good, but the noise on the head band and flower shouldn't be there (They are most likely a lot smoother than the wool or cotton of the main hat).
I kind of like the noise on the main hat myself though, even though it may deviate a bit from 'tf2 material'.
I'm not completely convinced you need 'color splotches' on that hat. Just because someone gives advice doesn't mean it's good (mine included). TF2 cloth IS NOT color spoltchy like metal is.
Look at the sniper jacket, the pyro suit and suspenders, I see no splotchies. (I do see strong, rough AO though)
2- wire frames/tri count. A basic requirement to showing off models. That can help determine waste, smoothing groups, etc...
3 - i forgot what I was gonna put here... lol
As for crits I think you could do a few things to improve it.
1: the flower: You have a dark outline around the edge of the pedals, get rid of that. Get rid of the noise.
Add a half/sphere for the 'pollen', right now the tex bleeds out on the leaves and makes it look weird, and a little shape there would help.
2: Use the alpha channel to get rid of all specular on the cloth (blu/red part), the shine makes it look rubbery in game. IMO it should all be one smooth group (no sharp edges on knit cotton/wool) and it should have no shine (black on alpha channel).
I think you either get spec or color change with the alpha, no spec is probably the better option.
I'm making a court composer outfit for the spy and it's called the Candy Court Composer. I'm finished with the model and textures, but I need to know a few things before I make this into a mod. Am I on the right track if I want to make this into a replacement for the turtleneck? If not, how many other pieces of the spy's body should I include? Is it possible to make this into a misc item replacement mod, or should I just make it into a reskin of the character instead? In what order should I apply the bones to the skin modifier in 3D Max, or does it not matter at all?
Sorry I haven't been updating. I finished my cloche hat and my chalice, and even worked on a wig for the spy. That wig is the whole reason I'm making this outfit. I thought it would also look good with the Magistrate's Mullet. My stuff is mostly on my Deviant Art and on TF2chan in my thread in the Community Projects and Mods section.
Guess it wouldn't hurt to post what else I've been up to. These are the completed versions of my cloche, chalice, and the new wig I was talking about. They're finished and I'm really happy with them, so I'm not looking for critiques on them. I just wanted to show them off. Please help me out with my Candy Court Composer outfit, though.