WIP M5 Stuart Tank
polycounter lvl 5
Evening all
I've never posted anything here before, so I thought I'd share my current work in progress; an M5 Stuart Tank.
Although I don't have any particular game engine in mind, I hope that the finished product will be suitable for use as a game asset. I'm aiming for a poly count of about 40,000 tris (which I think is about right for current gen FPS's) with 3*1024*1024 textures for defuse, normal and specular.
Below are some images of my low poly model. Any C &C before I start unwrapping it would be awsome.
Also, If anyone has any advice about building/using high poly models to generate normal maps then that would also be greatly appreciated.
thanks in advance
- D
I've never posted anything here before, so I thought I'd share my current work in progress; an M5 Stuart Tank.
Although I don't have any particular game engine in mind, I hope that the finished product will be suitable for use as a game asset. I'm aiming for a poly count of about 40,000 tris (which I think is about right for current gen FPS's) with 3*1024*1024 textures for defuse, normal and specular.
Below are some images of my low poly model. Any C &C before I start unwrapping it would be awsome.
Also, If anyone has any advice about building/using high poly models to generate normal maps then that would also be greatly appreciated.
thanks in advance
- D
Replies
And heh, lil plug, but I have a DVD out on the highpoly modeling: http://eat3d.com/dozer_part1
lolno
why don't you use a larger texture, and drop that polycount by half. 40k is obscene. also pointless to spend tris on areas that will be so small they will be mere pixels in game.
your best bet will probably be to model the treads as a simple 'belt' shape and project the normals from your HP tank tread onto it.
Quick google image search example: http://chrismckamey.com/images/Tank/front__wireframe.jpg
edit: I'd also agree with the previous comment that you can get away with a larger texture on such a large asset. Maybe 2048 texture, or at least a couple seperate 1024's
thanks
Well plugged! I've just made a purchase and I'm looking forward to watching through it all.
40k tricount is bit too high though, even for an fps
The mesh itself looks cool, but I think the 3d tracks eat big chunk of those tris. Usually tracks are made as polybands with tiled texture on them which scrolls when tank is moving. Modelling those track details in 3d is an overkill. Sometimes ppl model those if a prop is static and never moves, but only if the tracks themselves are larger (therefore less quanitity) and if their 3d details more significant to the overall shape (like, say, large dozer tracks).
Stuart tracks are quite small, and do not really deserve 3d modeling even if it intended to be a static prop.
Same work for front wheel - its `teeth` would normally be done with alphas.
As for the texture size, did u mean one 1024 with 2 other channels that support it or actual 3 different textures plus corresponding normal and spec to support them?
If its the first case, then it sounds a bit too small. It might not be enough. I any case u`d better have a separate texture for whatever has alpha channel, especially separate one for tracks.
I actually did one Stuart tank for one mod, there is a link below if u`d like to take a look. That is a bit different modification tho, but its quite similar anyways :P
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=81760]
Keep it up!
I wouldn't get any depth to the teeth if did them with alphas would? or would that not be important? also, wouldn't you be able to 'see through' the back of the polygon whith an alpha?
with textures i ment 1 1024*1024 for the defuse, 1 1024*1024 for the normal and 1 1024*1024 for the for the spec. Although I've been told I might want to make them 2048 * 2048
thanks - D
That kind of depth is too small to worry about;) U can always add some with normal map of course.
As for the "seing through back of polygon", I am not sure if i understood it correctly, but u just place a fliped copy of that polygon on the other side for example.
EDIT: just remembered another example - nice Stuart from FH2:
http://forgottenhope.warumdarum.de/screenshotsfh2/090506M5A1.jpg
Unfortunately the website of Alina Gal (who did the texture and had some mesh and texture breakdowns shown in her portfolio) is off-line or something :P
Plenty of ppl said that 40k tris was too high, and 20k was more than adequate.(somone on another forum said 10k, but nuts to that!). I got it down to around 16k after reducing the tracks to rubber bands and by making concession in other areas, and I dont thing you can really tell that it looks any diffrent!.
I did add a few tris back in by adding the axe, hammer & spade detailing to the back, which takes it up to around 17K.
I'm in two minds weather or not to add the 30 cal to the turret.
Thanks as always
- D
For instance, those spiky wheels, make the spikes triangles instead of ever-so-slightly-curved-triangles, and you'll shave off a cool 1344 triangles. BAM.
You can also cut out a few polygons (not quite that many though) in the suspension by swapping the stairstepped cylinders for a single tapering polygon. This will also help with normal map baking. Check out this thread for more info, and especially this post is interesting.
Lastly, I'd advise you to use as few intersecting pieces of geometry, because these will cause aliasing issues. A good example of that would be the main cannon is made up of 4 or 5 pieces when only 1 should be enough. Rule of thumb: if it's 1 object in real life, it should probably be 1 object in the model.
dose this problem relate to problems with shadows as talked about in this forum post? I've seen plenty of ppl sink geomerty in there models & i never thought there was a problem with it. Do you have any image examples to hand? I did a quick google search and didnt come up with anything.
Thanks for the post about the normal maps. not sure I understood all of it, but i don't mind doing my own experimentations.
thanks again