Z3N's 3rd Character

Z3NZY

Hey. New to Polycount and looking for advice with my model during it's creation.

I've done two models before this, and I think i'm improving but i still need advice on some basic stuff like how to go about making shirt collars and stuff like that.

So this is my model so far.

My tri budget is 9000 hi and 2000 low, 2 LOD
Texture budget of 1024 D/S/N i think

I'm planning on doing a base mesh from max, export to Zbrush (which i'm still entry level at) and follow this guide http://en.9jcg.com/comm_pages/blog_content-art-180.htm

I'm keen for ANY input from the good people here and here are my pics.

Z3NZY

K, well I've been doing other work since my first upload but here's my progress and problem.

I'm having trouble with the edges going through the back into the arm. It would be fine if i just add a triangle to it, but i hear and have seen that zbrush chews things up when tris are added.

Also i'm not sure if i should make the hands seperatly since it's a but weird doing them at a weird angle.

I've put in quite a few hours since the last post, and it's a little clear that i'm not working fast enough or i'm moving verts too often just to have to move them back which wastes time so i'll work on that

Thanks in advanced for any advice.

Alex3d

Hey there, nice start!
You seem to have problems with edgloops

You are missing key loops on the knees and elbows that would prevent them from caving in on each other :P
Also the reason you have issue with shoulders, is because your arms are raised too high. Lower the arms, and create proper shoulder edgeloops. The reason that they are done that way, is because characters will be in a relaxed pose 95% of the time.

My advice, get a GOOD character tutorial, that would cover full character creation process from start to finish. Something like this: http://eat3d.com/character_lowres

Z3NZY

Thanks for the advice Alex. I've just done the feet and hands and will make the changes you mentioned. The arm being high I never even noticed lol.

The video you mentioned is expensive lol, i checked my library and they had it, but it didn't seem to have anything for building from the very start.
I'm pretty much still at the extreme basics
kk, well I have a hole in between the thumb and index finger i'm trying to close up but apart from that this is the hand.
And the feet.

Z3NZY

I totally forgot that i hadn't even uploaded the concepts for the character lol.
I've done more work and i'll be uploading images in a bit.

I'm also thinking about not bothering to go into Zbrush since i have a short deadline as well.

A couple things i'm interested in getting info on though is on if where i have put triangles is a bad. I'm still not sure where having them can be beneficial or just disruptive to engines.

Front


Side


Back (of vest.)

Macattackk

it doesnt really seem like your modeling with the attire in mind. your going to want to have more billowy structures where the clothes are. i wouldve had the vest/pants be 2 separate topological structures in which your feet/arms/head came out of. this will help the silhouette and also make it easier for texturing and uving since everything is its own entity.

watch out with adding too many edge loops before getting the base level structures out of a model. itll make it take much longer and not turn out as well.

Z3NZY

Macattack - You're totally right. I only realised after i made the body that i should have just done it the way you said. I had in my head that i had to make a great base mesh before i did anything else and i think i just blew a lot of time, but i learned from doing so not a total loss i guess.

I'm also wondering about the advice Alex3D gave me previously and how it may be important now. I'm total shit at rigging and will learn it properly now but i'm not sure what i should change to stop weirdness happening. And will his images be the changes i should make now that my model is different?

Oh, i'm also wondering if i should intersect planes or something for the straps or try to make it from the elements they're on?

Lmao i just saw the thing between my legs in the front view.

Z3NZY

Kk, well this is the model and texturing so far.








The face is weird and i'm trying to make the facial hair not look stupid and i've not even started working the the real hair.

The black lines on the trousers are where i'm going to have indents in the bump map to male them like corduroys but i'm thinking of going back to standard suit trousers or something. Cords might be a little weird.

I'm trying to get rid of the blackness on the collar but haven't put too much effort into it though i have no idea why it's there.

Also thinking about removing the straps and the gun.

PaulP

The black deformations on the color are from normal inaccuracies. Make sure your normals are facing outwards. I don't know which program you are using, but both 3ds max and Maya have options to relax the normals, which is what I think you need.

The sleeves are way to bulky, and the creasing looks like someone is blowing a fan/blowdrier through thin and baggy material. Creating realistic creasing is tricky, using some photo reference will help you out.

insaneklown89

The collar might be due to smoothing groups, try changing the ones on the outside of the collar. Also your hands are a little small, and try looking at some more facial and skull reference to really get the shape of the face down.