(Student) First Big Mech Build

Apaulsen

Hey everyone I've been using polycount for a long time now just too look at cool artwork and such. I made an account on the advice of my teacher saying I can start posting my work to get feedback and ideas and be involved.

I am a computer graphics major with a focus on 3D and I'm fairly new to ACTUALLY trying to model and 3D in general. This mech is my first real personal BIG (at least for me) project.

Any feedback, advice, ideas for weapons, etc would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Apaulsen

I do know I have to go back and make the lower leg high poly, a long with the top.

It's Still a WIP.

GarageBay9

You're WAY oversmoothing those shapes. There's about nine hundred miles of extra tesselation there for what you're after. Look up some of the hard surface / subdiv modeling tutorials and reference here on Polycount and elsewhere on the web; you'll be amazed how little geometry is needed to properly describe hard surfaces when done right and used in conjunction with tools like Meshsmooth.

For reference, I modeled an entire Cessna 208B Caravan - a large single-engine propeller aircraft - for Flight Sim 11 with less than 80k polygons. It was essentially a hard-surface model that was going to be put directly into the game instead of baking to a normal map. The key is knowing where to spend polygons and add edgeloops, where to leave things sparse, and how to mould those surfaces into the final product you want with smoothing tools (MeshSmooth, TurboSmooth, smoothing groups, etc). Right now you're throwing brute force tesselation at flat surfaces, which isn't getting you anything you didn't have before, since you can't make a flat surface any smoother.

I also think you're trying to bite off a bit too much to start with... but I remember starting out, and the urge to eat the whole elephant is hard to resist.

Apaulsen

LOL thanks garage. I started out with the lower-poly leg and thought it looked okay and to do the bend around the joint to the upper leg i just smoothed (maybe out of my naivety) and once i was done with the leg some of my friends and professors said they liked it better and i shouldnt mix the two.

I think for now I'll finish what I have then go back and redo the legs in a lower poly?

Lew

its very boxy, like what garage said, your over smoothing, dont worry about the edges being so tight and you'll have something more interesting to look at (you'll also get a better bake later). Also try mixing up the shapes, but keep in mind function, maybe add some pistons or wires? Go look at your favourite mech as reference...

My last thought would be to think about weight distribution. It looks heavy, would the body tip the thing over, or would the feet maybe make it clumsy?

I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with, I have a soft spot for mech models....

Apaulsen

Yeah I'm intending on putting wires and gears in later more detailed joint connections and such.

This is a long shot but I was thinking about that whole "tipping over" idea but most of the mechs I've looked at, especially from the mechwarrior era, don't really have to have that in mind, maybe because its a mech and it's not realistic anyways?

IDK as it stands right now its about 120 units tall, and as you see it in the picture standing up straight isn't going to be its resting position. It's idol position will have its legs bent slightly in, similar to the leg renders.

Lew

maybe make the legs a bit chunkier then. I have no idea how this concept mech doesn't fall over, but it's legs are pretty beefy, so I believe it could support its own weight and balance itself, similar to human anatomy in a way...

Apaulsen

First of all thanks you guys lol

This is awesome to get feedback from people outside my immediate circle of friends, teachers, loved ones, etc.

And looking at the top now I may scale it down to be more appropriate. Another thing you can say to justify the large top (especially in the image you provided lew) is it's a mech. Futuristic and not completely realistic. I think one major thing that makes it look more realistic is the fact that it LOOKS like it can function, not if it actually can.

Apaulsen

Now that this is on polycount its even more motivation to finish it I'll try to update it tomorrow!

Apaulsen

Hokay so update!

Having some troubles with the guns on the side cus I really want to smooth it out a bit (hopefully not over smooth) just think its kinda late at this point to not smooth it since my legs are rediculous :P

Apaulsen

Maybe done? Until I try to sculpt it.

This is what I turned in for class.

GragGunslinger

Pretty cool model, your have some nice high frequency detail which I think it really helping your model to stand out, however your legs are a little curious to me....they're sticking really far out in the back and looks like they would not be able to support the mechs heavy top.

I dunno, just my 2 cents.

Apaulsen

Thanks a lot I've thought about the legs and going back and making them, IDK bulkier maybe? Just so it looks more supportive.