Help me turn this model from Garbage to somthing presentable

Corey Miller · Oct 2011

I've been self taught for the most part of my 3d modeling life. Well I think that should come to an end. I can't make heads or tails of this model it just feels like garbage to me. I would love all the help I could get to make it nice.

terrybuchan · Oct 2011

What is it supposed to be? Are you working from any reference? There looks to be alot of wasted space in that unwrap from what i can see.

Edit: oops, didn't see the reference at the bottom.

paulsvoboda · Oct 2011

Well, for starters, if you are planning on building the whole shrine you still have quite a ways to go, and you haven't yet begun the fun parts. The model you have currently looks like the starts of a High Poly model which hasn't yet been sub-divided. There should be no reason for you to unwrap this as most of the detail you currently have in there should be projected onto a much lower poly model. There's a lot of stuff on the wiki for you to read about this process and the How you model dem Shapes thread by Earthquake is a fantastic place to read up on Sub-D modeling.

For this piece, it would be great to do a simple blockout of the entire shrine and try to break out the unique pieces you will need to build eg. The Door, the pillar you are currently building, a top wall section, a quarter of the dome, a window) and start building each of those pieces separately with as much detail as you can. Then you can process all that high detail down into low poly meshes which can then be used to assemble the rest of the shrine.

As for how to make the current piece more interesting, you have the basic structure but have left out some of the intricate detailing. Go ahead and try building those designs in the center, it will make the piece stand out and give it a focal point.

Here's a couple wiki pages and threads you may want to read/watch:

http://wiki.polycount.com/NormalMap?action=show&redirect=Normal+Map

http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56014

http://www.3dmotive.com/training/3ds-max/high-poly-modeling-an-introduction/

http://wiki.polycount.com/CategoryEnvironmentModularity?highlight=%28%5CbCategoryEnvironment%5Cb%29

http://eat3d.com/pillar

Santhem · Oct 2011

So far there's not much to comment on. Your model has quite alot of chamfered edges, which makes it hard to see exactly whats going on (especially at a low res). Your unwrap looks pretty clean to me, but as said above, alot of space going to waste there.

Personally id start with modelling a 7 sided cylinder as a base mesh, add the details (like ridges, and the roof first. Use a basic blockout for the part your trying to model right now. Then get the doors and windows right. Only when you feel everything is well proportioned and all the basics are in there, start the real detailing.

Its an intresting building though, allows for lots of modularity.

Corey Miller · Oct 2011

Thank you for all the quick replays. I was trying to go for a modular approach to the whole building. As with modeling the Inset pieces in the pillar, I have tried and failed miserably. I first tried in Max then tried in Zbrush and still never looked like anything determinable.

Corey Miller · Oct 2011

I bought the eat3d Old damaged Pillar and I am currently working through it at the moment.

Vailias · Oct 2011

I think you're making things too hard on yourself keeping that pillar as a solid, watertight mesh. There's no reason for that, and is just making your modeling life harder.

Identifying the major modular parts is important, but just as important, identify the smaller modular parts you can just instance around, or use as building blocks.

Also, simplify things where they aren't intrinsic design elements if it makes your life easier. Like make the building width an even gridsnap. Make the thing 6 sided since the angles divide more easily (which I think it is anyway).

See if this helps. I've color coded some bits you can reuse. Each color is a single element, and the white lines on one side show how you could divide those particular bits into instances.

Now as far as building these into a modular set for more than just this building, definitely go with larger chunks, like a full wall side, and a full pillar, etc, but plan ahead and build on a grid.

Corey Miller · Oct 2011

Holy, wow man you practically did it for me

Thanks a whole bunch That is going to help me like you wont believe. Thank you!

Corey Miller · Oct 2011

Sorry for the late work, I have been moving and just got started back on this.
Is this basically what I should be going for. I built the basic pillar from a box. Then I took a box chamfered all the sides and instanced it around the pillar

to make the trim. Any thoughts or crits?

Help me turn this model from Garbage to somthing presentable

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