Mushroom tree
This is no where near as awesome as the other stuff here, but it's a start. Any feedback is appreciated, but since I'm really new to 3D (as in, this is my first serious model), I might not be able to follow on suggestion that's too high level... thanks!
I haven't UV'ed it yet, that's another thing to learn right now...
I haven't UV'ed it yet, that's another thing to learn right now...
Replies
If low poly, turn off "Smooth Mesh Preview." That isn't going to end up in a game (except for like the new CoD engine).
You making Normal Maps? Specular? Hand-painted Diffuse?
Just finished making UV for the base texture(diffuse).
I didn't realize the smooth version won't be used in a game... the un-smoothed version looks ugly with jagged edges...
I want to make a normal map in ZBrush, that's another new thing I need to figure out how to do. The texture is hand-painted. I'm not sure how specular map is supposed to be like...
Sculpt the High Poly > Retopologize the High Poly to Low Poly > UV > Bake out Maps > Finish Texturing.
You need to sculpt the high poly first (the low poly you have right now is a good base to Subdivide that in Zbrush to start on it). You do NOT UV the high poly, there is never a need for the High Poly to necessarily have good topology (especially for a static object) or ever be UV'd for a game asset. It will also determine the size of your textures. I would also take the opportunity with this to create a tiling texture for this. It is a mandatory skill for environment artists to know how to tile.
Take into consideration how this mushroom tree will be viewed. Is it in an RTS? A third person shooter? A first person shooter? This will determine the amount of time and approach to the texturing and sculpt you will have. It will determine how many polys you use, how you decide to place those polys, where there should be a ton of detail and where there is not.
Specular maps explain how reflective a material/texture is. A gloss map is also something that should go with a Specular map. Specilar maps are usually not greyscale for organic objects. Greyscale only really exists on pure, unpainted metals of a certain variety. Your skin doesn't reflect greyscale when light is shown onto it, only when the light is super hot. Same thing for something like a mushroom. Find photos of mushroom, or at least a vegetable in your house. Put it under a strong key light. How does it reflect it? What COLOR is that reflection? Ask those questions, observe. And then apply.
Polycount has a Wiki. Use it.
Do you happen to have a portfolio, by the way, so we can see where you're at as well?
This is supposed to be a base mesh. Several dozen mistakes and an forever later, this is done. So today I'm taking it into ZBrush, except I think I cannot have its UV overlapping, so trying to find out how to offset it in XSI now. I made tiles for the ground at 2k. Should tiles for objects like trees be smaller than 2k?
It's 1st person, but there will be hills players can go up on to see the top of this 1-human-high tree as well.
A 3D portfolio? ... you're kind of looking at it... I'm literally brand new to 3D stuff. I appreciate you taking the time to give me feedback on this simple object!