Softz' improvement trade

Softz · Mar 2015

Hi guyz,

I'm new here, i'm a second grade 3d student and i came here to get feedback on my work and to improve my English.
I'll try to feed that trade frequently and achieve my goal of being a 3d artist in video game industry.

I want to improve my skills in : Sculpting and anatomy, the all process of a charachter design and some hard surface and texture.

So let's begin with my most recent work.
I wanted to improve my skill of modeling in maya.
I started to reproduce a concept weapon from proxygreen(http://proxygreen.deviantart.com/art/Phase-rifle-concept-390131380)

There is the wireframe

And a quick render in keyshot

That's my first real modeling in maya and i can see several issue on my model.

Feel free for all criticism, that's why I'm here today ;D
Have a nice day.

AsaNYC · Apr 2015

Excellent work.

Tip for more help: The soft gathered shading doesn't really show the surface detail you worked to model. Use a material with a wide value range. Something around 50% should be your base color. This will let the shadows and light illustrate your forms. Additionally, the bounce lighting from the studio floor looks to be obscuring/washing out some of the details as well, so it might help to darken the floor or eliminate it altogether.

Right now it looks like you probably need to loosen some of those edges for optimal normal mapping, but I think you'll get more in-depth and informed feedback if you change up the presentation. Check the wiki.

Softz · Apr 2015

Hi Asa,

Thank you for the feedback and the advices for better render. I definitely have to cleanup the model before creating some normal map in zbrush.
And that wiki!! Damn how i did not checked that before.

I planned to test Substance Designer or Mari to create texture, that's my final goal for that model.
But for now i needed a break with some character design.

So there is a sculpt i started this weekend, i post it now before i get into detail ;D.

For the short story, i dont know her name, but i know that she is an asian head hunter travelling into space with her spaceships. A crystal on her chest will be is way to activate her spaceship.

My goal for this character is to learn some texturing (kinda like overwatch or league of legends with a high level a saturation and contrast)
and if i'm crazy enought maybe a rigging(but i really can't promise anything on that ;D)

Softz · Apr 2015

Hi everyone,

a little maj, i tried to refine and exagerate some shapes (i like her teenager look). I used some concept character of the artist Daeho Cha for inspiration.
I also tried different cloth and stuff to fit to her background .
There is the model atm.

I learned the new feature of zbrush 4r7, the zmodeler. That's not easy to handle, but i managed to create basic shapes for my charcter.

Ill try to clean the model this weak, and i'll probably work on her weapon.
Either a big sword or two slim katana i'm not sure yet.
Waiting for your feedback ;D.

Softz · May 2015

Hi, end of holydays and i'm getting back to work.

I didn't worked that much on the character during holydays but i started to study anatomy a little further with a scupt of Guts body from the manga Berserk.
i'll finish the details on both model before starting into maya retopology

I'll come back with more soon,
feel free to comment.

Softz · May 2015

Hello everyone or noone

,

i did my first complete game assets and hand painted texture for a test to get an internship in 3dmodeling.
I did it in 3ds that was tought after one years without it.
Unfortunately they said no to hire me as intern, my level is still too low.
So i came here to pick advice on this work and to improve my skills.

If i don't know what i'm doing wrong i can't progress
So there's the model and the map.
That was my first gloss and spec map i tried but...

They told me that i've got huge problems in my model, so if someone could check the wireframe and tell me what i did wrong it would be great

[SKETCHFAB]9c797fb5b2f549faa7ec86321fe5e4d3[/SKETCHFAB]

Feel free to comment

Rawbert · May 2015

I'm noticing a big gap between your modelling and texture skills.
The generator looks flat and boring and does'nt feel like a power generator at all

I think it has too many white lines + it lacks depth

It would be cool if those white lines have some kind of pulse, like sarah kerrigan
https://www.google.nl/search?q=kerrigan&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=995&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=UQlaVbyiIsrzUvXwgNgB&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ#imgrc=TqLihIjwS7lubM%253A%3BuCL_aN1OtIkvjM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fvignette3.wikia.nocookie.net%252Fcelestial-refresh%252Fimages%252Fa%252Fa2%252FSarah_Animation.gif%252Frevision%252Flatest%253Fcb%253D20131002183325%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fcelestial-refresh.wikia.com%252Fwiki%252FSarah_Kerrigan%3B500%3B700

Phong · May 2015

I think you need to work on your modeling. you have a few places that you have geo for no reason. rule of thumb when youre doing low poly stuff, is that if you dont see it in the silhouette, you dont need geo for it. the little insets you have everywhere are almost invisible with the textures on. normals should be used for things like that. you also have geo on the inside that nobody can see. you also dont need to make the large pipes a part of the same mesh as the main body. that will save you quite a bit of polygons and make it easier to UV, bake, and model. cleanliness and optimization in games is super important. just make sure you get rid of geometry you dont need. Right now you have 4k faces in this, with optimizations you could probably get this down to 1k and have the same fidelity. Hope this helps.

Softz · May 2015

Hi Phong and Rawbert,

thanks for the feedback, i totally agree with both of u, so to improve thoses leaks i managed to create another props, a more basic one (to back to the basics)
I wasn't trying to improve the generator i needed something else.

So i did that sword from brianluk.
For the first time i generated my normal on xnormal. And i learned a lot about the workflow when ur trying to put a normal on a low poly.
I'm still nothappy about the painting it's still too flat especially the wings i think.
i Hope that topology is better i tried to keep the essential of the shape like u said Phong.

[SKETCHFAB]96465e5453114e12a23b7cb196b7f11d[/SKETCHFAB]

She's based on that concept (the one on the left)

I took some liberty in the design, i'm actually trying to generate spec and gloss map.
As always feedbacks are welcome.
ill get back on my girl model now ;D

Phong · May 2015

looks much better. although you could still be a bit more efficient with your modeling. noticed in the sketchfab scene that almost none of your model is symmetrical, even though the object itself is very symmetrical. only really need to make half of it, mirror it over, then change small things if there is any asymmetry. muuuuch much better with the other stuff though.

Softz · May 2015

Thx phong for ur reply,

I worked on my girl model, the high poly is blocked now.
I managed to create her 2 swords. I used symmetrie this time:).
I've got serious issue on thoses normal map. I baked all object one by one to avoid artefact.
I tried to create a cage with a clone on my low poly but i'd issue with the normal orientation of my vertex. The cage wasnt ok.
I think that's why there's some artefact with the light on the model.

[SKETCHFAB]26ffb56b4aa44c96b89c3b2ac951725a[/SKETCHFAB]

I'll start texture now. The swords will work like light saber with an energy blade(it's not rly clear on my sketch).

Softz · Jun 2015

Little update of the day i kinda finished the high poly so i did a paint over to get an better idea of the texture.
Its open for criticism i'll probably change a lot a things.

It would be awesome to get some feedback

Softz · Jun 2015

Im done with the retopology. I tried to stay in quad as much as possible especialy on the head and on the arms and legs.
I'm learning so feedback is appreciat

.

Lets uv and bake the high poly now

Softz · Jun 2015

Hoy, post of the day ,D
I'm done with the uv, ill bake every object separetly now to avoid artefact.

Let's bake, i'm pretty sure that won't be easy ^^.

Softz' improvement trade

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