It will be used with UnrealEngine for VFX. Creating normals ect will be done in Substance. I tried with curves which went like ****. Maybe deformers could do the job?
I know that's not the type of helmet you're after but this tutorial gave me the basics to model helmet-like props on my own afterwards. I suggest you check it out, it's rather short too. In particular it made me discover Set Flow in Max, pretty useful when doing this kind of object.
I would suggest learning how subdivision works. Your helmet reference picture has a mix of curved and angular pieces, which are easy to generate with subdivision surfaces, once you understand how it works. It's super powerful, really worth the time to learn.
The workflow is different from yours and I definitely won't say ZModeler is the most efficient way of doing this but I think you can get something out of it in terms of topology and edge flow.
Maybe breakdown the object in small pieces that are closely aligned to give the illusion of a single mesh. This is a small, small concept that is at the core of good modeling.
Oh boy. I think you should learn the fundamentals of subdivision modelling before you start nabbing at little bits here and there in different programs.
Oh boy. I think you should learn the fundamentals of subdivision modelling before you start nabbing at little bits here and there in different programs.
I find that understanding topology in particular is akin to learning a language - it's a cumulative process that spans over a long period of time, especially with so much contradictory information on the Internet.
It took me forever to understand that it's simply not possible to always have 100% quads in a model and that triangles are okay on a flat surface. Or that spacing your polygons evenly is also critical.
Someone should write a topology bible for game art sometime, a lot of the stuff you come across as a learning modeler applies to art for rendering or other. Not so much about games. And in many modeling tutorial, people tend to not comment at all on topology as they go or very little. It's regreatable, it's imo the most important concept to grasp early on for success later on.
Replies
http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/Character_Modeling
For more about how this kind of modeling works, I suggest checking out this page:
http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/Subdivision_Surface_Modeling
The first few videos here will get you started. Plus the football helmet video posted above, that's a good one too.
http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/Subdivision_Surface_Modeling
[ame]
The workflow is different from yours and I definitely won't say ZModeler is the most efficient way of doing this but I think you can get something out of it in terms of topology and edge flow.
:thumbup:
It took me forever to understand that it's simply not possible to always have 100% quads in a model and that triangles are okay on a flat surface. Or that spacing your polygons evenly is also critical.
Someone should write a topology bible for game art sometime, a lot of the stuff you come across as a learning modeler applies to art for rendering or other. Not so much about games. And in many modeling tutorial, people tend to not comment at all on topology as they go or very little. It's regreatable, it's imo the most important concept to grasp early on for success later on.