Old graphics.
Good afternoon. Would you like to ask knowledgeable people how the graphics were divided before? All these angular 3d models from "Mario 64" and "cs 1.6" are not at all similar to our time. Now there is such a thing as a "Blockout". And it wasn't there before. These angular shapes are unlike any primitive. So how were they made? Did you create a plane and make the model itself out of it? Or what? Please share your opinion and knowledge. I will be grateful.
Replies
Just search for lowpoly modelling and you'll find plenty of attempts on how to create geometry. Pick your favorite
Early 3d games were made to run on very limited hardware, which could not render complex 3d shapes. The hardware could only render very few points at a time. So the models had to be very blocky.
Blockout means using simplified shapes when designing a 3d model, or designing a game level. This site explains a bit about how and why to use a blockout when designing a game level. https://www.worldofleveldesign.com/categories/level_design_tutorials/art_of_blocking_in_your_map.php
Many of the same principles from level design apply to designing a character model too, or any other complex 3d model. It is better to start with rough shapes, which are easier to change, because there is usually a lot of change in the early stages of modeling. Once you have a solid design in blockout style, then you can refine and add visual details with less wasted effort.
You can find old tutorials by appending "before:2010" to a youtube search.
Also, since SM64 has been fully decompiled it is now easier than ever to mod it. So if you *really* want to do a deep dive into this kind of modeling I'd say go ahead and start moding in a character. You'll quickly absorb everything about this style from becoming very familiar with the source material.