[WIP] Mavica FD71 - Floppy Disk camera

illumisanic · Apr 21 2026

Looking for feedback/critiques during posting .

After getting massively rejected on the job hunting in the last months it made me insecure. I've wanted to make sure that I really know to model cool things and get a better portfolio in the process.

After searching what catched my attention was a camera that ussed floppy disks. It has curves, so more difficult.

Here is the high res version:

I've used floatters >:3

Getting references was horrible. 70% of the modelling was made with proportions and comparing images in photoshop

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/l1/rd949gxop7xc.jpg

illumisanic · Apr 21 2026

Here is the low poly version, the model is supossed to be "hero asset", seen closely. One of my persistent fears is not using enough vertices to have good circles, shapes and holes.

I'm not so sure if I've used too much or too little edges in general.

Current triangle count: 11.100

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/to/wrh4e28y0bif.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/q7/t9s2c5nakxa7.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/5e/y2wi27bcvdvh.jpg

illumisanic · Apr 21 2026

In the low version should I add the grip and steps on the lens or directly bake it on the smooth surface?

It looks better, but for a portfolio game piece I'm not sure it's bad for "optimization evaluation"

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/uq/p9vk0fg0mc0i.jpg

I'll be uv unwrapping. I don't know why everyone hates it, I have a blast doing it

Joao Sapiro · Apr 21 2026

looks pretty cool ! was just wondering why all quads in the HP :P

Eric Chadwick · Apr 21 2026

Does look good so far.

I tend to like more conservative lowpoly meshes, but it’s really not a big deal. You’re demonstrating a good understanding of modeling already.

But I would not model the grips, that’s small enough a detail that normal mapping makes more sense.

Also a lot of the detail on the back could be flat and use the normal map.

But this is all nitpicking really. Only if you wanted to heavily get into optimizing.

illumisanic · Apr 21 2026

Joao Sapiro said:

looks pretty cool ! was just wondering why all quads in the HP :P

Thank you : D

There are some "concealed" parts that are ngons. After seing some posts of Jordan Cain, I stopped being so skeptical about them.

I think it came out mostly as quads because I've applied a subdivision modifier before going into smaller details, like holes, booleans and that stuff.

illumisanic · Apr 21 2026

Eric Chadwick said:

But I would not model the grips, that’s small enough a detail that normal mapping makes more sense.
Also a lot of the detail on the back could be flat and use the normal map.

Thanks

I want the buttons to pop out more physically, but I see your point, there is some unnecessary density.

illumisanic · Apr 23 2026

Reduced the triangle count from 11.100 to 9.684.

While UV unwrapping I've stumbled upon this. Big island but with good stretching and no problem in baking.

What do you say, should I cut it down a little or it's fine?

illumisanic · Apr 24 2026

Reduced triangle count from 9.684 to 9.313

Everything is now baked and unwrapped (ignore the back screen please)

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/ab/ykp7qim3fuho.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/c5/yef7ajk1zh3q.jpg

Eric Chadwick · Apr 25 2026

Looks like some possible aliasing/jaggies, or maybe just that the render was poorly resized?

illumisanic · Apr 25 2026

Eric Chadwick said:

Looks like some possible aliasing/jaggies, or maybe just that the render was poorly resized?

A mix of both of them.

I have this problem, unless I split the normals (In blender I mark the edges as sharp), the tangents of the normals become very visible. I've tried using weighted normals modifier but I can't make it work

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/qs/0mi9zv4drgv7.png

Eric Chadwick · Apr 25 2026

Splitting normals before baking is a good process.

We have a bit about why this is important: http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/Normal_Map_Modeling#Smoothing_Groups_.26_Hard_Edges

Also some great examples here, along with info on why those extreme gradients are best to avoid
https://polycount.com/discussion/107196/making-sense-of-hard-edges-uvs-normal-maps-and-vertex-counts/p1

Weighted normals works well... but only if the model has bevels. I did a mini-tutorial on face-weighted normals. This works very well for mechanical assets. It can even let you avoid baking normal maps, but it does also work really well when you need to bake and also reduce harsh gradients:
https://github.com/KhronosGroup/glTF-Sample-Assets/tree/main/Models/SunglassesKhronos#modeling-with-face-weighted-normals

Eric Chadwick · Apr 25 2026

Oh also, this thread is gold:
https://polycount.com/discussion/81154/understanding-averaged-normals-and-ray-projection-who-put-waviness-in-my-normal-map/p1

illumisanic · Apr 25 2026

Thanks for the forums, I've learned a lot from them the first time I read them. I think we had the same chat the first time I've posted at this website xD.

I've ended up creating a vertex group from the back faces, setting their Face Strenght to Strong and adding a Weighted Normals assigning the created vertex group.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/uc/vgz3fl28m87y.jpg

Stacked a triangulate before it because the model would get ruined after exporting with triangulation.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/aj/jbfbyipywwil.jpg

I've also discovered that the baking cage and auto triangulation don't like doing this thing (EDIT: I had to set quad method to beauty) and had to manually triangulate some parts. specially on rounded parts.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/7j/8sdu8pgjt2fh.jpg

But finally, I suppose that finally, the minimum viable baking it's done

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/yt/oqp59u3hmp7v.jpg

Eric Chadwick · Apr 25 2026

Nice job, looks great!

[WIP] Mavica FD71 - Floppy Disk camera

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