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JesterBox's Low poly practice.

polycounter lvl 18
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JesterBox polycounter lvl 18
So I started a model thats in the higher range O' polys and began to unwrap, only to realize I suck at texturing. So I say I says, Why not practice on a low poly, better yet why not make some!

Blingo bongo - frog assassin manifesto!

FrgLow3.jpgFrgLow.jpgFrgLow2.jpg

When I started it had the polys already green, weird huh?

Old pic I made

FrogAssasiancopy.jpg

I rather like low poly modeling, it's relaxing and leisurely. Didn't use side panel references woot!

Thoughts?

Where's the dang trangulate command in 3ds?

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  • System
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    Nice froggie, looks a bit like an alien amphibian.

    If you want to make a model that doesn't rely on textures as much then you'd be better off doing high poly as low poly requires more texture detail - that is unless you are doing an awesomely complicated normal map!! Your painting skills don't look half bad, I think your kidding about the texturing really:poly141:

    Wouldn't bother trying to triangulate anything, you could convert to editable mesh (game engine [tri] format) but that wouldn't help you. If your planning on porting to an engine the model will be converted into tri's anyway.
  • JesterBox
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    JesterBox polycounter lvl 18
    Oh, dur it's a frog I need to make the eyes bulge out not go in, I'm dumb. Yea it does look alien.

    Hmmm... thing is I was thinking that I was I could get practice making textures in a simpler, maybe not easier way. I see a lot of terms on this forum about baking textures, normals, I see high poly things (excuse my noob terminology) being made to do low poly textures, and quite frankly I don't know what they do., and from tutorials it seems daunting to try to juggle that as someone inexperienced in anything texture related. I know I need to learn it eventually. The technical aspects of 3d is a big downfall of mine.

    I've tried texturing once, using some tutorials from a unreal 2004 disc.... It came out looking like I painted it with farts.

    Should I be texturing a box right now?
  • JesterBox
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    JesterBox polycounter lvl 18
    Ok I'm unwrapping and I'm wondering... why are the unwrap shapes crazy deformed bastards!?

    crzysht.jpg

    I remember doing this is maya and clicking cylinder meant you get a cylinder not a stepped on, stretched out can, please help! Driving me bonkers!

    No matter were the faces I select are they just keep coming up behind his butt.
  • aniceto
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    aniceto polycounter lvl 18
  • JesterBox
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    JesterBox polycounter lvl 18
    Ok WOOT! It worked thanks!

    I used Symmetry Modifier on the main body before starting my UV unwraps, is it to late to get them to mirror, so I'd only have to texture and layout one leg and stuff?

    I Also need a better way to cleanup my UVs

    Is there a display I can turn on to show were Cylinders are splitting the faces?

    uvhelp.jpg

    I'm pretty sure there's something I can do to get my Uvs symmetrical, (like making the Uvs for the faces symmetrical, or should I unwrap it again?) other than doing it by hand but I don't know what it is.

    Questions questions, back to Google digging.
  • aniceto
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    aniceto polycounter lvl 18
    yup, when you've got the cylindrical button turned on the cylinder gizmo will have a green line on one side to indicate where the split will be.
    you can collapse the stack and put another symmetry on top to mirror the UVs for the whole mesh. or if you just want part of the mesh to be symmetrical you can detach that part and apply the symmetry modifier before reattaching and welding the vertices
  • JesterBox
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    JesterBox polycounter lvl 18
    COMBO!

    You are a very helpful shoop wooper!
  • System
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    You can also turn angle snaps on and off to rotate any mapping gizmo to set placement of the map seam, what you wanted before is best align or fit button in the uvw rollout so the gizmo conforms to the mesh element. Personally I find it better to flatten the mapping and manually weld verts together, that way you don't have to mess around scaling uv's after a preset like cylinder :)
  • hawken
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    hawken polycounter lvl 19
    max's uvw really is the arse biscuits isn't it.

    Take bodypaint for a whirl, it's fantastic!

    neat model btw
  • JesterBox
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    JesterBox polycounter lvl 18
    Thanks guy,

    @Hawken, I'm almost done getting those goddamn checkers to not be stretched. I'll give it a whirl, from what little experience I have laying out UVs its not fun. If I use them demo is it going to let me export?

    @Ancieto, I didn't have a green line until like five seconds ago weird. Can't help but think your magic.

    @GCMP, You have made me aware of the best align button, I thank you. I'm not sure what you mean be flatten manually.
  • JesterBox
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    JesterBox polycounter lvl 18
    Ok so I got the Uvs, laid down, and experimented a little, needless to say he's damn ugly at the moment, a diamond in the ruff...er maybe a turd in the... butt?

    Ugly.jpg

    Is there a quick way to make 3DS, not have lighting hit edges so hard, and not have so much darkening and highlighting effects? I tried fiddling with menus and google searching but I don't really know the what I'm looking for. Or setup a quick low poly game lighting scenario. It's making parts difficult to see.

    Forgot not to mirror the eyes, and completely forgot the shoulder pad.

    Didn't get to try Bodypaint on him, I can't seem to get the plugins to work.

    ... goddamn its ugly right now!
  • hawken
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    hawken polycounter lvl 19
    you could try previewing your work while setting that viewport to constant shading.
  • JesterBox
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    JesterBox polycounter lvl 18
    I wasn't able to find the constant shading option but I dug around and found an option for self illuminate, I don't know if that's the same but it sure make it easier to see.

    frog-1.jpg

    Began texturing from the belly out for some reason, wrist, are in the process, still need to do everything but the torso and upper arms.

    I want to do some tears, In the cape and mask so I'm off to find a tutorial on that. WHOOSH!
  • JesterBox
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    JesterBox polycounter lvl 18
    Progress, Replaced eyes, more texture.

    I'm beginning to see that low poly art, is an art in itself. I realized I've probable been over generous with my texture space, and I learned a lot about how to spend my UV map better.

    Since textures need to be flat it's weird for me to decide where light should be hitting it.

    frogpoly.jpg

    I've been going off this tut,

    http://www.bakaneko.com/howto/computer/3d/character/page24.html

    and figured the bit about hair texturing could easily be used to put rips in the cape and mask, however. When I get to the point were he says click 2-sided option. No such option appears under any list.

    Please help.
  • JesterBox
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    JesterBox polycounter lvl 18
    I know it's a bit of a waste of time but...

    ACTION POSES!

    srike.jpg

    Leap.jpg

    Made with all natural crappy vertex dragging.

    I know... back to work.
  • killingpeople
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    killingpeople polycounter lvl 18
    Add some alphas and do an edge paint pass. I love how he's attacking with a knife at the end of his tongue! texture his tongue.
  • Michael Knubben
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    http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/17715/frog_paintover.png

    I took the liberty of scribbling on your screengrab a bit to illustrate a few points. Mind you, this could have been done much, much better, but I hope it's useful anyway.
    The main point is that you should give your shadow and highlights a colour as well, and that your rendering is inconsistent with the lightsource. Ofcourse you won't be able to paint in the light the way I did (you could shoot for top-down lighting with a bit of ambient lightsources), but again, I hope it's still useful

    edit: I went overboard with colouring some of this stuff, so instead of it looking like ambient light it looks like there are coloured spots pointed at him. Something to look out for. I did it on purpose to point out the dangers! Honestly.
  • JesterBox
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    JesterBox polycounter lvl 18
    Sorry for the late response.

    @Killingpeople, thanks I think I figured out the bit about the alphas, although I'm not sure what an edge paint pass is, for you, I'll texture the tongue an knife.

    @MightyPea, Thanks I've never really been clear on how to texture, in regards to light/shadow. So, in low poly I should color as if I have mainly an above the character light source, because in a low poly game there would be less lighting affects? (am I in the ball park? I'm new)

    Not be so quick to black and grey, got it.

    Right now I have my lighting set to "self Illuminate" and minus glossiness and reflectivity. Is that a good choice? Or should I have some sort of lights setup? (I've yet to watch any tuts on light setup)
  • Richard Kain
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    Richard Kain polycounter lvl 18
    An edge paint pass is where you just make another once-over your texture work to clean up the seams on your UV map. Seams are a constant problem for low-poly characters. Optimizing your UV map properly to minimize the damage done is part of learning low-poly art. But even the best UV-Unwrap is still going to have some seams somewhere.
  • Lord McMutton
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    Lord McMutton polycounter lvl 17
    You might consider going back and making the knife blades into alpha'd planes. That way, it would cut down on the polycount, and you'd be able to recreate the interesting shapes that you have in the concept.
  • JesterBox
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    JesterBox polycounter lvl 18
    Thanks for the clear up. Richard.

    That's good idea Banana

    Progress has been slow, my bro broke his foot, and I can't get this god damn alpha thing to work.

    What am I doing wrong? I made an alpha, and as a test I just made a bid circle on his face. I save as TGA, bring it in through bitmap yet nothing happens!

    If I may qoute Yo Simitty Sam "razzfraggerfraraggingbazar fuuu fruuginn!"
  • Richard Kain
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    Richard Kain polycounter lvl 18
    I'm pretty sure that you have to do something in 3D Max in order to get shaders like Alpha masking working in the viewport. I don't think they will just show up by default. Have you tried rendering it out? Also, there are probably specific material settings that you will have to enable before the alpha map will work. I remember using some alpha masks in Max back in the day, so I'm certain it can be done. It's been a while though.
  • alexl
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    alexl polycounter lvl 10
    Heres how I set my alpha up to show in 3ds, not really sure if this is the correct way but hey it shows up in the viewport for me :P

    3dsalpha.jpg
  • JesterBox
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    JesterBox polycounter lvl 18
    @Richard, when I render with my TGA, having an alpha it takes a long time and comes up as if the models been textured blank white.

    @alexl, I'm assuming you've got everything else in the materiel editor as default?

    I can't find the options list under "2. Material in The Materiel Editor in 3DS"

    I found the second one.

    DAMN YOU ALPHA!
    PowerRangersInSpaceRangersAlliesAlp.jpg
  • alexl
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    alexl polycounter lvl 10
    Yeah everything else is default, that list is under the "Maps" rollout, look for that and expand it, should be there (Im using Max 9 if that makes any difference :S)
    And to get to the third option set just click the button next to the opacity check box / numerical input box.

    3ds_maps.jpg
  • JesterBox
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    JesterBox polycounter lvl 18
    RARRARARARARAGGHH!

    Sorry if this is something really simple I'm just not getting.

    Here's my list of roll out when I open material editor

    Still not finding maps.

    That's how my alpha is saved, as a test.

    Now I realize that when I save as TGA any alpha in the picture is gone when I reopen it.

    Thanks for the help.
  • cw
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    cw polycounter lvl 17
    you seem to have a material editor filled with arch design materials (from a library maybe)

    next to where it says '18-default' in the white drop down, there is a button with 'Arch & design (mi)' on it, click that, and in the subsequent popup, pick standard material. Than you should be on the same page as the helpful guide before and it should work for you.

    good luck! :D
  • JesterBox
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    JesterBox polycounter lvl 18
    -Edit to make Thread Less Ugly-

    I've got it down exactly in the tutorials now, this is what happens.

    Is it bad that if I reopen a TGA that had an alpha channel saved, its not there when I reopen?

    Thanks for everyone's help, I'll get it eventually... I hope... *quietly sobs*
  • Psyk0
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    Psyk0 polycounter lvl 18
    JesterBox wrote: »
    Now I realize that when I save as TGA any alpha in the picture is gone when I reopen it.

    If the alpha disappears it's because you saved it as a 24 bit instead of 32, save as 32! and if you want to display in the viewport, right click the viewport name and make sure "transparency is set to best".
  • JesterBox
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    JesterBox polycounter lvl 18
    -Edit to make thread less Ugly-
  • JesterBox
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    JesterBox polycounter lvl 18
    YES, my clothes are ripped and I'm happy as a pumpkin.

    alexl, told me about using a greyscale images instead in the opacity box.

    FINALLY.jpg

    No I can actauly start progressing on this guy again woot!
  • JesterBox
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    JesterBox polycounter lvl 18
    Moving along, taking some tips from Pea's paint over, and trying to harmonize up the colors a bit.

    polyfrg.jpg

    Thought It'd be more interesting to make the eye wound fresher.

    Fun with backgrounds and photoshop.

    atmo.jpg

    I will probably redo the cape, a lot and make the knife into a single alpha plane.
    Once I'm done I will make a little stand and texture the tongue attack, for Killingpeople.

    I've learnt a lot about how to plan out your UV's and what should take priority. I realize know I've wasted quite a bit of texture space, and I could have made texturing a lot easier on myself.

    I wish I could get the damn body paint demo to work.
  • Michael Knubben
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    Another quick tip: think about where to place seams more. Unless I'm reading the picture in the wrong way and it's shading, it looks like there's a seam on the front of his arms? If so, placing it where it's much less often seen works much better. Less chances of the seam fucking up your texture, plus it's where a tailor would place a seam on a garment, so you can camouflage the fact that there's a texture seam by painting an actual seam there.
    Also, try to give more shape to your texture. What you have now (on his body) depends almost entirely on black lines to describe the shape, whereas you could be painting folds etc. with actual volume and shading.
    I realise I'm not actually being enormously helpful here, but I hope you find it to be of some use anyway.
    Oh, another tip for texturing, but as you say you've learned a lot already you might've figured it out: Keep things as straight as possible in the uv's, to aid in texturing. Even if you use 3d painting software, at this resolution it can matter for other reasons than ease of use, such as getting nice crisp horizontal and vertical lines for instance.
  • killingpeople
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    killingpeople polycounter lvl 18
    This thread jumped past me and I didn't get to follow up on this loose term I used, "edge paint pass", luckily Richard Kain got the general idea.

    To expand on his interpretation, yes I mean to correct UV seam issues, but also, I meant to suggest you should better define your forms by focusing on the edges. Anything that could be considered an edge. There are areas that have been allowed to be left undefined and blurry. It can be a challenge on some forms, but try to see the blurry areas your mind is letting you ignore.

    Good job on learning alpha maps man, that's really important you did. You should now consider learning up on smoothing groups, it looks like his smoothing groups have been neglected. They're important to know about for game art as well.
  • JesterBox
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    JesterBox polycounter lvl 18
    @MightyPea, Yea I kinda cocked up a lot of the UVs, I'm ashamed to show the actual map before I do some fixing. When I did the arms I'd yet to figure out how to place the seems. I like the sneaky seem idea.

    It seems like having a 3D paint program would help a lot In the department of seeing how a texture is actually wrapping around the model, I see what you mean about the body, it looks pretty brick shaped. I might try and get Bodypaint up and running again.

    @Killingpeople, hehe, great now I gotta go find out what smoothing groups are.

    A lot of areas came out pretty muddy, especially areas like the wrist, for some reason I used a pretty small texture space on them, thinking that because the limbs where thin and gangley I didn't need as much space. Its a mess.

    Thanks for the tips.
  • JesterBox
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    JesterBox polycounter lvl 18
    I got tired of the frog, wanted to start fresh. I may take him up again, who knows.

    Doing a pair, Joker and Harley Quinn, based of the WB animation.

    JokerFace.jpg
    jokerbody.jpg

    It bothers me to see the Joker in such a dull pose.

    I think I'll make a pose and maybe a boxing glove gun to go with it or something.
  • JesterBox
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    JesterBox polycounter lvl 18
    Is there a reason certain vertices won't weld in 3DS, I have two vertices that by all means should be able to weld, They are both part of the same object and everything, but won't, any advice?
  • Snader
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    Snader polycounter lvl 15
    they'll only weld if they're
    A on the same edge
    B around a gap in the mesh

    check if there's not accidentally a poly inbetween them or something
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