@gerardpd It's a good start to the overall shape profile but there's a few technical issues that need to be addressed. The smoothing artifacts on the subdivided model are likely caused by a combination of issues but two major factors here are a lack of support loops and inconsistent or non-coplanar geometry. Most…
@ApachEsH For general subdivision modeling: if a mesh holds its shape, is easy to work with and subdivides cleanly then it should be fine. One way to validate topology and mesh flow strategies is to test it out using subdivision preview and a reflective material. Rotate around the shape in the view port and look for…
Hey @DeathstrokeFTW , Nice job! You've got the primary form down! and it looks like you are beginning to work on the secondary level of detail. I am a maya guy, so I am not sure if 3Ds Max has an edge loop tool. If so, My recommendation would be to add more polygons where you need it (i.e using edge loops and extrudes)…
Yea, it's a huge no no for baked maps. While normal maps are a texture, they are not the same as regular textures (Diffuse/Albedo, Specular, Gloss/Microsurface/Roughness etc.) in that they store mathematical values which are essentially encoded during the bake via the tangent basis. Each pixel found in a normal map has an…
@christrom Welcome to Polycount. Consider checking out the forum information and introduction thread. The topology layout on the updated sample panel looks a lot cleaner. Splitting the model into individual components does tend to simplify the loop flow and is generally considered best practice whenever a watertight mesh…
@IronLover64 You have the basic idea but the difference is that Wirrexx's cage mesh has support loops. Here's a breakdown of what happens to the shape when subdivision smoothing is applied: The basic shapes look fine on their own but when subdivision is applied the smoothing effect deforms the mesh and the shape melts…
Here's the mini-tutorial: This method is the one I used for the silencer on my last WIP. Now, for this method I first decided how many depressions I wanted in the shape. In this case, its 6 rows of 3 circles. So for each row I will use one edge, and then have one edge on each side so the cylinder has a cleaner shape (but…
I've been trying to get back into modelling lately with Blender and decided to try doing a MiG-21 because I thought it looked reasonably straightforward as far as fighter jets go. The canopy is giving me major problems tho and despite many different approaches I just can't get my head around how to accurately reproduce the…
Comparing the concept to hilt wrapping tutorials: it looks like there's at least two strips of fabric that are looped around to make a four strand braid. The two loops spiral back and forth across each other and the wrap is tighter at the top and looser at the bottom. One thing to watch out for is a change in perceived…
@dan001 In most cases there's room for improvement but broad or open ended questions rarely lead to specific, actionable feedback. What's best will often vary depending on the desired outcome and constraints of a specific use case. Getting good answers comes down to figuring out exactly what you're looking to improve and…