My First Modelling Video - Page 2 - Simply Maya User Community

# 16 06-09-2011 , 05:44 PM

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Join Date: May 2011

Posts: 39

I know what you mean. When I sit down to do a proper model with reference images (and image planes, they help SOOOOO much it's unreal) the results are always vastly improved.

I used an image plane as well as about 5-10 different photographs of AK-47s for my AK model and I'm really happy with how it turned out, can't wait to get it textured. Never could find a decent hi-res image of the iron-sights though, so there's a little bit of guess-work going on there.

It might be hard to imagine seeing me cut all of those corners in the vids but when I sit down to do a proper model which I intend to use for something productive I do use reference, I do clean the topology and I do take my time with the details. The speedmodels are just for a bit of fun user added image

Martin.

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# 17 08-09-2011 , 12:07 PM

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Join Date: May 2011

Posts: 39

Has that caused you issues or do you not build your models for smoothing?

Originally Posted by GecT

Sorry I didn't reply directly to this the first time it was asked, I honestly didn't have a clue what you meant by building for smoothing. Now I do!

The answer to your question now is yes! I do build my models for smoothing, or at least I've just started doing so. I've been reading more and more about game asset creation and have, for some reason or another, only just come across the concept of smoothing the hi-res mesh before baking normals. Anyways, I tried it a few times myself (the cut-faces tool finally comes in handy!) and it really does boost the quality of your normal maps, lovely and smooth, with very few harsh anomalies which I would sometimes get from unsmoothed hi-poly models, particularly on corners.

Here's an oil-drum I did last night, haven't had a chance to use the technique on any of my more complex models yet (only known about the smoothing workflow for 24 hours user added image

thanks,
Martin.

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# 18 08-09-2011 , 01:46 PM

The Nurb Herd
Join Date: Oct 2007

Location: London

Posts: 2,381

nice work. I think you need to be careful with smoothing tho. 24K sounds like a lot of wasted polygons. It kind of reminds me of the start of this...
dono demoreel 2011 on Vimeo user added image

the texturing is getting there, but it's quite over saturated.

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# 19 08-09-2011 , 02:32 PM

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Join Date: May 2011

Posts: 39

the texturing is getting there, but it's quite over saturated.

Originally Posted by honestdom

I thought that too, but I was having trouble making it less of an eye-ache. I wasn't sure whether pulling back the saturation was making it look washed out or not, or maybe it looked fine but just looked washed out to me because I'd been looking at the over-saturated version for too long?

What action would you recommend for pulling the colours back a bit?

thanks,

Martin.

P.S. that demoreel vid gave me a good giggle user added image