alan9000

I noticed oddity made a comment about normal maps produced in z brush were not working well with the game engine ..has any one had success or failures using this production method. I was going to detail the noble man with zbrush and generate the normal map this way but now I am having second thoughts..

your really churning them out atti. great work

I think you should carry on with it too, if you have been working on figures for only a few months then I think you are doing well. If you don’t persevere then you won’t improve. And its really nothing too bad that can’t be sorted out by pulling as few points around.

just to let you know I will be gone until the 15th dec ..i never got chance to ftp the noble man but hope to finish this one up when i get back

sure i will upload what i have done ..whats the full address ?? is it www.darkmod...etc ? this probably sounds like a really stupid question ..but i have not uploaded before

Its an interesting debate ..about the copyright issues. I don’t know how the games industry works but I know how it relates to real models / sculptures and I would imagine it would be the same ..its a 3d form at the end of the day. The copyright law is a very very grey area. Example take any sculpture/ model at alter it by 10 % and you are in the clear ..now the problem is what is 10% ..and that is such a can of worms I won’t even get into it . Using other models could help speed things up a little but by the time you have spent making sure you have changed it beyond recognition I think you are just as well starting form scratch. I have used other models in the past and it always seams to me that it takes longer because you have to destroy the original first then do the artistic bit . So have we lost oddity then? ..it occurred to me I have all the files I used for noble man ..I save every hour or so ..so somewhere in that lot there should be a fairly decent template ..would it help anyone ?

looks good ...i like your style

yea no worries ..I will let you know next time. Like I said in the other thread I will be away seeing clients this week and also 6th – 14 th December. I hope to get a good week on the noble man next week and hopefully get to a point of generating the normal map from zbrush after it has been sculpted. I am very happy to do some models for the project ..unfortunately this time of year is very busy for my business so I will not be at 100% for the next couple of weeks ..having said that once I get these two trips out of the way I am clear for the rest of the year.

No don’t worry I just posted another reply in the other thread ..I have been away but still on the noble man

don't worry guys i am still here ..I have been away for a little while dealing with my freelance work ..it came up unexpectedly..I should have dropped you a line but I didn’t expect to be away for a few days. As an update the noble man model is being detailed in zbrush at the moment so I can generate the normal map. I will try to get an update up at the end of the week as I have to be away a couple of days this week again. I am still very enthusiastic about the project and should be able to spend a lot more time on it week commencing the 29 th ..perhaps that week should see it complete. Were do I upload assets ?

The texture is great ..looks really good. Can I make an observation… The stone texture is representing granite sets and these are usually about 4” by 7” I have no idea if the camera is close or the texture is too large but the overall look in that screen shot seams a bit big. The construction of the texture i.e. the alignment of the sets is spot on . I worked for a company called lilliput lane for over five years making miniature models of vernacular architecture (old natural buildings usually more than 300 years old ). Over that time I built up a good working knowledge of old construction methods and building materials. My book collection on the subject is also good …if any one wants me to check something out I would be very happy to do so ….the closer we can get to reality the better.

Here is another quick update...I have added a little extra detail. I have made the shoulder 'things' larger springheal. I am planning on taking the model into zbrush to add extra detail and creating a normal map from there …has anyone done this ..if so what were the results ?

found a great tutorial to my question about normal maps ...It may help somone else normalmaps

Thanks, just as soon as I get the main modelling done then I can merge it. Then I can move the hat. Things always look false when the symmetry is on.

Well this is what I have so far about 6 hours work. The low poly version is only at about 4000 polys (both sides) and this medium poly model is around 8000. I am working on the creases at the moment and the mirroring is doing my head in as it always looks terrible when you have two sides the same ..I will rectify that soon enough.. A question to my fellow modellers …this is the first time I have done a model especially for a game environment and I am a bit confused about single meshes and such like the model here is one mesh but you guys are using multiple meshes ..is this ok for the low poly in game models ? I am trying to follow your same work flow so I am doing a high poly model and then reducing it for the in game model ( using sub d surfaces in xsi ) so that’s no problem at all apart from tiding up the odd vertices. When it comes to texturing I assume you use the high poly model and then transfer this texture to the low poly model after baking the high poly geometry on to the texture ??? is this the correct work flow.

I am pleased its not just me then ..I have over fifteen years of commercial 2d 3d (traditional ) experience (www.alandickinson.net)and have worked with most of the major companies within my field …try to get into the games industry and nothing ..not a sausage! I think one of my problems is that game companies like to put you into very defined boxes and I don’t really fit into any. I must say I am surprised you have not had any success getting an environment role. Renzatic is absolutely right in what he says …I have heard the same said so many times mods are a great way to build experience. Shame you are in Canada I have seen a lot of environment positions here in the uk.

hi tom, i just started with these guys a couple of days ago so I am pretty new to all this too. Your environmental work is excellent, from concepts to textures. Why do you mainly do environments? Are you working in the games industry.

can I get a copy of your templates oddity? I am going to start modeling the noble man. How many triangles are in your main characters so far ..how many should I use for the noble man ? I checked out your work when I signed up …very nice indeed , especially the builder priest. I take it this particular model is a high res static mesh mainly for concept ‘ing’ .

I will start on the noble man if that’s ok with you springheal. what is my triangle limit for this particular character? I will use a 512 by 512 texture size and can I use the unwrap uv's in max for the texture projection ...or do you use a different method for the game engine ?

Ok ..I understand. What’s the procedure for getting started ..do you give me a task or do I choose to model something off the list. My days are dedicated to my commercial art (self employed) but I do spend a lot of time in the evenings and weekends modelling stuff so I can get cracking on something right away.

Please forgive my ignorance but what do you mean when you say brushes ..I have never heard that before. I understand the rest of your comments….this is exactly the reason I want to work with you guys so I can learn a little more about the transition of 3d 2d elements into a game engine

great, when do i start ..and what do i start with. I wouldn't mind doing some character stuff, models, textures and concept designs. you will have to give me some polygon limits and texture size limits ..just so I know what to use.

great, I look forward to hearing from fingernail. I am so pleased you all like my stuff.

Hi My name is alan and I have been a commercial artist for the last fifteen years, I have been poly modeling and texturing for five years building my portfolio. It is my aim to work in the games industry and would be very pleased to work with you on this mod. I would be happy to help with either modeling or texture, concept work ...it all helps to build the portfolio and would be great to work with a group towards a greater goal. take a look at some of my work at www.alandickinson.net.... I have a load of new digital images I have not updated ...if you are interested I can send some to you ?