Modelling Tips

[sparhawk]

I wanted to try my hand at something challenging (at least for me), so I thought I give this bank a try.

 

 

Now I wonder if one of our modellers (Oddity *HINT*) could give me some tips. As you can see, along the rim of the top plates are some dents, that are repeating itself. I found some way how to do this, but the problem is, that this is very painfull, because I have to repeat it along the entire line manually. So I wondered what would be the best way to approach this. Should I model one repeateble segment of this and then copy it N times along the axis? Or is there some better way to deal with such repeateable patterns? Or if you would model this, would you actually model this as well, or would you rather just put it in texture?

 

I don't need some specific guidlines for a given application, just a technique how to approach this.

 

Thx.

[oDDity]

You only need to do a few of the indents to take a sample normal map from, and then you can clone that in a paint program.

IF you were doing a finished high res model then you would do one section of the plank with 3 or 4 indents along one edge, mirror it, and then rail clone the result along z (or whatever axis you're makng it on)

You're going to model the female statues and all the fancy metal molding as well?

Seems like a lot of work for one chair, but I suppose its all good practice.

[Renzatic]

I've been playing with LW again while waiting for my rigging to be completed, and one thing I'd like to see is a good workflow example and some helpful tips along with it to help me out.

 

If it isn't too much trouble, Odd, maybe once you start a new architectural model you could make a little video showing off a few things...like you did before. It'd help complement the tutorials I've been reading and put them in context.

[sparhawk]

IF you were doing a finished high res model then you would do one section of the plank with 3 or 4 indents along one edge, mirror it, and then rail clone the result along z (or whatever axis you're makng it on)

 

Yeah. I wanted to do the hires model for normal mapping.

 

You're going to model the female statues and all the fancy metal molding as well?

 

We will see. At least these human shapes are rather stylized, so they hopefully are easier to cover up, than a real human. I have additional shots from all the relevant parts from closeup. Ebay is quite usefull for that, because the seller photographed all of the individual sections in very good detail.

 

Seems like a lot of work for one chair, but I suppose its all good practice.

 

Yeah. That's what it is mostly about. I wanted to do something that challenges me, to get a bit better at it. Don't know if I really finish it, but at least I should learn something from it.

[sparhawk]

If it isn't too much trouble, Odd, maybe once you start a new architectural model you could make a little video showing off a few things...like you did before. It'd help complement the tutorials I've been reading and put them in context.

 

Yeah. Explaining things like the meshflow and how it affects the final model is quite helpfull, even if you are using a different app.

[SneaksieDave]

Something I'd like to know (since I've started playing with Blender):

 

How do we know how many polys is too many? Mostly in terms of Doom. Right now for instance, to replace a round column I have, I could simply make a round column in Blender. But, does that get me any advantage at all? In fact, I have a concern that the Blender model will actually be less efficient/more polys, than the simple D3 patch. I'm not sure how to check (mainly in D3). Do the same rounded shading effects that work on patches apply to models? If not, that would make patches preferable for many things. And, using a model might end up actually being more work, because I imagine getting a texture to look right on the damn thing is certainly far more difficult than applying a texture to a patch and saying Fit/Normal. I also imagine D3 is optimized to fudge it's patches as much as possible so they are very efficient.

 

Since I'm going through tutorials and learning how to make some stuff, I find myself asking, "but should I be doing this at all?"

[oDDity]

You can get much more complex and cleaner models in a 3d app due to the superior set of tools you have to use.

You're limited to a bone club and a few flint handaxes in doom, while lightwave provides you with an entire array of a brain surgeon's instruments.

You can also make full use of normal maps by modeling a high res version to use as geometry normal maps.

[sparhawk]

A triangle is a triangle is a triangle. It doesn't matter where it comes from, because in the live that comes after (the editor) all triangles are treated the same. There are no rich or poor triangles before the renderengine, and the triangles are judged solely on their visibillity when they enter the renderengine. AMEN.

 

In Blender you can see the number of edges , vertices and faces in the top line. At least in 2.37a and definitely in 2.40. I think there is an option, in case you switched this off, but by default it is on IMO.

 

How many traingles you use is up to you. You must check how much it takes to still look round. Having a column with a base of three vertices, might be seen as a triangle instead of a round column, but having 30 or more vertices is way to much. Especially curves can easily add up vertices, the smoother they are. I'm not sure though, wether you can create the roundness with normalmaps as well, or wether normalmaps can only be used to create patterns on the surface.

[oDDity]

I did my enbtire abbey with about 18,000 trinagles in the end. I'd like to see you copying that in doom using brushes and patches, while keeping all the detail from the geometry normal maps.

[oDDity]

I've been playing with LW again while waiting for my rigging to be completed, and one thing I'd like to see is a good workflow example and some helpful tips along with it to help me out.

 

If it isn't too much trouble, Odd, maybe once you start a new architectural model you could make a little video showing off a few things...like you did before. It'd help complement the tutorials I've been reading and put them in context.

 

OK I'll do this next and record it.

[sparhawk]

Cool, because I'm curious about those little details, that are also there.

[Renzatic]

Thanks, Odd...it'd help me out tremendously.