Digital 3D Art v9 - General

[t]http://i.imgur.com/ISc9U.jpg[/t] Did some more hard-surface practice. I'd enjoy making it into a low-poly object and texture it and such, but I still face an issue with baking normals. I asked about it a while ago, but sadly, it was overlooked, or not understood... or it was a really stupid question. Either way, I'll ask it again, hoping the shiny image above will direct people's eyes to this question! :v: I heard that when you're doing normal-baking, you should separate your UV shells based on smoothing groups, so seams run between different groups. I can do that just fine, but what if I need the diffuse map to run seamlessly between smoothing groups? Do I need to add a separate UV coordinate set to the normal map, and do the diffuse/specular on another UV set? Or maybe just split the UV shells, but leave the vertices on the same spot. -edit- Image was a bit bigger than expected. Thumb'd it.

You confuse me somehow and I know how to render normal maps and AO maps. I just...what brain dead.

finally got that stuff uv'd so how i have to bake it wip bake [t]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1157653/m4.png[/t] hiding its flaws the artistic way

I am still horrible at guns so I made something a bit more cartoony inspired. [IMG]http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m59wlsgwLx1r6xotxo1_r2_1280.jpg[/IMG] It needs a bolt and a few other things. It's for tf2 but really early so I thought might as well post it here until I have a texture.

Oh I did end up getting that HEV working. [img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/22565769/HEV-SKINNED.gif[/img]

It needs something to cover the loins.

[QUOTE=kaine123;36241176]It needs something to cover the loins.[/QUOTE] Let 'em hang, maaaan. I'll work on it later, it's more or less and abandoned project right now.

[QUOTE=SweetSwifter;36236337][t]http://i.imgur.com/ISc9U.jpg[/t] Did some more hard-surface practice. I'd enjoy making it into a low-poly object and texture it and such, but I still face an issue with baking normals. I asked about it a while ago, but sadly, it was overlooked, or not understood... or it was a really stupid question. Either way, I'll ask it again, hoping the shiny image above will direct people's eyes to this question! :v: I heard that when you're doing normal-baking, you should separate your UV shells based on smoothing groups, so seams run between different groups. I can do that just fine, but what if I need the diffuse map to run seamlessly between smoothing groups? Do I need to add a separate UV coordinate set to the normal map, and do the diffuse/specular on another UV set? Or maybe just split the UV shells, but leave the vertices on the same spot. -edit- Image was a bit bigger than expected. Thumb'd it.[/QUOTE] You need to start thinking at the beginning: how you arrange your smoothing groups. Any greater than 90 degrees should get its normals split. This is due to the fact that normal maps can only simulate up to 90 degrees around any given texel. I'm still not 100 sure why the UV split is needed, outside of not having the conflicting texels fighting for the space on the edge and causing artifacts up the wazoo.

[QUOTE=Quinnjdq;36240937]I am still horrible at guns so I made something a bit more cartoony inspired. [IMG]http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m59wlsgwLx1r6xotxo1_r2_1280.jpg[/IMG] It needs a bolt and a few other things. It's for tf2 but really early so I thought might as well post it here until I have a texture.[/QUOTE] Trigger guard needs to be fixed, remove those bandages, they server what purpose exactly and iirc bandages are a cliche with TF2, so either way it's a good style choice. Give more definition to the body, it's really lacking detail.

[QUOTE=Eeshton;36242082]Trigger guard needs to be fixed, remove those bandages, they server what purpose exactly and iirc bandages are a cliche with TF2, so either way it's a good style choice. Give more definition to the body, it's really lacking detail.[/QUOTE] Sorry, much of the detail needs to be added in texture as a lot of it is rather bland. I do see your point on some things but this is not my design in the slightest, it is that of a friend and honestly I don't see point in further lowering detail. [IMG]http://puu.sh/zttf[/IMG] I am trying to stay as close to the original concept as possible and truly think with a texture it will be better, thanks for the thoughts though. Also, the trigger guard is like that for are a reason, I thought making it a separate piece looked cooler as you can see in this side view. [IMG]http://puu.sh/ztZv[/IMG]

[QUOTE=Eeshton;36242082]Trigger guard needs to be fixed, remove those bandages, they server what purpose exactly and iirc bandages are a cliche with TF2, so either way it's a good style choice. Give more definition to the body, it's really lacking detail.[/QUOTE] I'm assuming the sniper has wood there, so bandages would be used to keep it from splintering. I say keep them.

I think the bandage strips need to be wider though, it looks more like rope atm

[QUOTE=OpethRockr55;36241685]You need to start thinking at the beginning: how you arrange your smoothing groups. Any greater than 90 degrees should get its normals split. This is due to the fact that normal maps can only simulate up to 90 degrees around any given texel. I'm still not 100 sure why the UV split is needed, outside of not having the conflicting texels fighting for the space on the edge and causing artifacts up the wazoo.[/QUOTE] Aye. I know how normal maps function, and how to spread the smoothing groups around. I just don't know how smoothing groups should influence your UV seams for normal baking.

[QUOTE=Juniez;36243462]I think the bandage strips need to be wider though, it looks more like rope atm[/QUOTE] Will do.

chrooomeee [img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1157653/m4tex.png[/img] baked it down & started texturing fewes helped me a bunch with this thanks fewes

[QUOTE=Dr. Evilcop;36242258]I'm assuming the sniper has wood there, so bandages would be used to keep it from splintering. I say keep them.[/QUOTE] I understand they are there for grip/splintering purposes, but honestly, the whole bandage thing is a cliche in the TF2 universe. There is not one sniper rifle ingame that has bandages. Bandages can look good on occasion but I think it needs to make artistic sense, if the Sniper can deal without bandaging on 4 sniper rifles, some with more uncomfortable grips than that, I don't think he would put bandages on it. And being different for the sake of being different is not a good argument here. It does look kinda good on it but it makes no sense and has no premise. If he is doing it just for a friend, I guess it really doesn't matter but if he is trying to contribute it, I honestly think it would be the best style choice.

[QUOTE=Eeshton;36244311]I understand they are there for grip/splintering purposes, but honestly, the whole bandage thing is a cliche in the TF2 universe. There is not one sniper rifle ingame that has bandages. Bandages can look good on occasion but I think it needs to make artistic sense, if the Sniper can deal without bandaging on 4 sniper rifles, some with more uncomfortable grips than that, I don't think he would put bandages on it. And being different for the sake of being different is not a good argument here. It does look kinda good on it but it makes no sense and has no premise. If he is doing it just for a friend, I guess it really doesn't matter but if he is trying to contribute it, I honestly think it would be the best style choice.[/QUOTE] You are most likely right, I will try a few other things like maybe screwed on metal plates or something, I am sure i can find someway to imply breakage on that area.

I can't get my specular map to render at all in 3DSMax, my model (er-...the model) is completely matte. Bump map is working fine but maybe I just have the spec applied wrong to the multi sub-object or something? It's just a bitmap attached to the specular slot. I adjust specularity in the sub-object setup and the viewport model appears to become shiny but it doesn't render with any shine. Any ideas? Anyways, here's my first shit 8-second animation, 180 glorious frames accidentally compressed to 60MB of awkwardness. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlwxmfAyhcA&feature=youtu.be[/media]

[QUOTE=Biscuit-Boy;36244860]I can't get my specular map to render at all in 3DSMax, my model (er-...the model) is completely matte. Bump map is working fine but maybe I just have the spec applied wrong to the multi sub-object or something? It's just a bitmap attached to the specular slot. I adjust specularity in the sub-object setup and the viewport model appears to become shiny but it doesn't render with any shine. Any ideas? Anyways, here's my first shit 8-second animation, 180 glorious frames accidentally compressed to 60MB of awkwardness. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlwxmfAyhcA&feature=youtu.be[/media][/QUOTE] Fuck the what?

[QUOTE=Juniez;36244023]chrooomeee [img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1157653/m4tex.png[/img] baked it down & started texturing fewes helped me a bunch with this thanks fewes[/QUOTE] I want one!

[QUOTE=Juniez;36244023]chrooomeee [img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1157653/m4tex.png[/img] baked it down & started texturing fewes helped me a bunch with this thanks fewes[/QUOTE] Looks good, really like it!

[QUOTE=Dr. Evilcop;36245060]Fuck the what?[/QUOTE] biscuit canno render with shineys :( specular maps no make model shiney in renderr :(

[del]Could I get some help with Blender? I don't have "Mesh Display" in my n-menu, so I can't toggle being able to see edge lengths. :/[/del] I'm dumb and needed to be in edit mode to get mesh display. :downs:

Little bit o' progress. [img]http://filesmelt.com/dl/conceptgun1.png[/img] [img]http://filesmelt.com/dl/conceptgun2.png[/img]

[img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1157653/m4tex1.png[/img] toned down the chrome and some other things pretty much done I think

Egh, I still have no idea how to avoid waveyness in the normal map. I have a model with lots of flat, round surfaces. How am I supposed to approximate a smooth cylinder without using tons of geometry in my low-poly?

Does anyone have link to good tutorials for Blender's compositing? I want to make some materials fade from one color to another vertically in the image. Ramping's not going to work, so I think I need to look into compositing.

[QUOTE=biodude94566;36251166]Does anyone have link to good tutorials for Blender's compositing? I want to make some materials fade from one color to another vertically in the image. Ramping's not going to work, so I think I need to look into compositing.[/QUOTE] Look into Blender Guru's tuts. He does the compositor in the second half of almost every video.

[QUOTE=Juniez;36250863][img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1157653/m4tex1.png[/img] toned down the chrome and some other things pretty much done I think[/QUOTE] A very subtle texture would look good on that grip. [IMG]http://parohome.info/img.php?fl=g4t4o4m40314n216o446o2b4z5t556i4n5j4d4p4t2a4g4t5r226j4i5j4b4u5g5p4n2n4d42606o2w57443u233r224o224p26414y234o5y5b4[/IMG]

[QUOTE=Juniez;36250863][img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1157653/m4tex1.png[/img] toned down the chrome and some other things pretty much done I think[/QUOTE] The grip needs more defining, it looks too undetailed compared to those awesome chrome parts.