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Opinion needed on model
#279927
07/20/09 02:56
07/20/09 02:56
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 258 Chicago
Jaeger
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OP
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 258
Chicago
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Ok, let me first say, I'm really not a modeler. And certainly not a "character modeler" or a "pro". Modeling really isn't my forte. But we currently don't have a character modeler. Just a couple mechanically oriented modelers who are great with tanks, vehicles, etc. So, we really need some infantry models for our WWII project so we can get things coded and tested. We're shooting to have a small demo out asap, which we hope can show some initiative and attract more people. So, I decided to make an attempt at building one. I used a couple other meshes as reference in Maya, to help guide me on basic shape and how to make things fit together in a way that would allow for animation. Helghast's ragdoll test model came in rather helpful, and I'm sure you can see its influence in the head/face (I really liked the construction of the jaw which allows for decent lip/mouth syncing). So I was able to use "snapping" to points and then adjust things, and even built most of it totally from scratch. And this is what I came out with: Our lead modeler and level designer (who doesn't do characters) says this isn't even close to usable quality. He's hellbent on finding a trained pro who uses Z-Brush. But I really don't see what's wrong with it? Maybe my own inexperience with 3D work? I was hoping to get some 3rd opinions on it. Keep in mind, it's totally unskinned, except the helmet. I just put a color on the face. Well, thanks for any input. If you think it sucks, go ahead and say it. It's not going to "hurt my feelings", lol. So no need to lie, heheh. It looks better to me than the meshes I've seen in other games, and we're only working on the demo as of now. I'm pretty positive that after we release the demo and some trailers, we should have people flocking to join the effort. So, go ahead and lay it out. I'm eager to hear what you think... Btw, I know the shading looks a little funny on the upper body/uniform, but it doesn't look like that in the engine. It's just the way maya makes it look with my current lighting. In case you want some specs: 3138 tris 1592 verts 3801 edges I should also mention, this game is planned to be massive, so we can't use über high poly models. We're trying to keep things reasonable, and this falls well within our calculated limits. The only real means I see for improvement is some simple tweaking, or increasing polies significantly, which is basically out of the question. After all, he still needs a gun and all his other equipment. And it's possible that you could see up to 100 soldiers, many tanks, aircraft, large towns, artillery, and all sorts of stuff in one scene (with a very strong LOD and mip mapping system of course). Performance is a major concern.
Last edited by Jaeger; 07/20/09 03:02.
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Re: Opinion needed on model
[Re: lostclimate]
#279933
07/20/09 03:14
07/20/09 03:14
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 258 Chicago
Jaeger
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OP
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 258
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Thanks for that image. That IS helpful, as I have only limited experience with animation. Backface culling is on, so no normals are flipped. You may get the impression that some vertices aren't merged because the left side of his "shirt" are actually extruded a bit, so it looks like a real coat where one side buttons over the other. It will make sense when you see the uniform textured. Here's what I mean: See how the "shirt/coat" buttons up? I simply extruded a bit to give it a little depth and make it looks real.
Last edited by Jaeger; 07/20/09 03:17.
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Re: Opinion needed on model
[Re: lostclimate]
#279941
07/20/09 05:27
07/20/09 05:27
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 258 Chicago
Jaeger
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Posts: 258
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Yeah, still going to need a lot of work. It's hard for me to know exactly how to model his extra gear and stuff. Information can be rather limited and conflicting. Guess I'll have to buy more books, lol. I'm also going to need to do quite a bit of tweaking to make the uniform look authentic. This is just his basic "form", if you will. I think I can handle UV mapping him, but the skinning seems daunting. I'm worried I won't be able to make a realistic looking skin, especially for the face. Never skinned characters before. Only stuff like planes and tanks, and some simple things. We really need more people to do things like this, because even if I was a "pro", that's still less time I get to spend programming. :P It's just hard to find people willing to work with you, as most people have projects of their own anyway, and the old "Hi, we're making a game..." pitch is rarely taken seriously, lol. I think our future is bright though. When we're done with this demo, we should be able to get people to take it seriously enough to join in. Beyond this, we're going for an MMO version covering virtually all of North Africa's battlefields, and probably Europe next. If A7 can't meet our needs at that point, I'd gladly license something like the new S.O.W. engine. It will have to start small, but once we get a little subscriber base, we'll have some more money to hire more people and expand the horizons. I have 100% confidence our game will be better than WWIIOL, which is a relatively poorly made MMO that still has a good subscriber base (due to the total lack of WWII MMOs). We'll probably "steal" most of their customers at first glance, lol. I couldn't say with any true certainly WHEN it will take off, but I'm sure it eventually WILL. All depends on how long it takes to get the workers. We've been planning it for a while, and will pursue our goals till our dying breath.
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Re: Opinion needed on model
[Re: Jaeger]
#279961
07/20/09 08:17
07/20/09 08:17
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Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 2,488
ratchet
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 2,488
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You're nor a PRo modeler , but what you've done is really great and could be used in a commercial title You just need to adjust boots proportions, and perhaps add some wrinckles to pants ? The difficult part will be texturing
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Re: Opinion needed on model
[Re: Xarthor]
#280042
07/20/09 17:52
07/20/09 17:52
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 258 Chicago
Jaeger
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OP
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 258
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Thanks for all the feedback, guys. I know, it needs some "cleanup" to get rid of excess polies. I really just wanted to know if this was good enough to keep working at, or if I should give up. So I'm glad everyone thinks it can be used with some more work and improvement. I'll also post some wireframe shots so you can see how geometry fits together. I'm just going to take my time with this, and try not to rush. If I get in a hurry, I'll end up spoiling it, lol. @ ryan: No, 1000 polies could never look like that. The helmet alone is close to 600 something. I'd have to double check. I built the helmet a while back, and spent a lot of time on it. That was as low as it could go without making it look fake and boxy. Our vehicle modeler is EXTREMELY picky, and even he approved my helmet.
Last edited by Jaeger; 07/20/09 17:55.
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