Hard Light Productions Forums
Off-Topic Discussion => Arts & Talents => Topic started by: delta_7890 on January 24, 2003, 03:17:01 pm
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A realtively simple question. ^^ I've gotten my hands on version five, but had played with 4.2 for some time.. Anywho, I find myself more or less proficient in the modeling aspect of the program, or at least, to the point where I can make stuff look right. oo;; Anywho...was simply wondering what method *you* guys use to create those uber-cool models (namely those of Shrike, Styxx, and Venom). Weather a majority of your model is all one mesh, or if each detail is its own. Just want to get a feel as to how I can improve my tecnique. ^^;
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depends... really, it depends on the model. for LPM, it's usually a single object. for high poly, well... for exemple, if you take Ryx's orion as an exemple, I wouldn't have extruded all those bits I think, I would have made them separate objects ( much less polys ) for exemple. For the herc2, it's a few objects stuck together ( nose and central part, fin, left engine pod, right engine pod, cockpit and cockpit glass I think, plus a few details ). The mesh won't be as pretty when you look at the wireframe, but my comp is not up to ubbercomplicated meshes, so when I can use separate objects, I do ( if you want an object that looks like a big cube next to a small one, if you extrude it, you'll end up with 28 faces. if you put two separate cubes next to each other -intersecting, even -, you'll have 22 faces -delete the polys of the smaller cube that are inside the big cube. doesn't seem much, like that, but I guess if Ryx didn't extrude all those things, he would have saved a few hundreds polys at least on the orion ).
that aside, some meshes will look better made with one object ( a cup of coffee with the hadle ) and some will look much better ( or the same, but with less useless polys ) if built with multiple objects ( a radar, maybe ).
voila, I don't always follow that to the letter, really, it's all a matter of what yçou're doing, sometimes you just feel like doing that mesh this way rather than that way will be better, and that's about the best resume I could give.
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Alright..to be a bit more specific..what method would you recommend for creating something along the lines of a Mobile Suit-like mecha? ^^; I'm thinking that having many different parts would be useful..especially so if I want to get it into a nice pose, though as I haven't done anything so ambitious with this program, I'm not a hundred percent sure. If I could do it, I'd like to add all kinds of details like exhaust vents, verniers, hell, even a torso-situated cockpit would be nice. Hrm..yes..I'm guessing that many individual parts would be a good idea, but..unless I'm mistaken, it seems kinda complicated to get everything to line up correctly. oo;;
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just make the bits so they can intersect, that way you don't have to worry too much about aligning stuff. and yeah, a meach has to be multiple parts if you want to animate it anyway ( for the IK ).
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let see:
(http://www.3dap.com/hlp/hosted/ott/renders/avengerrender01.jpg)
lots of different objects: take the toes, the rubber part under it is separated from the last toe segment, for exemple. Same goes for the platings on the legs, etc.
I should finish that mesh someday, I liked it a lot, deserves to be completed IMHO.
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I'm a firm believer in multiple objects...... lots and lots of multiple objects. ;)
The largest single object in my Cyclone is the hull, currently at a bit over 6000 polys. The entire model is almost 105k, so you can see I used a lot of smaller objects - literally hundreds, although as work progressed I normally start joining them together after I've finalized an area. It's much easier to work with smaller seperate objects then join them together at the end then have to rip everything apart the first time you want to change something.
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Alright...another question. Intersecting polys. I was told to fear and avoid them during my limited modeling experiments with FS2. I'm guessing (and hoping) the same rule doesn't apply to general modeling? <<;;
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Originally posted by delta_7890
Alright...another question. Intersecting polys. I was told to fear and avoid them during my limited modeling experiments with FS2. I'm guessing (and hoping) the same rule doesn't apply to general modeling? <<;;
Nope. Because a game has to render in realtime, stuff like that is very important, plus there's collision, etc to worry about. A 3D program is a very different beast, they well (generally) handle intersecting polys without a burp, although back in my MAX3 days I ran into occasional weird effects. So basically, don't sweat the intersections, they won't give you problems.
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Phew.. Was fearing for a moment that I'd have to properly align each and every veretice.. *shudders*
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Was a believer in lots of multi objects, however now I revert more to single object with lots of extrustions and the occasional use of meshsmoothing.
The results can be quite nice.
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of course, if you want organic shapes like this one, it goes w/o saying that you need to make the mesh a single object.
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Originally posted by venom2506
let see:
(http://www.3dap.com/hlp/hosted/ott/renders/avengerrender01.jpg)
lots of different objects: take the toes, the rubber part under it is separated from the last toe segment, for exemple. Same goes for the platings on the legs, etc.
I should finish that mesh someday, I liked it a lot, deserves to be completed IMHO.
That's not bad at all. :):yes: You should finish it - it's pretty well structured already, and then all you need do is slap on a few textures... :D
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Originally posted by Setekh
all you need do is slap on a few textures... :D
not really :lol: needs details :D ( the thing is damn heavy on polys if I remember right, but it's quite plain as it is right now ).
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Originally posted by venom2506
not really :lol: needs details :D ( the thing is damn heavy on polys if I remember right, but it's quite plain as it is right now ).
Yeah well... ;) I imagine it would be pretty high-poly right now, so many curved surfaces; and just look at those gatling guns. :D
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the weapons are meshes I found on the net. I've done my own since then, but this render is pretty old already ( did it more than a year back )
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yup you did that one cause i did a mech i believe =)
and here she is
(http://dynamic5.gamespy.com/~realization//gallery_killmenow/photos/Desert%20Mech.jpg)
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mmmm...yummy mechness...
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What Venom said. Depends a lot on the situation. :)
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i use modelling, usually starting with a box.
greebles I either use a combo of shapemerge and vertex welding of just attach objects as I model them.
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... and would like a copy, PM me
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A copy of what? I don't see anyone talking about distributing anything.
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Originally posted by Shrike
A copy of what? I don't see anyone talking about distributing anything.
[color=66ff00]...and before anyone asks; Yes he can read your mind. ;7
[/color]
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oo;; Looking at those mechs makes me feel..pathetic.. Maybe I should stick to pen and paper. <<;;
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Originally posted by Shrike
A copy of what? I don't see anyone talking about distributing anything.
the weapon meshes