murm9000
01-06-2003, 11:57 PM
Hi
This is my first post on cgTalk. I've been browsing the forums for quite some time now. I'm a professional Level Designer and I've been feeling the motivation to move into pure 3D (Max instead of proprietary software). I'm interested mostly in high-poly cinematics. I intend to put together a short so I began working on some of the props I'll be using.
Here is some background:
The Liahona was a gift from God to a group of travelling individuals called the Nephites. It is ball shaped, very finely crafted, made of fine brass, and has two spindles within it. One of the spindles points in the direction the Nephites should travel. The tricky part is that the compass is "powered", if you will, on the Nephites faith. If they start to lose faith, the compass stops working. It also has the ability to communicate messages to the Nephites in the way of engravings around it's circumference.
With that in mind, this is what I have come up with so far.
http://members.shaw.ca/jblumel/3d(wip)/liahona06-03cross.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/jblumel/3d(wip)/liahona06-04grass.jpg
Being new at using MAX, high-poly modeling and rendering, I have come up with a number of questions. I was hoping some of the more experienced modelers would be able to shed some light on the subject.
1) Materials: I plan to have engravings and decoration all over the compass. What is the best way to do this? Textures? Bump-maps? Does anyone have any resources they could share with me?
2) Rendering: I've browsed these forums quite a bit and I've seen some VERY good rendering. I don't expect to be able to do what others have done overnight. But currently, I'm clueless to even where to start. Tips? Anyone? The quality I am eventually aiming for is something close to cinematics: Final Fantasy, or Blizzard Entertainment's short movies. I've been really impressed with the Brazil Renders I've seen and the Global Illumination.
Go ahead and be rough, but not rude on any criticism. I'm new, but I can take it. Thanks in advance.
This is my first post on cgTalk. I've been browsing the forums for quite some time now. I'm a professional Level Designer and I've been feeling the motivation to move into pure 3D (Max instead of proprietary software). I'm interested mostly in high-poly cinematics. I intend to put together a short so I began working on some of the props I'll be using.
Here is some background:
The Liahona was a gift from God to a group of travelling individuals called the Nephites. It is ball shaped, very finely crafted, made of fine brass, and has two spindles within it. One of the spindles points in the direction the Nephites should travel. The tricky part is that the compass is "powered", if you will, on the Nephites faith. If they start to lose faith, the compass stops working. It also has the ability to communicate messages to the Nephites in the way of engravings around it's circumference.
With that in mind, this is what I have come up with so far.
http://members.shaw.ca/jblumel/3d(wip)/liahona06-03cross.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/jblumel/3d(wip)/liahona06-04grass.jpg
Being new at using MAX, high-poly modeling and rendering, I have come up with a number of questions. I was hoping some of the more experienced modelers would be able to shed some light on the subject.
1) Materials: I plan to have engravings and decoration all over the compass. What is the best way to do this? Textures? Bump-maps? Does anyone have any resources they could share with me?
2) Rendering: I've browsed these forums quite a bit and I've seen some VERY good rendering. I don't expect to be able to do what others have done overnight. But currently, I'm clueless to even where to start. Tips? Anyone? The quality I am eventually aiming for is something close to cinematics: Final Fantasy, or Blizzard Entertainment's short movies. I've been really impressed with the Brazil Renders I've seen and the Global Illumination.
Go ahead and be rough, but not rude on any criticism. I'm new, but I can take it. Thanks in advance.