Dumpster

[Gamedev]

I got a few things for you. I'm not going to comment on the texture work as that wasn't your focus (though it isn't too bad).

From what I can see, you've done what many who have just started to work with normal maps have done. You've got the large elements that jump off the surface but your missing the smaller details. If you look at the side and front of the dumper where there are large areas of metal, there is almost no wear or surface deterioration. I think it tends to get lost when going from bump maps to normal maps. All that fine detail that used to be in your bump map needs to go into the normal map as well.

I tend to do two passes on my normal maps. A large pass for the bigger items (bulges, bolts, creases, etc) and second pass using either the Nvidia filter for photoshop or tools like CrazyBump. I then simply overlay the 'detail' on my base normal map and combine them both.

With your dumpster for example, you'll start to see scratches, paint flaking off, and other surface qualities. As well, to really show off your normal map, your light setup needs to show off the shadows that really make those details pop.

Hope that helps!

[Bpanting]

Thanks for the tips. I did try adding chipped areas on the dumpster, but a lot of them seemed to get lost when I baked out the normal maps. Right now I was just using Max's bake to texture but I think I will look into the photoshop plug-in to add more detail. Also please feel free to comment on my textures, because I am always looking to improve in that area also. :thumbsup:

[Bpanting]

OK, here is the latest update. I got to work on it a little more. I still want to do more with the ground and then I will probably go back and touch up the dumpster and then the background. I still want to add some trash in the dumpster also. After that I think I will call it done. if anyone has any comments or suggestions feel free to fire away.

http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/8325/dumpsterscene21so9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img45.imageshack.us/img45/5895/dumpsterscene22ar5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Gamedev]

It still is looking a bit flat. Can we see some wires / texture samples of your color, spec, and normal?

[Bpanting]

Sure here you go
Wire
http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/6476/wireframeig1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
color and spec
http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/1299/colormapsxx7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
normals
http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/6821/lowpolybackgroundnormalea2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/2641/lowploydumpstertestnormqc6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/1282/groundnormalsmapeq2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[onelung]

Hey man, lookin pretty good, a few things i can think of...

-it seems that there is a scale issue, that fence is making your dumpster feel wicked small, the size of the diamonds are too big, and you got some streaching on them toward the bottom.. and the fac tthat you see the same tear at the bottom kills it. It would feel better to either have 2 maps to pull that off, or set up your geo so i t can have that cut in the wire there with another (smaller) map, or to just ditch the hole, since its a small enviro. Also your fence post is big and thick too.

-seems odd there is a keep out sign on the wall too.. i would think maybe having it on the fence or some thing..

-Also when you let something have so much more texture space the higher resolution really shows, esp against the walls bricks.

-if your gonna make your normal maps in photoshop, they don't seem to feel like those bricks are pushing out, i'd try and lessen the noisyness on the normals for the bricks so they feel a tad more extruded.

-maybe stick a busted up reg fence behind the chainlink fence, that way the scene doesn't feel so cut off... its already a small enviro, but that would help from keeping the feel of it being cut off.

-maybe make a grass texture and throw some clumps between the 2 and give it a little depth, any time you can overlap things always good, which is another thing, everythiing is pushed up against a wall... maybe pull the dumpster out cattycorner so it feels like some kids messed with it, make it feel "lived in"

-and yea some trash aroudn that area would help alot, some soda cups from whataburger or something :)

keep going man, your in the right direction, and if you can really add more to that building, so we can get rid of the blu max bacground :)

laters
schu

ps, sorry for the terrible spelling, any issues, hit me or your cousin up :)

[Gamedev]

A lot of the detail in your normal maps isnt showing because of your lighting setup. If you're using 3ds max, use directX and just take some screen grabs of the viewport. Normal maps can't work if there inst any shadow or decent light.

I've attached an image of your normal map that has some errors on it. Towards the top, red usually means you have some UV overlapping or the cage you used to generate it was intersecting geometry. As well, you can see some tearing and other 'artifacts'. Don't be afraid to clean this up by hand and paint those out.

Again, I can see the main dents and lips and edges in the normal map but I still can't see surface quality. Scratches, paint flaking, and surface grime in general. All these things you would add to a bump map, add to your normal map. Sometimes I do two passes. One for the large objects that you have now and then another pass using CrazyBump or the Photoshop filter and then overlay in photoshop the small normal details on top of my first pass.

I'm assuming since you're using normal maps and spec maps this environment is aiming for a next gen console or pc game.

The scene is incredibly low poly as is and would really benefit from some higher rez models and detail. The biggest one for me is the sides of the dumpsters. Cut out the holes on the sides where the dumper truck forks would go. Model the ridges on the top of the dumpster doors. Model in dents and other wear and tear.

Next, instead of normal mapping the pipes onto the building, go ahead and model them. It looks odd now that they also sit at a nice perfect 90 degrees. Break that up a little, dent them, bend them etc.

On the building, consider adding more detail as well. Model the trim around the door. Add some glass pane windows above the door. Maybe roll up the door a little and show some light coming out. Break chunks of brick w/ both geometry and normal maps.

Lastly, the color maps looks ok, but could be pushed further. Variance in saturation and wear and tear would really help. And, as mentioned, the amount of uv space you give something dictates is resolution when rendered. Things like the text on the front of the dumpster I would expect to see clearly, whereas now they are very blurry.

[ninjacore]

this is fine but your texture layout for the dumpster could be way more efficiant.

mirror things like the sides, the side boxey bits that the dumpster gets picked up by, the lid, the WHEELS! you only need 1 wheel! and the inside rusty part be one strip, it looks like it only goes down so far? with doing that you could squeeze a bunch more pixels into it. its good to get the very most out of your UV space :)

[Bpanting]

Thanks for all the tips so far, I hope to get some updates posted in the next few days. :thumbsup:

[Bpanting]

I was finally able to work a little more so here is a quick update. Mostly worked on the ground color map and a little on the ground normal map. I also scaled the fence down a bit. the fires shot is a render and the second is a screen cap.

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/1834/dumpsterscene26xg7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/6642/screencap03ko1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Bpanting]

OK I think I am pretty much done with this one. Here are some screencaps of what I came up with. Comments and critiques are welcome. thats for the previous comments also. I learned a lot doing this and can't wait to start the next one. :applause:

http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/9387/screencap01updatezh4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/3451/screencap02dx4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/8130/screencap03my0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/7928/finalrenderia2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

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