Works in Progress

#181

Originally posted by rcory
http://home.alltel.net/rccollins/forestberserker25.jpg
I tried layering 3 different bump maps on the same area of skin but it did not seem to work.

When you planning to add many bump map layers with different bump values, you must keep in mind that 50% gray (or G=128) means “no bump” for A:M. Values from 0-128 (or dark tones from black to 50% gray) will be Convex on a surface and values from 128-255 (or bright tones from 50%gray to white) will be Concave.

That means that base background colour for your skin bump map must be exactly 50% gray and NOT WHITE(!) and that you will have to draw your textures (pores, wrinkles etc…) on that 50% gray colour and not on white colour.

The same goes if you use RGB image instead of Grayscale. In that case you will have to use R=128, B=128, G=128 colour as base colour.

Nice model btw :slight_smile:

Regards

Dusan

#182

Thanks Dusan,

That’s where I messed up. The last map was black on a white bkgrnd. It just removed the bumps from the others…duh. I shoulda known that…

Thanks again

#183

Okay, I finally got to the root of the problem. It seems one bump map per container was the only way to add multiple bump maps. When I had all three in one container they would all show up when I did the progressive ray trace preview. The regular render would only show the top one in the list. So I added them each to it’s own decal and it worked.

Anyhow, this is a little closer to what I wanted…

#184

Originally posted by rcory
[B]Okay, I finally got to the root of the problem. It seems one bump map per container was the only way to add multiple bump maps. When I had all three in one container they would all show up when I did the progressive ray trace preview. The regular render would only show the top one in the list. So I added them each to it’s own decal and it worked.

Anyhow, this is a little closer to what I wanted… [/B]

Lookin’ good Cory. Now, you might think about adding some specular intensity maps in combination with diffuse maps (you can use the same maps, just add them to the image list under the decal and change the type adn intensity). This will help bring out the details of the skin and give more visual interest to the surface.

BTW - It sounds like that bump map problem (not being able to use multiple bump maps under one decal) could be a bug - but I remember now that you’re using 8.5 - so I guess it’s good that you found a work-around…

Keep posting progress :slight_smile:

JoeW

#185

Thanks JoeW, Specular maps are next I guess. Once I figure out what I want to shine…

Thanks Dusan, I was concentrating so much on the map advice, I missed the compliment at the bottom…I’ll keep you guys updated on the progress.

You’ve been a great help…

#186

I’m loving that character so far. I agree some good spec maps will bring out the skin even more. Great.

#187

Hi all:

I´m working in my first semi realistic head, my first “cartoon” character and my first car.

http://personal.telefonica.terra.es/web/shazam3d/damicelaWIP.jpg

http://personal.telefonica.terra.es/web/shazam3d/ElvisWIP.jpg

http://personal.telefonica.terra.es/web/shazam3d/VwWIP.jpg

Comments appreciated…

JM

#188

A new character I’m working on, needs some decal work I know…

#189

Love the decal work! Would like to see other views.

One thing that stands out, which may be a stylistic choice on your part, is the cut off skull. If your going for more photoreal, he should have more forehead and back of the head.

Keep up the great work!

#190

Very nice! Are these your first 3d works or first A:M works?
A couple of comments, not that I am a master artist or anything but, on the female head it seems the the face is a little flat. I’d put a little more convex feel to it. THe lips seem a little wide. I think I remember from somewhere, that you determine the width of the mouth by drawing a line from the bridge of the nose between the eyes, through the outside of each nostril. THe position of the cheeks and mouth was determined by drawing an equilateral triangle from the outside of the eyes pointing down to the chin. Then again some people measure with the width of the eyes, I think the mouth was three eyes down and one across, or something like that. Maybe someone else can expand on that.

Nice Elvis as well. Looks a bit like he’s got some Jay Leno in him too.

Originally posted by Shazam3D
[B]Hi all:

I´m working in my first semi realistic head, my first “cartoon” character and my first car.

http://personal.telefonica.terra.es/web/shazam3d/damicelaWIP.jpg

http://personal.telefonica.terra.es/web/shazam3d/ElvisWIP.jpg

http://personal.telefonica.terra.es/web/shazam3d/VwWIP.jpg

Comments appreciated…

JM [/B]
:slight_smile: :slight_smile:

#191

Originally posted by nerrazzi
A new character I’m working on, needs some decal work I know…

I love the decals as well. I agree with MyFault, the top of the skull does seem a little small. More forehead, but not brow, mind you. Or may be the ears are too far back, that might make he back of the head seem small.

Overall he’s looking good though.

#192

Thanks, rcory!

These are mi first A:M works, I´m a newbie in the hash’s splines world. I’m working in a local TV station (in Las Palmas - Spain) in postproduction and animation (3dmax, Photoshop and After Effects) but now its my first serious experience with character animation and organic modeling.

You’re right. Good tip for keep the proportions.
I appreciate your suggestions.

Thanks again.

JM.

Originally posted by rcory

[b]Very nice! Are these your first 3d works or first A:M works?
A couple of comments, not that I am a master artist or anything but, on the female head it seems the the face is a little flat. I’d put a little more convex feel to it. THe lips seem a little wide. I think I remember from somewhere, that you determine the width of the mouth by drawing a line from the bridge of the nose between the eyes, through the outside of each nostril. THe position of the cheeks and mouth was determined by drawing an equilateral triangle from the outside of the eyes pointing down to the chin. Then again some people measure with the width of the eyes, I think the mouth was three eyes down and one across, or something like that. Maybe someone else can expand on that.

Nice Elvis as well. Looks a bit like he’s got some Jay Leno in him too.[/b]

#193

Hey you guys…this is my first work up at CGTalk. It’s just a little robot for an animation I’m going to do. I tried to keep the detail down so I could concentrate on animation.


Comments?

#194

He looks like a fun little dude.

Good work.

#195

Thanks!

Here he is with one of the props for the short:

#196

Hello, all. This is about the fourth redesign of a spaceship intended for the lead character in a hobbyist project I’m doing. It’s supposed to be a small freighter or tugboat, with the crew habitable areas mounted on top of a single engine. The model was built in AM2000 8.5L. I started with lathed and extruded shapes, and began building up from there.

I want to increase the surface detail by adding additional pieces and perhaps cutting into the hull to reveal internal components. The windows are extruded rectangles with ambience and glow effects. I may change them to actual cutouts and put small sets in there.

Adding detail to the straight sections should be easy, but I’m a bit worried how I’m going to do it with the curved sections.

The hull texture was done in PaintShopPro7 and is wrapped around the various parts, perhaps it should be a decal.

The ship will be getting a lot of screen time, so I’d appreciate any suggestions you might have.

#197

Originally posted by GizmoMkI

The hull texture was done in PaintShopPro7 and is wrapped around the various parts, perhaps it should be a decal.

Could you explain this process? A:M texturing gives me a headache;). Oh, and btw, nice pic:).

#198

If it was getting a lot of screen time in my hobbyist production, I would have modeled some of the details into it rather than textured it as you did.

Windows: Which windows? I see typical random spaceship doodads, and a dome on top and a blue light on the back that might be a window. I guess for me the details are ambiguous.

This’ll strike you as odd, but: which way is forward? I could see the yellow thing either as a weapon or engine, and same for the red and two white protrusions on the other side.

The join between the bridge piece(s) and the hull seems rather rushed to me- something needs to be there or explain the seam.

For me the overall hull shape is much more pleasent than the bridge portion (the above the hull parts). The hull is nice and curved in lines and then the rectangular bit on top of it sort of ruins the “look” for me.

Keep going, despite my crits. Nothing against your effort and abilities, just suggestions worth what ya paid for 'em.

#199

Thanks to you both.

Hookflash – I loaded a hand-painted image, then selected one of the model groups. A right-click gives a drop-down menu and it was assigned as New Image. It tiles the image to fit each individual patch of the group, and can result in some really bad repeating patterns. It’s not as precise as applying a decal over a model or group. I generally use at as a quick and dirty method to get an idea of an overall model design.

Dearmad– I’m considering the current texture to be temporary prior to cutting into the hull to add actual physical detail. The little blue light aft is indeed a window, there also two more on both port and starboard side although they’re not visible in these angles. They probably should be larger, but I haven’t determined the scale of the ship yet.

I forgot to mention which ends were fore and aft. The bow has the three lights which represent weapons arrays. The large yellow glow is the engine exhaust.

I’m not all that thrilled with the dome I have on the top as it’s a little too Star Trek, so it’s probably going to get replaced with either a more boxy bridge or some form of antenna array.

Regarding the design: In the backstory, the ship is a commercial freighter about 60 years old. The original superstructure is represented by the angular elements. A government contract resulted in a retrofit inside and out using parts and equipment from military surplus.

See my web page for earlier work on this project, which began when I got AM in late 2000 although the initial idea was 2 years earlier. There’s also a short “preview” video available but the image is compressed a bit so resolution leaves something to be desired. The footage was pieced together from various tests of new models, techniques, and concepts. Almost everything seen in the video will be redesigned, including the humans, as they were modified from characters that came with the AM disk.

The small fighter was modified from an SR-71 model, but no artist is listed (Jeff Paries maybe?) Any time you see a moving starfield it’s Carmen Rizzolo’s Star Spheres prop. Everything else in the video is mine with the exception of a few textures.

It’s a Tripod site, so downloading the video may knock the site off the air for a couple of hours afterwards, and you might have to endure some pop-ups but I usually don’t see any.

#200

Here’s a sword I’m working on. I’m going to add details & decals (runes on the blade, etc.). Any suggestions?