Quick-Crit 2010

[PenGuin1362]

I had made this Garand for a Maya project a few months ago during the semester. Never got around to doing the low poly and texture. Decided to use the model to play around with some render settings, and hopefully when I get some free time I can do the low poly and finish it up.

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/4722/m1garand1.jpg
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/3989/m1g2.jpg
http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/1623/m1g1.jpg
http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/4626/m1garand6.jpg
http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/3482/m1garand4.jpg

[neuro]

last two renders look nice, first two are meh.

model looks nice too, except for the triggerguard not really living up to the same kind of detail as the rest :P

[DarkHalo003]

Shader comparison time:
I know these are different objects, but the shader in the newer picture will be using the same material as the sentinel wall.
New shader I'm working on.
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/7839/editor2010060400174539.png

old shader:

http://i43.tinypic.com/2hno02a.jpg

Anything anyone think's would help improve the look of the new shader would be greatly appreciated.
The metal looks too grainy. It needs more grime added to it to be effectively nice looking IMO. On top of that, the metal should also be as reflective as tin, but also seemingly absorb the sun at the same time (I hope that makes sense). If you look at Forerunner Architecture in Halo3, you'll see this kind of effect, although I'd focus on increasing the griminess first.

[=sw=warlord]

You mean a bit like this?
http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/3206/screenshot0025a.jpg

Also I'm wondering if anyone who has experience with making particle effects can give some tips for the teleporter effect's I've been making.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CKDY5vC9WE

[Futzy]

Send me the model/unwrap and I'll give texturing it a go

[Futzy]

http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/9277/telez.jpg

I have plenty of overlap, idk whats with the seems
Wasn't sure if you actually wanted the metal to be that tan color, but i can easily change it if you did

e: seams are in the render but not through the viewport with direct x shader
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/1374/95846117.jpg

[Hunter]

First attempt, am I doing it right?

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/martynball/nade_launcher_2.jpg

[neuro]

edges way too tight, like everyone else on these forums is doing.

also, floaters are bad, and try to avoid intersecting stuff into eachother, because it doesnt make for nice seams.

[Hunter]

Okay, cheers :)

[Hunter]

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/martynball/nade_launcher_3.jpg

Neuro the edges look better? Compared to the edges on the rails with the half circle cut out.

[Corndogman]

You mean a bit like this?

Also I'm wondering if anyone who has experience with making particle effects can give some tips for the teleporter effect's I've been making.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CKDY5vC9WE

The darker green transparent part is too wavy, sort of looks like water, and is moving too fast. The "sparks" at the bottom are also moving a bit fast. The main "beam" of it could be a bit taller. Overall I'd say just make it slower and less chaotic. Right now its too distracting in my opinion.

[Con]

Looks like someone set a match to vespene gas. Is that supposed to be a teleporter? The sparks are way too energetic and throw it all off.

[SnaFuBAR]

which edges are you asking look better? they all look really tight to me.

[neuro]

better, but still kinda tight.

also, you don't want to have those pieces as intersecting geometry tbh, make them part of the mesh.

[Hunter]

better, but still kinda tight.

also, you don't want to have those pieces as intersecting geometry tbh, make them part of the mesh.

Okay, I will lossen up all of the edges before its finished. And I will get rid of all of the intersecting geometry. Cheers :) Just trying to practice and get the hang of it so I have got a good head start when I go Uni. Well, more of a head start. Lol.

[=sw=warlord]

Looks like someone set a match to vespene gas. Is that supposed to be a teleporter? The sparks are way too energetic and throw it all off.

This a bit better?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP5m3s1aGRA
Please ignore the sound as I've yet to get sound effects in there.

[Anton]

@Warlord - You have too much horizontal/oblique movement and too little movement vertically. Also, add more height to counter the width you have. Unless you were going for a concentrated 'spherical' shape, of course. Maybe add something that would add more flare to the vertical movement you have now; such as having a lighter green 'gas' spiral upward. Finally, it may help to just lessen the distance the sparks fly outward

[DarkHalo003]

I'd focus on making the teleported's particles look more vertical and focused themselves. I honestly think it should look more swirly too.

[Hunter]

First Sub'd model, so it aint going to be perfect, about 68% complete. More details needed to be added, errors fixed and other problems need to be fixed, such as hardedges.

(First Sub'd apart from pathetic attempt like a year ago on a pistol which I scrapped).

And of course I need to stop the geometry from colliding of course. And soften almost all of the edges, just wanna get it done first seeming as it is my first Sub'D model.

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/martynball/nade_launcher_6.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/martynball/nade_launcher_7.jpg

Plenty of inaccuracies which need to be fixed, or not. Who cares about accuracy...

[Limited]

Is that suppose to be the grenade launcher from Reach? If so, never new it was that long.

[Hunter]

I was wondering why it looked odd, thought it was too long my self. I will fix the longness of it tomorrow :) seeming as I am not doing anything till september as I have finnished college and start University in september :P

[PenGuin1362]

what did we say about floaters. bad. Floaters should be used for pretty mush just text, and I tend to use them sometimes for agonizing, but small and insignificant details.

[Hunter]

:( but they make life simpler

[PenGuin1362]

and they'll fuck your AO, and sometimes normal map

[DarkHalo003]

Is that suppose to be the grenade launcher from Reach? If so, never new it was that long.
I think that's because of how close it is to the camera in the render; The FP (for whatever it's worth without proper origins) looks pretty accurate at first glance. But I am beginning to see what you mean....

[Newbkilla]

He said he was going to fix it because his model was too long.

[Disaster]

http://www.bungie.net/images/Games/Reach/intel/weapons/040510/gl.png
His length seems about right.

[DEElekgolo]

Pro Pipe

[Newbkilla]

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/martynball/nade_launcher_8.jpg

I'm going to have to go with Disaster on this one. That was from halomaps ^^

[=sw=warlord]

@Warlord - You have too much horizontal/oblique movement and too little movement vertically. Also, add more height to counter the width you have. Unless you were going for a concentrated 'spherical' shape, of course. Maybe add something that would add more flare to the vertical movement you have now; such as having a lighter green 'gas' spiral upward. Finally, it may help to just lessen the distance the sparks fly outward

This a little better?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGVtWHTQYAk

[Invader Veex]

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/6359/sigmaarmsskin.jpg
http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/6359/sigmaarmsskin.jpg

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/6359/sigmaarmsskin.jpg

Did this yesterday. Redid my/Geo's skin that was made for the fp arms in SigmaLeet's project a couple years ago. Pretty much rushed the leather/rubber. I'm thinking I should add some metal bits to the back of the fingers and grips to the insides.

[Cagerrin]

-snip-

Pretty much rushed the leather/rubber. I'm thinking I should add some metal bits to the back of the fingers and grips to the insides.
Oh, definitely. make the finger segments "interlock" like this?
....__
_/ __ \_
_/ ....\_

[Malloy]

filters look bad :(

[Invader Veex]

what filters

[Newbkilla]

http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/ae305/newbkilla/WIPplasmagun-2.jpg?t=1276728219

http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/ae305/newbkilla/FPposition.jpg?t=1276728537

Concept looks like it was based off of Gears of War, tried to model in every detail I saw.

[neuro]

both hunter's and newb's model look alright, though hunter's could do with less sharp edges, and there's a bunch of stuff which can be improved upon, simply by modelling stuff more out of a single piece.

newb, ive got one gripe with your model.

it's flat.
it's really just a flat thing with thingys stuck on the side (also your edges are too tight) right now, the shape simply doesnt look right, which makes your 'first person' view look weird. (purely because it's so flat) there's simply no interesting shapes going on.

@veex:
that doesnt even look like metal tbh.

[rossmum]

It shouldn't, the outer layer of MJOLNIR armour is and always has been ceramic. Fuck, I haven't touched a Halo game for years and I still remember that. Also, I agree about the gun - it looks detailed overall but FP isn't so great. People really need to get some curves and things happening, or at least some other kind of interesting shapes. Boxguns are boring, even the really detailed boxguns.

[Newbkilla]

I don't want to seem like a prick, but the reference I used showed no indication of curvature on the flat surface of the model. --->

http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs18/f/2007/143/6/7/Assault_rifle_by_jimsvanberg.jpg

Secondly it has been brought up that it looks similar to the GoW Lancer, so I decided to do a google images search and the lancer itself its flat in both game model and the props created by fans.

http://media.teamxbox.com/games/ss/1167/1215619587.jpg
http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/720/720859/gears-of-war-20060725103816433.jpg

I agree it looks awkward in first person, but it has also been brought up that "wonder why GoW is 3p?" The guns look shitty in first person, so therefore third person.

I completely agree that some of the edges are too tight however, I just thought it seemed unfair to critique my gun based off how it should look compared to how accurate it is really to the concept. (That was what I was going for).

[neuro]

im not criticizing it doesnt look like the concept.

i'm criticising the fact it doesnt look aesthetically pleasing.
keep in mind that's partly your own fault, because you -could- have used some artistic licence and made it better.

in retrospect of that, give you two seperate fedbacks.
1: if you're sticking to the concept, it looks cool n all, and it is indeed like the concept. which would make it the concept's fault for not being aesthetically pleasing.
2: if you're looking to make a great model, you went too far off course, and ended up with a flat thing, which is a shame, because you could have veered away from the concept, and made it awesome by your own judgement, leaving the concept for what it is. only concept.


edit: doucebag crit: i dont care why or what your reasoning is, because it's still a fancy flat (sub-d) boxgun.

[Hunter]

Neuro, how would you go about making a shape such as this? As you can see I have got pinching at the corners because it seems that there are too many edges in such a small area.

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/martynball/screw_pinching.jpg

I did have a floater of the inset part of the screw.

[DarkHalo003]

This a little better?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGVtWHTQYAk
Much better IMO. However, make the particles that shoot out (hope you know what I mean) more spread out. It looks goofy with those things only concentrated near the top.

[killer9856]

Haven't posted in a while... was making a small scene, trying to learn from it.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s15/SAH1R/pursuitofhappiness.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s15/SAH1R/ihearthemcalling.jpg

Learned some more proper ways of making textures. Ignore the green part for now.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s15/SAH1R/texturingpart.jpg

Comments are needed. Tell me what else I could add or fix or do. Thanks.

[SnaFuBAR]

I don't want to seem like a prick, but the reference I used showed no indication of curvature on the flat surface of the model. --->

http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs18/f/2007/143/6/7/Assault_rifle_by_jimsvanberg.jpg

Secondly it has been brought up that it looks similar to the GoW Lancer, so I decided to do a google images search and the lancer itself its flat in both game model and the props created by fans.

http://media.teamxbox.com/games/ss/1167/1215619587.jpg
http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/720/720859/gears-of-war-20060725103816433.jpg

I agree it looks awkward in first person, but it has also been brought up that "wonder why GoW is 3p?" The guns look shitty in first person, so therefore third person.

I completely agree that some of the edges are too tight however, I just thought it seemed unfair to critique my gun based off how it should look compared to how accurate it is really to the concept. (That was what I was going for).

That's nice and all, but GOW was a 3p shooter. Your model has a somewhat interesting 3p silhouette, but truth be told yet again, your fp is just a box. If you're going to spend your time creating a high-poly model and you're considering it for fp rendering or in-game, just use a concept like that as a guideline, and do what you can to make it not-so-boring. You should always consider the silhouette from perspective, the side and from the top. Even the shape from the front should be something identifiable.

[Teltaur]

Well, this is an HUD design I'm working on, that's essentially a fusion of Halo 3's layout and Halo 1's design. The reason for the Mk. VI-style outline is that the visor this HUD is being made for is very similar in design, with only a few noticeable variations that I've tried to include in this HUD (which I wish wasn't the case, because I'd love to have a less Halo 3-style outline, but I've got to stick with the model...) And I know there's not a huge amount to crit right now, but I might as well get any recommendations now before I get too far. The plan for now is to try being faithful to Halo 1's ammo and grenade layout, which will definitely get rid of some of the Halo 3 look, but I'm not quite sure how it'll play out with everything else in the HUD.

And yes, health is a slider instead of individual bars, but that's part of the game's design.

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/9628/haloishhudpreview2.jpg

[Hunter]

Health bar should be in the middle. Easy to see without actually looking at it.

[PenGuin1362]

@hunter first of all the inside of the screw is too straight on, needs to be at more of an angle. Also, add more sides, don't just do a square, it helps to have at least some sides in there, I usually use a 6 or 8 sides for round objects, depending on size. Iterations won't solve everything for you.

also, your edges should look more like this, supporting edges are important. http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/5162/edgeloops.jpg

That's probably not perfect either, but the two edges surrounding the outside and inner circle are

[neuro]

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/martynball/screw_pinching.jpg


http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt312/Neurologicaldisorder/stuff/boltthing.jpg

make quads, and loosen your edges.

[ejburke]

http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l47fh54esq1qcqwt6o1_500.jpg

Boxes don't subdivide into perfect 360 degree circles. You need at least a pentagonal shape to get something decent. Octagonal is best here because the hole is an octagon.

Be careful where you terminate your support edge loops. You might wind up with something like this:

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l47fg8nCSD1qcqwt6o1_250.jpg

Just keep in mind where subdivision is trying to push the vertices. When edges get pushed over other edges, it's not a good thing. In general, I don't think it's good to have any triangles in areas where smoothing is taking place. Keep the triangles in the planar areas of your mesh.

[=sw=warlord]

Need some help with a seam issue.
For one reason or another, there's a horrible black seam in certain parts of the mesh but not others, the UV's have not been tampered with between the bitmap and model so I'm not too sure what's going on.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/699/m6d.png
http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/7311/49197542.jpg

[ThePlague]

You need to texture out a little wider than you are. Select and grow the selection by 2 pixels or so, and it should be fine.

[Cagerrin]

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/TalonX/randomstuff/WIP/20100619132504_1m50s.jpg

[DarkHalo003]

Looks good for a start, but there are some areas that need smoothing (obvious areas). Also, could you get a better render? It's too dark IMO.

[Cagerrin]

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/TalonX/randomstuff/WIP/mir9_wip_3.png

better?

[neuro]

looks like a shotgun rifle :P

[PenGuin1362]

or a rifle shotgun :raise:

[Cagerrin]

Supposed to be a bolt-action rifle, far as I can tell.

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/TalonX/randomstuff/Inspiration/Weapons/1250875732464.jpg
bottom right corner

[killer9856]

Need some help with a seam issue.
For one reason or another, there's a horrible black seam in certain parts of the mesh but not others, the UV's have not been tampered with between the bitmap and model so I'm not too sure what's going on.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/699/m6d.png
http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/7311/49197542.jpg

You should just make a layer and do a fill of the layer, then add details to it. Don't use the magic wand tool.

http://cg.tutsplus.com/articles/news/how-to-hand-paint-convincing-metal-textures/

this video shows you a good way of making a base texture. This should help get rid of the black lines

[SnaFuBAR]

it's because you're not going outside of the uv. you have to texture at least 2 pixels outside of the area to stop that seam from happening. the uv'd parts are way too fucking close together too, so of course you get bleed.

[Futzy]

lol i can follow a tutorial
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/5114/wuttertower.jpg

[Cagerrin]

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/TalonX/randomstuff/WIP/mir9wip_6.png

I get the feeling that the stock's too long. Anything else I should fix?

[neuro]

right now, it's just a shape.

add more to it to define it as a gun.

[sdavis117]

The entire gun is a bit long if you are going exactly by your reference drawing.

[Cagerrin]

right now, it's just a shape.

add more to it to define it as a gun.
Will certainly try.


The entire gun is a bit long if you are going exactly by your reference drawing.
It's actually a bit shorter, since I shortened the stock. Perhaps it looks that way because it's fairly thin?

[Teltaur]

Health bar should be in the middle. Easy to see without actually looking at it.
Well, the main thing I'm trying to go for with the HUD is to have the same basic design of Halo: CE, but to have the updated graphic style of Halo 3's.

Anyways, update:
First of all, I have to point out that the Assault Rifle currently in the ammo section of the HUD is not mine. I can't quite remember where or who I got it from, but I pulled it from somewhere on my computer and just used it for a current placeholder. So, if you happen to know where it came from, more power to ya, just want to make sure nobody gets pissed over the lack of credit.

And, most of the text is also placeholder, but it gives the general idea of what it'll look like when it's finished:
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/7455/hudpreviewshot.jpg

[teh lag]

I'm a very big fan of that. I have to say, that's pretty much what I imagined for the Halo: Reach HUD and I am consumed by mild irritation every time I see the one that Bungie is using.

The vertical gradient on the shield meter is too sudden - it should fade across the whole element. The health meter's gradient, while less "sudden", is a bit too bright at the bottom IMO.

[Futzy]

I think the ar icon is mine. I don't care if you use it, I can even port them into illustrator instead of PS now that I'm more used to it.
http://avpdragon.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d23rwxu

[ThePlague]

Please, whatever you do, don't make those red and blue things permanent if they aren't being used. It makes it look shitty.

Is this actually being put in anything?

[=sw=warlord]

Please, whatever you do, don't make those red and blue things permanent if they aren't being used. It makes it look shitty.

Is this actually being put in anything?
The red blue bars will be replacing the score bars in Crysis for Project Aftershock.
The HUD outline is actually the outline to the helmet I made a while back for the mod and Teltaur suggested he made a outline to fit it.

[Amit]

Been WIP for about a month now. Haven't done too much with it really.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h262/amit9821/Vector3.png

[Con]

No complaints except the grass..too thin. It looks like someones hairy arm or something :wut:

[Amit]

No complaints except the grass..too thin. It looks like someones hairy arm or something :wut:

ROFL. Almost looks like my own arm, now that I think about it. I'll play around with it and see what I get.

[Sel]

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3332789/785/785.png

[Cagerrin]

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/TalonX/randomstuff/WIP/mir9_wip_10.png
http://www.majhost.com/gallery/TalonX/randomstuff/WIP/mir9_wip_11.png

stock stuff is fairly rough at the moment, trying for a crazy-springs-and-levers recoil compensator mechanism.

[ExAm]

I think you're making a common mistake with reproducing 2D side views in 3D. It's too narrow. It'd be like holding a glorified cardboard cutout. Widen it a bit.

[ODX]

Well it's a rifle, they're kind of skinny. Though you may be right ExAm, can't really tell unless we get a more FP-oriented view of the model.

[ICEE]

Well it's a rifle, they're kind of skinny.

Wrong wrong wrong

bad bad bad.

You can't generalize rifles as being thin, have you ever seen an m1 garand or an m1941?

[Cagerrin]

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/TalonX/randomstuff/WIP/mir9_wip_12.jpg

I was actually in the process of thickening a few things, and the stock mechanism will probably have a saddleplate covering most of it.

[ODX]

Wrong wrong wrong

bad bad bad.

You can't generalize rifles as being thin, have you ever seen an m1 garand or an m1941?I mainly meant bolt-action rifles, specifically a WWII Lee-Enfield or Mosin-Nagant. (excuse me if I'm 'naming them improperly.' The only contact I've had with them is video games, ala CoD2)

[SnaFuBAR]

they're still not as thin as you've made this.

[ICEE]

I think it would look cooler if you lengthened the bolt handle a little bit

[rossmum]

I mainly meant bolt-action rifles, specifically a WWII Lee-Enfield or Mosin-Nagant. (excuse me if I'm 'naming them improperly.' The only contact I've had with them is video games, ala CoD2)
Hi. I have the former. It's not as thin as you make out, and the actual thickness varies. It flares out somewhat towards the back end, starting at the receiver pretty much.

[kid908]

I haven't opened up max in nearly 2 months so I decided to start with something simple. 5.7x28mm and 12.7x99mm

Model are 90% accurate. I could not find measurements for some areas (ratio between rounds might be a bit off as well). visually, how could I make it more accurate? (ie. shader, material, etc.)

http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/6548/bullets.jpg

[Higuy]

It looks a bit rusty..

[kid908]

the bullets I have around are kinda old and I was basing the material off it. lol. I have a few used shells and old bullets laying around.

[rossmum]

Find something brass and something copper if you're having trouble basing it directly on the rounds. Work from those.

[Hunter]

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/martynball/nade_launcher_9.jpg

Edges any better?

[DEElekgolo]

Still sharp. They should be smooth enough to catch a good amount of edge high lights.

[ejburke]

Don't round things off more than you think they're supposed to be, but remember it is much much easier to tighten support edges that are too loose than it is to loosen edges that are too tight. So, err on the side that takes less work to correct..

[Llama Juice]

I haven't opened up max in nearly 2 months so I decided to start with something simple. 5.7x28mm and 12.7x99mm

Model are 90% accurate. I could not find measurements for some areas (ratio between rounds might be a bit off as well). visually, how could I make it more accurate? (ie. shader, material, etc.)

http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/6548/bullets.jpg

It looks like a pencil if you're scrolling down the image.

Your materials look like wood, rather than metal.... the damn near 0,0,0 black tip doesn't help either.

[Newbkilla]

It looks like a pencil if you're scrolling down the image.

Your materials look like wood, rather than metal.... the damn near 0,0,0 black tip doesn't help either.

This is what my first reaction was.

http://airbornecombatengineer.typepad.com/photos/weapons_fireams/barrett416vs50bmgace.jpg

Make sure it looks similar to that, though not exactly the best looking image, the bullet has a brass appearance, with not THAT many scratches and divots as yours.

[FireDragon04]

It looks like a pencil if you're scrolling down the image.

THEY SO DO... haha, I noticed that too.

Anyway, models look good, but the materials need work, add some reflection and a tad little bit of refraction from light sources. Also go for more of a clean detail, with some scratches rather then the grainy wood like metal detail you have applied at the moment.

[Corndogman]

The "grainy" part of the material should be there, just turn the opacity level down on those layers. Then a light brushed/scratchy look over top should do it.

[rossmum]

Make sure it looks similar to that, though not exactly the best looking image, the bullet has a brass copper appearance, with not THAT many scratches and divots as yours.
The casing is brass, the bullet is copper jacketed. Don't mix them up.

[beele]

Finished my flash photo album and upload tool for it.
It's free for anyone to use :downs: and I will be adding regular updates and new features.

http://www.beeles-place.be/

The website layout is still being worked on.

EDIT:
width="800" height="600"
EDIT2:
the swf preview here is f*cked up. won't apply the width and height. You'll have to test it on my site.

[ExAm]

Alright, I don't expect that many people here read MS Paint Adventures, so you probably don't know who these guys are, or any of the Trolls for that matter, or why she's cut the guy's legs off (it's for his own good I assure you, papa paraplegic needs a new pair of robot legs), but this is the best piece of art I've done in ages and I've got that generous sharing feeling.
http://i.imgur.com/cnTze.png

Well fuck me sideways, it's a Monty Python reference and a chainsaw manufacturer pun in one image, how about that.

[Malloy]

They bleeding shit?

[ExAm]

Troll blood is brown.

[Malloy]

ha ha sorry i'd better brush up on my trollapedia

[=sw=warlord]

Been working on getting some weapons ingame in Crysis and started work on making the plasma grenade explosion.
I'm wondering what everyone else thinks so far as I would like some pointers on what to change.
The explosion is about the same size as the rocket explosion in halo 3 currently.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOlpcAD43I4

[Hunter]

I like the shock wave which is given of at ground level. Maybe add some electricity?

[Llama Juice]

That shockwave is neat, but what will it look like on any sort of a slope? Will it follow the normal of the slope?

[=sw=warlord]

That shockwave is neat, but what will it look like on any sort of a slope? Will it follow the normal of the slope?

Unfortunately the shock waves are always horizontal same with the stock grenades so I'm not too sure what I can do to change that.
I have been adding a bit more of a electric feel to it to give it that feel of the halo 2 plasma grenade, not so much as raw energy but more of a blue fire with electricity arcing the immediate area.

[kid908]

I'm calling this done. It's been nearly 9 months since I started (stupid adhd, getting me off track). Yes I know there's some details I left out, but really, they're not that significant.

Special thanks to Neuro for rendering the entire mesh for me.

Front:
http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/9823/070410edit.jpg

Back:
http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/3496/0704102353edit.jpg

[killer9856]

Wow that's really well detailed Kid. How about building the facility that houses stargate around it? I'm sure it would be worth it

I did some more work on my scene. I'm gonna keep building on it for a while.
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s15/SAH1R/perhaps.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s15/SAH1R/wirez.jpg

[CodeBrain]

Disregard this post, posted in the wrong thread.

http://codebrainshideout.net/too_awesome_for_pb/bowser.GIF

I will admit I did absolutely nothing important. Bowser was ripped from Super Mario Galaxy 2, using programs that are not mine. All I did was use them to obtain said model. The only one thing I did was fix the material ID's because all the model pieces were using one material, when there were multiple textures.

[p0lar_bear]

Then why post it in quick crit when there is nothing to criticize?

[Sel]

^^

[CodeBrain]

Was a mistake, I thought this was my gallery <_>

[kid908]

First bake. Why are there more detail on the high poly than what was baked? Well I fucked up and accidentally saved the file i was making the low poly as the same file as the high poly :( I lost those details. I'll remake them and fix the model to reflect that as well but for now, here's my first bake. starting at the hilt to the handle is where I lost. Had to remake the majority of the handle.

High Poly:
http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/2699/swordb.png

Low Poly:
http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/5682/swordlowpoly.png
http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/1415/swordlowpolywireframe.png

UV:
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/231/77375695.jpg

[neuro]

AAAAAAATRRRGHGHGHGHHHHH ARE YOU BAKING THAT AT TWO THOUSAND PIXELS WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU MAN!?!?!?!?!?!? YOU ARE OUT OF YOUR MIND INDEED!!!

protip: redo your UVs, your texture doesnt ahve to be square, make it 256x1024

i can tell just from looking at it your pixel density is ALL OVER THE PLACE!
make sure all UV islands are the same size relatively to eachother, right now your handle is MASSIVE, and the blade NOWHERE NEAR what it should be.
redo your UVS NOW!!

hell, you can even use a seperate texture for just the blade if you want.

[kid908]

AAAAAAATRRRGHGHGHGHHHHH ARE YOU BAKING THAT AT TWO THOUSAND PIXELS WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU MAN!?!?!?!?!?!? YOU ARE OUT OF YOUR MIND INDEED!!!
Forgot to resize it :/


protip: redo your UVs, your texture doesnt ahve to be square, make it 256x1024

How do you resize the UV template? I can't seem to see anything but square.


i can tell just from looking at it your pixel density is ALL OVER THE PLACE!
make sure all UV islands are the same size relatively to eachother, right now your handle is MASSIVE, and the blade NOWHERE NEAR what it should be.
redo your UVS NOW!!


hell, you can even use a seperate texture for just the blade if you want.
I'll redo it.

[Con]

How do you resize the UV template? I can't seem to see anything but square.


Click options and it should show up.

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/9365/capturewo.png

[kid908]

how about now?

http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/7179/swordchecker.jpg
http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/7771/sworduv.jpg
http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/2621/bladeuv.jpg

[Con]

way better, but let the UV nazis have their say before proceeding

[neuro]

much better, that'll do, though its still a bad idea to cut your blde up like that.

to reiterate, you can use 512x1024, but for example 16x1024 is also valid.
instead of cutting it up, try a different size bitmap, because you'll go trough hell before you get rid of those seams.

[Con]

True. He could simply half the height and double the width of the blade bitmap and it would work fine.

[Llama Juice]

Also, why do you have the seam going through the flat part of the blade? Put it on one of the sharp edges instead.

[SiriusTexra]

Welcome to 2 posts ago.

[Rob Oplawar]

I never get any responses to anything I post in my studio thread, so,
caeS1FWMKZ0
Do you think this interface effectively and appealingly communicates information about required user input?

[Con]

Looks like guerilla kinda.. but I think it does convey very well where exactly you need to fix information. It ensures they don't have to go looking for it, and the red color is a pretty clear indication of error. I got that impression right away so I guess it's doing its job.

[=sw=warlord]

Been trying to design a pattern to go on the inside of my monitor model.
This would go on the inner rim of the shell where the side lights glow through.
http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/2140/forerunnerpattern.png

[Kalub]

Align those buttons vertically! (make them the same width too if you haven't)

[Higuy]

You aren't going to be able to make that a normal map as long as its extudes and dosen't bevel in somewhat. The unwrap is rendering it from the top, so you can't see the sides, which makes it show nothing there on the normal. (Talking about the about X shaped geometry on warlords pattern)

[Rob Oplawar]

Fixed the buttons. Thanks for the feedback.

[rossmum]

People who have played RO, need some input:

http://www.project-new-hope.com/upload/images/general/ro%20map.jpg
(not to scale, yet; will probably end up a bit smaller than Berezina)

Stuffing around with some ideas, not sure if it'll be turned into an actual map yet. The Axis are assaulting; the numbers on the Soviet-held objectives denote cap order. Dark green is dense (too dense for tanks but OK for infantry) forest, grey are rocks or structures, brown is road and black is rail. Dark brown doubles as fences and also contour lines, you can tell which yourselves I'd hope. The big plane shape is a crashed Do-17Z. Both sides will have fairly diverse classes, and they will also have a few (not too many) tanks.

I just realised I should've added in actual icons for slit trenches and sandbagged positions, but oh well... use your imaginations.

[Boba]

Does this take place in ~1941 or on the German retreat?

It's somewhat irrelevant but you've peaked my interest.

[rossmum]

I was thinking at some point while the Germans are still on the offensive, likely during spring or summer

[Amit]

Looks interesting. However, having never played RO, I cannot offer valid input.

[kid908]

So I spend the past few hours designing a combat knife. I already got the blade done, but can't decide on the handle. I've drawn up a few concepts. I might add more concept, but for now 2. Fine which one you think goes with the blade or submit a concept of your own. btw, black in the concept is where holes are. shaded grey(ish) is indents.

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/412/ck1507101945.jpg
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/8158/ckconceptblade.jpg
http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/5249/ckconcepthandle.jpg

[SnaFuBAR]

Folders aren't combat knives. I'm not keen on the blade design, most specifically, the underside, after the serrations. Your fuller is so small that it's pointless. Actually just get rid of that shit behind the serrations. to have a top edge go past that portion is nonsense. You're better off having a guard built into the blade, honestly.

[kid908]

Folders aren't combat knives. I'm not keen on the blade design, most specifically, the underside, after the serrations. Your fuller is so small that it's pointless. Actually just get rid of that shit behind the serrations. to have a top edge go past that portion is nonsense. You're better off having a guard built into the blade, honestly.

My bad, I was searching hunting knives as reference and I read hunting knife but somehow changed to combat.

The fuller can easily be widen. and the length of the top edge can be fixed.

I'll play with the design and see what I can do after serration.

[ODX]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_4ijZmibcA

I feel as if the grenade throw is just a bit too..lazy and lacking any sort of control. Anyone agree?

[Spartan094]

ODX shouldn't the slide go back with each shot for the pistol or do the bullet casings magically go out the front of the pistol :/
Grenade throw seems kinda slow.

Other then that it's decent.

[ODX]

ODX shouldn't the slide go back with each shot for the pistol or do the bullet casings magically go out the front of the pistol :/
Grenade throw seems kinda slow.

Other then that it's decent.Whoa, holy crap. I swear I had that in there...hmm, I also need to do an ammunitions overlay as well but I keep seeming to screw up on those >_>

[ICEE]

what do you need an ammunition overlay for on the pistol? I can help though

[ODX]

So on the last shot (empty mag) the slide will stay back and be like that for any animation as well when you do it. I've seen it done before and tried it myself but when I did it didn't work well. I think I know how to do it.

Frame 0 is origin, then the rest will be the shots going from full to empty, so in this case it's I believe 8 shots. That means 0-8 frames, frame 1-7 will have the slide in it's origin position, and then frame 8 will have it back. And then for the reload the slide would be back that same amount at the beginning, but of course go back to origin once it was done. Is that correct?

[ICEE]

I believe it goes backward. If I recall.

0 = default
1 = empty
last = full


I THINK.

[annihilation]

I think the the grenade throw looks fine.
The only thing that bugs me is the way the arm moves all the way to the left when you melee instead of going down-ish.

[Spartan094]

Dug up something back from 08 (MINUS the Mark V helmet).

http://screenshot.xfire.com/s/100998361-4.jpg
http://screenshot.xfire.com/s/100998370-4.jpg
http://screenshot.xfire.com/s/100998372-4.jpg

I completely forgot who did the bitmaps other then he edited off the beta or something like it back in 08 but I had my douts he was able to get the beta skin back in early 2008.

Just pulling it back up and seeing what you guys think.

[Heathen]

Looks damn good to me.

[Futzy]

http://derekdennison.codebrainshideout.net/IMG_7290.jpg
First time making anything like this. Took about an hour, cost for everything including tools was $40. Stones are cheap though, so i can make more

[Con]

Holy shit, that's awesome. You should sell a bunch.

[Amit]

Wow, that's pretty cool. Girls would love to have one of those.

[Futzy]

Yeah i made it for my girlfriend while i was bored at my grandmas house, but I think I'll be selling them at school next year
I found some stones around my house, but that one that I already used i bought for her because of the tiger stripish design.
http://derekdennison.codebrainshideout.net/IMG_7292.jpg

Also, the metal was coated copper. I was going to do silver, but I could only by it in $50 coils of 100 yards.

[kid908]

Yeah i made it for my girlfriend while i was bored at my grandmas house, but I think I'll be selling them at school next year
I found some stones around my house, but that one that I already used i bought for her because of the tiger stripish design.


Also, the metal was coated copper. I was going to do silver, but I could only by it in $50 coils of 100 yards.

Get into steampunk after a while. Those jewelry looks really nice.

[kid908]

http://www.deviantart.com/download/172114328/Looming_Column_by_kid908.jpg

[neuro]

looks nice, now the lowpoly :P

you'll propably notice you could/shoulve done a few things a bit differently ;)

[kid908]

yup, but hopefully this low poly will work fine :) see anything that might now work?

http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/4365/columnlow2.jpg

[DarkHalo003]

Bump maps and normals, go go go!

Looks good kid. My only suggestion is that you might want to clean up the bottom area where I see a lot of polies that could be saved.

[neuro]

you're going to have to bake that in like 4 passes lol.
also, your lowpoly is terrifyingly un-optimised.

have fun :P

[kid908]

you're going to have to bake that in like 4 passes lol.
also, your lowpoly is terrifyingly un-optimised.

have fun :P

I optimize after uv (which I'm doing right now).

btw, why there's so more detail on the bottom is because of the size of the structure. here's an image ref on size. (they took out the middle and left the top and bottom)

http://www.new-york-pictures.com/d/529-4/Greek+Marble+Column+from+the+Sardis+Temple+of+Arte mis+at+Metropolitan+Museum+of+Art+in+New+York.jpg

[Con]

What's he mean about 4 passes being required? Why is that so?

[kid908]

Low Poly. Time to optimize it :P

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/9847/columnlow.jpg

[Rob Oplawar]

idgi. Wouldn't it have been easier to optimize before unwrapping?

[neuro]

well i typed out a big post on how and why, but i accidentally hit backspace and deleted it all, and im not going to retype it all.

kid, if yu change geo after baking you're destroying your normalmap, it's rendered to work from your existing geo.
optimising is part of modelling process, doing it as a last step is plain retarded in every way you can look at it.

con, it's got to do with intersecting geometry pieces, if shit's so close together, the cage can intersect the wrong piece of geometry so to speak, and produce bake artifacts.

[Con]

Oh, I think I understand what you mean. It'll be using the normals from the surface inside the other surface and not necessarily the outside one. Where they overlap from the point of view of the cage is where the problems can occur...

[neuro]

yeah pretty much that.

also, the texture is pretty horrible.
it's just a generic noise teture with ambient atm.

[kid908]

yeah pretty much that.

also, the texture is pretty horrible.
it's just a generic noise teture with ambient atm.

I'm not a texture artist so I realy can't do much there, but Sorry if i wasn't clear on the optimize. I leave in alot of faces that can't be seen in the mesh when baking. after, I go back and delete them if they aren't needed. As you can see, the model is already quiet diff than the one before unwrap.

[neuro]

you dont need to be a texture artist.

just go into photoshop and paint on all the edges a bit, lighten them some. use your normalmap as a guideline, trust me, it'll look miles better.

[Sel]

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3332789/misc/Medal_Release.jpg

Made an admin medal for the ETF2L Highlander tournament at their request.

[DarkHalo003]

Looks good. Not overdone and from what I'm basing off of observations, the unwrap looks clean.

[killer9856]

Looking good Sel.

So I made a vending machine.

http://s148.photobucket.com/albums/s15/SAH1R/?action=postuploadhttp://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s15/SAH1R/lowandhigh_2.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s15/SAH1R/lowandhigh_1.jpg

Theres just a normal map, AO, and obviously a diffuse. This was a little exercise to grasp some better sub'd modeling and baking.

[ejburke]

You need to learn to terminate edge loops better. You're carrying them all the way through the mesh, when you don't have to. Use flat areas of the mesh (where keeping all-quads isn't important) to tie off edges and learn to redirect edge loops to flow back the way they came. You mesh is really dense and it was a relatively simple shape. On a more complicated model, you're going to run into problems doing it that way -- both topological and performance.

[neuro]

your highpoly is perfect, though the large door on the front should've been a seperate element.
your lowpoly makes me cringe HORRIBLY

http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt312/Neurologicaldisorder/stuff/lowandhigh_1fix.jpg
this is what your wireframe should more or less look like.

get rid of all your useless edges.

[kid908]

@neuro:I'll take your advice and brush up the texture a bit.

@killer: I see you have a sky light there, why not just render it but had to go with a print screen?

This is what I'm working on right now in 3ds max. I'd say it's about 50% done. I'm searching for good ref of the bottom of the skull right now and might as well post a wip for edge flow crit and ratio crit.

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/2857/skullwip2307101857.jpg

http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/5657/skullwip2307101656.jpg

ed: older render but I forgot wireframe of the side:
http://a.imageshack.us/img24/7931/skullwip2207102108.jpg

[killer9856]

I didn't use skylight, because my rendering is pretty bad. I like using DirectX Shaders. I'm looking for tutorials on making them.

[ODX]

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/2857/skullwip2307101857.jpg
http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/5657/skullwip2307101656.jpg
The hole where the nose would be looks a bit...too perfect. It should kind of have a little bump at the bottom of it, more noticeable than the little one you have now. For some reason I keep thinking the hole itself is too big as well...maybe the eye sockets too but hell, you're the one modeling it. Probably looked at more images than I did (which is zero, ha).

Also, some animations for some random sniper made by some guy that I just animated:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ool0NX_2vVw

[rossmum]

I know the posing/editing is fuckawful, but this is the first truly artistic idea I've had for the longest time. I fucked the execution, as usual, but the idea fucking owns I reckon.

http://www.project-new-hope.com/upload/images/general/waitingfortheworms.jpg

I was listening to The Wall and it struck me how well Waiting For The Worms can be applied to Breen right as Freeman is making his way through the last few blocks of the city towards the Citadel. The line 'Sitting in a bunker/Here behind my Wall' was the one I based this off of, as Breen's bunker is his Citadel, encircled by mobile walls.

[neuro]

i don't get it.

[rossmum]

that's because you're dumb

please tell me you know the song at least

[neuro]

know the song, but pink floys isn't really my thing, sorry :P

[annihilation]

@ ODX
Seems a bit crooked.

[Cagerrin]

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/TalonX/randomstuff/WIP/20100718151925_5m11s.jpg
so apparently posting in the blogs is useless as far as getting responses goes.

[rossmum]

know the song, but pink floys isn't really my thing, sorry :P
we can't be friends anymore. im sorry :(

[SnaFuBAR]

Cagerrin, that's looking interesting. How about lighting it up a little more so we can see the details down there?

[Cagerrin]

Kerky seems to hate rendering any sort of interior so it'll be a while.

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/TalonX/randomstuff/WIP/enigma_wip_02.jpg
for now, here's a shot of the area on the right of the previous render. back wall will have a door or two in it but I'm not that far yet.

[SnaFuBAR]

looking good, keep it up.

[Cagerrin]

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/TalonX/randomstuff/WIP/enigma_wip_03.jpg
the far end is where the holes in the upper floor end up. they're set up as a one-way ramp. the end the camera's at is unfinished, will have a horseshoe-shaped room around it that'll have access to the back wall of the upper floor.
http://www.majhost.com/gallery/TalonX/randomstuff/WIP/enigma_wip_01.jpg

[Hunter]

Just finished off, got other things to do now. Well, apart from that floater I forgot about. And the edges are WAAAY too tight still, but fuck it. Learn from mistakes for next time ay. One or two little details need to be added as well such as trigger ect...

And the material I used on it made a weird but okay render I think. Lul.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/martynball/nade_launcher_10.jpg

[=sw=warlord]

Looking for some tips on a diffuse I'm working on for a holographic unit.
I realise the UV's have a lot of space wasted but unless a significant amount of extra space could be used up without distorting the proportions I don't really want to have to go back and change them.
Last time I worked on a diffuse was the assault rifle at the beginning of the year and since then I've been going through as many tutorials as I can.
The model itself was made by sub-division and I've got a high poly model ready to bake the normal maps with.
What I'm looking for here is what exactly can I do to improve the quality of my diffuse, since the object is fixed inside the control room I doubt it would get all that many scratches but weathering and corrosion is something I've been thinking about but I want to know what people here think before I go ahead and do anything else.
http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/2756/holographic.jpg
Which is for:
http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/6686/39128313.jpg

E: I've just noticed there is a piece of mesh overlapping another, That will be fixed.

[neuro]

DEAR GOD THOSE UVS MAKE ME CRINGE

as for your diffuse..


try actually.. making a diffuse.
this is just colour fills with some noise on it tbh.
they don't make any sense on the mesh, they don't line up in any way, and it's just a COLOUR.

look at..
well ANYTHING around you.
NOTHING IS JUST A COLOUR.

not even white kitchen cupboards.
there's always smudges and dust and shit, even fingerprints can be shown in a diffuse.

again, don't colourfill, make a proper diffuse.
i've got a hard time believing you spend more than 5 minutes on this.

[rossmum]

^ all of this

[=sw=warlord]

In other word's i need to use stronger brushes.
I didn't simply use the fill tool, I've been using a variety of brushes but if you think that was just a fill job then I'l have to use a stronger strength for the brushes.

[rossmum]

no, you need to add actual detail and material definition so things look like metal rather than flat grey shit with some chalky stuff on it

it has fuck all to do with brushes and everything to do with how you're using them

[=sw=warlord]

no, you need to add actual detail and material definition so things look like metal rather than flat grey shit with some chalky stuff on it

it has fuck all to do with brushes and everything to do with how you're using them

If I'm not to use brushes then how am I to make this seem like actual metal?

[rossmum]

I didn't fucking say not to use brushes, I said not to blame your fucking tools because they're not at fault. There's a very big difference.

[=sw=warlord]

I didn't fucking say not to use brushes, I said not to blame your fucking tools because they're not at fault. There's a very big difference.

You seem to be getting angry over something pretty simple.
I asked what needed fixing, you and neuro said it needs to look less chalky, I asked if I needed to increase the brush strength, nothing needing to rage over.
And they say I'm the angry one.:ugh:

[Cagerrin]

None of your insets/extrudes on the pillars look Forerunner. I think it's the lack of right angles, and the fact that a few of the corners are far too sharp. Also the inset on the pedestal the pillar sits on has a bunch of messed up angles. The inset needs to be rotated so that all of its backward-sloping edges are parallel with the back edge of the pedestal.

[neuro]

warlord, stop bitching and start over.

start with redoing your UV's.

[Limited]

:words:, very badly aligned :words:
Forerunner items don't have finger prints, they only have very slight amount dirt on them, scratches should definitely not be lashed on.

You need a specular in my opinion, make that metal pop out, that area can be light really well, but your textures will need to do the leg work.

[=sw=warlord]

warlord, stop bitching and start over.

start with redoing your UV's.
The only one bitching is you.
I said I'l redo the UV's after seeing the overlap.

[rossmum]

And the one consistently missing the point is you.

You don't need stronger brushes. You need to put the ones you're already using to better use.

[Con]

http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/6137/finlayson2.jpg

[Syuusuke]

I, too, like taking panoramas:

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/7994/sunsetatvm3024x.jpg

Fuck this is way too saturated.

Fuck linking from dropbox.

[rossmum]

i am bad at this. so, so bad

http://www.project-new-hope.com/upload/images/content/horrible%20skin%205.jpg

is it even worth continuing

[Crackers]

It can be salvaged.
First off, try creating a base metal texture that covers everything, this saves alot of time and you can focus on making the metal consistent and real.

Second I am going to give the benefeit of the doubt and assume you have some sort of shader applied that is making that metal look shiny, and you did not blatantly texture shine onto the weapon. If you did texture shine onto the gun just know in the future that is a big no no on the diffuse as there are obviously other maps that do this for you.

Finally, you're at least trying to think and not spam scratches everywhere, which is a habit you should keep.
I find looking at extreme cases of gun damage and terrible ownership on google can show me where scratches form regularly on guns and how they form. Thanks to it being extreme cases of damage, the scratches are also usually at their peak so you know when youre using too many forms of wear and tear. To make sure your texture is interesting, you cant make the gun dull, shiny and stock... I always aim for a somewhat regularly used gun mindset.

Keep working, everything improves in time if you make the iniative to find the knowledge.

[Hunter]

Looks decent to me, but Im not texture artist (or artist tbh)

Although, I see people say not to paint on pre defined lighting.

[El Lobo]

:lobo:

Where's Katana?

[rossmum]

Second I am going to give the benefeit of the doubt and assume you have some sort of shader applied that is making that metal look shiny, and you did not blatantly texture shine onto the weapon. If you did texture shine onto the gun just know in the future that is a big no no on the diffuse as there are obviously other maps that do this for you.
This is the only thing I'm going to dispute; there is absolutely nothing wrong with previous-gen texture work (i.e. diffuse-lit). I know people who can make a 1500 poly, diffuse-lit weapon look better than the latest 'hyper-realism', shader-lit pieces. It was made for older engines anyway, so shader-lighting it would be pointless.

[neuro]

ive got to go with ross here, i perrsonally really like the diffuse-lit style he's got atm.

[rossmum]

http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?p=23706133#post23706133

fuck off and die if you expect me to repost all this here. my thread needs periodic cpr anyway b/c facepunchers are big dumb babies and don't like to comment on my threads so they die real fast

[Rob Oplawar]

I get eyestrain from trying to make out your dark pictures, Ross. I would like them if they weren't so goddamned dark. But we've had this discussion already.

[Cagerrin]

Is it your monitor? I'm not having any trouble with it.

It looks great until you realize it's just a colour shift. After comparing it with the original, it just doesn't seem to have a night-time atmosphere anymore.

(maybe it's just my monitor making it too bright)

[ExAm]

My monitor is calibrated to proper color and brightness standards for design work, and Ross, that is really damn dark. I can make it out without straining too hard, but it's so dark that it hides a lot of the detail.

[SnaFuBAR]

Is it your monitor? I'm not having any trouble with it.

It looks great until you realize it's just a colour shift. After comparing it with the original, it just doesn't seem to have a night-time atmosphere anymore.

(maybe it's just my monitor making it too bright)

plz adjust your monitor black/white point and gamma. thx.

Ross, as said before, too dark. Also, the fire on the aircraft is too contrasty and brings it forward. The fire on the tanks could use some work, too, as in the explosion looking bits on the tops of the flames are bad. Try something else with the tracers as well, because they're very fuzzy streaks as of right now and i feel that your depth of field jumps around way way too much. Those aircraft should all be nothing more than silhouettes, especially since the houses (being relatively midground) are lacking detail that you can plainly see on the aircraft. I know you're crazy about the aircraft, but your personal like of them is showing much more over wanting to produce a quality piece of work. This happens with almost all of your work. Not to mention, with the fire coming off the destroyed tank, you need a LOT more local light. The shadows in your scene are all sunlight source at high noon, which is BAD BAD BAD. Make all of your shadows with a quick falloff/gradation/softening and be sure they actually taper towards the object casting the shadow. and they'll all be going in different directions. You probably need to cast a secondary shadow as well, since you have at least 2 light sources. The moon (which counts as local light because it is sunlight reflected off of the moon) and the fire.

E: i would google images for you for tracers but... i HATE what they did to it. A photograph like this would have some motion blur on all counts because of the long exposure time required to gather enough light on the film. that's something else to consider.

[ExAm]

Black/white point are largely TV settings. for LCD monitors, brightness and contrast are more prevalent.

[rossmum]

attn: snaf

(spoilered for longpost)


plz adjust your monitor black/white point and gamma. thx.

Ross, as said before, too dark.
Yeah, this is why I try to avoid night pictures. They look fine on my monitor and on most of my mates' monitors, but someone always comes back with "too dark". I really wish these fuckers were universally calibrated at the factory, it'd save a lot of headaches.


Also, the fire on the aircraft is too contrasty and brings it forward.
Yeah. I initially tried to blur it to match the DoF and dim it a little, but it turned from obvious fire into a vaguely orange shitstreak. Although it does break the DoF I blurred it very slightly and left it at that, so I take full responsibility for it being fucked.


The fire on the tanks could use some work, too, as in the explosion looking bits on the tops of the flames are bad.
Ingame fire. Very stupid. Will not use again.


Try something else with the tracers as well, because they're very fuzzy streaks as of right now and i feel that your depth of field jumps around way way too much.
Yeah, I'd agree. I tried to get them a bit sharper but they stopped looking like tracers and started looking like really horrible 1px streaks. I fucked around a bit but I just couldn't get them to look right. I'll see what I can do next time, though... maybe draw 2-3 tracers properly, scale them down, move into place and dupe them to form a stream.


Those aircraft should all be nothing more than silhouettes, especially since the houses (being relatively midground) are lacking detail that you can plainly see on the aircraft. I know you're crazy about the aircraft, but your personal like of them is showing much more over wanting to produce a quality piece of work. This happens with almost all of your work.
That was actually a by-product of using skybox models in the map itself, rather than the skybox (it would've taken forever to get the fuckers into the right spot otherwise, as the skybox for that map is a considerable distance into the Hammer void). Obviously this means they're really fucking close (as close as the far Panther, almost) but their skybox model status makes them small. I didn't even think that this meant they needed more blur until you brought it up, thanks. I'll keep that in mind next time I do similar.


Not to mention, with the fire coming off the destroyed tank, you need a LOT more local light.
Yeah, I knew this but I didn't really follow through on it because by that point there wasn't much I could do. Definitely noted for next time.


The shadows in your scene are all sunlight source at high noon, which is BAD BAD BAD. Make all of your shadows with a quick falloff/gradation/softening and be sure they actually taper towards the object casting the shadow. and they'll all be going in different directions. You probably need to cast a secondary shadow as well, since you have at least 2 light sources. The moon (which counts as local light because it is sunlight reflected off of the moon) and the fire.
That's because the map itself is high noon and I am too dumb to fiddle with the shadows like that :saddowns: I'll give it a shot next time though.


E: i would google images for you for tracers but... i HATE what they did to it.
Bro, don't even start me on what they did to it. Same with YT. They're dumbing everything down so much that it physically hurts my brain to use it.

As for tracers, yeah, I know what they look like. Usually they come out OK but when there's DoF involved it tends to fuck me.


A photograph like this would have some motion blur on all counts because of the long exposure time required to gather enough light on the film. that's something else to consider.
Holy fuck. I would never have realised this. Good spot.

Also how did you like all my little sperglord details, like the ranks on the Germans, the Panther commander having a proper tanker uniform, the B-17 turned into a Lanc, the heat haze, embers, exhaust, and all that good stuff :allears:

[Hunter]

Last render :)

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/martynball/nade_launcher_15.jpg

[neuro]

excellent, now make something original :P

[Hunter]

so its okay for first attempt at sub'd? apart from the fact that its unorigional.

(and tight edges).

[ExAm]

More than okay, I'd say. It's pretty good. Not the best that could be done, but pretty good.

Edit: Someone on reddit requested an illustration of a comment I made regarding the type of entrance that ought to be made by extra cashiers when they are called to the front of a Target store. Being a man of many talents, I just did it myself.

http://i.imgur.com/3epTa.png

[rossmum]

I unironically hope you one day make it to the board of directors of Target so you can put this amazing strategy into place.

[ExAm]

Rain-protected sugar glass on all skylights and windows. Blackhawk helicopters on standby at nearby airbases. Air-conditioned emergency employee barracks on-site. Daily drilling in register operation and rappelling.

[=sw=warlord]

Nearly finished getting my side project done while I was learning a few things and I'm thinking of releasing this as a separate thing, just as something to make screen shots and what else people want to use it for.
Needs a control panel which I'm modelling now, the design is different to installation 04 [both versions] although somewhat inspired by it.
Lighting is nearly finished, everything has normals and specular maps as well as detail maps to make the textures not look as "flat" as some people have said.
Reason I'm posting this picture here is because I want to know before this gets released what needs to be changed so it's done before released to the wolves.
The biggest regret I've got on this is that I never figured a way to make the insides of the glass emitters glow, I can make everything else have a glow but any mesh behind glass doesn't seem to want to glow.
http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/4403/editor2010073114471673.png

[kid908]

I love that beam.

[killer9856]

Yeah, that beam is nice looking. I want to see some more detailed enviroments though. Not saying this is bad, but you should add some more details into the control room.

[Llama Juice]

Is the beam just a fibers filter with a blue hue and some bloom to it?

Not saying it looks bad, it looks rather nice, I'm just curious.

[=sw=warlord]

Is the beam just a fibers filter with a blue hue and some bloom to it?

Not saying it looks bad, it looks rather nice, I'm just curious.

The beams actually a pair of effects on different scales, their both a stock effects bitmap that's sent in a upward direction and duplicated making the beam like effect.
This video might help explain it better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I0xH0o8SO4
As for more detailed environments.
Should I go and make some decals to add onto the walls to break up the blandness?

[Con]

I think it would be better if you couldn't see through the beam. The flickering is kinda annoying too. Instead of decals you should put some lights up there.

[Cagerrin]

Vertical pillars don't fit in. Perhaps if you made them shorter, removed the glass, and added a beam on top that's angled 45 degrees back towards the walls. Then have the short vertical pillar bend around the tip of the 45-degree beam and back towards the platform, and add the glass to the inner edge of that.

[=sw=warlord]

Vertical pillars don't fit in. Perhaps if you made them shorter, removed the glass, and added a beam on top that's angled 45 degrees back towards the walls. Then have the short vertical pillar bend around the tip of the 45-degree beam and back towards the platform, and add the glass to the inner edge of that.
The pillars are near enough copies of the ones in Halo 3, the only difference is that there isn't a metal loop that connects them all.
Their supposedly holographic emitters for the hologram of the ring and planet that it orbits.
I can see if i can edit them a little to add what you suggested though.

I think it would be better if you couldn't see through the beam. The flickering is kinda annoying too. Instead of decals you should put some lights up there.
Yeah I agree, but as of yet I've not found a opacity slider and the light has a preset style of lighting, solid, flickering or pulsing and for pulsing there isn't one that is fast enough.
I'l see what i can do about adding lights to the ceiling though..

[Cagerrin]

just in case that didn't make any sense, something like this (http://www.majhost.com/gallery/TalonX/randomstuff/WIP/20100731133406_2m17s.jpg), though I didn't make the beam thin enough.

[Hunter]

I think the beam moves a bit too fast imo.

[Cagerrin]

The energy beam is fine, it's the flashes that are too fast. Just because the beam's moving doesn't mean they should be flickering that fast.

[Llama Juice]

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/8875/044highres.jpg

Yup.

[rossmum]

what's it for, looks pretty alright

[Llama Juice]

Eventually it'll just be a little UDK scene for my portfolio.

[BobtheGreatII]

Reminds me a little bit of the interior of the ship in Mothership Zeta.

[neuro]

my previous comments still apply.

[Llama Juice]

I'm planning on breaking up the continuity by making a few different pipe segments, and I'm toying with the idea of wires hanging from the ceiling. I also kinda want to have grate flooring through the middle of the path so you can see below everything and have some other stuff going on down there.... might do water or a maze of pipes or wiring or something. That thing on the left at the end of the first segment that the pipes and shit run through will be tossed around too to help break it up. I haven't fucked with the pipes yet because I plan on just basically cutting up the ones I already have and just repurposing the pieces so that I don't have to UV/Texture new ones, but I can still make new ones.

I want to get this stuff in the UDK though before I create anything else new, so right now I'm UVing all of it... which is as glorious as you'd imagine.

[neuro]

it's all pretty easy to UV, you've got nothing complex in there.

[Mass]

well I really like how your hallway is coming along, but I have an idea, you could use a lot of different sized pressurized tanks in that recess to break up the repetition and also it gives you an excuse to have vertical pipes and some valves along the periphery of the walking space:
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o97/nate-the-great_photos/ideameng.png
I would tell you to hang wires on either side of the drop-lighting thing but as I understand you're already going to. Looking forward to how you finish this.

[Llama Juice]

@Neuro, Yea... there's nothing complex going on in it, (yay heaps of little simple pieces to add up to make a scene look more complex than it is.

@Mass Neat idea, I'll keep that in mind :P

I just gotta get a bunch of this UVing and texturing at least to a point where it's not like 40 models to go through... right now there's 21 unique assets there, so I already have a fair amount of stuff to go through.

I got most of it UV'd yesterday and today though, there's only like five more models to UV, then I'm gunna start on some textures.

http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/9646/057uvpartytime.jpg

Yay UVMadness.

[ExAm]

So tell me if this joke is too obscure or too obvious before I actually start the real work on this comic.
http://imgur.com/ITn3J.png
I need to think of a way to keep the last panel as the last panel, and still give an indication that the plane is a vomit comet and not crashing. And not have the straight-up logo in the second panel.

Also I forgot about yusuf.

[Cagerrin]

Why no logo? With the logo, I assumed it was a vomit comet even before reading the rest of the post.

[ExAm]

Because the humor has to be in the realization that that's what it is, and you can't have the punch of the punchline be a panel early.

I do have some comedic skill, you know.

I just have to figure out how to do it so that the realization comes in the last panel without the reader needing to look it up or think about it for a long time.

[Cagerrin]

put a tiny Nasa logo on somebody's shirt in the last panel instead?

[Con]

Leave it the way it is.

[thehoodedsmack]

The second panel could be changed to imitate the scene where the inception crew boards the plane: Cobb giving the team the thumbs up, everybody set and ready to go, then his reaction in the third panel has more effect. A fourth panel would also be helpful in that case, with a view of the plane from the outside, clearly showing the NASA logo.

[DEElekgolo]

The last panel needs more indication of whats going on.
Have a few windows or some generic plane props. If I was to see that panel alone with no context, I would think they are floating around a slanted room.

[ExAm]

The second panel could be changed to imitate the scene where the inception crew boards the plane: Cobb giving the team the thumbs up, everybody set and ready to go, then his reaction in the third panel has more effect. A fourth panel would also be helpful in that case, with a view of the plane from the outside, clearly showing the NASA logo.
The problem with this is that the punch has to be on that panel for it to have the effect I want. There can be no panel after that panel, or it breaks the flow. The first idea is good, though.


put a tiny Nasa logo on somebody's shirt in the last panel instead?
This is a much better idea. I'll probably put one on the inside fuselage somewhere or on hawking's jumpsuit.


The last panel needs more indication of whats going on.
Have a few windows or some generic plane props. If I was to see that panel alone with no context, I would think they are floating around a slanted room.

Then really you're not very observant. The second panel makes it clear they're on a plane. I did some research and it looks like vomit comets do have windows, so i'll put those in.

[Sel]

my first proper drawing

one of these days I'm gonna turn furaffinity into my own purrsonal goldmine ok!

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3332789/misc/tails.jpg

[DEElekgolo]

A++
That will go right on the fridge.

[Sel]

can we keep the crit kinda serious, I'm really trying to learn to draw here!

[kid908]

can we keep the crit kinda serious, I'm really trying to learn to draw here!

here's a really helpful tip. start off with pencil and paper. Depending on what you want your style to be like, pick up a few how to draw books. start off with cartoons/anime and move towards more realistic style.

[SnaFuBAR]

llama, i swear, if you're going to do hanging wires you better have like 10+ variations that look nothing alike. repetition of wires = scene death

[Sel]

oh look I finished it

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3332789/tails2.jpg

[kid908]

oh look I finished it

*tails2*

Colouring is just horrific. D:
You have random light colour to darker shade in random places that makes absolutely no sense.

on the other hand, you're defining the character more and look alot better than the original. keep at it, but I still recommend traditional over digital for beginners.

[Sel]

learning to draw, day 2

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3332789/misc/clock.jpg

[NotZac]

Am I bad at this?

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/8379/69295657.jpg

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/6582/badkt.jpg

I've only been trying to work with sub-d for a few weeks as a pass-time activity, but I'd like to know if there's anything strange about how my wireframe is being setup, or if I'm making common mistakes. Also, should close edge-loops be avoided?