Low Poly Island Progress

The latest 3D project which I am working on is a Low Poly Island (set by Ben). The main island has to be less than 1000 tris and everything else has to be under 500 tris. Since the last time I blogged about this island project I have changed the plan for the island, and have decided to do a floating island which a race track in the centre of it. This island is then going to be highlighted in a colony of other distant, floating islands.

Currently, we have 3D modelled (and textured); the main island, trees, mountains, bushes, the race track, stones, tires, fences, logs and a camp fire. Of which I have done all but the bush and race track (but I textured the race track). I am very happy with the progress we are currently making and I am looking forward to completing the island and getting some professional renders of the island to showcase in my portfolio.

The next steps for us are to create are vehicles as well as grass and a few other items which I have in mind to make the island more creative and unique. Overall though I feel like I am making great progress and I feel like this will be a great final piece once it is complete. Below is an image showing the island; in wire frame, colour and ambient occlusion.

Polishing My Portfolio

Beginning of lesson:

I am currently working on creating a modular 3D scene for my portfolio. I am doing this to show how my 3D modelling skills have improved. I hope to show off my 3D modelling skills in my portfolio by doing this. I estimate that this will take between 4 and 6 hours.

Update after lesson:

During this lesson I was able to 3D model a modular building (including; walls, windows, roof, chimney) and fully textured them. In next lesson I plan on 3D modelling / texturing; the pavement, road, street decoration (for example street lamps and drains). My hopes are that once this is done I will have a nice looking scene ready to be rendered and highlighted in my portfolio. Once this is done I will make a detailed blog post on my work. This should only take around 4 hours to complete, and will therefore be finish able within tomorrows lessons if everything goes to plan.

Low Poly World (the beginning)

For my new 3D modelling project we have been set the task of creating  low poly world (stylised). For this project I will be working with my friend and peer, Josh. For this project we have already planned how we want the low poly world to look, and we have divided the to do list between us to work as effectively as possible.

So far I have already 3D modelled and textured the main land/island which the rest of our models will be located on, to create our overall environment. We have already planned out how our low poly world is going to look so we are gradually working through all of the 3D models, we require, together to get our low poly world completed quickly and to a high standard.

Below is the low poly landscape that we are using as the basis of for this project. There is other 3D models that I have created for this project, however I will show those off in a later update post showing our progress with this project.

For the base of our low poly world I have created a ring of mountains, in which there will be a race track circuit for our vehicles to be displayed. We have decided that Josh would model the track and we would each model a vehicle each. There will be an update blog post on our progress shortly in the future.

3D Model Barrel – Textured.

I recently was clearing through some of my work and found this wooden barrel which I had modelled and textured. I made this model in one of Ben’s classes during time dedicated for completing the “Triple-S” project, however, at the time of making this barrel I had already completed this project and submitted it.

For this model I was fixed on creating a stylised barrel for shooter style of game, for a game idea I hope to develop at some point. With this in mind, I had two hours in Ben’s class to create whatever I wanted. Two hours may seem like a long time for making a simple asset, however, I restricted myself to 500 tris and had to not only 3D model the barrel but also, unwrap and texture it, within that time. The 3D modelling software I used was 3Ds Max, just to try it out and to see if I could use it as effectively as I do Maya. My choice of using 3Ds Max came from something my connection over at Ubisoft told me. I found the software remotely easy to use, especially after using maya. Already essentially knowing how to 3D model benefited me greatly for learning quickly how to use this software. I definitely plan on improving my skills and familiarity with 3Ds Max in the future, while also working along side it in Maya. For the texturing of this model I chose to stick to Substance Painter, as I find myself quite quickly getting very familiar with this software, and I feel like I can produce products to a fairly high standard using it. I feel like my previous experience and knowledge of photoshop has led to me understanding Substance Painter as quickly as I have.

Overall, I had a fun couple hours working on and developing this barrel design. I have included a render of the finished product below. I went for a very stylised, traditional barrel design, which let say “has seen better days”. I hope that I will be able to use this 3D model in one of my game ideas in the future.

 

Walk Cycle

In Matt’s Lesson I was finally able to finish up animating and polishing my walk cycle. I am very happy with how it has turned out, and I can personally feel my animation skills slowly improving. I am still yet to find a great interest for animating but perhaps with my new low poly world project, I may do some small animations to bring it alive and I may then enjoy animation more as it is something I have chosen to do.

Below I have included a rendered out video of my animated walk cycle, on an infinite white background. The video shows both a front and side view of my animation. I have went for a fairly standard style of walk which I would definitely advance to a more unique walk if I was to do a walk cycle again in the future. However, I feel like to do this it would benefit me more if I had a character description and appearance to use to make the walk more unique. I feel like I was creatively restricted by the lack of personality the practice character has.

No the less I am very happy with how my animated walk cycle has turned out and I will for sure be displaying it in my portfolio, as in my opinion it is the best animation that I have done to date.

“Triple S” Project Final Submission

Axe (“Vera”)

I have named my axe “Vera” after my pasted Nana, she greatly impacted my life and inspired me to pursue my dreams. I want to dedicate this axe to her, as it is work I am very proud of and I like to dedicate my very best work to her and other significant figures in my life.  I will forever be grateful for the people how made my life possible and taught me everything I know. So I am going to continue to push myself, every day of my life, to achieve what I have had my heart set on for as long as I can remember.

The axe also has a quote on it which means “only thy whom possesses the heart of a lion, and the brain of an owl may wield thou”, however, it is in Arabic, for two reasons, firstly it makes the sword have more ambiguity, secondly it relates to my Arabic heritage which I am proud of. The actual script on the axe says  “فقط أنت تملك قلب أسد، ودماغ البومة قد يمارس لك”

Reference

Below is a mood board I created for both inspiration and ideas for creating my axe. All work was found online and is done by various talented 3D artists.

Planning / Sketches

Before beginning most 3D modelling tasks, especially large, creative ones, such as the “Triple S” project, I like to use the reference I have gathered to create a variety of sketches which will also act as a reference and aid me during the modelling process. Below are eight quick sketches I did during this process, they are all very rough sketches but are easy for me to differentiate from to get some quick ideas into Maya. Ultimately, they just act as a guide for me to get creative in the 3D modelling software, by allowing me to test various shapes for example. I do this method as I don’t like restricting myself to one set goal. Even in the case that I create a final drawing, it will often be vastly adapted, once created in Maya, to get the best result I can possibly create.

Alphas

Below are the two alphas I created, in Adobe Photoshop, to be used in my axe texturing. The rest of the alphas I used were built in ones, as I found them to be effective. The two alphas are both Arabic scriptures that were used to create an engraved look on my axe.

 

Axe Overview

It has been a long process of creating this axe, lots of trying new techniques and experimenting, however, I am very happy with how this axe has turned out. I really feel like my 3D modelling and texturing is improving. Below are the renders of my axe. I really hope you like them, I am always open to all feedback, either in person, via Twitter (@Baileytbrian) or via email, all feedback is appreciated and will be taken into consideration to improve my work for the next time I am set a project.

I am very happy with how my axe has turned out, I feel like I have created a good quality piece of work (from start to finish). I could personally see this weapon being used in a game as I feel like it is of a high standard, especially for the short period of time which I have been using some of the software which was used. My aim for this project was to create a professional end product and I believe I have done so, and if not I have come very close. Overall, it is easy to say that I am happy with what I have created and I am looking forward to more 3D modelling tasks like this in the future.

 

Axe Feedback

All feedback which I received is unbiased and from people who know the software I used and can give critical feedback. I find it useful to get unbiased opinions on my work from people who know either about the industry or the software I have used as the feedback can often lead to me learning new skills, considering ideas I had never even thought about, and ultimately improving my work.

Nathan (peer):

“Looks absolutely spot on, I would say maybe add a really slight gradient effect in the background but that’s Literally it bro.” …

“Yeah, that’s all I can say the actual model and texture job looks sick.”

Luke (peer):

“The weapon is one of many intricate details and bears not only the look of a deadly melee weapon but an incredible amount of meaning behind it. The piece has been put together carefully and precisely and the texturing attests to this- looking clean and ready to be dirtied up in battle. Any mighty warrior would be looking to wield this fine piece of craftsmanship in battle.” …

“Perhaps dirty up the blade a little with blood or corrosion to signify that it has been in battle.”

 

Shield

Reference

Below is a mood board I created for both inspiration and ideas for creating my shield. All work was found online and is done by various talented 3D artists. I used the reference gathered below for inspiration when creating my own shield design.

Planning/Sketches

For my shield, I did the same process as I did for my axe. I used my reference and my own ideas to compile a collection of sketches to use to 3D model my own shield from scratch. Unfortunately, my sketches were damaged and I, therefore, can’t post them. However, they were only rough, just like the axe sketches.

Alphas

Below are the two alphas I created, in Adobe Photoshop, to be used in my axe texturing. The rest of the alphas I used were built in ones, as I found them to be effective. The two alphas are both tally’s which I used to create an engraved kill counter effect. I personally really like the subtle detail these add, as I feel that they imply that the holder of the shield is a good warrior.

Shield Overview

During the process of making this shield I knew that I wanted to result in having a beaten up and well-used shield, after reviewing feedback I had received on my axe. Therefore, when I began texturing I started by making the axe look factory new, then proceeded to add scratches, dints, scuffs and eventually blood stains, to make the shield have a look which implies that it has been used in battle on multiple occasions.

Overall, I am very happy with how my shield has turned out. I feel like I have carried out the planning, 3D modelling and texturing of it in a fairly professional manner, which has resulted in a nice looking 3D model which I will be proud to put in my portfolio. However, in hindsight I do wish that I went for a more complex shape, to really push my 3D modelling skills, but never the less I am very happy with how my shield turned out.

Shield Feedback

Just the same as my axe, all the feedback which I received is unbiased and from people who know the software I used and can give critical feedback. I like to gather feedback on my work to help me improve my work to get it to a more professional level.

Luke (peer):

“The shield looks like it has been through a lot and that really adds to it. It is consistent with the style put forward by the axe and the fact it is covered in stains and blood splatters make me love the piece.”

 

Software Used

For both the axe and shield I have used; Adobe Photoshop, Substance Painter and Maya. My experiences with these products and my confidence using them are marked below out of 5 (this is a personal opinion).

• Adobe Photoshop – [4.5/5] I have been using this software for years now and have used it for everything from; creating website ads, to general art/game art, to 3D product designs, and more. I feel very comfortable using this software and I personally feel I have great productivity when using it.
• Autodesk Maya – [4/5] I have been using this software since the beginning of my Next Gen course (September 2017). I already feel very confident using this software, and I feel like I am constantly learning and developing new skills which help improve my productivity with this software.
• Substance Painter – 3/5 I have only been using this software a few weeks now and I feel like I have quickly come to grips with how the software works and how to use all of the basic features of the software, as well as some more advanced features.

Obviously, I understand that there is always room for improvement, no matter how much experience someone has with the software. Therefore, I love learning more new skills with the software I use to help improve my productivity and the overall quality of my work. My ultimate goal is to create professional looking work, consistently, to create a good looking portfolio.

 

Overall Project Review

To conclude, I have thoroughly enjoyed doing this project. I have a real passion for 3D modelling and I can personally see myself pursuing it in the future. I am really pleased with how both of my models have turned out and I feel like my 3D modelling and texturing skills have improved. I can’t wait for the next 3D modelling project.

Stylised Gun – Finished

Over the past week or so I have been gradually working this mini side project, as I am putting the finishing touches towards completing my ‘Triple S’ project (Final submission blog post coming soon). The mini project I have been working on is a stylised gun (which is shown below).

For this project I decided that I was going to attempt to be as creative as possible and create a completely unique gun from scratch. Therefore, I decide to no reference and didn’t plan any direct ideas. I just began modelling and developed the gun until I got it to a stage I was happy with. During the process of texturing the gun I was debating what route to take it down (considering what games it would suit to be in and such). After considering a few ideas which I had, I decided that I was going to go for a paintball style gun, so I began ‘beating up’ the gun (roughing it up) and adding different coloured paint splats to it.

Overall, I am very happy with how this gun has turned out. I feel like I have produced a good quality 3D model gun to high standard. I am always striving to get a professional look and I feel like I am getting closer and closer as I learn more skills and techniques in both Substance Painter and Maya, to make my work better quality.

Update

Ben showed me how to make a wire frame render in Substance Painter, after I had already made my final display image for my render, so below is my wire frame render of my stylised gun.

 

Maya – Stylised Gun (working progress)

As I have finished my 3D modelling and texturing for the triple S project, and now only need to write up my actually submission blog post, I decided to have some fun 3D modelling in Ben’s class while everyone else was UV unwrapping. I decided to make a stylised gun which I really enjoyed experimenting with, while making.

I like the way the gun turned out, I personally think with a bit more work it could be a nice silhouette to be used in a simple, stylised shooter game. I am planning on throwing this gun into substance painter, in the near future, to get a nice looking final product which I can render out and potential show off in my portfolio. I have even had the idea of doing a small collection of stylised weapons and gradually adding to it, as a personal project, to get a versatile and useful asset collection. I have featured my stylised gun below (untextured).

 

Substance Painter – Spaceman (work in progress)

On Thursday, in Matt’s class, I spent some more time practicing using substance painter to help develop my skills with the software, so that I can use these skills with 3D models I make in the future. I am hoping that once my skills are developed enough with substance painter, I will be more capable of presenting professional looking work (to a high standard).

In this lesson we learned how to use; emissive maps and alphas. Both allow for very different changes to be made to the model, but both can be used very effectively. Emissive maps; emissive maps allow you to add glow and luminescence to your models. Whereas, alphas allow for images to essentially be placed onto the uv of the 3D model. This is how I was able to put the flags and vents on the spaceman’s suit. However, I am yet to experiment with emissive maps as my spaceman is not yet finished. Below is working progress on my spaceman, from practicing with Substance Painter.

So far I am very happy with how my space man is looking, I feel like my skills with Substance Painter are really developing and I am looking forward to developing them further to make my 3D models look the very bet they possibly can. I am also looking forward to finishing my spaceman off, to see what final result I can end up with.

Final note: apologises for delayed posting, my current situation (room being redecorated) has caused my routine to be slightly effected. My routine will be back to normal soon.

Triple S project – Shield Texturing and 3D Model

Introduction

I have spent most of today working on finishing off my shield for the triple S project. I have finished off UV unwrapping it, and texturing it in substance painter. I am happy with how it has turned out but there is still work that I want to do to it until I’m completely happy to submit it.

Process of creation

I started my process of creating this shield by compiling reference images of other shields into a mood board. I then took these reference images and used them to create my own design of a shield, which I then imported into maya as an image, to 3D model from. Once I had modelled my shield and added all my little details, I then imported the shield into Substance Painter to bring it to life. I started with finding the base colour of my shield, in this case I went with a steel material which I then roughed up and added more texture to, by adding scratches and dints. Finally, I decided to add a beaten leather / steel handle to my shield, but I chose to rough that up also, adding more character to the shield, implying that it is well used.

Overview

Overall, I am very pleased with how my shield has turned out, I feel like I am gradually getting better and better at 3D modelling and texturing in substance painter. There will be a larger, more detailed post (including mood boards, drawings, more renders, etc) when I do my final submission for the triple S project, which will be soon. However, there is still work I want to do to both my shield and axe to improve them. These improvements will also be demonstrated in the final blog post.