Challenge #18 Normal Mapped Mega-Weapon - cholden

[cholden]

Marking my spot with a warm-up.
http://chrisholden.net/themount01.jpg

[Joshua Stubbles]

That's a warm up?? I better start practicing more. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[sinistergfx]

Son of A! That's awesome Chris.

It seems like you're just -cranking- these things out. I'd like to see you work some time.

The only problem I see is that you're using smoothing groups for sharp edges, so they won't "catch" highlights the way a ever-so-slightly rounded edge would.

But, you could always do some blurs on selective parts of the normal map to create this effect after the fact. I've tried this myself on a few test models and it works a treat. I dunno how much a pain it would be to do on a full model.

I think I'll be joining this month's challenge, partly because of your inspiration.

[Thegodzero]

Nice warm up now where's my cookie?!

[cholden]

Thanks guy, yea my smoothing groups are smelly, didn't get to them. If I generate normals from this, I'd smooth up stuff first.


[ QUOTE ]
I'd like to see you work some time.

[/ QUOTE ]
Are you asking me to get a job or to see what I do at work?

[sinistergfx]

Just would be cool to see your workflow.

I know!: video tut.

[MoP]

Cool model /images/graemlins/smile.gif
[edit]damn he beat me to it /images/graemlins/tongue.gif - I think sinistergfx means seeing how you work, not where or what you work on... and I think he's right about the bevelled edges instead of smooth groups, although the blurring trick seems nifty. [edit2] And I somehow missed that sentence you wrote concerning that... man I'm off the ball!

[Keg]

cheater! starting before sept 1st :P

[Jon Jones]

This makes my pants tight!

Dah, man, I wish to hell I wasn't crunching so I could participate. Great work.

[EarthQuake]

Model looks cool chris, are you saying you dont have a job?

Hey its shine! omg.

[cholden]

http://chrisholden.net/themount01nt.jpg (http://chrisholden.net/themount01n.jpg)

Smoothed up the above high detail model, and rendered a normal map for this low poly mesh. 560 triangles, maybe the 3k limit is too much. I didn't cleaned up the normal any, just testing things out here, and not sure if I'll put much more in to this one. I want to plan things out a little better for my actually challenge model, as I'm still figuring out what pieces render to normal best. And yes, I do have a job, and only for one month till final.

[Justin Meisse]

can we see the wireframe on the highpoly model?

[cholden]

all for you, baby. The top is the model, the bottom is the smoothed used to generate the normal:
http://chrisholden.net/highwire.jpg

Last night while sleep deprived, I modeled this idea of a gun made out of segmented pipes. It's too much for the sake of being too much. Modeled in first person view, so the side shot looks weird.
http://chrisholden.net/pipes.jpg

[Sectaurs]

damn. tie six of those guns together and you've got your mega-ultra gun.

I rather like your pipe-gun. needs more tubes, though /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[Thegodzero]

Great now your making me want to go and make cables robotic arm...

[cholden]

Somethign quick and different. 218 triangles, 256x512 color/normal/spec maps
http://chrisholden.net/sword01.jpg
It came out kinda generic, but it was fun.

[Bloody Vampire]

Shit i really like this dagger. Now i decided to take part on this contest to. Post my concept tomorrow.

Can you please show a wire of the high poly version to?

[cholden]

Yes, it is a dagger, I called ia sword for some reason, should have a wider blade too. Oh well, here's the high detail mesh, sit under 30,000 triangles
http://chrisholden.net/sword01h.jpg
Not too exciting, a pile of skulls sitting on a handle and blade. :P

[cholden]

After many considerations, my Mega-Weapon will be Power-Armor!
http://chrisholden.net/heavy1.jpg
I should be able to strap enough guns on this thing to make it more weapon than armor. :P

[Slum]

Oh, nice one. I really like the design of the armor.

I'm digging the recent trendy style of "super armor cyborg" ala doom 3, halo, and many other incarnations.

It's a style that's getting kind of stale, but I like your design.

[cholden]

little update here, still feeling things out

http://chrisholden.net/heavy2.jpg

[X-Convict]

Looking cool so far. I'm liking where this is going.

[cholden]

Quicked out the legs tonight. Didn't do much overall shape changing that was affected by adding the legs, making some things look weird. The wireframe arms are there to show where the person would sit. Anyway, more to come...

http://chrisholden.net/heavy3.jpg

[Sean McBride]

Silly chris, didnt anyone tell you that techno-ugg buts are out this season. Its all about the flip-flips!

/images/graemlins/wink.gif Looks cool to me. I love the stuff on the hips.

[Sage]

Kick ass!!! Nuff said.

Alex

[cholden]

yay for gorilla temp hands!

http://chrisholden.net/heavy4.jpg

[ScoobyDoofus]

Either a short torso or no groin it looks like.

Behold! The castrated mega-eunuch-suit!

[cholden]

Sorry Scoob, but even Johnny Long Crotch fits snuggly inside the suit.
http://chrisholden.net/jlc.jpg
Worry not, this is but a high detail model for generating a normal map. Your concerns are merely a spit in the wind of the tornado that is the actual process. Nevertheless, I'll be sure to accommodate your need for massive man-junk.

[notman]

You know, I had a toy from GiJoe that this reminds me of. I sold it on Ebay, but I still have the image.
http://www.centaurdesigns.com/auctions/Snake%20Claw%20Flight%20Pod_small.JPG (http://www.centaurdesigns.com/auctions/Snake%20Claw%20Flight%20Pod.JPG)

I believe it was call the snake.

Yours is better though /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[cholden]

hehe, cool stuff, notman. I'm certain I played with those as a child. Also, scoob, would a huge cod piece ease your woes?

[ScoobyDoofus]

[ QUOTE ]
Nevertheless, I'll be sure to accommodate your need for massive man-junk.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bah! Nothing will slake my hunger for massive man-meat!
And, yeah your johnny long crotch indeed fits, albeit quite snugly, into that suit.

I'd say lengthening the waist & narrowing the shoulders would go a long way to ease my proportion concerns, but hey...its not my model.

And no, I have no particular fondness for cod-pieces. They are itchy and smell bad. And they hurt my teeth!

Wow. You know its bad when you re-read your own post, and gross yourself out.

[cholden]

haha, good stuff, Scoob. We're all just having fun here, but look at the important thing: we got a thread in the challenges section to page two. That's hot.

[cholden]

crapped out some new hands after speed running ep1 of quake.
http://chrisholden.net/heavy5t.jpg (http://chrisholden.net/heavy5.jpg)
Basically what's left to do is: finish/clean up this mesh (arms, shoulders, back, etc), build the low poly mesh, generate the normals, and create the color/spec maps. General proportion issues like arm placement will be corrected in the low poly mesh.

[Sean McBride]

Grinds on the hands.

Friggin love that stuff. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

Ended up looking great, can't wait for the normal map.

[cholden]

Quick normal map test on a low poly mesh. Maya decided to eat my low poly after I UV'ed it, so I had to rebuild really quick and shit out new UVs. Anyway, the low poly is 1350 triangles, and the normal map is 1x1024x1024

http://chrisholden.net/heavy6t.jpg (http://chrisholden.net/heavy6.jpg)

I thought the low mesh looked kinda goofy, but it works pretty good, so I'm happy with this test. I'll spend some more time figuring out what details work and what needs more definition in the low and update soon.

[ironbearxl]

That's looking good cholden! I think it might deform better though if you break the low poly down into separate elements.

[cholden]

Right now, that mesh is segemented. It's broken into upper, lower and arms. You may notice I brought down that big crotch plate from the high detail to match the waistline. This piece is being donated to a friend's mod, we'll be sure to test out animation and do what it takes to improve deformation.

[cholden]

ok, I had a crunch last week, then totally checked out due to my forecoming vacation. I will finish this when I get back, and post in the main pimping section.

[killingpeople]

i knew that looked familiar! nice!
ha, i've been trying to get ahold of verm ever since i saw this model to get that old concept of mine. you gotta make that face plate thing work like in the drawing, that was my favorite part! work it dude, looks dope.