Insect Soldier & workflow

[Blaizer]

I didn't have the intention to create a thread for this work cuz it's a simple low poly model with a texture, not much impressive for me, but here it is. I'm not very motivated lately and some folks have encouraged me to do it.

http://blog.whiteblaizer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/IS_01.jpg
This is what i posted in the WAYWO Thread, and here's the concept i did a while ago.

http://blog.whiteblaizer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/pt08.jpg

Well, i will try to explain my workflow for the model, i think is quite easy and with images you will understand all.

http://blog.whiteblaizer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/IS_HPZ.jpg
1. Like for a model for normal maps, i created the mesh you see there, it's subdivided x1 because Zbrush doesn't support pentagons, something quite incredible when n-gons should be something basic in every 3d app.

http://blog.whiteblaizer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/IS_Z.jpg

2. Then i sculpted all the details, and i decimated the model like it's common for a nm model.
3. I build my low poly with an optimized UV...

http://blog.whiteblaizer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/IS_wip1.jpg

4. And i bake the hi-res model with a specific shader and neutral lighting onto my lowpoly. As you can see, it's not perfect, and sometimes i need to clean and fix the errors on the map.

http://blog.whiteblaizer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/IS_wip2.jpg
5. Once i have cleaned all, the rest is to paint details such as some speculars, dirt, etc. Just see the difference between images. Remember the times when vertex lighting of our low poly model were baked as help map?

All this can be really handy if you bake the different channels, like the ones you render for compositing (specular, gloss, SSS, GI, direct lighting, etc.).

http://blog.whiteblaizer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/IS_02.jpg
6. At the end all is very polished and we can have total control of every pixel, but in contrast, the amount of work is heavier than usual. Results can be good, but in my opinion, i rather prefer a good normal map model.


http://blog.whiteblaizer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/IS_03.jpg
Here's an image with some views and the texture.

[ENODMI]

Are you baking the basic shader in Zbrush? If so, how? Really cool workflow for diffuse only maps, the results are super clean and very convincing, thanks for sharing:)

Also, could you post the untextured lowpoly next to the textured? It always amazing to see how far diffuse maps can push a lowpoly model:thumbup:

[Cap Hotkill]

Its a Bake from full Render out of Modo ;)

[Dimfist]

very cool, thanks for the run down of your workflow. :D

[Teemu]

Very cool workflow and result. Baking from a highpoly seems to be well worth the extra work.

[Noors]

I thinks its cool. Very good rendering for low calculation cost. Subtle shadowing and sss kinda on penis weapon would be hard to get with just painting, and also you can bake all ao and stuff, making texturing easier.
I tried this once, but had a bit of pain with specular which is camera dependent.

[Blaizer]

Thanks a lot guys!

Yep, as Cap Hotkill said, it's a bake from modo. I setup a material for the hi-res in modo, and i bake the result.

In modo, the specular is dependent of the light direction, you adjust your directional light and you can obtain your desired results.

Here's the UV and the wireframe as requested.

http://blog.whiteblaizer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/IS_UV.jpg

http://blog.whiteblaizer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/IS_wire.jpg

[moose]

Nice! There is somethin cool about doin the high poly details and baking them down. You get some really clean shapes that people would kill to create with just a brush :) Cool process, love the colors, design, and sketches :)

[Rock Bottom]

METROID!!! looks a lot like it :P i think it would have looked more beefy if it had the other head on your sketch more alien looking.. other than that loos good

[achillesian]

you can also do this really well with xnormal, pretty easily, have to set up a half sphere or plane for light to bounce off though.

[SubPablo]

That is one sexy texture! -Love the zombie soldier too.