Here's a coil car made for an environment prop. I'm pretty much almost done with but i'd like to ask for some critique on the textures, or tips to watch out for next model.
It's currently at 3177 tris, with two 1024x512 maps (top and bottom maps are separated so I can slap something else on top of the carriage and save time)


With normal and spec:




Wires:



I'll glady post the textures if anyone wants to see them.
Thanks [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

post em!

looks like you made one huge texture for the length of the car? i probably would have split the mesh along the metal seams you created and made two or three panel textures, flipping and rotating the uvs would have been enough to ensure no noticeable repeating.

looks good, though!

What'll this be used for?

only thought is, the wheels (i guess u call them wheels) on real trains are extremly polished where the metal hits metal. you currently have the whole thing rusted up.

Needs more peeling and stains along the tankard and the wheel.

I like it, pretty solid to me. Not much I would like to see changed with the piece, except for the wheels need to be un-rusted (just a little) and a few of the painted on decals need to be worn to match the dirty nature of the choo-choo.

I would like to see the texture(s).

Thanks for all the comments!

[ QUOTE ]
What'll this be used for?

[/ QUOTE ]
A demo reel.

Here it is with cleaner wheels, and with the paint scratched out slightly:



And the diffuses:

Top:


Carriage:


Thanks again [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Just a couple of slightly unrelated learning questions.

Did you create the normals from your diffuse textures (of variations of)?

And I noticed in your model you tended to keep things as all one mesh, specifically the parts on the top of the cargo containers. Was that your own decision or a general modeling convention? I'm generally used to modeling with floating parts and I was just curious to that particular aspect of your model.

I think it this looks really great, simple and quite inspiring for me to find something simple and effective to model for my portfolio. Thanks!

Great texturing. I'm not seeing noticeable difference on the wheels though. Some ref on the polished part:
http://flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=6726355&size=l

nice solid peice, but if it were to go in a game i would sart to chop it down a bit.

i think i could get the same look with half the texture space ie 512* for each bit, the key would be to add some extra loops so that you can re-use sections of the texture remembering that a 512* or 256x1024 will tile sideways nicely .
looking at your flats most of the texture is very similar, make the most of this by using the same bit of texture for several parts.

for textures that size, it looks like you could really squeeze in a lot more detail. I dont mean just running a sharpen filter, but i mean actual 1px brush painting, especially around edges and your rust.

nice and simple, I like it.
I think put a dark light to it will look better.
keep it up!

Are you going to just pimp this thing as it or build something for it to lay naturally in?

[ QUOTE ]
Are you going to just pimp this thing as it or build something for it to lay naturally in?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm already building a train depot environment and this is just a prop for the scene, but it's nowhere near finished enough to pimp it here [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Looks good. I have to say, you're textures are very simple when I just look at them, but applied to the model it looks much more detailed.

I agree that for future referrence, you probably should have done a couple of segments of the tank, and then used geo to mirror/flip them around to stop the tiling, rather than 1 huge texture for it. I do think you made a smart move by splitting the carriage out of it.

Nice work.

Love it. I agree that it could be cut down polycount and texture size wise, maybe keep both to show you can make it work at say psOne and PS3 specs.

Er, the 2 textures used for it and the triangle count are fine , IMO. If you're going to reduce them, just reduce the lower half's texture resolution by half and keep the top-half what it is. 3,177 is fine. This is 2008 and triangle count on an object, so long as it was made efficiently, isn't something to worry about. Just don't go overboard, which I don't think you have.

Good peace, it needs more wear though. And show me a train car that doesn't have graffiti on it and I'd be one surprised monkey!

id say save some texture space and ADD some polys, to me the wheels are too low, some more sections (16 or 20) maybe and a couple of extra loops so they look like train wheels as they have a step that sits on the interior of the rail to stop them falling off!

if this is for a FPS then i think it would be important to add eye level details like this

I really, really appreciate all the help you guys have given me!
Also, i may not have mentioned, but yeah I was going for a next-gen prop so I gave myself some leeway with the triangle count. The lower level of detail is a good idea though!
I added more sections to the wheels like Shepeiro said and removed some from the smaller cylinder jutting out of it (it really didn't need that much) to compensate and ended up lowering the tricount. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

So here it is with better wheels, more structural wear, and graffiti!



Anything else? [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

that is looking pretty cool, im really noticing the yellow stripes as the first thing that pops out at me. they look out of place so pristine. i think the scratches you added helps alot it would look cool though if it was faded or dirty in some areas.

really looks great though

yea im with shep, add some polys to the wheels and maybe one on the arch aswell

also sectaurs makes a very good point about making a panel texture and flip it around a bit. Smaller texture and higher resolution, what else can a man ask for? [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]