My hind

[AndyLittleton]

Here is my progess of my hind. I still have a few ways to go.

Using polys but has dub D smoothin on it. Will convert it to polys. I plan to have it around 10k polys for next gen systems with normal map.

[dabu]

watch your proportions, bubble pods are gonna pop!

[AndyLittleton]

Here is an update.

Let me know what you think. Just about done with the low poly unless someone suggest some quick changes. About to UVunwrap it in low poly mode and go into highpoly/ normal map.

Poly count is 11300 tris. My budget was 10k but the modeling got two addicting. I'ved added thickness to some of the panels along with the doors. The doors and panels and windows are movable so people could go inside. I wanted it not to just be only a shell design. . Inside the helicopter is very simlified modeling just to hint that there is depth inside the helicopter in order to maintain poly budget along with not dragging this project out 2 long.

[AndyLittleton]

more pics

[dabu]

dude, that is SICK. I like it, way to go.
Can't wait to see this textured.

[AndyLittleton]

Okay I did a quick test of a normal map. A whole bunch of trail and error but i think im gettin somewhere. This is just a scrap piece geometry testing normal mapping out so this normal map will get trashed along with the high res wing.

[AndyLittleton]

Okay im running into some technical difficulties with preview in real time the normal map.

I can view the normal map in real time when i make a simple box, transfer maps, bake out a normal map. And apply it to a bump channel with surface normals selected, high quality previewing. It works fine

However when I try the same step process to my hind24 helicopter scene it won't display it in real time. The normal map imaged backed out fine. It will render out in software mode fine as well but not in real time. Im wondering if its an maya 2008 issue? History is deleted. It was working before then all of a sudden stopped. I exported it out into obj and it still could not display in real time.

In the meantime i'll keep modeling out the high res. Maybe i'll try out a different section of the hind to test out hte normal map.

[AndyLittleton]

Okay I tried different pieces and earlier versions of my file but still don't work. Very wierd.

Only works when i start a new scene in maya

[AndyLittleton]

Okay here is the high res version done in maya for my normal map. I tried to find the big details first. The high res contains extruded small pieces that i built individually then I float it right over my chassis.

I wasn't sure if i could do intruded pieces like grills and pieces that go thru the chassis and float them inside the mesh. Maybe someone here would know?

I guess I could've subdivided the whole chassis mesh and changed the topology to get the grills etc but to me that seemed like a bunch of extra work.

For very small detail pieces like rivets i plan to do with photoshop as a normal map. I also plan to do the intruded pieces in photoshop as well liek grills holes etc.

[AndyLittleton]

Okay i figured out why it wasn't displaying the normals in real time. Spiral face shoed me this in class. Much thanks for his help.

But once you hit high quality rending you also gota remember to press 6 for texture/lighting mode. I left it on 5 for shaded material mode.

So for anyone out there doing normal maps remember to press 6 for lighting mode.

[dabu]

Looking Sick! Can't wait to see it textured!

[SpiralFace]

But once you hit high quality rending you also gota remember to press 6 for texture/lighting mode. I left it on 5 for shaded material mode.

So for anyone out there doing normal maps remember to press 6 for lighting mode.

Keep in mind that in "Texture mode" you will never really see the full effect of the normal maps because its true test is when you see it work with dynamic lights. So if you would like to test just how far the maps have pushed your model, be sure to place even a point light in the scene and hit 7 for lighting mode. Then grab the light to really test out the map and see if you have any issues with the maps (Expecially around the texture seam areas.)

The Hind looks great by the way, can't wait to see some Diffuse and spec maps on it.

[AndyLittleton]

Thanks for the tip spiral face. I went ahead and put two point lights on opposite corners from eachother and rotate it around. Here is a screenshot. Not sure why I put two pointlights, I just see everybody doing that when previewing their normal maps.

Also I baked out an ambient occulusion map. I also baked out a specular map. Both of these will be added to my diffuse map to give it more depth. I followed the making of the varga character tutorial in baking these maps out.

So here is the low poly with normal map applied. I could add more details later on in post

[AndyLittleton]

Also here is the baked specular map. That will be added to the diffuse map as a screen or color dodge.

Im currently working on texturing the diffuse. I'll see how far i get for class tommrow.

[AndyLittleton]

Slowly but surely. Imma get this thing done by next class

http://www.tmaturbo.com/conceptArt/hindSnapShot.jpg

[dabu]

wow. To quote mortal combat, FINISH HIM, er it.

[AndyLittleton]

wow. To quote mortal combat, FINISH HIM, er it.

haha 4 realz. I started this project back in the last half of my hard surface modeling class last semester and now carrying this project out to my portfolio 2 class.

[AndyLittleton]

Okay I made a post over at polycount. Hopefully they can give me more insight. Or they just might throw rocks at me instead.

Anyways lookin to hear some comments and critques.

Here is the link.
http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?t=53390

But ya here is an updated progess as of this sunday.

http://www.tmaturbo.com/conceptArt/hind1.jpg
http://www.tmaturbo.com/conceptArt/hind2.jpg
http://www.tmaturbo.com/conceptArt/hind3.jpg
http://www.tmaturbo.com/conceptArt/hind4.jpg

Diffuse Map
http://www.tmaturbo.com/conceptArt/hindDiffuse.jpg

Specular Map
http://www.tmaturbo.com/conceptArt/hindSpec.jpg

Normal Map
http://www.tmaturbo.com/conceptArt/hindNormal.jpg

[AndyLittleton]

Okay I played around more with the scatch layer and the specular layer. Pretty much everybody hated my scribble scatches so i started errasing it out to make it look less like scribles.

I also tried to adjust the specular map so it looks more realistic.

http://www.tmaturbo.com/conceptArt/hind5.jpg

[dabu]

wow, this is really starting to get there. Good work with the spec, but the scratches still look a little scribbly to me... much better though

;)

[Evantron3000]

this is looking REALLY awsome.

the normal/spec map, and the base texture are looking really solid. like dabu said though, the scratches are really scribbley.

it's good to think about how those scratches got there. if a bullet graced the side of the copter from underneath, it would be a scratch that is a straight line, it would be king of a long oval shape, and it would show metal underneath. if it's a scratch from a collision with something, there would be multiple lines all going in a common direction, possibly converging at a point, depending on the shape of the object it collided with. if it was in an extreme sand storm, it would have lots of tiny, noisy little hairline scratches. anyway, you get where i'm going with it.

i think it would really enhance the "worn" look if you chipped away parts of the soviet star.

also, the spec map for the body doesn't really match how scratched up the copter is in some areas, you might want to take a look at that.

anyway, alot of this is nitpicky stuff, it's lookin great though.

[AndyLittleton]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

I took everyones advice and tried my best to apply it to my piece. Here is an update.

Thanks for the tip spiralface who recommended that I make a height map for some of the deep scratch layers and dirt layer and convert it into a normal map using crazy bump. Crazy bump is awesome! I was able to get these dent like features which looks pretty cool.

I added dents where the propeller would probably hit a couple of pebbles, debris, rocks and fling it onto the tail surface.

Also color correct the spec layer. Looked 2 green everywhere before.

So here is an update.

http://www.tmaturbo.com/conceptArt/hindDents.jpg

[Marq4porsche]

It looks loads cleaner than the previous versions. I like all the little dings and bumps to make it look battle hardened. But maybe just tone down the bumps on the tail a tad bit because to me it looks like a bit much. But only by a little. It looks really good so far, keep it up.

[Evantron3000]

this is really looking professional now. great job, keep up the good work.

[SpiralFace]

There you go Andy, Thats starting to look amazing now.

I would bring the texture detail work on the weapon mount wings and the Rudder to the same amount of polish that the Body has (And this means tightening up the deatils that where mentioned about the weathering on the wings and rudder.) and then I think you can stamp this one as DONE!

If your up for a challenge, try to add some "wind streaks" to the wings where the dirt and what not is collected more in the front where the vehicle is flying, and have it tapper back towards the tail end.

This is something that is very subtle though so don't go overboard with it.

Fantastic image and a great portfolio piece for you. Put this guy in an environment and I have no doubt that this piece will get you a job.