Asset Update

Right, time for a little asset update Since my other assets this is what iv done since then (in between tree tests) Managed to unwrap all also - this is the part of the modelling just before I start with the bigger tier 1 assets (houses and others).
I think iv managed to progress reasonably well though the tree trials - since im unpracticed with them taken a bit of time. Im confident that my next tree I produce will be produced more easily and effectively.

From recent feedback It was suggested that I should try and give all my assets a cruder dimension to them, being made by more primitive tools. As everything is already unwrapped I don't see this causing any trouble, I think opening up each asset again and simply moving the vertices around and bending sections will help. So this is what ill try to do now.

I think what'll benefit the most from doing this are; the little woodenbaskets with lids, the Benches, buckets, baskets, the cauldren maybe, barrel (though not that much) I do not want to add too many more triangles to my models as there other things Ill want to model and make.



^Hardly a pain with time.. though I do not want to rush this. The tier1 assets such as the houses will need a lot of triangles dedicated to this - and will be the most noticable to the player.
With this though, the way iv done this is probably the wisest from a technical point of view. Modelling and unwrapping while its regular and then afterwards adjusting the vertices for the idea of being crafted.

These are assets iv tweaked a little bit, the feedback I recieved was correct, I was a bit hesitant to completly overdo it as they have to functions also. I think a lot of this will be done in the texturing where I can then move vertices with one on them and get it sculpted that way.

It was worth doing and it was done pretty quickly.

NEXT!

Right I think I want to move onto something else for my fmp, perhaps trying to model a few more assets on my list. Iv came a fair way with trees in a few days but if I do anymore right now ill be wasting time.

So hmm on my list... Iv kept an excel sheet up with everything including the triangle count.



I think ill crack on with the remaining smaller assets;
Animal trough,
Broom,
chest,
Chicken house,
Cornharvest tool,
Eel cages,
.... Yada yada yada

If I can get the small ones out of the way and unwrapped then I can crack on with the larger stuff.

Zbrush Trees

Right in this test I will be trying zbrush to first of all model the tree and then get it into max to hopefully speed up the tree modelling process. I have not used Zbrush before but looking and asking around I figured how to do modelling like in max.

Getting used to the interface also, I figured how to start with a 'zsphere' and extrude out like in max. I found it quite a lot easier to do organic shapes like this as you had a bit more leeway where things could go.
As zbrush is a sculpting program there isn't really a way to make it that low poly - you are able to play with the resolution which changes it slightly but I found that it made stray vertices everywhere and simply wasnt that good.

Anyway this was my zbrush result, with the zpheres



and in 'reality' it looks like this.



There are quite a few triangles here, more so than I would like.
I did find out that there was a way to retopologise the tree using the... well retopologise button with a new zsphere. It seemed to work pretty well but some of the quads went a bit skew-wiff and didnt really work.

Just to try an export, I managed to get it in max and made into an editable poly and My plan was to see how long it would take to target weld the verts together to get it back into low poly.

This was a couple of hours later..

It is possible and in Essence this is pretty easy to do using the target weld feature but it takes so long! If possible I would like to be able to set it up low poly in zbrush and import to max to edit a little bit but just having a scout around tutorials there doesnt seem to be a way other than to topologise in zbrush - Which I had difficulty, also thought it would take a while to make quads over the entire model..

I prefer retopologising in 3dsmax but I think i need be able to do it a lot quicker, ill try a few techniques as I try to get this test up to scratch.

This may not make sence but basically after a few tests this way seemed the quickest to retopologise. The idea is that you first of all determine what areas you want as a rectangle then with vertices, target weld each one to the other (and every other one), then select all the faces inbetween this, delete then with the boarder tool select the lowtri sided empty circle, and the other one adjacent and pres Bridge.

Complicated to explain but if done at a moderate speed it takes a couple of minutes to do per section - this is probably my best bet for now at least.



Yes this technique does work but I think you need to be in the correct frame of mind to do it, it can get very confusing if you don't focus and concentrate. With practice its done quicker but its something that needs worked into.
I have a few more segments to do then ill try to get leaves back on it.

And there we go... after a little while I was able to do it pretty quickly and I do like how this has gone, perhaps slower than my 3dsmax test but I think this looks more realistic and it was easier to construct.

650 triangles (from 32000 odd)


I then made myself a little branch which will be used for the alpha, and looking around I found a way to make the branch a little lower polygon (there were still many segments when brought into max but not as many as to cause a headache).
What you do; get your sculpt done in zbrush, then go to 'geometry' and put the resolution slider down (8 is the lowest) then pres 'Dynamesh' above it, Press yes on the following window and it reduces the segments. Then export as an obj as normal, you still have to target weld but not as to the extent which I had to do.



Now for the leaves which I hope to improve upon since last time, Model a few basic shapes and apply a texture to them, and put them all on a stalk. Its good to have reference for what the leaves look like and how they are arranged on a branch first.



After making, make them 1 object and I will be duplicating them all around this little branch iv made.

Ok this is fairly reasonable, now to render with premultiplied alpha ready to put around the tree!.



Ok so now its a case of making an instance of my branches and placing them around the entire tree. For editing later on since they are instances they will work with everything so quick editing would be possible.



This'll take a while..

..A while later..
Managed to get to this stage which is an improovement from my last test but since this is technically a test also I may not be using it, and I only applied very basic textures to everything. I really need better reference for trees to use as textures and right now still being in winter is a little difficult.
The tricount.. I thought would be lower than 1804. It seems a bit steep for what it is as in the level these will be around the level in a lot of areas.
Still as an experiment im fairly happy - it still lacks the realistic tree feel to it but I think that is down to the textures rather than the model.

Review

Alright, I thought now was a good time to do a review of everything that iv done.
So I have a few concept paintings and also a final whitebox for my level - I know what im doing and have compiled an asset list.
I have plenty of research for the village and other aspects, perhaps need more texture reference for trees and leaves though the season at the moment doesn't really help in that area.

Of my list of 104 assets I have about 25 done, though this list doesn't include variations of the types of trees and plants.
My plan for the trees were to make 1 sort with various branches, then skin bones to them and position the tree slightly differently to make the variations faster to create.

Recently iv tried making my own oak tree using extruding techniques to create the trunk, then modelling a separate asset with the leaves on them (high poly) which the plan then was to take a render and use for alpha textures on the tree by moving around planes and placing around the trunk. I stuck a temporary texture on the trunk and also the smaller branches and leafs.

These were the results:




I then tried to place these textures around the tree, and this was the result:



In my oppinion... I really dont like this one bit.. Maybe its the textures, maybe its my branch layout but this simply does not look real. Still.. considering this was a test I did learn a few techniques and I think ill try another test shortly, with any luck have it go faster than it did with this one..

Assets

Ok so now that the whitebox is pretty much done its now time to knuckle down on my assets.
Iv produced an asset list which I am going down and giving figures for my triangle count, also if the asset will require an alpha channel or 2 sided.

These are all my assets so far, I have 21 to date and have modeled and unwrapped while doing to save time later.

These are not to correct scale.

Post-Presentation

Had a presentation today so the lectureres knew where we were at, I think mine went alright and I didn't receive any negative comments so I think im on the right track with my FMP. I think now that i know what im doing its just crunch time to get things done.

I think my plan now is to figure out how to do water in udk for my river, then afterwards ill try modelling some rocks in zbrush - a program I have never used before.
I think in this project ill make more of an effort using normal mapping which from other projects and in other games are the things that make all the difference in quality. Since mine is quite terrain based I think that it'll be important to get that right.
I only know how to do basic normal mapping - nothing advanced at all so this is something ill have to look into also.

I need to get a proper list down for what im to model and then just do it (while unwrapping along the way), that is my next step and I think I am pretty close to starting on the main production now. Obviously I want this to be the best thing i get out of the course for portfolio and I want more quality to my work than in previous projects.

Whitebox

Ok, not done a post for a little while as I was working on my newer whitebox and I managed to get past the point I was at on my original udk whitebox and also added more. I think this is more or less what im wanting to do, If it was a lot smaller I don't think it would be worth doing frankly. I like the different areas I have created which should keep the player/explorer interested to continue to look around it.
These are a series of screenshots for the walkthrough


^to explain the red arrow in screenshot