Dragonape - Page 2 - Simply Maya User Community

# 16 16-03-2006 , 01:44 PM

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Neh Zbrush is not needed for any kinda style. It's just fun to model in Zbrush, especially when the polycount can easily reach 900k for details, which maya cant really handle on my comp.

But I do recommend trying it out. It's very fun, almost clay like if u ever did sculpting.

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# 17 17-03-2006 , 02:26 AM

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is it a plug in?? or do you have to export to it. I have demo or a PLE, something from 3D World, do you think I should hook it up?

take it easy and life will be easy

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# 18 19-03-2006 , 09:24 PM

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Zbrush second try

Mirek03: Nop it's not a plug in, but an awesome program made by Pixologic. Of course you should try it out. However one word of caution, if you work with Zbrush, it's like finding a new hobby and could be quite addictive. Luckily, due to my lousy comp, I still love Maya more for ease of poly modelling.

You should try going to their sitesite and also the forum there, to check out how it works and the talented art piece produced.

Anyway, here's my second attempt at Zbrushing. After adding the body, it was disappointing to find out that my comp could not support anything more then 800k of polygon. I was hoping to reach 2 million poly details, but looks like I need to upgrade my RAM first.

This are from Zbrush, I am going to try to re-render in another comp, for my mental ray is not working. Only done the head and abit of the chest and back.

Here's the pics. C&C please, thank you.

user added image

Last edited by Sicnarf; 19-03-2006 at 09:28 PM.

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# 19 19-03-2006 , 11:03 PM

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I got a wacom the other week, I'm a bit strapped of cash (an understatment) and only get money if I dig up film work like crappy camera shoots of wanna be pop stars.

Anyway, the wacom would seem a berfect thing for something like this, though I'm thinking my skills aren't p to it really, I can't make a face yet.

I did get the latest 3D world and it has some video tuts of Z-brush on the disc. I'll check the version I have and see if it is a PLE or a demo. Thanks for the warning too, things are bad enough, so much to do so little time to it.

take it easy and life will be easy

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# 20 05-04-2006 , 12:25 PM

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Minor Update

Now presenting the big fellow's little opponent. A knight, in armor!!

Normal mapped
user added image

and the actual wireframe

user added image

Please do critique.
More updates to come soon, once I finish this.

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# 21 06-04-2006 , 12:14 AM

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step back and check your angles. details and negative space. looks like you have stared at it so long you are lost in posative sapce. It is great but the angles around the shoulders and the angle of thhe helmet. the slightest mistakes between the distance from the nose to the mouth (yours is fine, it is just an example) can be a huge differance and look to an objective viwer. There's something wrong here, its your model and not yet made enough to make a real comment except, great, but somethings wrong. work my friend work and all will be revealed.

take it easy and life will be easy

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# 22 06-04-2006 , 12:32 AM

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Ah thanks for the comment, I really appreciate it. Could you please explain it a little more. I do not understand what you mean by details and negative space. Is the normal mapped details having problem? Mind telling me the exact problem? Once again thanks.

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# 23 06-04-2006 , 04:06 AM

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Jesus, I'd have to write a book. Sorry, I didn't mean your skills on Maya, or normals or anything like that at all. I meant your artistic eye. There is a discussion on jay's new character about what we see and what is really there. Often if you measure against negative space rather than from the particular part of the model you are creating you will find discrepancies. Calligraphy relies heavily on negative space for its aesthetics. Check out some Chinese calligraphy, look at the empty part of the page and the part that has the ink and see how they form one; positive and negative to create the beauty of the art form. This is a perfect example of p and n space.

A far as your model, very slight changes will pull all the parts into correct relative positions as a whole (is this making sense?) the shoulders, he angle of the armour compared to the body, in relation to the face, all these things will be easier to put into correct and relative position when you understand negative space. It is a way of measuring on thing against another to get correct proportion.
The jpeg is not so much about P and N space but is something that would be quickly noticed when you understand the relationship between what is there and what is not there. We see what we want to see even if it is not there, that is why it is important to understand what is not there?? good luck with that rave, its the best I can come up with at the moment but keep asking or try to find an art book called 'thinking with the left side of the brain' something like that, it's famous anyway. Pand N space is relative o what area of the model you are working in or on.

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take it easy and life will be easy

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# 24 06-04-2006 , 11:17 AM

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mirek03, thanks for the comment. You just made me realize something, you sounded like one of my design lecturers user added image

(which is a good thing, they know their art, well. Award winning fellows ya know.)

I still don't quite get it but somehow I understand what you mean. Let me clarify what I understand and you tell me if I am correct, k? In a way you mean the composition and design of the whole thing, face and armors and the intricate details, doesn't lead to one and another, nothing to hold the piece together. No sense of one-ness, so to say?

But yeah, I came to notice one more thing far worse the P and N currently. The Pauldron is not shoulder friendly, the knight can't raise his hand any higher then his chest. Gotta redesign it. Maybe I should post a really quick and rough sketch for the model's design?

Once again, thanks mirek03. I'll go check this book out, and yeah I heard of this book, something about drawing with the logic side of the brain. Keep the comments coming.

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# 25 06-04-2006 , 09:02 PM

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The book is DRAWING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BRAIN and its got some pretty interesting exercises for drawing what you really see as opposed to what you think you see. Definately check it out.

Basically I think what Mirek is trying to say about neg vs pos space can be summed up in one word: Silhoutte. Actually it is a very good practice to render (or adust your render in PS) a character where they are displayed as a solid silhoutte. Its an awesome way to judge proportions and center of gravity and to see if you're on the right track of making a character as instantly recognizable as possible to an audience.

I would say that the more complex shape of the helmet and head is making the rest of the model look way too simple. What stands out to me as needing the most attention is the shoulder piece.

Nice job so far, dude!

Dave

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# 26 06-04-2006 , 09:05 PM

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Ah but you see the shoulder armor is not finished yet lol. Will get to it soon. I will keep the silhoute blocking tips in mind. Thanks a lot. Now rushing the pauldron piece!

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# 27 06-04-2006 , 09:25 PM

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Maybe, slow down, take a step back, hide the textures and ask your self if you are happy with how the model looks. While it is very tempting to model something and half way through modeling one part, to get off track and add snazzy textures to another part, the fact is its not done in professional environments.

Personally I couldn't stand working like that, say you have spent 5 hours texturing the chest piece, load it up into maya and say "yep that looks perfect" you then go ahead and crack on with what you were doing before and see that you have accidently missed an important piece from your chest mesh, you then go ahead and model it in, thus changing the topology of the helm and screwing your texture meaning you have wasted 5 hours doing nothing.

Personally and I know a lot of others would agree, model every piece to completion, for example you have gone away and textured the chest and helm and left the shoulder part unfinished.
How can you see what the underlying model looks like if you are just staring at a pattern while trying to model a part that is supposed to match? In my opinion its an un-needed distraction, aslo because you have some parts textured while you are modeling others it drives you to rush the other piece because you want to get a matching texture applied.

(Not meant as a personal attack just some advice for the future user added image

)

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# 28 06-04-2006 , 11:45 PM

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hi, the lads nailed it. Much better than I could. I remember drawing a face once and thinking there's something wrong, what is It what is it, I was measuring the eye relative to the nose and it seemed fine, but when I measured it to the outline of the face, it was COMPLETELY off, too late though, it was pencil and I had to live with it. You, we, can change things thanks to the environment we work in.

You got some very good advise from those lads.

I particularly liked the message of distraction and yes, as I was trying to say, siluet.

go mate go... user added image

I have to rush to a final cut seminar, I don't think i answered your question?? Just woke up, anymore queries write them up...

take it easy and life will be easy

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# 29 07-04-2006 , 03:41 AM

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Thanks for the advice. It's been a very bad habit of mine, always changing and changing. In fact, this model alone has kinda taken too long to do, and I am doing it for assignment purposes lol. (kinda screwed up here with the deadline looming near). Still I just want to do something that I am satisfied and not just half arse.

Lol I guess if this is a commisionned professional work, I would have been a) screwed over and over by big boss or b) fired and sued for causing massive delay. Still I gotta finish it, thats what I tell myself. But I do appreciate the advice, and I'll keep those in mind for the next project.

Keep them coming, advices and C&C. Thanks once again fellows.

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