Help needed - Game art - Simply Maya User Community

Introduction to Maya - Modeling Fundamentals Vol 2

This course will look in the fundamentals of modeling in Maya with an emphasis on creating good topology. It's aimed at people that have some modeling experience in Maya but are having trouble with complex objects.

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# 1 29-07-2011 , 06:52 PM

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Join Date: Mar 2011

Posts: 25

Help needed - Game art

Hello everyone.

I need to model that thing from the picture and keep it around 800 tris.
Ive tried couple ways but i either go too high or too low with polys.

Anyone have an idea how to make it ~800 tris and still look good?

Thanks!

user added image

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# 2 29-07-2011 , 10:15 PM

The thin red line
Join Date: Aug 2009

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Try doing a high detailed model and a low detailed model then creat a normal map from the high to the low.......dave

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# 3 30-07-2011 , 12:43 AM

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yepper normal maps are the way to go

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675

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# 4 30-07-2011 , 08:54 AM

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Join Date: Mar 2011

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Thanks guys but i forgot to mention one thing.
I can't use any textures on this one. I'm limited to use the texture palette so I can't make any normal maps etc...

I know it's strange but it's the way it is with this one

cheers!

ok, i think i got it sorted out. won't look as good as i wanted it to look but well, we can't always have what we want, right? user added image

Last edited by zeto88; 30-07-2011 at 09:58 AM.

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# 5 04-08-2011 , 12:09 PM

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I am curious to see your solution. "800 triangles and still look good!" Seriously? And you cannot use normal mapping?

Pls share you solution.

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675

Last edited by ctbram; 04-08-2011 at 01:11 PM.

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# 6 04-08-2011 , 04:01 PM

The Maya Mountain
Join Date: Aug 2002

Location: Seattle, WA

Posts: 8,245

Without shaders (normals, etc) you're best bet will be to make the texture as good as possible, painting in highlights and such since you can't simulate it otherwise.

For example:
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ssBv_CErlq...oly-altair.jpg

This model of the character from Assassin's Creed is less then 700 polys, yet looks very good for that poly range.

When you are that limited with polygons and have no fancy shaders, it all really comes down to the quality of the texture.

-Mike
The Maya Toolbelt

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# 7 04-08-2011 , 05:02 PM

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yeah I understand Mike but 800 triangles? That is 400 polygons. With that limit on that subject you would have no detail at all.

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675

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# 8 04-08-2011 , 05:08 PM

The Maya Mountain
Join Date: Aug 2002

Location: Seattle, WA

Posts: 8,245

If that's the limitation of the project, then the project visual have to be put into perspective. You can't make something look high-end and cutting edge if you have 10 year old limitations. It's going to look like a 10 year old game.

That being said, there are plenty of 10 year old games that look really good. Just have to make it look as good as you can with what you have.

-Mike
The Maya Toolbelt

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# 9 04-08-2011 , 05:10 PM

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I hear yah

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675

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# 10 04-08-2011 , 10:33 PM

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okay here you go just 32 triangles! What do I win?

I could not resist. Yes this is just a joke. I just found the 800 triangle limit so ridiculous that I decided to just make the dumb ass thing a plane!

In retrospect though if you took a more serious approach to outlining the object and always ensured that it was perpendicular to the camera it could work.

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"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675

Last edited by ctbram; 04-08-2011 at 10:38 PM.

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# 11 06-08-2011 , 10:53 AM

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Join Date: Mar 2011

Posts: 25

sorry guys, kinda forgot about this topic.
i ended up with a model with around 1200 tris.
It looks crap, I know that. Later on we'll probably remodel a lot of objects anyway.
I just do what I'm asked for. And btw, the game is MMO, not single player so limitations are a bit bigger.

user added image