DWIII - 3D - damageINC - Deus Manus

[damageINC]

I've got a concept of a smaller bird-like fellow. Haven't fleshed out what kind of hero he'll be but I'm almost done fleshing out the silhoutte. I'll post something later on.

[damageINC]

So I began working on the concept last night. I've run the gammut from a chicken little like character, to an eagle-ish humanoid, to a duck. Currently I think I'm leaning to the duck.......it takes itself a little less seriously and I think it could be pretty neat and different than your standard "hero". Anyway, here's a little breakdown of the basic ortho....it's going to change if I go with the duck guy, but it's basically the same. I'll post some doodle concepts in a bit.

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/2037/shorteravarianorthonewehm2.jpg

[damageINC]

Here was a quick 20 minute study on form and color for what I was shooting for. It's kind of bare at this point, but I think I could realy do something cool with this guy. Hope it doesn't come off as too Disney, but after my last few pieces, I need a less serious change of pace. I'll get some more fleshed out concepts and the start of my model posted in a couple days time:

http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/2606/malarianconceptcolorwo6.jpg

[katana]

You get the win for most humorous entry....lol

[damageINC]

So I've been a bit preoccuppied the last week since my daughter was born, but I'm still gonna try and finish some kind of entry. Started work on the actual model. Still fleshing some stuff out.......I also had considered doing some kind of cherubic angel, ah lah Kid Icarus, but I dunno. I just don't want to bite off more than I can chew since I don't have much time. So here's that update:

[DaddyDoom]

Howard the Duck goes to WAAAAAAR!
Congratz on your newborn :)

[frostsnake]

lol!
nice modeling,looking forward to see how this developes.:)

[damageINC]

So I got kind of bored with Howard the Duck pretty quickly and since my daughter was just born I decided to try and make something with her in it. So here the theme has changed from an offensive (and frankly kind of dorky character) to one of defensive and healing tendencies.

This will be Clericon classed character that basically is a cherubic angel, that flies above the battlefield, healing the warriors below with holy light channeled through her artifact. Her name translates loosely to God's Hand in latin.

I've started on the the model without much of a physical concept but I promise to get one up in the next few days. Here is the base head modeled in max:

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/8492/baybayheadwz7.jpg

[damageINC]

Working on finishing the body....need to come up with a good efficient way to do angel wings. Here's an update:

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/2337/deusmanusupdateji9.jpg

[damageINC]

Here are a few concept sketches for what I was going for:

http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/977/deusmanusconcept1smallsw8.jpg

[damageINC]

So I spent a good deal of the day working out some of the modeling details. I'm torn over the hands. I think they might look too big. They're essentially supposed to be armored hands that are held in place by holy light so the gauntlets are one of the two artifacts my angel will be wielding. Anyone have an opinion on the hands or anything else? I've been looking at it so much the last couple of days that I've lost all semblance of an opinion.

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/9696/deusmanus3608sl6.jpg

[damageINC]

Well base modeling is complete. I just need to uv it and then I can drop her into Mudbox for a detail session. Hey can we use displacement maps? I usually render with Mental Ray, as well.......if we don't use advanced lighting or materials can we use MR to render?

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/2780/deusmanus1vw4.jpg

[damageINC]

Working on my sculpts. Here's the gauntlet bracer in progress:

http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/8776/gauntletsculptue7.jpg

[Puckducker]

Nice update. I love the giant hands of your character. Your mudbox sculpt is looking solid too. I personally prefer to create ornate details with photoshop, rather than sculpting them in mudbox, but it but you're doing pretty good with it so far.

[damageINC]

Thanks Puckducker (I take it you're a goalie too?). Yeah for game stuff, I do find it somewhat difficult to get some of the simplier details down with sculpting. But normals and displacements are pretty much where it's at in games now so I figured I should learn. It's definitely easier with really high poly as you can model in the base of a lot of the detail. I found that makes sculpting WAY easier.

[Puckducker]

Oh yeah totally, this contest is all about learning, and whatever works for you is great.

Always nice to meet a fellow 'tender as well.

[Firehazurd]

Stuff looks really nice.

We can use MR in the Beauty shot but not in the Winning Pose.

[damageINC]

@Firehazurd: Thanks man. Hopefully I can get the normal maps to work right. Which reminds me, I did a quick normal map test from mudbox and honestly, it looked like ass (I'll try and post a render sometime later today......need some sleep). In particular, where those large spherical indentations occur or along any of those tight inset lines I created. Stuff looks all jaggy or not high enough off the surface of the model. Would retopologizing fix this? Again, most of my stuff has been creating displacements, so normals are new territory for me. Thanks.

[Puckducker]

It's hard to tell without an image of the problem, could just be your settings. Post up your picture and we'll see what can be changed.

[damageINC]

So hey guys, check it. I ended up doing that quick test generating a normal map in Mudbox and simply applying it to my model in max in the bump channel at around 100 for a setting. In the first screen you can see my sculpt in MB, my low poly mesh, and the output.

I then did another test, retopologizing the mesh with Topogun, re-uving, and generating a new normal map. It still looks like crap, so I'm kind of lost here. Anyone with a lot of experience prepping normals that could school me good? Thanks.

http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/1975/sculptnormalmaptestxj4.jpg

http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/1060/sculptnormalmaptestretodg4.jpg

[damageINC]

So I figured it out partially. Applying the normal map as a "Normal/Bump" type rather than a "Bitmap" solved most of the issues. Now however you can see the front lip of the bracer looks all weird along its bottom edge (the thing that looks like a duck bill in front of the hand). No matter what I do (add or subtract geo, move verts, change search distance when baking out map) this sharp edge isn't holding. The normal map actually kind of looks like a smear in this location. Anyone know how to fix this? I still don't know how some of those crazy entries are going to hold on to all their detail with just a normal map. These guys must have uber mad skills.

[BiG ToE-3DT]

sounds like its your uv's. If your normal map is smearing that area, then it will smear it on the model. To fix it, go back into your uv's and give that area of the mesh/uv's more room to work. Basically scale it up. Also, add a checkered material to your mesh with a value of 10 by 10 to see if any other areas of the mesh have smeared/stretched uv's. All the checkers should be square, if the are not, that area needs attention.

[damageINC]

@Puckducker & Big Toe: You guys really have helped heaps. It turns out my issues were resolved with a slight rework in geo and then a bit of massaging with the UV's. Finally getting the hang of things. Anyway, here's an update with the normals back in max and working. Getting rid of seams is a pain but I need to start working on some other stuff. Peace.

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/7755/updatezw8.jpg

[damageINC]

Working a bit more on the normal maps....still not quite getting the silhoutte to work right for the armor sitting on the hip, but there's simply no way around that unless I want to waste a ton of poly's on defining its outline. Here's an update:

http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/8849/emmanormalsupdatedy4.jpg

[damageINC]

Working more on the normal maps. I'm a little concerned that the artifact gauntlets look too "mechanical". Ultimately the idea is to have two giant metal hands being held in place by a yellow particle effect (i.e. "god's light") coming out of the bracers on the arms. But I needed to make things a bit more interesting.....anyone have an opinion on this?

Anyway, what a difference adding an occlusion map makes for detailing. I'm really happy with most of my maps now. Working on adding a few more sculpted pieces then it's on to texturing and rigging. I'm also planning on sculpting the picture below the wip into the back armor piece....or something along those lines.

http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/607/deusmanusupdatetu3.jpg

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/6660/blackgreyangel1hc3.jpg

[BiG ToE-3DT]

as I was telling another member, its going to be hard to show that those hands are not mechanical, but magical. It will all come down to how you texture it, and how you display the magic force holding/power the hands.

[damageINC]

@Big Toe -3DT: Yeah you're right. I emailed Fred and he pretty much summed it up....I need to do whatever I can to make sure noone can misinterpret my stuff as electronic. So I'm gonna resculpt the hand....stone maybe? Dunno I need to test that out.

I went ahead and changed up the left arm to a traditional hand with a leather glove to break up symmetry. Plus my buddy kept telling me big hands on babies just looked wrong so I had to do something without completely destroying my concept. Changed the belly plate and added some hair planes. The rest of my uv space will be for the artifact and particles. We'll see if I can translate what's in my head to the computer.

http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/1197/layoutyn9.jpg

[damageINC]

Finished another of the more complex sculpted pieces (at least complex for me)......so many insane artists this year. I've got a couple more things that need normals, most notably the other artifact that isn't shown, the angel wings, and the hand. I think I am going to go for a stone-ish look....not sure I can get the gauntlet to look like stone, too, but I think that should be sufficient.

http://img376.imageshack.us/img376/1306/deusmanusupdatebk6.jpg

[damageINC]

It's been rough finding time to work with family in town to visit our new addition, but I managed to polish off the belly armor piece and start the rework of the stone hand. With any luck, tomorrow night I'll finish the cross and all the straps and such. Man I hope I can finish in time.

http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/7768/frontarmorupdateix3.jpg

[Warlock 279]

The last images are looking good. I really like all the embossed details you have on his belt.

If you really want to get away from the thought of mechanical hand, you could put a space between each segment of the fingers, and use some glowing effects to tie it altogether and reinforce that its magic.

I don't know if its too late in the process for you or not, but you could squeeze a lot more space outta that UV layout I think. We've got a 2048² to work with, squeeze that thing for everything its worth.

[damageINC]

@Warlock279: Thanks for the kind words. Yeah I've been pretty happy with the way the sculpts for the armor have turned out. Just enough detail to hold attention but not too much.....and I think the religious iconology seems to be effective. It's funny you should mention that, that's the third rework of my uv's......I would try and be more efficient with my space but it would require reworking all the maps I have now and I just don't have much time left to work on this. That and I still have the glow planes and thurible artifact that she'll be swinging from a chain, to model. But yeah squeezing stuff in tight has always been an issue for me (I love the sheets to be all symmetrical and neat).

: )

Good idea about the fingers......I did have an orb and glow for the hand and thumb, but breaking up the fingers would be advisable I think. Thanks.

[ryvick]

man your detailing is comign out soo nice and crisp. perfect

[damageINC]

Small update...since I move at a snail's pace. I've finished the final armor sculpt for the chest cross piece. I've been having problems getting the edges of the cross to translate in my normal map even after retopologizing so there's a little experimentation that's in order here.

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/2114/chestcrosssculptcr2.jpg

[damageINC]

@ryvick: Thanks. I've been trying very hard to avoid the funny issues that occur when viewing normal maps "off angle" and keep the detail as sharp as I can.

With a little Mudbox love and some Photoshop correction, I finally got the map for the cross out and finally finished all the armor pieces. I am real scared of the wings as I think they'll make or break the sculpt.....that and I can't really texture terribly well.....oh well, the extra 5 days should help. And I still haven't modeled that last artifact.

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/5836/normalsupdate32708te5.jpg

[kicksachi]

OK ... so far so good...Waiting 2 C da FINAL RESULT.

[damageINC]

@kicksachi: Thanks and glad you like it. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to finish this in time. I tend to texture slow and rig even slower. And my newborn daughter cries every night when I get home from work so I don't get a ton of time to work on this. We'll see. I finished the normal maps at least. : )

http://img361.imageshack.us/img361/732/finalnormalsupdatepl6.jpg

[damageINC]

Finally finished all the little odds and ends I wanted to get done. The other artifact, a thurible that she swings from a chain is complete with normals. It's to be for healing....giving off light like a candle from on high. So here's the final model without diffuse, specular, or alpha maps. I hid the chain that the artifact will hang from since it was so big and it wasn't posed yet.

http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/7897/finishedmodelnocolorvr8.jpg

[damageINC]

Starting the diffuse. The skin is literally a pale skin color I threw down so I could start lighting a little. The light still looks like there's a haze over it and I can't figure out why. Anyway, I'll hit the skin and other stuff tomorrow night.

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/5841/colorstartau3.png

[Warlock 279]

Base colors look good, all the sculpting turned out quite well.

Something so...weird...but intriguing about your character.

Seeing it all along, you had a light grey on it, and wings typically being white I assumed you were going use white, but I really like the black instead. And perhaps you could stick with the light base color you used for the skin have it played against the dark color of the wings and the arm/gloves.

Keep it up.

[damageINC]

@Warlock279: It's funny you should mention the black wings.....a friend at work said the same thing. It's actually my general lack of skill lighting coupled with the occlusion maps applied......it's not actually black. Same with the hand. Thanks....My 3 point lights are either looking flat and too bright or way too dark........might try a skylight and omni's next. And I just releaized I can't paint worth ****. SO annoying......especially with so many great aritsts here. Anyway thanks for the feedback.

[Conejo Blanco]

Turning out great man, this always makes me grin.

[damageINC]

@Conejo Blanco: Thanks...I'm glad you like it. Your's is pretty dope, too!

Getting real close to done with the textures...a few skin tweaks, cleaning up the leather bits, and texturing the chain and the diffuse should be done. Oh, and, figuring out a color scheme for the big gauntlet....kinda think off white and some other color might be cool. Any more gold on blue and I think it'll be overdoing it. Then all I need is the specular/reflection and a pedestal. I'm fearing the rig, too..haha, but work continues.

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/7752/texturewipmu6.jpg

[damageINC]

Almost done with textures.....cutting it close. I need to do spec and a couple quick tweaks here and there, then rig, pose, and render. Yikes.

[BiG ToE-3DT]

keep at it, you got this.

[grindill]

This little guy is great. The textures do a nice job of bringing him to life. I'm not too sure about the blue toenails, but, what do I know. That['s a stylistic decision. Keep going. Almost there.

[damageINC]

Well sorry all, I feel terrible that I'm not gonna finish in time. But the real goal is to get better anyway.....with our forum so well represented it probably won't matter anyway. Good luck everyone. Now I just need to figure out how to rig (I spent about 12 hours after work last night trying to get the hang of it before getting pissed and stopping). Anyway, I'm happy with the model, textures and lighting. Here's what I have at the end....thanks to all those who helped me with workflow issues.

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/8386/finaldeusmanussy6.jpg

[ryvick]

sad it didnt make it, still good practice though and a worthy teammate.

[Warlock 279]

Sorry to hear you couldn't get it wrapped up and submitted, I think it turned out pretty cool anyway.

I feel your pain on the rigging, it almost did me in as well. I spent a similar amount of time rigging my character and all I have to show for it is a bunch of nasty shoulder deformations. I finally got fed up, called it quits on that and started moving points the hard way till I had something I could make do with.

[damageINC]

Yeah....putting more geo in the shoulders and hips/butt is adviseable. If you don't things get hairy for sure. Good job finishing that up, man. I think we've got at least 4 or so that could land in the top 30....and a couple that could win the whole thing (I'm a little more pragmatic...and some of the guys on Polycount and Cgtalk are pretty sick). But yeah.....I was gonna try and gimmy rig it, but I still needed the pedestal and to render a beauty shot with about 2 hours to go so I was screwed. Next year....shakes hands. : )

[L3XICON]

next year mate! :D I think this turned out reall very cool indeed, I love your texturing style and wonderful detail on the armour. real sorry you didnt get it too submission.

[MonteCristo]

...still good practice though and a worthy teammate.

I couldn't agree more. You've an excellent team-mate, DamageINC, So make sure to stick around until number 4. :) I guess at least you've learned a limitation that you need to work on (we all did that this time around I reckon). My advice: Start with Biped. It's not that hard, and skinning is a doddle once you get the hang of it, especially with low-poly stuff.

Character rocks btw. Agree with Lexicon. :)

[damageINC]

@L3XICON: Thanks man.....your's rocked hard too. I really dug your style from the start of the comp....and you bang out those concepts so damned fast. I'm flattered you like my texturing.....cause next to you and Monty it's poo. I'm going to be finishing my highpoly reel toot sweet and then refocus on low poly and hand painting stuff now. As far as I can tell a good model can't save crap textures, but the opposite is so true.

@Monty: I still say yours is tops......design, efficient use of poly's, adhering to the concept, and absolutely killer texture work (with a puking baby I might add!!!). My daughter cries and I get distracted for a couple hours.....dunno how you finished.

At any rate, I'm getting long winded here. I'll try sooner or later to finish a proper render for this gal....sort of a "what I wanted to accomplish". If time permits, I'll write up a tut on the process explaining what not to do since I did so many things wrong initially. Back to the paladin now! Peace!

[Saiya-jin]

Your's was one of the more original Damage. If this is your hobby, you've done awesome!

[Conejo Blanco]

Yeah well done man, don't get bothered that you didn't finish it on time, it's still a triumph, I love it.