Constructing The Dragon

Started by Upon Infinity, June 25, 2014, 07:55:51 PM

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Upon Infinity

Anyone else here attempting these insanely complex models? Advice?

yossam


Upon Infinity

Modelled it.  Such as it is...  It's kind of a "learning project".  :-\

yossam

Good start...........good luck.  :)

Upon Infinity


TheBadger

#5
Theres a lot that could be said, but you doing it will say it better. Still a few things that will save you lots and lots of time over the long run...

1) model one side not both! Then mirror when finished
Even if you are getting good results by mirroring now as you model, it will lead to a tons of problems later... OR if you are coping parts and flipping them (legs), same issues will arise.

2) The legs should not be separate objects from the body, unless you will only ever have one pose (the one you are making now), then you will find your model just will not  work later. It would be painful to learn weighting, do it, then find all your effort was for nothing.

Look at the workflow I show here in the first post 2nd image : http://www.planetside.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,15741.0.html
It is a proven workflow I learned from much searching!

As far as having any part of the model being separately like your legs, the wings are interesting, and may prove functional mechanically, but I doubt it will work well when flapping. you have to think about skinning now as you model! I learned everything the hard way, don't do it the hard way!

Also I see you have a lot of detail in there already; muscle, veins and such. WHY? You should not even be thinking about that yet. Think back to drawing class. Do you start by shading, or by laying everything out? Same with modeling. Details are last.

OR

Are you sculpting first and then planning to re-top to a low polly? Even so, one model, one whole object.

But keep working, and keep talking. You can do it!
It has been eaten.

Upon Infinity

Yeah, my mind is kind of all over the place on this one.  I think its the way my brain works, when I have ideas, I tend to try to get them out before I lose the inspiration.  I think I see what you mean by getting the basic shape out, but why all one object?  I thought by doing it this way, if I didn't like any single one part, then I could just redo that one part?  And it is being mirror-imaged, maybe it doesn't look like it. 

And actually, I do have a tendency to draw much the same way;  ;D  Something I'll have to work on...

TheBadger

#7
Quotebut why all one object?

It needs to be one object because what you are making now is only the skin (effectively). When thats done you have to make bones, the bones are how you will make the object move naturally. The object will be "skinned" to the bones. So then when you move the bones the skin will stretch (and so will your texture), to make this look good is called "weighting".

So first you model, then you skin, then you weight (and pose), then you animate, to put it very simply.
And all of these parts are trades of their own. Mastering them all it a lot of work, but can be done. And is well worth the effort too! (not that I think I am a master of any part of the process.)

QuoteI thought by doing it this way, if I didn't like any single one part, then I could just redo that one part?
You can, just delete out the leg you don't like. But start with the torso, and get that right so you don't need to start over. work from a "3 view" http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zFdRYMC-I1o/UtPzFrbIBrI/AAAAAAAACEM/rDIpu2mgxnQ/s1600/loomis_orthomale.jpg
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQHqslnDYVuK43nReuABJykmaNiRJCDkeUuILuujvYU0WOmYi-4
http://th04.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2013/034/8/f/character_orthographic_test_by_shannon_the_dragon1-d5tr6i5.jpg

You may think, well thats cartoony, and you may not want that. But the 3- view I used to make the images below was a cartoon too. I changed it as I went from other images I found and studied, even used a toy I could hold and look at.

The top two are my low polly base and the bottom is my VERY VERY high polly sculpt. I can now transfer the maps from the sculpt and displace the low polly to look like the high polly but with very few polygons.
It has been eaten.

Upon Infinity

Very nice!  I see I have a lot to learn...

TheBadger

It only feels like a lot. When you get to the other side, it will feel much better.
It has been eaten.

Upon Infinity

#10
It needs some serious polish....and a head.

Dune

And some wingskin or will they be feathers?

Upon Infinity

Quote from: Dune on June 26, 2014, 01:06:51 PM
And some wingskin or will they be feathers?

Actually, I was thinking of tying a fluorescent tarp on those things.   ;D

Upon Infinity

 ??? .................

Dune

I don't know how your program works, but in Lightwave you can bridge between polygons, so you could cut of parts of the legs and torso and have them blended by bridging. Then adjust smooth transitions. But it might be awkward to get it right.