porpoise

[Dune]

I needed a porpoise, only had a dolphin, so made it more like a Pekinese dolphin. Just testing the guys...

[Stormlord]

My first thought was.... good range on Dolphins, but they are all curved only straightways along their body.
So maybe you should bend a few also sideways? This way it looks more 2D than 3D IMO.

For such cases I have in 3DsMax created 2D and 3D Splines.
Some are only horizontal, others are also vertically bend, a few truly 3D in all directions.
So I have a good range to make dolphins, fishes ect. curved as I want them to bend.
I show you some screenshot from 3DsMax to make that more clear.


Path deforming within 3DsMax 2009


Splines in 2D and 3D


Fish curved in all directions, looks more natural and 3D this way

Do you texture them also?
In 3DsMax I have Texporter.
This is a very old tool which unwraps object depending on their uvw coordinates.
Maybe such a tool is also available for Lightwave as well?


Fish with Texporter Texture

Texporter unwrap of the trout. Then it's very easy to paint the fish having the Texporter Texture output.

Do you have a similar tool for lightwave or how do you do that?

STORMLORD

[schmeerlap]

I found this free porpoise model at Sketchfab:

[Dune]

Thanks guys. I use Zbrush to bend objects, which goes pretty well. No splines, but they might be there (I've only scratched the surface of ZB). In LW you have something with splines, but I fail to grasp its exact workings, everything bends all sorts of ways. But ZB is fine. Yes, these are only 3 straightish poses, I may have to make one or two more, also sideways. I used the DAZ dolphin, so I clould just pose it there first.

I did find that porpoise, still have to check it out.