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 Features
The
Basics of Designing
and Creating
Low Polygon Models
Texturing
Cameras
and Photos are our friends
Hours and hours of endless search can happen when you look for textures
on the Internet or in books. So, let's try it from a whole new approach.
Start off by writing down a basic list of pictures you'll need,
go outside with a (preferably) digital camera, enjoy the beautiful
day and take the pictures you 'really' Need. By taking the time
to photograph good pictures you'll increase your artistic talents,
meet new and interesting people, and eventually build up a library
file of huge proportions that you can call your own. Since most
games 'attempt' to create real worlds -- isn't it about time we
start using real world images?
Tweaking
and Cleaning
The last step is to clean your new textures up a little. Most cameras
bring the images in rather nice so the most you may need to do is
to brighten, sharpen, or hue the image just a bit. The choice is
really up to you and the type of game you're creating. Be sure and
take the time to check each image, make sure it's presentable, and
most importantly be certain it's the one you're looking for.
Once the model is done you can create the U.V. maps for the character.
Notice that in the images below, we have pushed all the pieces as
close to one another as possible. If you have some objects that
are going to be the same, then just make sure to lay each of those
shapes on top of each other to conserve space.
The
images below show some of the different texture maps that we made
for the model. You could have placed these objects a hundred different
ways, so if you have some cooler ideas for a layout, then go for
it! With the texture maps complete, we can place them on the character
as shown in Figure 28.
Okay,
that's it! You may have a little more cleaning up to do, but other
than that, we have a brand new super soldier!
The
Big Picture
Take
a break
Next to creating a cool 3D model, one of the most important things
to do is to step away from your work for a moment. Step away? Why?
Well, because you can be starring at the model for so many hours
that you can easily over look things. So, get something to drink,
go make you a sandwich, get up and stretch, or check out the news
real quick. When you feel like your mind is active and conscience
once again, then feel free to return to the world of modeling.
See
the big picture
Breaks are important and so is detail, but the main goal is to always
be aware of the big picture. You may find yourself modeling a fingernail
and forgetting that you only gave him three fingers. This could
be a problem. So, make sure you've always got the concept sketch
in the background of your view port or sitting beside you at your
desk. Also, be sure that you occasionally get up from your desk
walk back about 4 or 5 feet and look at your model from a distance.
Check to see if the character looks good, has shape; see if you
can distinctly make out a tag mark on him/her.
Be
sure to do the following:
- Think
- Stay
focused (but not to focused)
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Draw, doodle
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Keep your mind open for new possibilities
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Experiment
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And most importantly, have fun!
When
you accomplish these tasks and they become second nature to you,
then you are one step closer to becoming the world's greatest game
modeler! Now get out there and practice, practice, practice.
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