WIP - T-34 for next gen game

[rybeck]

Hello all,

This would be my first post for getting crit, and I'm quite nervous and exciting same time.

Here I'm modeling T-34 (Soviet Union) armoured vehicle, and this is the link on WiKi. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-34-85)

My final goal is to finish this as next gen game model for portfolio, and have a little trouble to finish modeling stage. Since I'd like to use normal map on this model, I'd like to get as solid low poly model as possible I can with max limit of tris... More I spent time with this current stage, higher # of tris I get. So I guess this current model should be consider semi-high poly (57220 tris). High # of them was out of traks and wheels, and I hope to get some advises how to reduce # of tris.
Also here are some more questions...

Q1. What would be maximum Tri # for this type of vehicle for (realistic) next gen game? (assuming this can be used in various LODs, I'd like to know what would be highest # for CU low poly model on game screen)

Q2. What's the spec for textures? (same assumption from Q1; the model will be CU to player)

More questions would be followed, and I hope your fresh eyes will give a right direction for me. Don't mind getting tough crit as long as it is productive on my portfolio, and hope to hear you guys soon.

Thanks for watching.


3/4 front
http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/8829/01304smoz0.jpg

3/4 front OL
http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/2158/01305smwf4.jpg

3/4 rear
http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/1706/01404smfh9.jpg

3/4 rear OL
http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/4764/01405smdk6.jpg

Side OL
http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/8688/01501smse4.jpg

front OL
http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/5940/01601smcf0.jpg

[Orgazmaat]

Do you need critic about authentic view also?

[miezis]

some of those details could be easily baked into normal maps, like chain tracks and later ask your shader guy to make your texture scrollable. and those tiny railings are using a lot of polies, try using triangle shaped rods to make them, or 4 edged if you feel you need to. also the wheels could be made as normal maps. reducing polies on cylindrical shapes are always very much recomended. all that said i still have got no idea where in the world you could have wasted 57220 polies... :) it can be easily optimized down to 10k without any visual damage.
i can only hope that you didn't use mesh smooth or something on some objects

[Ramseus]

It's coming along quite nicely. All I can see to crit right now is the turret. It's overall too long, the bottom edge of it shouldn't be chamfered, and the joint for the cannon looks all wrong. I've attached a crappy paintover to try to show what I mean.

And as for specs, 20k tris should be your target - 20k is about the max for vehicles in Crysis. I'm less sure about the texture size though, maybe a 2048x2048?

[rybeck]

Orgazmaat: Do you need critic about authentic view also?
Please be my guest, and among various model of t-34, I am leaning on this model (I believe it is T-34-85) (http://www.battlefield.ru/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=87&Itemid).


miezis: No, there was no subD modifier yet... but what I am realizing is how much I was wasting polys for certain areas (obviously "traks") so I guess I need to balance the poly ocunts around more..
Thanks for adivce~


Ramseus: Ahh, Life saver you are.. The specification that I was depending on was from 'WiKi,' and I just realized I was using incorrect dimension on imageplanes. During project, I believe, I switced something in Unit section and it all started going wrong from that point. (I know how shameful I should be.. :) ) Thanks for catching it out before I went further...
Here are shots for correction that need to be done.
(1) front
http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/5576/t34measure01oe4.jpg
(2) side
http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/4788/t34measure02kv9.jpg

For the tank gun, I noticed there are various types were used in different model, and the link above will show the one that I am after. I guess it's lot simpler, but I am leaning on it for now.

[rybeck]

Another part dragged me down was, 3ds max imageplane setup, and it was quite mysterious;
I precisely set the image size (in 'Pixel') from PS and bring it into max (my current working unit is 'cm'), and applied

UVW map with bitmap fit option. Although all ortho images has matching length, width, and height, once 'bitmap fit'

process was done, it scales randomly. Extra works had to be done (cropping/placement) from material editor, and again

minor nudging from viewport... I think I spent too much time for it, but as I was freaked out after found scale isuue,

now I am in piece for now.


As I explained above, yesterday was quite rainy day, but at least I managed some highpoly parts for normal mapping.
Traks and wheels were those, and here are some renders;

(1) overview
http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/5997/wip01xe9.jpg

(2) WIP part lightend
http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/483/wip02bx7.jpg

(3) Traks and wheels CU
http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/6074/wip03sg8.jpg

(4) Steps for trak piece
http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/6345/wip04qd3.jpg

(5) Different light setup
http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/9672/wip05kk8.jpg




Thanks for watching, and welcome for comments.

[rybeck]

Well, it's been awhile and 'shamlessly' I'm still modeling. :)

While I'm not fast modeler yet, I wanted to build this as accurate as possible. More I gathered reference materials, more I needed to change the parts around. Indeed, I found the article (http://www.missing-lynx.com/articles/russia/rpt34/rpt34.htm) identifying difference between various models, and it helped me so much.
Also I had a lot of troubles to model parts right, and some had to be done overnight for themselves. Plus, judging if any given parts would be appropriate for normal map (degree of edges mostly) was not quite easy as I thought in the beginning. Lack of experience was telling the truth, I guess.

So here are some screenshots for "highpoly." First time using VRAY renderer, and it was not as easy as I guessed as well.


http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/7227/01ki1.jpg

http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/7505/02ur3.jpg

http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/112/03ei7.jpg

http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/4182/04hm8.jpg

http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/9841/05sc4.jpg

http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/2548/06qj9.jpg

http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/6907/07ya6.jpg

http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/4081/08ff3.jpg



It'll be great to hear your crits, and thanks for watching my progress.

[auctane]

Looks great man! I don't know that tank, but it looks good to me. The real important thing now it to finish it. :)

I guess I would thicken up the mud guards in the front and back. Then maybe Mudbox or Modo sculpt whatever is rolled up on the side there to make it look like someone really strapped that thing in.

Keep it coming!!

[rybeck]

'äktãn: Thanks for word!
For the mud guards, I'm still hesitating to thicken up too much, but hey thanks for comments. I guess all 'aging' the tank will be followed by lowpoly.. role of rag at rear corner was actually tiny contribution from zbrush.

Minor update this time.

I was doing 'final touch up' last night, and here are some shots (as "highpoly") for lit render...


http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/1426/01bu8.jpg

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/6250/02ah1.jpg

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/7329/03rm2.jpg

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/4955/04ni2.jpg




Again, thanks for watching, and will be appriciate for your comments.

[Ramseus]

Looking really nice, but I think most things like the rivets could use more of a chamfer, as they are they may not be rendered very well onto the normal map.

[rybeck]

Ramseus: After another set of lit test render, decide to work on the bolts. Result seems to be quite better. Thanks for comments~


http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/7037/boltheadua5.jpg

Old bolts:
http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/9197/oldboltwp0.jpg

new bolts:
http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/4614/newbolt02dr7.jpg

[Twindragon]

this tank keeps improving keep up the good work

[rybeck]

'äktãn: Hey, you won... I gave some love for mud guards tonight, and here are some shots . :)

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/1528/mudg01of5.jpg

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/6290/mudg02ju7.jpg


Twindragon: Thanks for your words~ I'm working on my low poly now, and hope to hear from you soon again...

[rybeck]

Hello folks,

So here are some screenshots as highpoly 'semi-final' stage. (need "aging" work in zbrush bit more, I guess.)


http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/9931/05nf6.jpg

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/3622/01ng2.jpg

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/1143/02tm2.jpg

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/3298/03wg6.jpg

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/826/04ek3.jpg



Currently working on lowpoly, and it's another huge battle. :)
Thanks for watching, and looking forward to hear some crits.

[rybeck]

Hello all,

Yesterday, I was dealing with trak for lowpoly. I'm not sure I'm doing okay with it but here are some WIP shots.


[Lowpoly (spec is below) with normal map]
http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/623/0001ot9.jpg


[1k Normal map. It's not final version yet, and left some mapping areas for other stuffs will fill them in short future. Plus fixing some red spots as well.]
http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/1899/0002ew6.jpg


[200K poly high version (left on screen) vs. 447 poly(894 tris) low version with normal map]
http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/8931/0003ec4.jpg


It'll be great to hear critical comments for what I am NOT doing right, since I spent whole night to render this 1k normal map (took 8 hours) in max. I am not sure it is normal, but it was one hell of rendering time since 2001.

Thanks for watching.



JK

[Ramseus]

8 hours for a 200k mesh? Ouch.

I'm just wondering, why did you split your track UV's up like that? That's just going to be a hassle to fix the seams, and the treads don't need to all have unique texture space since they're all essentially the same but just with different dirt clumps or whatever, you could save space and hassle by overlapping the UV's. What you also could have done is to have a non square texture (4096x256 is the same size as 1024x1024) so the UV's are one long strip rather than multiple little ones. Of course that would take even longer to render since max only renders square textures AFAIK...

[rybeck]

Ramseus: I was using MR with very high setting I used for other rendering purpose. :)
For the trak's UV, has been updated several times, and here it is.
Not sure non-square texture will work ok with normal map generation. I'll stick with smaller (512*2) for now.
Thanks for iniput~


Hello all,

It was another hell of weekend with traks. I was wrong the way I approached for normal mapping.
Since this would be game model, traks should be animatible. Tilable texture was obvious choice but I had no clue how to do it right. After several re-takes, got some level of satisfaction.
Here are some shots:


http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/673/01lh4.jpg

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/7161/02ty0.jpg

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/1795/03ge3.jpg

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/7031/04sr3.jpg

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/2613/05yd4.jpg

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/8832/06lx7.jpg

Ignore the red spots on the last pic since I was put it away awhile for detail texture works later.


Thanks for visiting my post, and please leave any comments will make my WIP stay in right direction.