Wii Challenge | mwgrafx | Flame Throwin Monkey

[mwgrafx]

Wii Challenge | mwgrafx | Flame Throwin Monkey
http://www.gameartisans.org/contests/competitions/uploaded_thubnails/36-game-3d-art-1078-1195977367-thumb.jpg

mwgrafx has entered the competition!

[BuroKun]

He he, this one should be fun.

[mwgrafx]

Quick Initial:
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k290/u2mw/color.jpg

[mwgrafx]

Just wanted to get some feedback before I start to model him. I will post color comps later.
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k290/u2mw/Monkey.jpg

[GutsandBolts]

I really like this little guy. Just a thought but it might be cool if you took some design cues from firefighter uniforms like thier fire retardant pants, a breathing aparatus of some kind, or a helmet.

[Saker]

^^... it is nice and cute monky &&.. but i think you need to develop the concept of da weapon ... just to make it fit with character &&

[Jackablade]

Or alternatively a ww2 typed face mask like the Pyro in Team Fortress. It would cover up most of his face which would remove much of the character though without some careful tweaking.

[sage]

Really cool, I would work on the flame thrower some more seems way to bland for the moneky.

Alex

[Masakari]

Agree with the guys, cool monkey and a nice concept, you should develop the gun more, and maybe experiment a little more with the design before you start modeling.

[mwgrafx]

Thanks. I like the idea of going with a firefighter theme.:inocent: I dont think a breathing aparatus would work because it would coverup too much of the face which I dont want. I will develop the flamethrower some more. I plan on making it out of barrels and bamboo.

[Jackablade]

Thats fair enough. Without a mask he'll be in danger of his lungs catching on fire, but its not like we're dealing with reality here. If you did want to consider it, an option might be to present the character with the mask hanging around his neck, ready to be placed over his mouth and nose when he needs to burn some stuff up. It'd have the added advantage of adding some more interest to the character.

[BuroKun]

maybe if you are going with gloves, then you could give the feet the same type of gloves, you know how monkeys have hand like feet.

[TheMagnetic]

this is a cool idea. monkeys are always cool. but i think that by giving him those bubblie shoes you take away from his character!

one of a monkeys defining features is that he has 4 hands. with that you could get alot of action from him holding his flame thrower with his feet.

i would lengthen his tail alot more too. and give him big round ears.

all in all id push the monkey look a little further. and deviate from such an anthropomorphic look.

[mwgrafx]

I agree with the feet Ill incorporate it. Ill also be pushing more of the monkey features.

[sage]

Bah realism, if you want to have some kind of breathing thing why not just have a clothes pin thingy cover his nose while he is burning things and a straw going to his mouth for a period of time and then it goes away. You could make the straw go into some container either oxygen tank or just have the money drinking out of coconuts to keep himself cool. You could make it the nose pin a color that is in high contrast with the monkeys fur. I like how you made the gun in your thumbnail, why don't you make your flame thrower have that type of barrel since I think it gives some personality.

Alex

[mwgrafx]

Making the gun with the same way I make the barrels is my game plan it should save me some texture space:D I have already done some changes to the character just havent posted them yet. I also have already started the 3d just havent posted any screens.

[mwgrafx]

Just a quick update on the progress. Comments are always welcomed. Still have a ways to go on modeling.
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k290/u2mw/Front.png

[mwgrafx]

Hey all,
I just have a quick question. Every ones characters are looking really good but I see thier characters at right around 5000 Polies. My question is I thought the budget is 5000 tris which makes it 2500 polies, correct me if Im wrong cause I wouldnt my more detail to my base mesh. The rule states 5000 polies if your doing more than one character. I guess im asking is 5000 polies for a character?
From the brief page......
The Constraints:
A maximum of 5000 tris (if you include pets or multiple character's, everything must be within 5000
polies)

[TheMagnetic]

just go by tri count. 5000 tris.

[Jackablade]

Yeah. In this instance, Polys means Tris.

[TryForce]

hahah, i love that one :D
reminds me alot doing that Abuu from Aladin. Keep it up!

[mwgrafx]

Finally done with the low res model. I will be completing the hi-res over the course of the week. Any comments would be appreciated.http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k290/u2mw/MonkeyShot.jpg

[yoyomon]

Cute model mxgrafx. You have some polies that could be cut and used elsewhere in your model. The stuff on the sides of the fingers, feet and perhaps the face could be trimmed off and used to smooth out the backpack and gun. The glass on the goggles might could be optimized too. One last area the bottom of the cylindrical handle on the gun. Delete those egdes and quad it. The cylinders on the backpack looks like it could be optimized in that area too.

[mwgrafx]

Thanks for the heads up yoyomon. There is more optmization that can be done.

[mwgrafx]

Anybody got any good ideas on how to rig a flame thrower?

[-JL-]

What do you want to rig? The flamethrower "gun" itself? Or the hose that connects the cannisters on his back to the "gun" portion of the flamethrower (which I haven't seen in your model shots)?

Also depends on the program your using... since I'm only familiar with the rigging tools in Max and if you're referring to the hose then I'd say SplineIK... The gun itself is pretty simple as a single bone will usually do.

But yea, it depends on what you really want to do. :)

[mwgrafx]

Sorry I guess I need to be more specific. Im only familiar with Max's rigging. I want to rig the gun to the tank via the hose that connects the two.

[-JL-]

I can help you with that, I did pretty much the same back when I made my Panda flametrooper for another contest on CGtalk.

Gimme a few minutes and I'll compile some images.

EDIT:: Right here you go... I hope its clear how I did it for this character. If you have more questions just let me know. :)

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa271/zanuah/SplineIK_Tut.jpg

[zeke3d]

lookin nice mike!

[mwgrafx]

Here is an update of progress.
-JL- Thanks for the help. That's awesome of ya!:thumb:
Zeke Good to see you here. Im glad you like it.
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k290/u2mw/Monkey-1.jpg

[zeke3d]

I'm looking at this guy in zbrush and want to let you know that this is where the real "action" is going to have take place. I recommend surrounding yourself with team fortress 2 screen shots and trying to archive the strong, dynamic, silhouettes and fundamentals they did an amazing job with. I think making his gun into a hose with just a super simple clamp mechanism/spout in the end will help with the design, it will lead your eyes back to the barrels, monkey, and his face and not make you want to focus your attention on the gun, its part of the monkey, and yet not, its like you want to make him the star, and the gun can be changed for something else, and he would look cool with it too. think Mario, that is why I would look to play down the firefighter elements. maybe he can pick up bananas and chuck them? or just do punch an swing attacks in another level. think ratchet and clank. I will bring you a sketch of the gun when I see ya. don't forget that zbrush is where the magic happens, and that it is easy, effortless and simple to make that happen.

[angrykid]

its looking good man. the monkey really has his character. one thing that i see, his feet doesn't feel right. looks like you are forcing to fit all the toes into that little paw. i noticed you only made 4 fingers for the hand, i think it may look better with 4 toes, and make them a little bigger like the finger may fit the design better.

[mwgrafx]

Thanks for the replies. I did work more on the feet. Just finished sculpting the fur. Just some very minor changes now, then im off to start the flamethrower. Heres a screenshot of progress. Its really hard to see the details of the fur at this resolution. Maybe Ill post some better pics next time.
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k290/u2mw/Monkey1.jpg

[Jackablade]

I'm not sure you've quite captured the look of the face yet. The concept had a kind of shy, pouty look to his mouth, while the model is... an "Oh" phoneme I guess. If you're planning to pose the face with a rig then you'd be better to go for a more neutral mouth pose. If not, then it could use some tweaking. Likewise, the eyes aren't really working in this stage. They look deeply sunken as if he were very sick or perhaps undead. If you pull them out to the surface of the eye sockets and increase their size so that you can't see around them, he'll look a lot less disconcerting.

[K_Sheriff]

Could be because of the screenshot, but the fur is looking a little muddy atm. I'd suggest going back over it with a smaller, harder brush in places.

[mwgrafx]

I dont think the fur looks muddy is just the small pic you are looking at. The eyes can be easily changed. Unfortunately I dont think I will be able to finish in time. I have way to much personal things I have to tend to. We'll see though. I definitely want to finish on time
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k290/u2mw/1.jpg

[Cridder]

Really digging the monkeys hair its quite well done. Can wait to see this guy textured if you have time to finish it.