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'Chopper' character WIP

Been a busy weekend in the art department, sat down and sketched this dude and want to take him to a highly polished state.

Concept:

[img]http://members.optusnet.com.au/~cmcmurr/mypic30.jpg[/img]

Still not too sure about the claw hand, let me know what you think.

Modeling progress:

[img]http://members.optusnet.com.au/~cmcmurr/mypic27.jpg[/img]

Smooth:

[img]http://members.optusnet.com.au/~cmcmurr/mypic26.jpg[/img]

Roughly 2300 polys at the moment with just the hair to come ( will be using opactiy maps on planes, can anyone suggest a good tutorial for this process?).

Let me know what you think.

Submitted by matias on Tue, 06/04/04 - 12:20 AM Permalink

Nice work, WOldman, I really like the cartoony topheavy feeling, and also the arabian sortof touch. Were you thinking of the claw as a second hand mainly or a weapon as well? If it was for a hand I think I'd like to see it horizontal, to mimick the opposable thumb action. If it was for offensive perposes I'd make it bigger and bladed like a crab claw for snipping off stuff.

Submitted by Wizenedoldman on Tue, 06/04/04 - 12:34 AM Permalink

I was thinking the claw would be a multi purpose tool, something to grab onto high ledges (thanks to extendable arm, gadget style), something to whack baddies with, open doors, hit switches (I'm thinking he'd suit a 3D platformer), something to open those tight jam jars ;), So not a weapon as such.

Submitted by Kalescent on Tue, 06/04/04 - 1:17 AM Permalink

i have to say like i did with the teran guy - for 2300 tri's that doesnt look like alot of detail... i dont know whether its just me or not, but i honestly cant see where they all are.. by no means am i saying its bad - its actually a really cool little guy has the aladdin / prince of persia bad guy feel about him. well done man.

Submitted by Wizenedoldman on Tue, 06/04/04 - 1:28 AM Permalink

There's a whole bunch of polys in the hand and his ball chain necklace (each ball is 20 tris), the poly count also includes his sword. I know what you're saying though, I look at it and wonder where they all are too.

Tell ya what, I'll try and chop it down to 2000 and see if I can maintain the same level of detail seen here (or at least make it virtually unnoticable).

Submitted by LiveWire on Tue, 06/04/04 - 2:45 AM Permalink

you might be able to take some out of the feet.

personally i dont like the claw, but that's just me and i usualy have the opposite oppinion of everyone else when it comes to things like that.

Submitted by Kalescent on Tue, 06/04/04 - 5:06 AM Permalink

oh yeah forgot to mention the claw - is there any reason for the claw ? ie little story ?.. i mean if you just stuck it on there for fun,.. then its only kinda cool ;) but a bit wacky for the rest of him,..IMO. however if they are a mass produced soldier line... with these claws for doing something specific to their jobs... then why not ;)

Submitted by Wizenedoldman on Wed, 07/04/04 - 11:45 PM Permalink

First of all, slight correction to make, the first posts of 'chopper' have a poly count of 2110.

Now the good news, I went back, trimmed tri's like a mad man and got the count down to 1893. I'm happy with the results and can see little or no quality difference in the pics.

[img]http://members.optusnet.com.au/~cmcmurr/mypic32.jpg[/img]

[img]http://members.optusnet.com.au/~cmcmurr/mypic31.jpg[/img]

So Hazard, I hope that this count is more to your liking, or should it be even less? ;)

Submitted by Kalescent on Wed, 07/04/04 - 11:49 PM Permalink

lol dont go for my standards man [;)] im definatley no guru!!

but you see little areas like the tps of his feet in the first evo and the last pic you posted - how youve done them in the last post saves like 300% of the pollies used. thats something i find in alot of models finger tips and sharp pointy bits are made with a whole swag of tri's instead of a few quads shaped right :) good work man - your coders will be proud :)

- alot more refined i can see where youve chopped out polys but left them were deformation is needed etc - good work man [:D]

Submitted by Wizenedoldman on Thu, 08/04/04 - 1:11 AM Permalink

Thanks Haz, it's always good to get a push in the right direction.

So any further comments on the claw? Did you read the little description I gave of it's uses above?

Submitted by Kalescent on Thu, 08/04/04 - 1:28 AM Permalink

as far as the claw goes - how i would picture him is in a quirky platformer where the world is full if such inhabitants with crazy additional body parts and things like that. On his own i think its a bit odd, in saying that tho it would be cool to have him as a unique / storyline charcater or something like that - thats how i view him anyways.

ie its like a pirates peg leg - if you see him walking down the middle of a mall hes probably going to stand out and not look like he belongs - but if it were the national peg legged pirate meet - he would probably fit in quite well and recieve many a " Ahhharrr me hearty's" from onlooking pirates aspiring to one day have such a great peg leg of their own.

it really depends on how you see your characters i guess, when creating something you have - its a thin line between balanceing the character out and crossing the line and creating something that looks to out of place.

I like it tho man - not saying its bad at all, i think if your going for that quirky kind of atmosphere then he should fit right in :D

Of course thats all IMO - its how i try to approach all the characters i design and build anyways. hope that helps a wee bit :)

Been a busy weekend in the art department, sat down and sketched this dude and want to take him to a highly polished state.

Concept:

[img]http://members.optusnet.com.au/~cmcmurr/mypic30.jpg[/img]

Still not too sure about the claw hand, let me know what you think.

Modeling progress:

[img]http://members.optusnet.com.au/~cmcmurr/mypic27.jpg[/img]

Smooth:

[img]http://members.optusnet.com.au/~cmcmurr/mypic26.jpg[/img]

Roughly 2300 polys at the moment with just the hair to come ( will be using opactiy maps on planes, can anyone suggest a good tutorial for this process?).

Let me know what you think.


Submitted by matias on Tue, 06/04/04 - 12:20 AM Permalink

Nice work, WOldman, I really like the cartoony topheavy feeling, and also the arabian sortof touch. Were you thinking of the claw as a second hand mainly or a weapon as well? If it was for a hand I think I'd like to see it horizontal, to mimick the opposable thumb action. If it was for offensive perposes I'd make it bigger and bladed like a crab claw for snipping off stuff.

Submitted by Wizenedoldman on Tue, 06/04/04 - 12:34 AM Permalink

I was thinking the claw would be a multi purpose tool, something to grab onto high ledges (thanks to extendable arm, gadget style), something to whack baddies with, open doors, hit switches (I'm thinking he'd suit a 3D platformer), something to open those tight jam jars ;), So not a weapon as such.

Submitted by Kalescent on Tue, 06/04/04 - 1:17 AM Permalink

i have to say like i did with the teran guy - for 2300 tri's that doesnt look like alot of detail... i dont know whether its just me or not, but i honestly cant see where they all are.. by no means am i saying its bad - its actually a really cool little guy has the aladdin / prince of persia bad guy feel about him. well done man.

Submitted by Wizenedoldman on Tue, 06/04/04 - 1:28 AM Permalink

There's a whole bunch of polys in the hand and his ball chain necklace (each ball is 20 tris), the poly count also includes his sword. I know what you're saying though, I look at it and wonder where they all are too.

Tell ya what, I'll try and chop it down to 2000 and see if I can maintain the same level of detail seen here (or at least make it virtually unnoticable).

Submitted by LiveWire on Tue, 06/04/04 - 2:45 AM Permalink

you might be able to take some out of the feet.

personally i dont like the claw, but that's just me and i usualy have the opposite oppinion of everyone else when it comes to things like that.

Submitted by Kalescent on Tue, 06/04/04 - 5:06 AM Permalink

oh yeah forgot to mention the claw - is there any reason for the claw ? ie little story ?.. i mean if you just stuck it on there for fun,.. then its only kinda cool ;) but a bit wacky for the rest of him,..IMO. however if they are a mass produced soldier line... with these claws for doing something specific to their jobs... then why not ;)

Submitted by Wizenedoldman on Wed, 07/04/04 - 11:45 PM Permalink

First of all, slight correction to make, the first posts of 'chopper' have a poly count of 2110.

Now the good news, I went back, trimmed tri's like a mad man and got the count down to 1893. I'm happy with the results and can see little or no quality difference in the pics.

[img]http://members.optusnet.com.au/~cmcmurr/mypic32.jpg[/img]

[img]http://members.optusnet.com.au/~cmcmurr/mypic31.jpg[/img]

So Hazard, I hope that this count is more to your liking, or should it be even less? ;)

Submitted by Kalescent on Wed, 07/04/04 - 11:49 PM Permalink

lol dont go for my standards man [;)] im definatley no guru!!

but you see little areas like the tps of his feet in the first evo and the last pic you posted - how youve done them in the last post saves like 300% of the pollies used. thats something i find in alot of models finger tips and sharp pointy bits are made with a whole swag of tri's instead of a few quads shaped right :) good work man - your coders will be proud :)

- alot more refined i can see where youve chopped out polys but left them were deformation is needed etc - good work man [:D]

Submitted by Wizenedoldman on Thu, 08/04/04 - 1:11 AM Permalink

Thanks Haz, it's always good to get a push in the right direction.

So any further comments on the claw? Did you read the little description I gave of it's uses above?

Submitted by Kalescent on Thu, 08/04/04 - 1:28 AM Permalink

as far as the claw goes - how i would picture him is in a quirky platformer where the world is full if such inhabitants with crazy additional body parts and things like that. On his own i think its a bit odd, in saying that tho it would be cool to have him as a unique / storyline charcater or something like that - thats how i view him anyways.

ie its like a pirates peg leg - if you see him walking down the middle of a mall hes probably going to stand out and not look like he belongs - but if it were the national peg legged pirate meet - he would probably fit in quite well and recieve many a " Ahhharrr me hearty's" from onlooking pirates aspiring to one day have such a great peg leg of their own.

it really depends on how you see your characters i guess, when creating something you have - its a thin line between balanceing the character out and crossing the line and creating something that looks to out of place.

I like it tho man - not saying its bad at all, i think if your going for that quirky kind of atmosphere then he should fit right in :D

Of course thats all IMO - its how i try to approach all the characters i design and build anyways. hope that helps a wee bit :)