For my next project I will be modeling the Canon A-1 35mm film camera that were made between 1978-1985. It is the first SLR camera to offer an electronically controlled programmed auto exposure mode.
I am also working on a website with a better layout to view thumbnails more efficiently. I am also trying to figure out a way to layout my models on a sheet to show the mesh and poly count.
Finished the textures for both models. Please feel free to comment on improvements. I still need to figure out a layout for final renders and adding the tri counts and the texture sizes and contact information.
Tri count for the blunderbuss is at 1186 tris and for the radio it is at 5560 tris.
For this last week I started working on the hi-poly model of a pirate's blunderbuss. I picked this gun over the modern day guns because of the mixture of organic and hard surface together and also for the interesting silhouette the gun has.
For this week I will be working on the low-poly, baking the normal map, and creating the texture.
I am still unsure if I will end up working on the finer detail in zbrush but I will see where this goes.
I finished the hi-poly,low-poly models, fixed the normal map and also rendered out the occlusion map. Also finished the texture for the low-poly and rendered out the render of the model.
While working on this project I learned how to use xNormal to bake out the normal map and occlusion map and learned how to use Marmoset for rendering out my final images. Also started using bevel to cut down on the poly count for the hi-poly model.
The problem that I was having with the normal maps were artifacts from overlapping geometry, I fixed it by baking the model in pieces instead. I learned many things within the last 2 weeks working on this one model, all in all time well spent. I am sure that there are still somethings that need fixing but will have to move on to the next project.
Update on my low poly. Have weird things happening with the bake will have to re-bake normals and finish textures but will start on the next hi-poly model.
Talked to a few people on what would be best for a portfolio and decided on hard surface modeling of assets/props/items instead of making an environment.
Workflow
1. Research - look for multiple images of prop to be modeled
(1 day of research within the 1st week)
2. Highpoly model of prop.
(the rest of the days left in the 1st week)
3. Lowpoly model of prop to bake normals onto. Unwrap and textured.
(2nd week)
A total of 2 weeks per prop.
List of assets to model.
Energizer battery charger.
A portable generator
Firearm of some kind
Dentist Chair
Radio/Jukebox/golf cart
Canon A-1 camera body and lens
For the prop I will be modeling an Energizer battery charger. I'd like to start off with a simpler model just to get into this workflow of baking normals onto a lowpoly.
I started modeling this just the other day so not much progress yet but will keep to the schedule from now on.
Make a short animation using live action actor/actress using drawn objects as props for the background and/or foreground. Also with use of digitally made art all comped together in after effects.
Goal: Create a short animation in this kind of style.
Steps:
1. 1 day to shoot live action footage.
2. 1 day for comping images.
3. 1 day to clean up.
If working alone:
Goal: Learn to create good looking foliage for environments by the end of the semester.
Steps:
1. Research for the 1st week.
2. Model out everything by the 1st month.
3. Unwrap and texture by the 2nd month.
4. Start placing models in UDK by the 3rd month.
5. Light up the scene and have the scene polished by the end of the 4th month.
Each of the demo reels are specialized to what each person wants to do. All of the reels have breakdowns from the wire frame to the final models and different angles of the final renders. Each of them follow a set pattern to show off their work. At the end of the reels contact information can be found.
