Robot character

Community Showcases
1

// current status:

Hi

Want to learn some modelling games so I decided to make create character of Robot concept I made last spring, here is the concept:

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I’m modelling it in Modo here is my progress so far:

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( edit: This is not the low poly model, more like sketch or place holder. Forearms mesh is closest to final low poly mesh)

First I thought I aim for 2000 polys, but after creating low poly of that black small part in arm, I got some feeling what you can achieve exemple with 100 poly. After reading too many wikis and forum posts. So I decided to raise my budget between 5000-7000 polygons. And I believe it is easier to reduce polygons than make more if I ever need to.

I have each part in different mesh and they are parented ( trunk → neck → head → eyes ) and I made IK rig for hand so I could test it and model in it different positions. But from this thread I learned that each mesh adds a draw call ( and I heard it’s bad thing). So I think I will have to make it to one mesh, export, skin and animate it in some other software, probably in Blender.

And I had problems with normal maps, in Modo they worked but in Unity they didn’t. I think I have to invert red, green or/ and blue channel in normal map texture. ( I hope that is the problem). Does anyone know what channels I have to invert? Too tired to test all compinations…

I will update this post as soon as I run to next problem. :wink:

2

Modelled forearm and learned some normal mapping:

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In import settings I changed Normals Tangents from import to calculate, otherwise polygons are very visible. Then just played with smoothing angle and tried to get it look good. Like to know what would be right workflow for this.

3

Very well done, continue!

4

Thanks Mig.

Sure I will continue, even it is frustrating slow at times. Today I spend 4-5 hours to get my normal map baking work correctly in Modo, only to find that I have to set my smoothing angle to 180 from material properties. I knew problems were probably related to smoothing angle, but did not find where to change that.

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Is it possible to use Diffuse, Specular and Normal maps in one material? ( in free licence version )
Did not find nay from shader list

5

the diffuse specular shader is what you need.

in the diffuse map the Alpha channel is your specular map :wink:

6

Thanks, Find it. its Bumped specular, base (RGB) gloss (A), did not see/understand that before.

7

737×368 68.1 KB

That specular map made same difference, nice to learn new things :slight_smile: I have to start model other parts, all texturing for this is useless because I have to redone my uv map. At a moment there is only this part, unwrapped in fastest possible way.

8

Here is a Unity web player version of this: rebot forearm. Hope it works.

Is there a way to keep changes I make in “play mode”. I tweaked some lighting and loose all changes because didn’t notice that I’m in Play mode. I got a feeling that this will happen me many times. Another possible solution could be prevent editing in play mode.

9

Coooooooooooool Robot

10

879×638 80.2 KB

Trying to find good proportions, not happy yet. I think trunk/chest is too big.