Meeting with Academic Supervisor 11/05/11 and Final Forth Character Developments

After my short meeting with Lynn from the last two days, she seems to be impressed that I've worked further on my forth character. However, she believes that my first three texture tests on pattern effects looks more like the Tron character, and I must remember to keep my own concepts seperated from existing characters.

So from yesterday, I've made some updates with the character's colour scheme from the black version to the blue version (I considered this colour to be more suitable), and apply these changes towards another two texture tests in Photoshop. Once this was done, I've finished off the character with an action pose using the transpose tool in ZBrush, and then apply the render pass and composite the final image in Photoshop.

As for the showreel, I've managed to put together all of the four character developments and final concepts (with description for each process) into one final video. I've also have the option to update my showreel for this Tuesday's End of Year Presentation, along with a PowerPoint Presentation to describe about my project's research and developments.

All my practical work have now been submitted on time this afternoon, and I can now focus on continuing with the dissertation and also the 1500 word essay for the Professional Practice module.

Updated Texture Test 1

Updated Texture Test 2

Final Forth Character Concept in Pose and Composited Image

Maya Render Tests

Honours Project Showreel

Meeting with Academic Supervisor 11/05/11 and Final Forth Character Developments

From yesterday evening, I've had a short meeting with Lynn as I've shown her my further developments on my forth character including UV and Normal mappig, and colour and texture tests between ZBrush and Photoshop. When I've shown her my texture tests for the black colour scheme concept, she kindly noted that it's looks more like the Tron character rather than being my own design, and I'm required to keep the character seperated from the Tron version (probably because I've selected the black colour scheme and added orange lines on the character's costume).

So with this issue, I then decided to quickly develop another two texture tests for a blue coloured version of the character as I thought that this colour would go well as an energy powered hero, and it's seperated from the Tron character.

This afternoon, I've finally finished the texture developments for the character along with setting up a final image based on a range of render passes and combined these images in Photoshop, and also added some energy effects to make the image stand out well. I've also managed to set up the character's action pose with the Transpose Master tool in ZBrush.

And once the ZBrush and Photoshop developments were done, I quickly went into Maya to test the UV and Normal Map textures on the Low Poly Model. I'm proud to say that the render tests were sucessfull, and I then took snapshots of the rendered image from Maya.

All that leaves to is to finish off the showreel and arranging all my development files for each character developments before I would burn them on a DVD.

New Texture Test 1

New Texture Test 2

Action Pose Image

Final Concept Image

UV Map 1 (Body)

UV Map 2 (Armor)

UV Map 3 (Mechanical Parts)

Normal Map (Body)

Render Tests from Maya

Texture Tests for Character No. 4

I've developed up to three texture tests for the forth character in Photoshop. I was experimenting with the line effects based on Tron's costume as reference, and also the glowing effects for the energy core.

Texture Test 1

Texture Test 2

Texture Test 3

Completion of Sculpting and UV/Normal Mapping for Character No. 4

Today, I've finally managed to finish the high poly developments for the forth character in ZBrush. I then work on creating UV and Normal maps again with the help of UV Master, and I went back to Maya to UV map out the other mechanical parts (the energy generators on the character's back) and exported the UV mapped model back into ZBrush in preperation for polypaint.

The polypaint process (the colour blocking process) went really well and quick, and with the all the UV maps created, I was able to transfer the polypaint textures directly onto the UV map in ZBrush which was a time saver rather than doing them all in Photoshop.

All I need to do for tomorrow is develop some texture tests over the rendered image in Photoshop, and then apply the chosen textures onto the UV maps thus transfering the UV map textures onto the model in ZBrush or Maya for texture testing. I'll also need to create the final composite image in Photoshop with the character's action pose, and create some turnaround animations from ZBrush towards building the final showreel (either by tomorrow or on Thursday).

Final Character Mesh in Colour (before texture tests)

Meeting with Technical Supervisor 09/05/11

This afternoon in the Whitespace teaching area, I've had a short meeting with Gordon regarding towards my current forth character developments in ZBrush. He says that my character's high mesh is coming along well, but he believes that it looks to 'blobby' and less detailed. So he then showed me some examples of well detailed character based on hard surface modelling along with using the alpha brushed for extra details (e.g. the Heavy Mech character by Mike Jenson from ZBrush Central). He showed me a handy and useful tool known as the 'Extract Tool' that allows me to create extra meshes by projecting them after using the masking tool (e.g. creating shoulder pads, body armor).

So as soon as my meeting with Gordon was finished, I continued with the high schulpting developments on the forth character in ZBrush and used the extract tool method to create body armor and pads for the character's costume. I then ended up with three different versions of the highly detailed character. I now just need to send some image samples of these versions to Gordon and hopefull he could email me some feedbacks about the high sculpt developments that I've worked on this evening.

Version 1

Version 2

Version 3

Project Tasks 13 (Refined)

09/05/11 - Final Texture and colour developments on mesh, develop normal maps UV texturing, update learning contract and consent form drafts, and continue with dissertation and email it to Colin and Lynn.

10/05/11 - Final developments for forth character with action pose and turntable animations, and create consent form draft and email it to Lynn.

11/05/11 - Refinements on other characters, construct showreel, and update dissertation

12/05/11 - Put together all practical work and update sketchbook for deadline.

13/05/11 - Practical Projects deadline, and continue with dissertation draft.

Finished Poly Mesh and Colour Tests for Character No. 4

Today I've have successfully sculpt the character with muscle features (with the help of human anatomy as references), and I've even managed to create the character's UV map with UV Master in ZBrush. Once the high sculpting and UV mapping was done, I then developed six different colour tests using polypaint (just to lay out basic blocking colours for each version). I now need to present these colour trials to other members in my class and hopefully gain some feed backs on one of the colour designs. I could then proceed to the final colour and texture work on the character between ZBrush and Photoshop, and also project normal maps from the high poly mesh onto the low poly with either ZBrush or other normal mapping applications for this Monday.

Colour Test 1

Colour Test 2

Colour Test 3

Colour Test 4

Colour Test 5

Colour Test 6

Completed Base Mesh for Character No. 4

The forth character's base mesh has finally been completed, but it took longer to model than expected. But I should now have no problem on entering the next development stages for tomorrow such as creating the character's UV map, developing high poly mesh on the body, and also develop some colour tests with polypaint all in ZBrush.

The mesh was also based on one of the chosen rough concepts because of the appearance that suits the character's profile, and the proportions and style of the character's costume that would be ideal to model and develop colour schemes in the process.

Front View of Base Mesh

Back View of Base Mesh

Academic Supervisor Meeting 04/05/11

From this morning's meeting, I've shown Lynn my current developments of my forth character from updated silhouettes towards my 3D base mesh and the first attempt to develop the high poly mesh along with muscle features. She then suggests that I should make some updates on the polygon faces for the original base mesh (including for the lower part of the body) to make the mesh look more appealing and better for high poly developments. And I also need to work more on refining the muscle features including the chest area by looking up on the human anatomy as references during the sculpting process in ZBrush.

But overall, she seems to be pleased that I'm still making lots of progress, and I also need to make sure that I would get the dissertation draft (with all the structures filled) completed and submitted to Colin on this Friday for feedback. Also I need to keep up with my sketchbook developments (apply all the images of each character developments with comments) towards submitting my work, and to include all of my files containing all the development processes for each character in separate folders.

So for tonight, I'll be making another attempt to reconstruct the character's arms and hands in Maya (or use the ZSpheres in ZBrush), and then continue with the high scupting and colour tests process tomorrow.

Character No. 4 Modelling Process

The base mesh for the forth character has finally been created between ZBrush and Maya. I've also got started on developing the high poly sculpting on the base mesh along with creating the muscle features on the character's body.

The next part is to work on modelling the character's props and other features (e.g. shoulder pads and a chest piece), and then work on the unwrapping process to form the model's UV map using UV Master in ZBrush.

Character No. 4's Low Poly Mesh

Character No. 4's High Poly Mesh

Project Tasks 13

03/05/11 - Finish base mesh modelling, finish rough concept developents, UV Mapping on Low Poly mesh, and update Learning Contract.

04/05/11 - High Poly sculpting developments, and colour tests on character mesh.

05/05/11 - Continue with colour tests, final composite image, and texture map developments for character mesh.

06/05/11 - Projection map developments (Normal and UV maps) for model, and update Dissertation and Learning Contract.

09/05/11 - Final character image in action pose and turnaround animations.

Meeting with Technical Supervisor 02/05/11

I've managed to have a short meeting with Gordon this afternoon, and we've discussed about the feed backs on my hybrid creature developments and also the forth character process so far.
I then asked Gordon for some advice about the approaches towards modeling a simple base mesh for a human character since I've been having some difficulties with this from last Thursday. He then says that I could simply construct the body with the ZSpheres in ZBrush, form the mesh with the move tool (also in ZBrush), and then model and attach the hands to the body mesh in Maya and update any topologies before the sculpting stage.

As soon as the meeting was over, I then got to work on modelling the character's base mesh in ZBrush, and then created the hands in Maya. Meanwhile, I'll also need to make some more updates with the forth character's silhouettes to add some extra features and more proportions to explore more on the concept (also advised by Gordon as he suggests that I should work on this more).

So for this week, I need to focus on modelling the character along with developing colour tests, create the character's UV map, and also create the composite image in Photoshop.