Helping Hand's Stuff

[Helping_Hand]

Projects are mainly dead, the Masada lives on somewhat with myself and a few other people.


Mark-HH.

[Col. Faulkner]

Is [almost] 14,000 triangles an OK size for an ArmA weapon?

[Helping_Hand]

Well it's going to most likely be downsized to a more playable size.

[oyman]

If that 1st pic is a your uv map, then you should redo it.

Textures look like they at 2% done, looks like just the base was put on.

[Nephilim]

@faulkner
no, 14k poly models (quads)
are totally idiotic for a game like arma..
if you have 14k tris its also not that nice as its 7000 quad polygons.
and specially for a weapon model, even if its meant for the pilot view :S
get the poly count down arma can use normal maps
take advantage of that...
you might use the 14k model as a reference model to create normal maps with tools like nvidia melody but not as a game model
reduce the poly count eg for the barrel you dont need no more segments than 8 to make it appear round
specially since you can use normal maps

for the 3rd person view id delete the folowing on the model
the ribs on the mag (>normal map)
canibalize some round parts (instead of 16 segments make 8)
leave parts like the picantinny rail teeth
and leave them to normal maps
etc etc so that in the end you shouldnt have more than 4-5k tris for the 3d person model

invest time in the textures
textures do basically half the job on a model.
you might have a super coolm high poly and accurate model
but if the textures are sh!t the whole things for the bin

as for the uvs.. the only thing that looks right is the mag.
the rest needs to be layed out properly cause otherwise youll have probs with the normal maps later on.
you must´nt have overlapping uvs, eg like the barrel that goes right into the receiver.
this will cause ugly artefacts and ugly shadowing.
apart from that its not pretty cool to texture either since youll have ALOT of texture strechings.

take that in account as its still wip.
but the model looks cool tho keep it up

[Helping_Hand]

get the poly count down arma can use normal maps
take advantage of that...
you might use the 14k model as a reference model to create normal maps with tools like nvidia melody but not as a game model
reduce the poly count eg for the barrel you dont need no more segments than 8 to make it appear round
specially since you can use normal maps

for the 3rd person view id delete the folowing on the model
the ribs on the mag (>normal map)
canibalize some round parts (instead of 16 segments make 8)
leave parts like the picantinny rail teeth
and leave them to normal maps
etc etc so that in the end you shouldnt have more than 4-5k tris for the 3d person model

invest time in the textures
textures do basically half the job on a model.
you might have a super coolm high poly and accurate model
but if the textures are sh!t the whole things for the bin

as for the uvs.. the only thing that looks right is the mag.
the rest needs to be layed out properly cause otherwise youll have probs with the normal maps later on.
you must´nt have overlapping uvs, eg like the barrel that goes right into the receiver.
this will cause ugly artefacts and ugly shadowing.
apart from that its not pretty cool to texture either since youll have ALOT of texture strechings.

take that in account as its still wip.
but the model looks cool tho keep it up

I thought you'd be here maam.

@ Point 1 - Yes it is a reference model, the "playable" one should be around 4 - 5K quads.

@ Point 2 - I agree about the magazine etc but i've only had my hands on the model for a short time so all in due course.

@ Point 3 - Textures are pretty basic atm instead of just showinga grey model. The magazine is the most advanced piece of the textures so far...

@ Point 4 I'll speak to DSA about the UVs

@ Comment 1 Thanks for the "coolness" vote :P

Regards HH


*EDIT*

As i cliked post i checked my inbox to find that DSA had already done some of the previous.



Low Detail


Newer UV


Newer Render

[Commando84]

very unique weapon dude nice work, i dunno much about polies and stuff but for me it looks unique and cool!

maybe a weapon could be made later on comiled togheter all the odd weapons ofthe world like the ump 45 or what its called and others.

[Helping_Hand]

Tis not bad for a weapon only in known existance since shot show this year is it.

[Col. Faulkner]

Tis not bad for a weapon only in known existance since shot show this year is it.

Except that its internals are copied from the Armalite AR-180, circa 1963 ***

[Col. Faulkner]

@Nephilim, I know all this theory. It's rather hard trying to
work out what exactly is possible with normal mapping,
though. In any case, I think even the new "Masada" weapon
is still far too "detailed" for use.