The Importance of Seamless Texture Maps
Seamless textures are used in many situations within gaming walls, terrain, rooftops, and so forth. A small square map is created, for example, 512 X 512. By making the map seamless, you can repeat the texture multiple times without displaying any noticeable seams or repeating patterns. Make sure the map is of proper size 256 X 256, 512 X 512, etc. . In Photoshop, go to Filter gt Other gt Offset. Set the Horizontal value to 1 2 the map width, in this case 256. Set the Vertical value also to 1 2...
Creating a Custom Tool Shelf
To make modeling easier in our workflow and to also make the projects in this book easy for Maya users, we are going to create a custom tool shelf with the most common tools we will be using throughout this book. You can add more tools that you prefer using later. Wnjm SetKt Mesh Edit Mesh Pray Normab Cater o Wnjm SetKt Mesh Edit Mesh Pray Normab Cater o General Eck tors 1 Rendenng Editors Preferences Tool Settings Performance Settings Hyper graph tterarchy Hypergraph Comedians Hbtke y Editor...
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Per-Pixel Shading The ability to calculate lighting effects at the pixel level, greatly increasing the precision and realism of the scene. With NVIDIA's GeForce3 GPU, game developers can now program custom per-pixel effects. Photoshop The 2D digital painting program developed and published by Adobe Systems. It is currently the market's most popular graphics editing program. Pixel Shorthand for picture element. A pixel is the smallest element of a graphics display or the smallest element of a...
Turn on Border Edges Highlight
At times in your modeling it becomes difficult to see edges or open edges clearly. If you turn on the Highlighting feature, you will spot these edges faster Select Polygons under Polygon Display. You can increase the edge thickness by doing the following Select Polygon Display Edge Width. IMPORTANT Afteryou complete these changes, make sure to selectSave at the bottom ofthe Preferences window.
The UV Editor Window
POTBOY - Mtct Tod Wot ' U 5t w The UV editor features a grid of four panels and a series of menus. The top tool shelf icons represent many of the same, mostly used tools found in the Polygons drop-down menu. For now, we will focus on the following tools
CrazyBump Makes Map Creation Easy
I was so impressed with this seemingly simple application that I felt it was worth mentioning in this chapter. After tinkering around with the beta version, I contacted Ryan Clark, the creator of CrazyBump. Rather than demonstrating how to use his tool, I went straight to the source and asked him to demonstrate it for us. ON TH E DVD Ryan was also very generous in allowing meto offer a limited-use version of CrazyBump on the accompanying DVD. So install it and enjoy
Extracting the Finger
Now that we have the basic shape laid out, we can begin focusing our modeling effort on modifying one finger. Once completed, we will simply duplicate and scale the remaining fingers. Select the faces of the finger. Select the fingerand Isolate Select to hide everything else at this time. Again I decided to rotate the finger at this time for two reasons. First, it became obvious to me that I began writing this lesson in the wrong axis. Maya doesn't provide a good gimbal rotation at certain...
Hitting the Highs and Lows Is Key
The easiest way to determine how and where to place vertices is to follow the objects extremities. Placing verts at the high and low parts of the structure will ensure the basic cage is formed. We also call this the proxy model, and sometimes a level designer will have already modeled it to establish size and scale. Cages or proxies can also become useful later in the game level development as collision objects. The three examples shown are good representations of a shape that was modeled from...
The Common Mistakes Taught
I cringe every time I see a tutorial that shows modeling the fingers and especially the thumb in a straight, linear pose. Obviously this is the easiest method to model and rig, but it's also wrong unless your goal is to create a simple cartoon character. For realism, we have to study reality. It is common for beginners to model hands in a straight, rigid pose. This makes rigging easier but causes many issues later on regarding the proper bending of fingers and folding of skin around knuckles....
The Biplane Wing
In this lesson, I am going to demonstrate how to create a 3D render to be used as an overlay for a texture map of the wing. You could also detail a high-poly model with textures, then simply render a snapshot for even higher realism. Why hand-paint the ribs of the wing when you could use real geometry to do the work for you Begin by using a square mesh so rendering will be uniform to a square map. Pull in every other vertice edge to form three beveled ribs. Once pleased, you may wish to smooth...
Preparing the Mesh for Proper Exporting
1. Delete History Always Delete All History to remove any unnecessary nodes Edit gt Delete All By Type gt History. 2. Check for surfaces that are not quadragulated Mesh gt Cleanup gt Faces with more than 4 sides. 3. Did you lay out UVs, and are they overlapping Normal maps will not work correctly if you have UVs sharing the same space. 4. Is your .OBJ activated in the Plug-in Manager Window gt Setting Preferences gt Plug-in Manager. 15- Preseive references r Keep only a lefnence F Ute...
Maya to Mudbox Modeling The Soldier
The rules of modeling have changed with the advent of digital sculpting programs like ZBrush and Mudbox. In the past it was necessary to build up your mesh, splitting polygons and adding definition in a slow and time-consuming fashion. Most of the old school processes are still valid and beneficial in your modeling workflow, but the benefits of achieving mind-blowing detail by using a sculpting application to get you from point A to point B quicker represents the new generation or renaissance,...
Getting Started
Create a new project folder. Name it Ch04_springfieldRifle. Remember to set the project folder. Copy and paste the template map rifle_Lowpoly.tif to the project's sourceimages folder. Create a front template only Z axis . Create a new template shader, and load the rifle map. You'll notice on our template map that I created both the rifle image and a solid red image. The red image is a block version of the rifle in its lowest form possible to still represent the rifle as a C-class asset model....
Fake Camera Projection Modeling
Camera projection is a process used mainly in the film industry. It is a technique that allows models to be made over a background plate video still or photograph . The 3D elements are then mapped with background image projected onto them to create a faux fake 3D set design, both quickly and rather easily. The main difficulty ofthe process is getting the perspective in your 3D camera to match that of the camera used in the photography. This can be a challenge, even when you know the focal...
Quick and Easy Shadow Detailing
A quick, light bake in Mental Ray can enhance your texture map tremendously. Shadows tend to be weak, especially in game development. Most game assets tend to still look fake because the lighting has to be generalized and not too many light sources are possible in a level, especially in FPS First Person Shooter games. So faking the shadows by giving the textures some contrast other than the effect that results from hand-painting can push your models into the next generation. Here is a simple...
Creating the BlockOut Map
I like to create a quick color map that I call a block-out texture. It is a simple 2D coloring that places a base color on the appropriate faces of a mesh. It comes in handy during productions because textures can take a few days to be painted at times and also may be scheduled out a few weeks. The block-out makes objects more appealing rather than having the mesh display in game as a checkered shader or flat gray. It also can show immediately where there may have been a UV mistake, especially...
Cleaning up the Main Shell
Select a row of UVs, and apply the Align selected tool. Once the horizontal lines are straightened, we can pull out the edges from inside the casing. An easy way to select these UVs is to select the inside edge loop. Double-click on the edge to select the loop. select Edge La Tool Select Edge Ring Tool Efinnk SelecOor Re on Select Selection Bounderv Select Contiguous Edges To Edges To Edge Loop To Edge Ring To Cantoned Edges To Faces To Face Rath To Contained Faces Convert the selection to...
Breaking up the Mesh
The process is simple. I call it rubbleizing. I make out a list of what I would like to change 3. Carve into some broken spots so that the image looks more realistic. Because I am creating new faces, I will create a new shader for now as a placeholder. This allows me to quickly color the new areas that require texture coordinates. Open Maps, and create new Lambert shader. Name it Rubble. Open the Split Polygon Tool options. Uncheck Split only from edges and Use snapping points along edges....
Creating a Template Map Shader
Now create another Lambert shader. Double-click the shader to pen its Attribute window. Rename lambert2 to Templates. Press Enter and click on the checker icon for the color channel. Select File in the Create Render Node panel. Make sure Normal is selected under the 2D Textures drop-down list. Select the folder icon for Image Name. If you set up your project correctly you should see both maps you pasted in earlier. Select stoneArch_Grid.tif, and press Open. Click back onto your image plane...
Finishing the LowPoly Model
Now take time to go over each area, such as the bayonet thickness and bolt action, for final finessing. To create the bolt, create a poly sphere. Set the Inputs to Subdivision Axis 8, Subdivision height 6. Remove the top and bottom faces. Replace them with the Fill Hole tool. Extrude the top face, and do 1 edge loop split. Reshape into the correct shape for the bolt, and fit it into place
Everything on One Map
Most of the UVs I laid out for this model are simple planar coordinates of just one side. The alternate sides or duplicates all share the same map for normal mapping, you will need to include the opposite sides, but because I chose to use this model for a cinematic animation not a game , I am free to use a bump map. You could also simply use two maps, one for each side of the model, should you want to use normal maps. Here is the outUV template exported from Maya. In Photoshop, I created a...
Using the Cut Face Tool
Maya's Cut Face tool is a fun one to use. It still amazes me when I consider how powerfully it can slice through any mesh or any complexity and from any viewing angle. Be careful with this one, or you may cut yourself Switch to a side viewport to perform this operation correctly. I also isolated the object so I can focus on the window without the building interrupting my view. Edit Mesh gt Cut Faces tool. The cursor will become an arrow that rotates visually to a desired angle. Holding the...
Praise for Maya for Games
In the constantly changing world of 3D game development, this is the best book yet for anyone looking to get into 3D modeling for the gaming industry. Maya for Games is like having a game artist sitting right next to you Sky Kensok, Partner and Founder WXP, Inc. Whether you are a novice or veteran artist in the industry, Maya for Games comprises tricks and techniques that are certain to improve your workflow. Duane Molitor, Microsoft Games Studio This is a great '3D Artist Bible' and an awesome...
Preparing the Rifle UV Layout
Start by selecting the rifle. Go to create the UV Automatic Mapping options box. Take a look at the option default settings 1. Planes are the planar maps and how many differentdirections they will projectfrom. 2. You have a choice for fewer pieces or less distortion. Keep fewer pieces selected. 3. Shell Layout into Square will organize our UV shells into the upper right 0,1 square. Right-click and select UVs. Drag overall of the rifle uvs. Press the F key to frame and maximize the view. You...
Quick Selecting Faces
Because the new faces require UVs, they are now all over the UV editor. But there is a trick we can do to clean them from our workplace. Open Maps, and right-select on the red rubbleized shader. To the right you will find Select Objects with Material. Now all the red shaded chunks will be highlighted. In the UV editor, right-select UVs, and drag over and move to the left panel. Wait Notice the UVs seem to be connected to the wall faces That's true, and the usual Cut and Move technique is...
Preparing Shaders for Modeling
Open Maps hypershade editor , and add 50 transparency to the default shaderl. Create a second Lambert shader, and rename it Template. Insert the texture map brokenArch_Grid.tif. Select both template panels, and apply the shader to them. Finally, create a new layer in the layers channel. Rename it Templates, and lock the layer by choosing R. Should you need clarity on these steps, refer to Chapter 2.