Katawa Shoujo Forums

Having little to do this weekend, i tried modeling Emi. Here's what i got so far:



The hair is a mess and it lacks volume, the twin tails are just placeholders and i'll probably end up changing the shape of the back of the head.
This will be the second character i make, which is to say, i'm pretty new to 3D.
I've made the body by using Pimmy's pillow design for reference, but since there's nothing on it yet, i won't post it.

Here's a little something i did in 20 seconds to get a break from styling the hair:

(check out the link to the right if you wanna see the other character i made)

Maybe i'll make a deadly MishaBot later.

Not too bad, can't do 3d work myself but I know when somethings good and something bad.

Probably just me, but the emi here reminds of this

http://popvultures.com/wp-content/uploa ... /angel.jpg

DON'T BLINK

was this using "Blender"?
just wondering~

I can show/tell you a few tricks to get the hair to look better.

PasterOfMuppets wrote:was this using "Blender"?
just wondering~

Autodesk 3DS Max, but it shouldn't matter too much whether you use Max, Maya, Modo, C4D, Blender, lightwave or similar. I haven't tried most of these, but i believe they're all much the same when it comes to polymodeling.

If you're interested in making people/creatures, i'd recommend Zbrush, awesome program for organic modeling. Only reason i'm not using it here is because i'm going for a very clean look, rather than details.

Snicket wrote:I can show/tell you a few tricks to get the hair to look better.

Please do. I'd love some visual examples/draw-overs, etc.

Updated the hair a bit.

Hey sorry for not getting back to you earlier.

Here are a few tricks:

1. If you're planning on texturing. this, you can use a combination of a 'plain' in 3ds max and alpha channels in what ever program your using to texture it. For the 3ds max portion, you'd basically take a plain, and bend than crap out of it as necessary. I usually start out with one and extrude at vert as necessary. The texturing part, you'd basically use a brush and drag it down a rectangular plain. Then use alpha channels so that it's a PNG image and add it to the plain using the texturing modifier in 3ds max. Repeat as necessary. (note you might want to set the brush to a blending option, so that it transition from one color to anotehr, giving the hair a more natural look, instead of looking like a mop.

2. There is a hair modifier in 3ds max already that you can try and recreate Emi's hair style.

3. Since emi's hair is tied back in this model, you could just model it and use 'trick 1' for the parts that move around. Basically extrude the top part of her head a head and add verts to the model, so that you can add detail. This truck also works, if you're not planning on texturing it. Though you'd have to shape the plains so that they looks like chunks of hair.

[note] I'll post some images and a better detailed walk through some time later.

Snicket wrote:For the 3ds max portion, you'd basically take a plain, and bend than crap out of it as necessary. I usually start out with one and extrude at vert as necessary.

I'm lofting planes along splines. Works better for me than edit poly when it comes to long hair since i only have to use 3 control points and automatically get fine curves. I might have to add a edit poly modifier to each loft object later to bend them sideways since there's no option for it in the loft deformations.

The texturing part, you'd basically use a brush and drag it down a rectangular plain. Then use alpha channels so that it's a PNG image and add it to the plain using the texturing modifier in 3ds max. Repeat as necessary. (note you might want to set the brush to a blending option, so that it transition from one color to anotehr, giving the hair a more natural look, instead of looking like a mop.

Yeah, i figured i'd make a custom texture for each of the front planes, then just make one or two for the back of the head and the neck.
I'll have to learn how to create decent custom brushes.

2. There is a hair modifier in 3ds max already that you can try and recreate Emi's hair style.

Yeah, Hair & Fur. I could probably make better looking hair in much less time, the hair & fur modifier is however very heavy, and i don't like long render times.
Besides, i figured i'd retopologize the model later and put it in a game, so it saves me some trouble if the hair is already done with planes at than point.

3. Since emi's hair is tied back in this model, you could just model it and use 'trick 1' for the parts that move around.

True, but i feel that modeled hair generally looks a bit too cartoony.

Basically extrude the top part of her head a head and add verts to the model, so that you can add detail. This truck also works, if you're not planning on texturing it. Though you'd have to shape the plains so that they looks like chunks of hair.

I'd rather sculpt it if i were to do an un-textured model.

[note]I'll post some images and a better detailed walk through some time later.

Thanks. I think the part i need most help with is creating brushes and hair texture.




Gave her a body

I tried to keep my examples simple, since i wasn't aware of how much you knew about the program. It's seems i underestimated you. :/

What program are you planning on using for the textureing? If it's photo shop, you may want to make a brush, rather then use a stock one. I'll try to dig up some examples of these.

Any way are you familiar with NVIDIA? Their is an add on you can get for max/photo-shop, that allows you to fake high details, with out adding bunch of extra verts/pollys to the model.

-On a side note, i'm a bit jealous of your skills. I never considered myself very good at organic models, so i switched to inorganic ones. Though i'm kinda curious, how many verts/pollys is the model sitting at?

Snicket wrote:What program are you planning on using for the textureing? If it's photo shop, you may want to make a brush, rather then use a stock one.

Yeah, i'm using photoshop and i'll have to make some custom brushes to get good hair, but i have no experience with making brushes.

I'll try to dig up some examples of these.

thanks

Any way are you familiar with NVIDIA? Their is an add on you can get for max/photo-shop, that allows you to fake high details, with out adding bunch of extra verts/pollys to the model.

Yeah, i'm familiar with the Nvidia plugin and i've got Crazybump installed, which i believe is very similar. I'll probably use normal mapping for the clothes. For the moment i'm going for a very clean style, but i might add some slight detail to the skin.

On a side note, i'm a bit jealous of your skills. I never considered myself very good at organic models, so i switched to inorganic ones.

Hehe, thanks.
Have you tried Zbrush or Mudbox?

Though i'm kinda curious, how many verts/pollys is the model sitting at?

The shown model is without hands and is currently at:
65,075 Verts
65,440 Polygons
125,560 Triangles

After retopology and projection/baking, i think i can have a game model ready at about 15k triangles

EDIT:

Small progress update; i got tired of trying to make hands, so i started on the clothing.



Is this thing i've marked in the image a seam or some decoration? Guess i'll have to redo some topology if it's a seam.
Ignore the skirt, i'll make a new one.

Also, for no reason at all; Chocolate Emi.

Whoa. give me the chocolate Emi.

Hands can be tricky, though you can get around some of the issue if you 'cheat' on them. For example. An FPS usually usually has a 'glove with an opposable thumb and for finger. While fighting game, usually has the character have closed fists, or switches between and open hand and a fist. Their are a bunch of ways to cut back on hand modeling. So unless you're gonna do a close of your models fingers twiddling, you should be able to use one of them.

Also if you're implementing this model into a game, may i ask which one and if you're 'boning' it or using a by-pet.

-Are any of these suggestions helping. I still looking for my copy of 3ds, so i can't post any models yet. But i can try to get you some hair examples today or tomorrow.

Uncanny. Try making her a bit more cartoony.

Thanks for the nightmares.

Snicket wrote:Hands can be tricky, though you can get around some of the issue if you 'cheat' on them. For example. An FPS usually usually has a 'glove with an opposable thumb and for finger. While fighting game, usually has the character have closed fists, or switches between and open hand and a fist. Their are a bunch of ways to cut back on hand modeling. So unless you're gonna do a close of your models fingers twiddling, you should be able to use one of them.

If i was only making it to be used in a game, i could simply sculpt the hand, do retopology and project the sculpt on top of the new hand mesh as a normal map (as i did on my first character). However, i'd like my high-poly model to be as close to cinematic quality as i can get it, so i need it to be really well done in max.

Also if you're implementing this model into a game, may i ask which one

Probably Unreal Tournament since both the game and the development kit are free and available for everyone.

and if you're 'boning' it or using a by-pet.

I'll do a custom bone rig. I like bones because they're much more flexible and customize-able than bipeds and the CAT (character animation tools) system.

Are any of these suggestions helping.

They're good tricks, but i can't use much of it because i'm trying to achieve a fully functional character in cinematic quality. When it comes to the hands i'll just have to try and fail a couple of times before getting it right. They're the hardest part after all.

Oh, do you by any chance have some good brushes lying around? I'm still quite bad at 2D graphics and i can't draw at all, so any shortcuts in that area would be much appreciated.

I still looking for my copy of 3ds, so i can't post any models yet. But i can try to get you some hair examples today or tomorrow.

Sweet, looking forward to it.

Verett wrote:Uncanny. Try making her a bit more cartoony.

Got a specific style in mind? It's unlikely that i'll change the overall style this far into production, but i might make another character in a new style.

GMKGoat wrote:Thanks for the nightmares.

You're welcome.

Though this is astonishingly excellent work, I wish you'd chosen to go with a more stylized, less realistic look since you're falling directly into the depths of the uncanny valley.

CGI isn't advanced enough yet to be indistinguishable from real life, so all the failings that are currently unavoidable just make excellent work into nightmare fuel as is happening here (see also the horrible horrible recent creations of Robert Zemeckis). Going a more Pixar-y route and making the character a little more cartoony would still make a great-looking Emi, and in fact would, in my opinion, look much better than this almost-but-not-quite-perfectly-human one you've got going.

Like I said though, excellent work.