tchaikovsky2
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The noodle cometh.
🕑 Added 2016-09-12 16:29:34 +0000 UTC It has begun!Since I have to make this character entirely from scratch (which will be the first time in years that I do that), then why not share with you the WHOLE process! Because Every other WIP character you've seen here was started from an existing one, to speed things up.
So let's begin! I literally started this today, and this is what I have:
It's a ridiculously-looking armature made of a clever thing called ZSpheres, which is a procedural base mesh generation technique. You basically make a skeleton in the vague shape of what you want to create. Then, at the press of a button, you get a workable topology, like this:
It's far from perfect. The ZSphere topology is still an issue; in certain areas, it tends to create creases with awful flow. So you have a couple of choices at this point:
- You can subdivide it several times to have more geometry to work with, and ignore or edit out the creases (the former giving you artifacts later, and the latter being more work than you want to do).
- You can use the result as a guide for traditional modeling, but that's only good when you have a solid concept of what you're making (I don't).
- You can ZRemesh it, which is basically ZBrush trying to figure out a decent topology (and you can guide the flow, which is lovely). This is good for a starting point, or for simple objects; you'll always want to manually retopologize later.
- You can Dynamesh it. This is a fancy thing where ZBrush generates a dense, workable mesh made of quads only, and it's based on the object's volume, rather than topological flow. This is perfect when you want to rapidly prototype something and start adding details sooner. But because the mesh becomes very dense, even in areas that don't need much geometry, this is very heavy on your system memory. You can also quickly redynamesh if you stretched some quads, and it will regenerate the distorted areas perfectly. You can also do simple boolean operations, and even insert existing meshes into the remeshing calculations. This method is great when you want to experiment/don't know what the hell you're doing. Pretty much like playing with actual clay. Except you can hit CTRL+Z - several times - anytime you want. C:
MAGIC!
I think I'll go with the Dynamesh path, since I basically don't know what the hell I'm doing, and it'll make it easier for me to add missing things later. Like the horns, the type of which I still haven't decided on.
Also this pose is a mostly relaxed one, which is important. You don't want to sculpt tensed up muscles; it wouldn't look natural in posing. And it additionally makes things easier to pose later, since noodles fly, like A LOT.
And ALSO, I had this cool idea to make this noodle able to change size at will. Because magic. And fun. And cute. And badass. The sizes would range from maybe around 30 centimeters, up to like a kilometer or so.
Now, if you really read all this - congrats! XD
Comments
tchaikovsky2
Pixologic is about to release ZBrush Core, which is supposedly a more streamlined version of the program. It has a milder learning curve, and it's stripped of some more advanced, non-essential functions (dunno which ones tho). They still haven't said anything more, but there is a possibility that it'll be cheaper (and a lot of people hope it will actually be free, which wouldn't be a huge surprise tbh because Pixologic is love, Pixologic is life). SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO LOOK INTO THAT. Or just, you know, yarrrr.
tchaikovsky2
Excellent! I am working on him a bit more at this very moment! Kinda. Just took a small break, and decided to reply to comments in the meantime. X3 Expect an update soon! :D
Randochi
To own that program... :( very high goal of mine. It's very nice to have such a seamless conversion for modeling. People like me have to work much harder for stuff of that nature in the first picture. Your model looks very nice so far. Maya is such a terrible program to model in. I'm glad i have found a couple other programs, including the one you referred me in the past (Sculptris) then just import the models in later.
Diego P
I'm so excited to see the process on this guy!!
tchaikovsky2
ZSpheres are love. ZSpheres are life. I know how cumbersome it can be to traditionally model organic forms. Maybe you should try Sculptris, if you haven't already? Then you can sculpt a model with all the details, and build the topology in Maya around that. Then just do a projection to generate a displacement or normal map. OTHERWISE JUST GET ZBRUSH BECAUSE HOLY CRAP IT IS MADE OF LOVE AND MAGIC
Graye
I really read all of this, because I am totally unfamiliar with Zspheres and am very interested in them now. I've only ever tried working in Maya with more or less traditional modeling techniques-- which can kind of be a pain for realizing organic shapes with the curves you want! So this is pretty neat stuff. Woo!
