Handheld Games Design: A Retrospect!

Well, this module was completed just before Christmas.  Of all the modules I did during last term, I spent the most work on Advanced Modelling Portfolio, and unfortunately Handheld Games Design got left in the dust slightly.  However I got my marks back and I did receive a 2:1, which is good enough.  More importantly I learnt alot through the feedback that was given; texturing has never been my strong point (as you will see..) but I feel the modelling is becoming one of my strongest skills.  The silhoettes of these handheld characters is intended to be strong, because the game res is so low.  Intricate texturing becomes visual noise, and the detail is lost. Same problem with silhoettes, so this character design workflow for handheld must be kept concise and simpler than those of normal game resolution character designs.

The beauty sheet shows individual developments of the character, including texture sheet, silhoette and original concept. And of course the final piece at game resolution.  I really spent alot of time trying to get the body to look correct, and similar to the original concept. The hair was kind of a new thing for me to try.. and I guess it didn’t really work out as well as I’d hoped. But I know that I am learning from all this and that’s mostly what counts (to me! ) Another noobie mistake I made was I set the texture resolution way too low, at 128×128, when it should have been 256×256 – always check what resolution limits you have before beginning these projects, as that is so important – it can make or break the design when it comes to viewing it on the chosen handheld platform.

My personal favourite handheld console = Nintendo DS. It has every game I could ever wish to play on there, Phoenix Wright, Pokemon, Final Fantasy and the games always try something fresh and new with the designs.

Emma

Advanced Modelling Portfolio – Stage 3 to Completion!

Hello everyone!

I have completed my advanced modelling portfolio module now, and actually have something worth sticking in my portfolio! So I guess the module was a success as far as that goes. I feel pretty good about everything that I did and hope that I continue to improve the way I have.

This construction sheet shows each basic step of the workflow. It shows my full sculpt, the low poly wireframe and the final product with the material on.

When I first started the project, the way I wanted it all to pan out I was still uncertain of.. but as time went by the goal of it all became much more clearer. Texturing was an interesting problem as I hadn’t properly thought about what colours and exact designs I wanted to create. Here are the final texture sheets:

I also managed to get it into Unreal, which was extremely easy to set up. Wow, I was astonished. There I was at 6am thinking how hard it was going to be and it took me no time at all. Thanks Epic <3

The finished product!

Enjoy!

- Emma

Advanced Modelling Portfolio, Full Challenge – Stage Two

The base mesh is near enough complete now! Different coloured elements to distinguish between the different areas of my little beastie. I added rider reigns and a seat to give him more of a purpose.

Next stage is Zbrush sculpting, woohooo!

(small update, sorry)

Emma

 

Advanced Modelling Portfolio, Full Challenge – Stage One

Hello everyone!

For this section of the module I have to concept and create a 3d creature for the Dominance War IV competition (I know it’s over, it’s just our assignment.. ).  For a while I was tossing back and forth between many ideas, some of which were just too unfunctional to carry out with my current abilities. I finally settled on an idea which I haven’t attempted before, and so I am going to create a ‘Scarab Lord’ that is a Norm (as it’s a living beetle creature) with clericon powers (powers to heal/weaken enemies/use magic as it’s strength to bowl down hoardes of enemies). It’s wings will be armored and covered in magical runes. I also want to add scrolls to it’s side, to add to the mystism of the creature.

This is my reference sheet of the kind of colours and designs I want to use on it’s armor. I’ll be following a typical scarab beetle reference for modelling.

I have begun modelling and the main bulk of the base mesh is complete, I just need to round alot of edges off, add details to certain areas and fix the inner wing!

A kinda old (legs aren’t modelled here) top view silhoette of the creature, so you get a better idea:

Updates to come!

Emma

Advanced Modelling Portfolio: Mini Challenge Complete!

I had alot of fun with this! I am slowly understanding the kinds of techniques to use when texturing in different programs (I am a beginner at texturing). For this I used Zbrush and Photoshop CS3 to texture (mainly Zbrush’s polypaint tool, as I find it much more intuitive and easy to use, you can really go to town on something and make it look great)

Bigger picture here: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v605/VivaEmm0r/VespiraSeascale_render1-2.jpg

I really enjoyed sculpting this one too.

Advanced Modelling Portfolio: Mini Challenge!

Dominance War 4 Mini-Challenge

For my Advanced Modelling Portfolio module we are required to do a mini-challenge for week 3 of my course and then a full challenge for week 11 of my course. Of course I decided to go for the character modelling/sculpting challenge as I do enjoy this alot and want to improve my technical skills in that area.. We have to take one of three base meshes provided from the Dominance War (http://www.dominancewar.com) challenge and turn it into a War General of any type.

I got the idea from Ursula in the Little Mermaid. Also the stereotypical idea of a large woman on an english beach, which is what made me choose those (ghastly) colours – they remind me of an old seaside resort postcard! However I am going to play around with colours more when I’ve finished sculpting. She will probably end up a colour more sea-like (green/orange/blue)

I made a good start on sculpting..

I’ve not sculpted clothing in Zbrush before so as you can see her bikini isn’t looking great at the moment. This is at 5 levels of division in Zbrush – it is barely finished, but I have just added in some of the main elements. Also trying to work out how to do the eyes. But hurray for boobs and lips right?

Handheld Games Design: Phaelous the Owl Beauty Render

Art test one complete, this was a practise, and it was very enlightening.. it was just over half what our limit was (500 tris) but have I made the most of those polys? *reflection*

Well, in the time I spent on this, I had fun and learnt somethings so.. that’s all that matters for now right?

Emma

Handheld Games Design: Owly

And so it starts!

Right well this week we were assigned 2 tasks: to do 2 art tests for this coming Thursday, one of an owl and one of a desk (both need to be under 700 tris). I have started work on my owl, and finished the modelling, currently just unwrapping it (I could get so much more done if my back/neck weren’t aching like hell..)

So I know my owl is a little chubbier.. but he is only 286 tris (not including the sphere). Texturing is going to be fun, I love the little designs all over our concept owl. Seeing as I am in the tri-budget, maybe I will curl his wings round him a little more.

Progress to come.

Emma

My Progress with Tiku

I didn’t manage to finish Tiku, however I made some progress with her. I imagine I will work on her further once I have fixed my computer, but for now here is the progress I got (warning: it’s not much!)

So that’s how far I got.. I believe I worked on the back leg alot more because it just isn’t accurate to how I want it in this picture but didn’t have a screenshot of that.

Emma

Results of my 2nd year!

Hello!

Haven’t updated in a long time. This is due to Summer holidays/searching for job/seeing friends/being on holiday.. Today I am going to post up my results that I got for my second year at university!

Facial Modelling – 12/15

Computer Games Design – 2A 12/15

Multiplayer Online Gaming – 11/15

Body Modelling – 10/15

Computer Games Design 2B – 8/15

Character Rigging – 7/15

Computer Animation – 7/15

Character Animation – 7/15

All in all I am pretty pleased with the results, I passed into the final year – now I need to get cracking on some solid ideas for my Final Year Project!

- Emma