Not done, but progress has been made.

Here is the diorama with a simple three point lighting setup. I think it's coming out kinda mediocre. I'm trying to mimic lighting setups I'm seein on gameartisans.org and I'm learning but it's slow.

Any pointers on lighting a small scene like this?

Also, this is the last week and if I could get you to fill out Evaluation Part 2 (page 12 and 13) I would be much obliged. I'm emailing you the form again just incase you misplaced it since last time. Thanks.

Good cash for clunkers candidate right here

So I've been studying my car and how it's corroded over the years. I've also been looking at some of the heaps I see at work. I think I'm coming up with a much more convincing 30 year old car.

I've only got the one side started. I've still got to get the paint corrosion on there again and tweak the rust a bit. I want to put reflection on the windows to hide the fact that they aren't opaque.

We're getting down to the wire. This project is due next Tuesday (24th) and due to time constraints unfortunately I think this project might have been whittled down to a really nice car with the best texture I've ever done and a bike set up in a micro scene like this:

I really don't like what I've just typed. I sound like one of "them" in my other classes. I know I've learned a tremendous amount this past 8 weeks but I set a goal and I'm falling, in my eyes, way short.

I'm going to try and get this thing to where it should be in the next week. I'll probably have to step on peoples toes at both work and in school but this project is the most important project I've done in this school and I need to get it done.

New Car UVW

I've redone the car uvw. All body panels are now separate so their color can differenciate from the other side. Also now the unique characteristics, such as rust, won't mirror to the other side. Windows are separate, tread is condensed to 1 tiling frame, grille isn't overlapped onto itself anymore, etc. I think this is a more efficient use of texture space also. I have to go to work in a few so I'll start the texturing tonight.

Diet Bike

I got the bike trimmed down. I think you were absolutely right. The lowered poly count doesn't seem to effect the overall look of it. Although the chain and sprockets were epic.

1282 Polygons
Lots and Lots of polys....

Car mostly textured

I spent the better part of the last 5 hrs working on the texture of the car. I know it's coming along slowly but I can tell that I am getting faster at it. Faster being a relative term...

The car didn't look right being over 30 years old so I dirtied it up quite a bit. Adding rust along the bottom edges, rain streaks from the plastic trim, oxidized paint, etc.

I feel good about the project, I feel like there is finally time to devote to it rather than working on it an hour here and there. Good times indeed.

Bike Model

The bike is just about done. I spend a few polys on it but I think I'll have a bike in the scene even closer to the viewer than the car so I felt that the extra polygons were nessecary. If you think otherwise I don't think it would be very time consuming to drop it down to about half.

3518 Polygons

6356 Triangles

For the texture I was thinking that this old of a bike has probably had a new coat of paint or something put on it at some time in its life but that was years ago and the old paint is showing through in places. Maybe red over green or flat black over yellow or blue. I'll do some experimenting and come up with something.

Big Big Update

I know I haven't been updating as often as I should, expect more updates in the next few days. I'm planning a few all nighters and possibly taking time off work. I said I'd get done with this project and I really want a nice portfollio piece.

On to the pictures!

2048 x 2048 Texute with AO

UV Unwrap

Car Renders (3ds max default light)

So far I think it's coming out well but I think the car is looking too new. I'm planning on mud splashes in the wheel wells and other misc drippings from 34 years of rain and weather.

Mid Term Evaluation

It's time for the midterm evaluation. As soon as you can I need you to fill out the mid term evaluation. All you need to do is fill out page 11 of the form I just sent you. It's the same form I sent you at the begining of this class. There's only a few questions and they aren't

Testing textures and reflections

I created this small display area for the car to test reflections and play with textures. The textures are basically photo's manipulated a tad in photoshop and passed through Crazy Bump and tweaked. Not final textures by no means but just a test.

Not sure if I want to create all the textures from scratch or use resources such as cgtextures.com

Updated Car Model

I've added a lot of detail to the car since it will become the focal point of the scene. It currently sits at 4,629 polys / 8,682 tris.

I looked for a good car paint tutorial and will post the results of that adventure tomorrow after work. For now I was working with lighting the model and failed misserably with a 3 point setup. It just didn't do the model justice. But in the 3 points defense I probably murphed it.

I did however find a lighting rig tutorial at http://thenexusforums.com/index.php?showtopic=109258&hl and I guess it came out all right. It definitly highlights the surface and shows the irregularities. I've eliminated most of them with some smoothing groups but I think I've taken it as far as the smoothing groups can. I'll need to tweak it some more. I've been working on it all day today, 3 - 9pm so as one of my instructors says "Short and frequent breaks are key to success." so I'm gona relax for a few.

Standard Lighting Renders:

Scene Reference

I've been using a compilation of photos to build my scene.

I'm not 100% sure which street I'll use but I'm leaning toward this one.

This photo has heavily influenced my scene.

Scene Concepts w/place holder objects

As I sit here modeling and arranging I've come to the conclusion that with all my other workload this semester that my plate may be overflowing. I don't want to end up with an unfinished product in the end and this is very distressing to me.

We're shorthanded at work which means I've been working 40 hour weeks instead of the usual 20 hour part time schedule. And this is taking up a big portion of my time.

Car Refrence Material

2574 Poly Model:

The model isn't done yet, I still want to add a grille, tailights, windsheild wipers, and trim.

Reference:

Italian Street Scene Asset List

I want the scene to look fairly populated without having to create 40 assets. This is the tentative asset list that I will be either triming down or fattening up.

Vintage bicycle
Garbage cans
Potted Plants
Cobble stones
Buildings
Water
Wooden chairs
1975 Fiat 127
Small boat
Bench

1975 Fiat 127

Here is the 3d Model of the car I'll be using in the scene. It took me a few hours to model up. I wanted to keep it low poly and create all the detail through texturing techniques. I know I could model up a 10k poly car but this project is more for learning how to texture correctly and efficiently.

842 Polys

I've included the wireframe in hopes that if there is anything wrong with the geometry which could lead to difficulties in texturing that you would be able to spot them. The model is unwrapped right now but I'm going to wait on texturing until I know that everything is ready.

Capstone Project

For my capstone project I've decided to create a scenic Italian road. The view will be looking down a narrow road with a brook adjacent to it. The road will be coming down toward the viewer with an apex aprox half way down the view. I plan to place a small car and a bicycle or two off to the side and some buildings and a small wall into the scene. Scetches/3d placeholder views will soon follow.

3D Monster Truck

I created this truck in 3D studio max 2009 in just under 6 hours. It's 7,406 polys. It's modeled after a little "Grave Digger" toy (without the body) that I have sitting on my desk. I would like to texture and rig it but since it's finals week, that might have to wait until a later day.

Click the picture for a higher resolution.

Youtube video of above truck.

Rendered scenes from our Unreal Tournament 2k4 mod

Security Office

Bathroom with sample textures.

Unreal Tournament 2k4 Mod Assets

Some of the assets for our Unreal 2k4 mod. Everything in the game is less than 400 polys with most being under 350.

As always, click for higher res.

1969 Dodge Challenger set up for Drag Racing (Big meats in the rear, pizza cutters up front). This was done in 3D Studio Max 8 and was a project for advanced 3D modeling class. It's 3,372 polys and was the first vehicle I've done in 3D.

Click pictures for higher res.

My Mission Statement

I want to create great games. I know that sounds kinda cliche but that is exactly what I want to do. There isn't any other way to state it. I want to make games that on one hand, the player eagerly wants to play and advance through, and on the other hand doesn't want to end. I'd like the player to play the games I've worked on with as much or even more enthusiasm and excitement as I had making them. And when the game has been won, I want them to start over and enjoy it again and again finding the things they didn't discover the first time around.

I remember when I was a kid, playing my NES, I must have beaten The Legend of Zelda 20 times. Each time was just as epic and memorable as the last. I can also remember trying and trying to beat Blaster Master. I played the first 7 levels a countless number of times, sharpening and refining my skills over an over in the hopes that I could reunite the main character with his beloved mutated radioactive pet frog. In the end, I could never do it. But to this day I remember that game like I never stopped playing it.

These are the types of feelings I want the players of my games to experience. Just because the game has ended doesn't mean the experience should.