What is your modelling technique to ...

[quakergamer]

Hello all,
I was wondering what technique you guyz are using the get the lowest polygons possible on your model.

Also if you could show me a model that uve made using that technique and the poly count

Thanks

[Scorpio]

well first of all....do not use Splines. (splines make the model smooth and are used for human characters, ect.) so they increase the poly count a bunch.
what i use, in this order: shapes, loft, extrude, boolean.

[Stalker]

If you're modelling in 3D MAX you can use Optimize modifier

[quakergamer]

Hehehe ive used new max 5 mesh tools (SO NICE)

And look

http://www.multimania.com/quakergamer1/mig23_test1.jpg

538 polies


http://www.multimania.com/quakergamer1/mig23_test2.jpg
968 polies

Check urself .

[quakergamer]

If you're modelling in 3D MAX you can use Optimize modifier

Well this modifier is good BUT it can fck up ur model. What I do is that i use the BREAK command on Editable Mesh and it will "delete" the verctice. This works fine but sometimes it will delete faces too u just have to do Ctrl+z or redo the edge

[KTottE]

I never use polycrunchers, optimizers or similar tools.
The first thing one needs to learn is to plan the model. Don't just start with the windshield and work your way up, since that's the quickest way of ending up with 13 000 polys on an airplane (Yes Scorpio, I'm looking in your direction  )
If it's a very squared off vehicle (like the TGB vehicles I'm working on) it's pretty smart to make a very square model of the main body. Save that as: mBody_model or something, then add tons of detail and save that as the highest res LOD.
Then go back to mBody_model and make the lower res LODs.
That's a very efficient way of creating good looking lower res LODs, but keep the main structure of the original vehicle.

[Eviscerator]

making apcs can be the easiest thing for keeping things low poly, especially if they are in the btr family as everything is angled, i normally make the rough shape with box's but weld them so they are 1 vertice thick(but still two sided faces) then once i have the rough shape i then weld all the boxes together and fill in any gaps, so you have one smooth model for the body, normally about 200 polygons for a normal apc, then using blueprints i map out the details, then look at photos to understand what the blueprints are showng, then using the blueprints i move the mapped out details onto the model and get them looking accurate, then once youve finished you just use that as your first lod, then slowly remove the details, probably in 500-1000 polygon steps is best, then once you get really low, for things like tracks, replace the wheels in the tracks with much lower poly models, also replace detailed gun barrels with plain cylinders, and on the last lod get rid of the tracks and replace with just a plain outline model of the tracks, and fit that, well thats how ive been doing it lately anyway and i find it gives very good results

[SelectThis]

One problem with welding two faces together is if you want to put different textures on each side (eg outer skin and inner skin). I find it easier to use two seperate layers for the outer and inner skins. This can be more fiddly due to seams and stuff but gives you greater flexibility in the long run.

Lightwave has a pretty good poly reduction function, which lets you maintain the edges of objects (eg doors, windscreens). It's important to plan the model with the reduction in mind though. (also very useful for doing the lower face count LODs).

SelectThis

[Eviscerator]

yeah ive only used that technique on apcs where the inside face isnt needed

[quakergamer]

Ok but what u guyz using to make itnerior on exterior vehicles ?

[SelectThis]

TO make interiors I make the outer shell first, then copy and paste, reverse the normals and shrink a little to fit inside the outer shell.

SelectThis

[quakergamer]

Coool ill do this now . What Ive did was stupid booleans and those deleted faces that were very important and I ahd tro redo them. Never tried to inverse the model.


BUT it doubles (almost ) the poly count no  ?

[Scorpio]

Coool ill do this now . What Ive did was stupid booleans and those deleted faces that were very important and I ahd tro redo them. Never tried to inverse the model.


BUT it doubles (almost ) the poly count no  ?

well yes, but you would have any choice. You can copy and paste the outer model into another window, reverse the normals, work on the textures in there, and then copy and paste it back to the your outer model.

[quakergamer]

YEa this could be good and it would maek it easier. but fo rmost interiors it works fine but choppers interior need to use that techinque

[Cedaie]

Booleans, lol never use them, after about 4 or 5 boolean adds yes, you will start to lose vertices with in the concaves, use 'em lose 'em, a better way to do it would be to use Splines, to create your box, and make another Spline of your choice, attach them together, then extrude, the smaller one inside the box will be the hole you want.

Cheers ;D

btw

but weld them so they are 1 vertice thick

more than 1 vertex is called a vertice, 1 vertex is called a....vertex...hmm.

also, splines don't increase polycount, no unless your too lazy enough to choose Corners under the Line creation, in MAX.  If you don't create curves you don't have a problem.

CHeers again ;D