Page 2 of 3

Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 12:55 am
by christianclavet
Hi, Thanks for the info. I'll try FBX once I done test animation (in some weeks when the teacher will demonstrate it)

Worked on my chesspieces today at school. Deadline is the 25th of this month. I will return on some details later if I have time. I want to complete the entire set.

The warrior on the horse with the accessories. Will reprensent the "Knight" chess piece.
Image
bigger size (1680x1050): http://www.clavet.org/files/images/SpartanHorse2.JPG

Now the "Pawn" chesspiece: (IF I have more time, I'll try to setup the character in a more aggressive pose. I find it too "relaxed".)
Image
bigger size (1680x1050): http://www.clavet.org/files/images/SpartanPawn.JPG

Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 1:27 am
by Halifax
I agree, it does not seem to aggresive. Quite possibly you could keep the pose in which he has his shield there, but change it so his spear is in a "cocked" position. Like pulled back, as if he is about to strike or something. That's just my suggestion. :lol:

Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 11:30 am
by christianclavet
I want to reposition the body as it will not stand but like "|" but stand like this "/", so one leg must go further in back, the back must tilt forward much more.

As in '300', the spartan warrior move his buckle up, then hit with his spear from the bottom. So the weapon must be position to come from a low position.

I think if I position it correctly, since there lots of pawns in a chesspiece they will look very "spartan" and cool! :D

Next characters to do:
The tower -> A small hill with a spartan warrior at top ready to throw his spear.

The King -> No helmet, so we'd see my interpretation of the actor face (King Leonidas) in a hero pose (kind of "Hercules" pose, both hands touching the waist, chest out, smile in is face)

The Queen - Women in robe as the Spartan queen

The bishop -> '300' priests (ugly guys with robes)

The fool - The hunchback in '300' with his uniform (given by the Persian)

Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 3:45 pm
by vermeer
My main issue with the model is...the question, i did not want to make direct, but you told me with the dog model, you really prefer ppl say advices if they seem to help improve your models, so sorry if was not expected. (is not hard to see ppl getting pissed off 'cause one points out sth...You don't seem like th type. I usually just shutup and keep my knowledge (I mean, in a big percentage, not in absolute terms...) )

And the question is if it is stylized model or realistic. If aim for realism, some important problem in abdominals, hand, upper leg muscle. Only reason could be you may aim for the sort of greek art you'd see in plates of fights of the times, you known, the red and black styles (dunno teh way to say in english (quite foreign language for me)) If that stylization is there for that, no comments (other than would not much resemble that ancient style so much) . If is your own stylizing, then , ok as well.is what jumps out more. Am a drawing person since child, if u want I can draw what could drastically improve it in a realistic point of view. If is your non-real style, forget all the bunch of garbage I just said.
christianclavet wrote:I want to reposition the body as it will not stand but like "|" but stand like this "/", so one leg must go further in back, the back must tilt forward much more.
seriously true: weight , strength, advancing expression. Way to go and well seen.
As in '300', the spartan warrior move his buckle up, then hit with his spear from the bottom. So the weapon must be position to come from a low position.
not seen the film, dunnot know how these men did fight.
Another very interesting warrios was the special guard of Alexander, that crossed all middle east in I think, retreat from persian atacks, doing a real heroic trip, it's told they were quite...special dudes.
I think if I position it correctly, since there lots of pawns in a chesspiece they will look very "spartan" and cool! :D

The idea behind it all is neat. As well as that game project. You have very good ideas: outstanding for game design, level design. I hope you show your teachers and future companies all your projects.Show quite of a lot of potential in the creative side, imo.And that's not that common.

more a gressive pose, some tips:


- Hand:That hand pose could be similar if were to throw at large distance.To charge it needs to be strongly grabbed. Whrist flexed to the inside, lot of strenght, and as ur not animating, maybe even some modelling detail to add muscles in tension in that pose.
Rig finger tight to the stick. Not floating with space inbetween. that shows no strenght at all, pluse the "puppet" effect.

- shield. Probably bad inclination. think of more so: \

-legs, could be posed in a way were one is like putting heavy weight solid points for a heavy charge.maybe not at same line, maybe one way back to allow resist a counter charge or give way more energy to the actual atack.

(btw, maybe weapon could have stick bit thinner...)

-the kind of muscles definition if more real and in the exact torsion could help a lot in the expression of strenght and dinamism.

-all time talking about the infantry guy. I have monitor too dark, and lazy to adjust all again... lol


let me know if you think that fast drawing i'd make would be helpful or not

Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:00 pm
by MasterGod
You know christianclavet, your models can be used for a very cool Irrlicht chess game and not just cool looking models 8)

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 1:30 am
by christianclavet
Hi, Here my updates for today.

- Found out that the horse legs were a little too short
- corrected the pose of the pawn piece to be more dynamic and aggressive
- Created the tower chesspiece and posed the character (A little hill with a spartan at the top with a spear)

Here are the pics:
Image
(1680x1050) http://www.clavet.org/files/images/SpartanHorse3.JPG

Image
(1680x1050)http://www.clavet.org/files/images/SpartanPawn1.JPG

Image
(1680x1050) http://www.clavet.org/files/images/SpartanTower.JPG

Vermeer, Yes, If your willing to give me some infos. I would be a fool to refuse! I'm learning modeling now, so any advice is good to take.

For the current thing, I have some constraints:
- Time limited: Must be completed for the 25th this month (all chesspieces)
- Using only 3DS with what we'd learn in class (Texturing was not demonstrated, and I use basic 3DS materials now)
- This should look like a custom chesspiece. Not a real human (but If you have good element to point out to make it more realistic, Id be willing to know (I will problably refine the character even more AFTER this assignment)

For using it in a IRRlicht game. It would be cool. I'll put my completed meshes on my site with a link to retrieve them if someone is interested to use them for a game (Will probably need to look for copyright issue because the models are based from a movie '300'.)

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 2:11 am
by Halifax
Wow, christianclavet, you work so fast. I never knew that a modeler could work so fast, because those models are great! I even love the one with the spartan atop the hill, and that is a great accent with the grey circular base.

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 8:19 am
by arras
vermeer did mention realism and even if you seem to not aim for it too much and your warrior is highly stylized just few tips :wink: :

-spear is quit fantastic (but you probably know that)

-hood was much longer (very long) and was warped around whole body not just fastened around neck with spoon. Beside in times your warrior is from (I guess from helmet stile its at around Persian wars) Spartiates would not wear it in to combat.

-they did not use hand guards

-that underwear is totally fantastic. They would eighter fight naked or in armor suit called panoply in which case he would wear short skirt or nothing at all under it.

-they fought (and mostly also walked) bare feet. Only peace of cloth Lakedaimonian was allowed to wear was his hood ...the same one in summer and winter alike. They were even not cleaning it.

-they mostly had beards and were known for long hairs which they adjusted in to special style typical only for Lakedaimonians.

vermeer's Alexanders elite soldier is probably hipaspist. Its not entirely known what he did looks like.
As in '300', the spartan warrior move his buckle up, then hit with his spear from the bottom. So the weapon must be position to come from a low position.
Spear was used exclusively for trusting overhand newer from under hand. Thats because they fought in tightly packed ranks and if he would trust his spear from under, he would wound his mate behind him. Also They were taught to aim for vulnerable spots like neck. From under he could trust only in to the big and heavy shield of his foe. Do not trust all movies you see. Especialy not those made in Hollywood :P

Here are some pictures of Lakedaimonians:
king Leonidas statue:
Image

Spartan is one on the left. It shows how they used their cloaks and also their distinct hairstyle is seen (those 4 locks of hair on the sides). Rest of the warriors are hoplites from other Greek states:
Image

Nice work regardless of your stylization :)

And suggestion for your "tower": you could make it in form of Greek catapult, balistae or some other siege equipment (siege tower may be, with your warrior on top) :)

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 11:58 am
by christianclavet
Wow! Thanks for that info Arras. It's very instructive!

I'm basing my Spartan on the Frank Miller novel (Dark Horse), that was made into a movie. Its not accurate on the actual history, it's a stylised novel.

Here is a pic from one of the book at Dark Horse:
Image

Looking at that, I will probably redo my spear... I didnt had a good reference, but found this pic this morning... :D

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 12:34 pm
by arras
Yea I know book and film. Very nice graphics and style. However quit stylized and this including whole story. I recommend reading Homer in case you are interested in real one :)

As for spears, head used was made of iron in shape of long leaf. Spear also had bronze spike at the bottom which protected it from rooting when touching ground. It also could be used as reserve head in case spear broke ...which happened fairly often. Bronze spike was in shape of long and thin 4 sided pyramid.

Spear itself was made of one strait peace of wood.

One more point, your warrior is missing sword. That was quit important piece of equipment of every Greek warrior.
Two types were common. One was type you can see on that king statue, second was cuttlas like with curved one sided blade.

Good luck with your project.
Btw: is it your first human body modeling attempt?

Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 1:24 am
by christianclavet
Hi, Working now on two important chesspieces: The King Leonidas and the Queen. I've got to show them without helmet, so I've tried to make them similar to the actor faces. (Arras: This is my first attemps at realistic character in 3DS, before I Lightwave 3D my character where ugly, was not able to properly control the poly flow)

King Leonidas:
Image
1680x1050 version http://www.clavet.org/files/images/Leonidas.jpg

Image
1680x1050 version http://www.clavet.org/files/images/Leonidas1.jpg

Spartan Queen:
Image
1680x1050 version http://www.clavet.org/files/images/Queen.jpg

Image
1680x1050 version http://www.clavet.org/files/images/Queen1.jpg

Theses are not totally completed and still need some more work (WIP)

Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 1:53 pm
by MasterGod
I love the SpartanHorse3.JPG model. It's so awesomely fierce :D

P.S
King == cute :)
Queen == Scary :twisted:
lol, but seriously, all of your models are amazing, and in the amount of time it took you to make them. Wow.

Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 3:54 pm
by christianclavet
Thanks.

Today. I've tried to install B3D Pipeline and export one mesh. I model the mesh at human scale (inches) in 3DS and used B3D Pipeline to export as a B3D.

I was very surprised that the mesh seem to be in good scale in IRRlicht when loaded in my FKEditor.
Image

In Lightwave, I had to scale up to 80x times the scale to have a good scale in IRRlicht.

I'll have to check if B3D Pipeline can export the polygons surface colors (at least) until the teacher show us on how to create UV Maps.

I'm also surprised that the mesh with that details render still very fast in IRRlicht (Considering that I only have an GeForce 4MX inside my computer, it rendered that at more than 60FPS (I limit the FPS rate at 60, because for an editor, there is no need to put the GPU+CPU at the max for displaying the scene)
Here is a link to the B3D Mesh, load it in FKEditor or IRRedit, it still render fast: http://www.clavet.org/files/Storage/Knight.b3d

Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2008 9:22 pm
by arras
This is my first attemps at realistic character in 3DS
Much better than my first one. Keep it up :)

Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 12:47 am
by christianclavet
Ok. Got to deliver the project tomorrow morning. I'm still not finished yet with the Bishop Piece. I've started to put all of them in place and modeled quickly (5 min) a Chess board to put them on.

Here the current look:
Image
1680x1050 version http://www.clavet.org/files/images/ChessPieces2.jpg

Image
1680x1050 version http://www.clavet.org/files/images/ChessPieces1.jpg

Image
1680x1050 version http://www.clavet.org/files/images/ChessPieces3.jpg