Character work flow.
by Kevin Mitchell · in Artist Corner · 02/01/2013 (5:21 am) · 5 replies
SO I've been trying some different work flows to get character development to get a fast and good result at the end. I'm just wondering what others think to see if its a feasible flow.
I use DAZ3D for a lot of my character concept art and I would like to have a character system that is similar and simpler that can get me from point A to point Z faster.
This is one reason I wrote my NPC Generator 2.0 I want to have the same ability as I have in DAZ in the game engine. Giving me better flexibility when creating fill in characters.
Currently I have started over about 3-4 times trying to find a fast workable work flow that in the end will leave me with something that I can use and reuse on a prototype level to a complete project level.
My Results looked like this:
High poly DAZ character morphs.
Low poly imitation character morphs.
My first test model had its issues, I did not take poly count into the picture. I also did not take time to make better UV's so this time I plan on slowing down a little to take some time to produce something with better quality.
My flow will be something like this.
It's a bit much but takes about 1 day to do minus going back and improving the envelop for the different morphs targets for the body mass changes.
I'm just wondering if there's anything that someone knows that might be faster than this.
I use DAZ3D for a lot of my character concept art and I would like to have a character system that is similar and simpler that can get me from point A to point Z faster.
This is one reason I wrote my NPC Generator 2.0 I want to have the same ability as I have in DAZ in the game engine. Giving me better flexibility when creating fill in characters.
Currently I have started over about 3-4 times trying to find a fast workable work flow that in the end will leave me with something that I can use and reuse on a prototype level to a complete project level.
My Results looked like this:
High poly DAZ character morphs.
Low poly imitation character morphs.
My first test model had its issues, I did not take poly count into the picture. I also did not take time to make better UV's so this time I plan on slowing down a little to take some time to produce something with better quality.
My flow will be something like this.
- Pick a character race: Male / Female / Elvaan / Dwarf / Animaloid
- Create the base design in DAZ.
- Export Character Object into max.
- Delete all bones leaving just the character in the T-Pose
- Export character to a base Object
- Import the character into 3D Coat with Auto Re-topology limiting the poly count to 1000-1500.
- Export to max.
- Delete half of the mesh.
- Delete hands and reconstruct them.
- Add more details to the flat poly face to include nose, ears, eye sockets, lips, and inner mouth.
- Add symmetry to the mesh.
- Add a Poly Mesh Layer
- Load the High poly model and use confirm brush to align features
- Delete HP Model and delete symmetry layer, loading just the half model with adjusted features.
- Export to blender for Quick UV Maps
- Import into Max
- Add Symmetry Layer and collapse to a single mesh.
- Rig character fully.
- Test Deforms.
- In Daz Render a Front/Back/Top/Bottom/Left render of the character at 3000x3000
- Export Model into Photoshop as a 3D Layer
- Use the Rendered images to piece together body and face texture.
- Save UV Image
- Load Image to model in max
- In DAZ Export the base models with desired morphs (Muscles,Heavy,Thin,ETC)
- In Max add a morph layer to the orginal DAZ Base exported and apply morphs to the character.
- Load the morphing character into the scene with the completed low poly model.
- Create as many clones of the low poly as there are morphs.
- Create a low poly morph target for each of the High poly targets using conform brush and scaling the morph from 0-100%
- Select orginal rigged low poly mesh and apply a morph laer for each morph layer.
- Add Detail Meshes using multi res
- Rename Mesh for Torque with mesh levels 128-64-32-16-8-2
- Add detail dummies, mounts, eye, cam etc.
- Export Character into T3D
It's a bit much but takes about 1 day to do minus going back and improving the envelop for the different morphs targets for the body mass changes.
I'm just wondering if there's anything that someone knows that might be faster than this.
About the author
Riding Solo since 2005. Current Project: Fated World 2005-Present RPG Engine Tool Kit - Now available.
#2
02/02/2013 (1:53 pm)
I've tried splines but it never worked for me. I saw crazy bump in the EAT3D tutorials I'm looking at now. Trying expand my knowledge of useful and common workflow. I've learned so much in the last few hours from the EAT 3D tutorials, I have deffinatly over used ploys and oh my they make rigging make since to me now. I though cloths where additional meshes. Not a different deformation. Looks like there are many ways. I just don't know what to use. 
#3
Splines are great for those sort of models as well as the In-game low-poly characters.
Splines take practice to understand how they are made and used. But once mastered, remember that they are not used for everything.
Some models such as a Fish, Tennis Ball, or Soccer Ball can be made from a Block, while other methods would be used for building a Motor cycle, an Engine, or wood carvings.
Always consider how close the camera will be to the object. If you can achieve a satisfactory illusion of realism with a few hundred polygons, then you've mastered that method.
Wish you the best Kevin. Keep up the good work you do.
02/02/2013 (3:39 pm)
The models in the videos would be useful for cinematic movies in your game because they would need more detail for the movie.Splines are great for those sort of models as well as the In-game low-poly characters.
Splines take practice to understand how they are made and used. But once mastered, remember that they are not used for everything.
Some models such as a Fish, Tennis Ball, or Soccer Ball can be made from a Block, while other methods would be used for building a Motor cycle, an Engine, or wood carvings.
Always consider how close the camera will be to the object. If you can achieve a satisfactory illusion of realism with a few hundred polygons, then you've mastered that method.
Wish you the best Kevin. Keep up the good work you do.
#4
This is an awesome project! A useful one for someone trying to dynamically populate an area with NPCs.
The thing with Random Characters is that a player will distinguish between different textures more easily than slightly different models. There's actually a very distinct part of our brain dedicated to memorizing facial features.
The engine above might be really fun for creating your main character (giving them the exact proportions you desire), but for NPCs, you'd get more out of it by making 10 to 15 meshes (using what you've already built) of greatly varied body types and then using 100's of texture swaps.
The reality is, if you were to keep doing the system you have now, you'd STILL have to make 100s of texture maps because the resulting nuances of the geometry wouldn't exactly convince a player that it's a different character. They're more likely to say "That dude with the red cloak gave me the quest" instead of "The guy with a 5% larger body frame."
02/08/2013 (10:43 am)
(I just stumbled on this randomly)This is an awesome project! A useful one for someone trying to dynamically populate an area with NPCs.
The thing with Random Characters is that a player will distinguish between different textures more easily than slightly different models. There's actually a very distinct part of our brain dedicated to memorizing facial features.
The engine above might be really fun for creating your main character (giving them the exact proportions you desire), but for NPCs, you'd get more out of it by making 10 to 15 meshes (using what you've already built) of greatly varied body types and then using 100's of texture swaps.
The reality is, if you were to keep doing the system you have now, you'd STILL have to make 100s of texture maps because the resulting nuances of the geometry wouldn't exactly convince a player that it's a different character. They're more likely to say "That dude with the red cloak gave me the quest" instead of "The guy with a 5% larger body frame."
#5
02/08/2013 (12:05 pm)
That is exactly my idea. I'm supporting multi-texture selection. As well as multi assets merging. 
Torque 3D Owner Scott Warren
While I can understand your need to reduce the amount of time to make a character from start to finish, the method is working for you.
But have you considered practicing with Splines?
Splines are reusable and easily modified to achieve the basic form of your character model.
Splines will help you keep the polygon count low because in the "Patch" stage you can decide how many rows and columns of polygons you will need to get your results looking good.
Once you've made your Spline Cage it is then saved and safe from your character mesh. You then modify the polygon mesh until your satisfied.
Small details are added with the help of Painting, using Photoshop or GIMP. Try looking into "CrazyBump" to help you with Normal, Specularity, Diffuse, Displacement and Occlusion.
As for faster LOD's for your models, you might try making a single High-Poly model, render the model from various angles, and save the data for use as a replacement for the Texture Paint. You can then use a 3dsMax plugin to reduce the poly-count and apply the Textures as usual.
The results can be quite satisfactory.
1 day to do the amount of work your talking about is actually pretty fast turnaround time.
The method I was talking about takes longer to make the Spline Cage but can be equally fast as your turnout is, afterwards. It also has the benefit of keeping the poly-count low to start with and is easily modified for the next character.