help me.
honestly where did i go wrong and how can i improve?
>>523764
here's a side view
i tried to model it from scratch. i don't know how i got from quads to triangles.
well if you dont want triangles just delete edges and redraw them until there are no triangles.
Are you using image plane references?
>>523768
yeah i had a picture of a dog i was using. maybe i need to go back to basics it's been over a year since i've attempted to model anything. is there any good sites where i can refresh myself for free?
>>523764
Can't really tell you where you've gone wrong when there's not much to go on. What is the aim for your model? Animation? Game Asset? Still Render? I'm going to assume Game Asset from the low poly style.
One thing that jumps out to me are the eyes, as they look like Ngons. I use Max, but assume Blender has a way to draw some edges for a nicer topology. Or simply make the eyes part of the texture, depends on purpose.
Need to focus on neat edge loops. Try welding vertices where you can so you get quads. In the area I've circled you could eliminate those two tris by simply welding the bottom vert to the top.
Did you start from the Dog's front paws, perchance? Looks like you started high poly then changed your mind by the body.
>>523777
thank you i've been doing that for about an hour now. yeah i'm working on it for a low poly game. i actually started with the head and every thing was going great i took a break yesterday and saved it and when i loaded it today the mesh was all messed up so i've been fixing it slowly. i'm thinking about starting over since it's just so much of a hastle. what's a good starting shape for a low-poly dog and what part of the model should i make first. head, body or legs?
>>523777
been working for about an hour and this is how far i've gotten. the head is just too complicated if i chance anything it will deform and look weird but i want to animate it later and it not look like crap. is there any saving this or should i just start from scratch
>>523777
sorry also yeah the eyes are ngons they're placeholders so i can see what it would look like with eyes. gonna scrap them and make new ones when i fix the body.
>>523779
That's already an improvement. However if you want to start from scratch then it's an option. Should be easier now as you've already got the basic mesh shape, just trace over what you've done with a neater topology
In terms of modeling, generally you'd do the head last or even entirely separate by making sure that there's a matching number of verts on the head's neck, and the body's neck before joining them together.
With modeling always go from big to small, so starting with the body, then extrude out legs, tail etc.
Can't offer much advice from rigging, except that triangles won't do you any favors.
>>523785
is there a reason to do the head last or separately? i normally start with the body when i can but is there some reason the head is a bad starting place?
well i took a break and then i redid the entire head the ears were to hardest part to redo and get right. how does it look?
ok i added eyes, changed a few things, and rendered it. i'm trying to make a game in the style of banjo kazooie with animals with cartooney proportions and eyes. what do you guys think of this model so far?
>>523818
Good work man.
I think your model is good to go. Not amazing or anything but I think the form is well done.
>>523786
Generally you model from low detail out into high detail. Face can sometimes be high detail so it's easier to start out with the simpler parts first. It doesn't massively matter at the end of the day if you're not under any constraints.
>>523818
Looks good, topology definitely improved. If you're aiming for Rareware style then giant googly eyes are a must (pic related).
Would be interesting to see the final textured version.
NOOOOOOO!!
what have i done!
I... I've never textured a model before... i had no idea it could go so wrong.
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
>>523863
Shit is that Wonderdog?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuRnwMQkCmY
>>523864
it wasn't supposed to be. i'm dieing. supposed to be a cartoon blue heeler dog but that texture is just awful. what color should i make it?
>>523764
>>523863
OP, take the time to properly setup a nice Startup file with a basic 3 point lighting setup, a couple generic HDRIs, some materials you use all the time (diffuse + glossy fresnel mix, or Cynikatpro's really nice materials), and so on.
Anyway, as far as the model goes, needs better topology, needs more detail (both wear and tear, as well as character).
Cartoony is good and fine, and low poly is good and fine, but that's no excuse not to bake high poly details into the low poly model. Don't get stuck fixating on the limitations and shortcomings of that era, focus on the style and intent, ask yourself what they'd have done with today's tools to achieve the kind of stylized look they want while still adhering to sensible polygon constraints.
Also, it sounds like you don't have a clear concept in your head and that's tripping you up. You're asking yourself and us questions like 'what color should it be?', well do a sketch and/or compile a bunch of relevant art and pictures, and come up with something.
Keep at it OP, you're doing good.
>>523870
thank you for the encouragement. i'll level with you, i'm a complete amateur. this is the first model i've actually completed fully and the first one i've attempted to texture. i'm not ready to use materials just yet so i'm just messing around with colors. here is my progress so far. it's not bad as a start but i'll definately go back and rework it later. but i'd say once i rig it it's a good starting point for my game. here's how it looks currently. gonna keep workin on it till i pass out tonight.
>>523870
wow 3 point lighting really helped. i took your advice and arranged some lights and retextured some spots that looked weird. i'm pretty happy with how it came out for now. thanks for the advice.
>>523871
that uv map looks kinda wonky, can you post an uv template with visible polygons?
>>523872
did you... just place 3 lights at random or did you look up how to do it?
>>523874
yeah i messed up the uv by painting before i applied the mirror modifier and i was so far along i just decided to finish. i'm taking a break and then i'll completely redo the texturing.
>>523875
yeah i looked it up. i did it exactly how it told me to in the tutorial. sorry if it's wrong or it looks odd.
>>523871
>i'm not ready to use materials just yet
The Node Editor is daunting at first but once you get used to it, it's fun and easy and powerful.
Another thing to do with your Startup (btw just to be clear, I literally mean setup a .blend how you'd want for every project then File -> Save as Startup) is make custom layouts
Ctrl Arrow Left, or Right will cycle through Layouts; it's a really fast and easy way to swap between node editor, anmating, scripting, etc
Also shift + space will maximize a window temporarily
Try doing one of those shitty youtube tutorials on Glossy Fresnel, it'll make a huge difference. So will having a nice HDRI for lighting, or even just a Sky Texture for your World lighting
>>523886
thank you that was very helpful. i'll try dabbeling into the node editor later probably tomorrow but for now i'm gonna rig this thing. should i do animations in blender and import them or just do the animations in unity?
>>523874
here is my UV map that i am currently using. let me know if there is something i can do to optimize it. keep in mind that i'm using a texture that is detailed and i'm trying to hide as seams as much as possible.
>>523893
final update for the night. re-textured everything from scratch. i'll work on it more in the morning. it's 3 am i'm going to bed.
hemilight lits the scene before think any lamps there
>>523929
looks like a spyro character
>>524004
thank you that's exactly what i'm going for.
>>523929
Lol, that actually looks like a nice character
>>524018
thank you. i'm working on a game that will hopefully fill the gap that banjo-kazooie left in me.
>>523929
If you're going to use an emission shader, try this (you can do it without going to Node editor if you want):
Mix Shader (top to Emission, bottom empty or Holdout or Emission (black) ), click the - symbol next to Fac, select Facing, set it to 0.3, set the first Emission shader to Image Texture -> dog_texture_2.png
That'll give it a 90s shaded look and render instantly with no noise (because it's just emissive).
>>524105
thanks, i'll get on that as soon as i'm done learning rigging.
OP for someone new to this stuff you're doing a good job.
>>524115
thanks this is what i want to do with my life and i've finally decided to get semi-serious, buckle down and learn this stuff. hopefully i can finish the game to a sellable/playable state by the end of the year.
really not looking forward to when i have to start using a game engine though. modeling is one thing but i have tried using engines like construct 2 before for small scale 2d games and they were a nightmare. i just hope i can get a grasp on unity quickly.
Ok so i've been at it for a few frustrating days and i have to say, rigging a model is fucking tough. everything was going pretty well until i started messing with painting weights and when i got to the head it warps the head and shrinks it in size when i rotate it but the rest of the bones don't do that they work normally. can anyone tell me what's wrong. i'm really frustrated at this point.
here's an example of the unposed head.
>>524321
and here's an example of the posed head.
please keep in mind from the neck down the bones control the mesh predictably and without this weird shrinking and warping for the most part.
>>524322
also keep in mind it didn't do this to begin with when i first applied the weights by default and the bones are supposed to stay inside the head but for some reason they are moving faster than the mesh when i go to rotate them.
if anyone has any advice it would be greatly appreciated. i still can't figure out what's wrong and there aren't any tutorials on the internet i could find with a similar problem.
>>524322
when a model doesn't move 1:1 with a bone, its usually because that part of the model is weighted to another bone somewhere else. Try clicking on some of the vertices in edit mode and check the sidebar to see which bones its attached to at what weight.
