Ivy Vines Continued

I've painted two types of ivy leaf textures which I can apply to the leaf planes. I started with larger canvasses so that I could paint in all the details and then reduced them to 128x128. As these textures will be used on hundreds of planes in the scene, it is best to keep them low, and they are at such a small scale within the scene that they won't appear too pixelated.   

I've also created a texture for the vine, below. 

Here's how the first ivy vine appears with all the textures applied, including the normal maps. 

I've created some different shaped vines which I've grouped and exported as separate objects so that I can apply them to other models easily in both Maya and Unity.  

I used a point light to quickly test out if the normal maps are working. When I move the light around the leaves show the details of the high poly model which I used as a source for my normal map - so it works!

Ivy Progress

Below is the normal map that I produced using the high poly version of my ivy leaf model. I made a couple of adjustments to the image by smoothing/blurring the edges of the leaf to give it a more natural appearance. This is a subtle change but it will show up in the way the lighting affects the finished model.

I've applied the ambient occlusion and normal maps to the low poly/plane version of the leaf model, which gives me a guide as to how the leaves will look so that I can position them before I add the diffuse map. I created a couple of curves (using the EP curve tool) as a guide for the ivy vine and then used the 'snap to curves' tool to position the ivy leaf planes along the vine.  

I've made sure to change the scale of the leaves towards the end of the vine to replicate how ivy naturally grows. The spread of the leaves is also important here. The next step was to create a vine model, which I did by extruding a NURBS circle as a tube (in the surfaces > extrude options) resulting in a polygons model. I then tidied model by repositioning the vertices to create a smoother curve. I reduced the polycount here as much as I could, as I know that this vine will be barely visible so it's not an issue for it to be a very basic low poly model.  

Next is the diffuse map for the ivy leaves. I used the ambient occlusion map as a guide to work from. I started by positioning the veins (which I took from a photo image I found online), however I then decided that I wanted to create the real details that would be seen from scratch. Using the photo as a guide, I then painted my own veins design on a separate layer and extended these across the whole leaf.   

I also painted the base colour of the leaf using a variety of brushes to end up with a painted look rather than aiming for a photo-realistic style. I intend to work this way with all of the textures I create for this project. 

Carriage Interior and Improvements

I've created an interior box to fit inside the outer 'shell' of the carriage. I felt this was the easiest method to do for this as simply extruding the existing faces inwards presented me with more problems than solutions. This section will be visible to the player during the introductory scene, so it's important that I get the details right and that all the face normals are facing the right way.   

I've created a luggage rack and wheel supports, using my old model as a guide. 

Now with the added interior, I'm having another attempt at 'wrecking' the carriage. When the player sees the wrecked carriage, the door will be open to appear as though they have just climbed out.  

Gate Arch Update and Mansion Key Modelling

One of the most important objects in the game level is of course the key to the mansion which must be acquired by the player in order to win. Earlier in December I sketched out several designs for keys, and have looked back at them to decide on the final design which I will use to create the model. 

I decided on this one in the centre for its elegant design, it just felt like the most 'solid' and pleasing out of all. So today I've produced the model, using the sketch on an image plane to recreate the drawing in 3D. I started with a square plane and extruded the edges, following the sketch to create the curled details and then added an edge loop and extruded the faces to give the object depth. Below that is a polygon cylinder, which I added some extra edge loops to and extruded a couple of faces to create the teeth.   

Next, I've started work on the cherub statues. I'll be using Estelle's concept work as my main guide for these models, but for the purpose of the modelling process I needed a front view image to work from. I did a simple sketch to use as a guide for modelling the cherub's face. 

I know that I don't need to be too strict on the topology of this model as it will not be rigged or animated. The important factors here are that it appears relatively human and that I keep the poly count reasonable. 

The face at the moment, as I haven't pulled back all of the vertices to the right depth yet. I look at it in the 'smoothed' view to see what it will look like after I soften the normals.

Aside from that, I'm also adding to the entrance gate model. Here's how it's looking from today. 

I've altered the gate details so that they have a little more depth. I've used the same techniques as before to also create some details at the top of the gates, and created a curved crest to sit in the centre. 

I've also modelled a magpie statue to sit on top of each column. I wanted to give the magpies more significance in the scene, as though they might have something to do with what has happened at the house prior to the character's arrival. Having them sit at the entrance gates signifies them as guardians of the house. 

I also changed the columns. Looking at the old versions, I'm stumped as to why I modelled them this way - the mesh is all wrong and has no logic behind it. In the new version I've cut down on the unnecessary edges for a much cleaner model. 

Wrecking the Carriage

These are a few more features I've been adding to the carriage model. I'm also testing out ways to 'break' the model to create a wrecked version to be in the level after the introduction of the scene.