Slight but manageable problem....

This project...

For me was really about getting as much "accurate" Viking history so that I can re-create an "historical" Viking Environment. This is still the case for me and I want to get it right. My original idea was to create 3 separate sections. After looking at more information about the Viking History I've come across a slight problem.

This issue is that my 3 sections were a Beach Area, Forest Area and the Viking Village. My sketches had it all laid out and currently the construction for these are underway (as well as my objects etc…) Looking at more accurate references, I have discovered that Viking Homes seems to be situated on shore.

Since this seems to be more accurate, I have decided to be more accurate by combining the beach area with the Viking Village areas. So from this I will be modeling two sections and not 3 as intended. I will still have two separate sections within the Beach Area but it will be a bigger map within the Unreal 3 Editor. This isn’t much of a problem I hope, so hopefully it will look something like the picture above. The forest section should still be OK and will go ahead as planned.

Shield Texture Test...

I've been modeling...

For a few more hours today since I'm on a "roll" so I thought I'd add a texture onto one of my shields. It's very rough but I'm getting ideas and running with them. Here's a test texture which I found a while ago for a shield so I  wanted to see what it would look like on my model.

Not bad I think... I like it a lot. When I get to the texturing part, I'll fix this one up good and proper!

Here's a quick render...

I'm gonna have to start configuring my render scene so it won't always be a black background.

Two Down... One To Go!

It's been a While...

Since I've posted my progression here. Today I've manage to complete two helmets and the last one is underway. I've been attempting to model a Viking Row Boat for a while now and it's annoying. I've mentioned that I'm a "perfectionist" so I started this over and over until I've got the basic shape I'm happy with. In all honesty, there's so many different methods to model something so at present, I'm just finding my own method which is taking a little time. I know now that I need to use Maya more and allocate my time effectively for this project. Anyhow, here's a few renders and a screen grab of the models I've completed.

Viking Helmet 2 Front Render

Viking Helmet 2 Side View

Viking Helmet 1 Re-made Visor

After the slight drama with the visor from my first Viking Helmet, I decided to re make it. This looks a lot better now I think.  All I've decided to do now is to use this basic shape and add different visors to it so that it will not take long to model them all from scratch! One more helmet to do (which is underway) then the Viking Longboat, then Viking Houses, Shops, etc... for the Village. I've set myself a deadline for all my objects/model for the environment to be completed by the first week in December. 

Viking Row Boat Render 1

Viking Row Boat Render 2

I've started the modeling one of my main objects which is the Viking Longboat. As I stated, there's so many different ways to model objects and this for me is a challenge. I'm not sure how many times I've started it but once its done, it will look good! Promise! In fact, I've already started to mode the Dragon Mast for it so I'll post that up soon.

Viking Helmet No: 2 - Finished!

Right... today as I promised myself this morning, I took sometime to model the visor section... I know that I was stalling a bit but I've managed to model one. It's OK and it will do for what I need it for. I spotted a few issues with it but I feel that it will make a great asset for the environment I'll be placing it in. OK, here's a render of it.

As you and I can see, it has an issue. It looks quite bad it fact but when I rendered it from the front view I started to think that I could still use this as "wear and tear" within the helmet. Since I'm creating a historical environment to do with the Viking era, I thought, would you really get a brand spanking new helmet when it gets made? I then thought that you'll have the blemishes and general wear, tear and damage on it after a while, so as I looked at it I felt that it looks worn and slightly bashed around. So for this reason, I'll be keeping it as it is.

I had to see it in all its glory so I did a few more renders and tried a mesh smooth to see if it would "Iron" out the warped polygon. (Mesh Smooth Image below)

This looks fine for what I need it for. If I had a little more time to fix this then I would but I need to make more objects and another helmet so hopefully it will be OK.

I'm kinda liking this helmet as I model it more and more and I do feel that its one of my best considering that I haven't used Maya in over 2 = 3 years. I mentioned before that I'm a perfectionist but in all honesty, this issue with the warped polygon has worked in my favour. The whole model looks good and this issue makes it more "historical" due to the wear and tear factor that I didn't really consider for my objects. Here's some more renders and screen grabs.

Here, I added the strip down the center of the helmet and across it.

Front View

Side View

Semi - Back View

Screen Grab (Without Mesh Smooth)

So... I've finally finished one helmet... Onto the next one...

Viking Helmet No: 2 - Part 2... (Unfinished)

This morning, I got up early to tackle the visor part but since I'm going into college, I could get some advice on this. I decided to model the face protection plates. Here are a few renders and one screen grab!

 

A mesh smooth version

When I get back, hopefully I'll have some advice on this from my Tutors or Mentor. I can feel myself stalling this part but I'm going to set myself a goal today to get it done! See you in a few hours...

Viking Helmet No: 2 - A New Start... (Unfinished)

After nearly 5 hours...

Of madness when trying to model a Viking helmet, I'm was still trying to get the head part right. Yes I'm a perfectionist! I didn't like my first attempt at the helmet. It looked rubbish and clearly, I'm not happy with it one bit! I looks ugly and I know that I could do much better so again I've started from scratch to really look at the images I've got so that I can model this more accurately.

After a few attempts, I feel that I have the shape that I want. Hurray!

New Viking Helmet

 I love modeling objects but at the moment, I'm a little stuck on the visor part when modeling the images below...

Anyhow, after managing to get the shape I wanted, I feel that it will do since it's a Low polygon model so it's fine! The Visor section can wait until tomorrow. After this long day, at last I can go to bed knowing that I've done something that I'm happy with!

I've put a Plain Phong texture on this so that it can be seen more clearly until I've sorted all my renders out properly. 

 

I've just mailed my Mentor (Nick) about my issue with the visor part so hopefully he'll help me or give me a better idea to model this section. I'm starting to enjoy this project now. I've learnt new techniques and so  much more than I previously knew using Maya. It's good when you stumble on things. Anyhow onto the visor part tomorrow... hopefully...

Viking Helmet No: 1 (Unfinished)

Today. I've quickly modeled a Viking helmet but this one when finished will be for the High Polygon version.

I've taken a few renders within Maya and a screen grab to show my progress.

The First image is for the eyebrow section of the helmet

The Section is a mesh smooth progression as are the following images.

I'll have a better go of this later...

Viking Shield No: 1

What good is a Sword... without a Shield?

I started this one a while ago but I thought that while I'm having a good day I will continue for a few more hours and get more objects done. I decided to finish of this shield today but I changed a few things. I wanted to make this look a lot better. I mentioned about making High Polygon objects, so I thought that I'd start with a low polygon one then add the extras to make it high polygon.



I added the shield bit which its called (middle part of the shield) to see what it would look like compared to the image I was referencing...

Since I'm doing both a High and Low polygon object I added the edges as in the image. This will be a texture with the Low Polygon model.



This will look good when I texture them... but for now, I need to get all my objects done...

Viking Sword Model No: 1

I've just finished modeling this Viking Sword object from two sources...


I've taking a few quick renders within Maya just to see how it would look.
These below have mesh smooth on the handle section but not on the sword itself...

I really like this but the polygon count is too much for what I'm doing... I will texture these next week sometime and upload them. The image below doesn't have mesh smooth on it, suprisingly enough, it looks ok I think...


I will be doing a high polygon version and a middle - low polygon model for my objects.

Wood Cutting Axe

Another axe object modeled today which will be a part of the Viking Village


This is how it will be presented within the Viking Village environment for example...

Viking Axe Model No: 1

Here is a Axe that I've just modeled which will be one of my objects that I'll be placing within the environment I'll be making using the Unreal Engine 3.

This was taken from this reference photo...

I had to make up the handle for it myself...