Ok, let's go then. While watching Kent's livestream, I decided to start already my blocking.
I'll give some background for reference :
My profile :
Hobbyist. I tried to use Blender a few times over the last years but never got into it, only completing very random youtube tutorial, not learning anything really. I decided on an Andrew Price's advice in one of his video to subscribe to CGCookie, and I'm halfway through in the Modelling Bootcamp. I also participated in the vehicle contest after the Hard Surface Modelling part 1 tutorial.
My project :
According to Kent's guidelines, I decided to choose the sword as a goal, but for some variation, I chose a japanese katana. The main reason is that, in my dreams of "what could I do with Blender?", representation of japanese samurais is one of the main things.
My working planning
Each day, I take the train for 1 hour and a half to come back from work. I plan to use that time to progress in my homework. I'll be updating this thread with my progress, problems and questions each day.
Reference images :
Scale reference
Parts
Handle
Guard
Blade
Let's see how good (or bad I can make it)
Day 4
Not much to say today, just added a sheath and a stand. I may prepare a small simple scene if I can.
otowa This thread is proving to be a wealth of insight. Thanks for taking the time to share so much about the process and the project in general. I've googled and youtubed more about katana's in the past week than I ever before!
I'm glad to see that you randomized the shapes in the grip wrapping. I watched a timelapse video of the wrapping process and clearly there's significant effort to making the pattern *perfect* (at least as perfect as by-hand can be). So there is a perfection involved in this particular model but experience has also taught me that perfect is often more boring than interesting in CG. So the choice to randomize is a good one.
In fact I may suggest randomizing a little more. It's a "soft" recommendation though. Right now I can't really see the randomization unless I'm close to the handle. If I could read a little more of the grip silhouette randomness in a full view of the katana, that'd be ideal. If you don't agree with the note, I understand. I see a plenty of reason to leave it as is now. To make it more random would make it feel a little more used and less pristine, which may not be what you want.
The detail in that tsuba! Looks great and surely a tedious task. Nice job!
Overall you probably won't be surprised by the A+ I'm giving you. You clearly have put a lot of effort in the project so far, the model is high quality, and sharing the insight is invaluable.
Keep up the good work! 👏
@theluthier Thank you!
Yes, the process of katana making is quite fascinating.
As for the randomizing go,my problem is that, when increased, it would separate the leather strips enough to get the hande part beneath it being visible. And as I already applied the array to randomize, it's a little complicated to go back. However, on the good advice of ssmurfmier1985 , I kept a copy of the fabric part before applying array in an other collection. I may give it a go.
But I have to catch up and watch the chapter 2 of the chest tutorial before tomorrow course also!
Week 2 - Day 0
Ok, so texture painting is pretty new for me. I used the chapter 2 of the chest course and what Kent explained during the stream to start working on it.
On my model, the most important display for texture will very likely be the katana blade.
Katana blade specifically have a very nice "temper line" (called Hamon). These come in a large variety of form, size, and can separate two different colors of metal, the cutting edge being a hardened part compared to the rest of the blade.
Some references
The tip of the blade can also have different patterns.
So during the stream, I just decided to try to get confortable with the texture painting tools, and to give a first go at a very simple pattern inspired by this:
So I simply applied the modifiers to my blade, marked the seam on the cutting edge, UV unwrapped, and started painting to, "just try". This is neither the final shape or what my goal is, but at least I start to have an idea on how it works :
Edit : Don't mind the lower part of the texture, I started horizontally until Kent said that rotating your UV island may give you more space to work with...
otowa Thibault even with not watching the model this thread is a wonderful effort, it is a pleasure to see the work in progress. Then watching to that sword it is already very beautiful, which going to just powered by the shading and lighting.
My A is just nothing comparing to your A+, there is a mile difference in originality
Thank you, seriously. And your chest looks better than the one I started.
Hmm... I tried to get to a more complex temper line, but I may be seeing things too big, and in the end it just look like blurry ugly waves... That's frustrating...
Maybe I'll stick to the simpler one? Hmm...
otowa Maybe your texture size needs to be bigger? Usually you get this blurriness when you don’t have enough pixel density, as far as I I know.
ssmurfmier1985 Nah, it's blurry because I smeared it. But if I didn't, it would look too defined and also weird. I think overall the complex pattern is too much for texture painting. I decided to go back to simpler big waves pattern.
Side note : Texture painting with a mouse in a train is my new definition of hell.
I tweaked the colors a little and considered the blade done for its first version.
Starting dirtying the Habaki and Fuchi.
As you may guess, there's a lot of trial and error on the Habaki... Had to redo the unwrap quite a few times...
Tomorrow, I'll take care of the Saya (Sheath). I'm desperately looking for a good reference, with not too many complex things... Hmm... Maybe S4 with golden instead of red? Or Q15?
Ok, I've got a problem. I wnated to start the saya, and I did follow the same protocol as for all the other parts I did so far.
Problem is : I can't paint for whatever reason, and trying to will only result in an outline being painted...
Any idea?
EDIT:
Good news : I fixed it!
Bad news : I really don't know how. I just changed the unwrap to live unwrap, and increased the margin.
Ok, did something for the saya... Not super convinced, but I think that "not convinced" will be my moto for the Texturing part...
Need Help/Advice
I have a problem with the handle.
I have two versions of it : One with all modifiers applied, and a very complex geometry, which when trying to unwrap results in a total nightmarish mess...
And I have saved the original, before any application of modifiers, just in case, at the time I wasn't sure if I should randomize the vertices or not.
For reference, here is the modifiers stack.
Which way would you choose to have a usable UV in the end?
