Welcome everyone in my thread, I am so glad that there is a CG Cookie Class again.
During the new year watched quite a lot of tutorials, but the practice again was missing. Anyway that has also a practical reason as easy to watch tutorials on the bus or anywhere, while the opening of Blender on the computer typically stays to the night hours. When often considering also whether would not be better to sleep.
But if there is a CG Cookie Class trying to do my best in time management, when our little girl goes to bed I am jumping to 2.8 and let's see how far can reach.
Still being just a hobbyist so it will be a modest thread, also would like if an instructor would keep my hand at the beginning of 2.8 so my target to finish the treasure chest by the tutorial of Kent.
Today I was at home so unexpectedly was able to continue even in the afternoon, this picture is the result after two days
Anyway the tutorial is brilliant, there are so many techniques in it that my best word which expresses it that it is "dense". However maybe it is not typical to say dense to a tutorial :D
Also it is an old practice in following tutorials that when someone once went it through, then delete the result and start it again, as the repeating can be so much beneficial. Just saying this because already had that feeling in these two days, that I will need to repeat this once or going to forget these so valuable techniques
csehz Hey Zsolt, you’re doing the treasure chest too! Cool 😎 that’s a great start. Fun course isn’t it? 😊👍🏻
csehz Classes wouldn't be the same without you, nice to see a returning face. Keep at it!
Thanks guys, in the meantime WIP Saturday night.
Well not sure I can finalize this till Sunday, relatively was able to allocate still more time than thought, but somehow the details on the model also requires quite a lot of time.
Plus I would need to understand the "Sharing Object Data & Smart Repetition" tutorial, which sounds for the first time as some black magic with those maths :D
csehz Watch it again and then play around with it in a simple 'scene'. Maybe a slightly altered Cube...
I never used linking before, was a bit afraid of it even, just because I didn't understand it;)
But it's really powerful! (I made an entire scene with only five pieces of wood!)
And post it anyway, even if it's not completely finished....
spikeyxxx Thanks for the words and motivation.
Yes agree the techniques are very clever in the tutorial, still feeling that would like to do it again from the beginning and taking notes to not forget the nuggets from it.
Anyway it is a progress itself that I am posting WIP images, in the past that was not so typical :-)
Homework Submission Week 1
Okay finally was able to finish the model on Sunday, in general being very glad that selected the treasure chest because in 2.8 it was better that Kent guided the steps and really learnt a lot.
There are some issues which being aware of, especially two ones, unfortunately started to use ngons in the random combination of the wooden parts, I am afraid in the shading will pay for that :-) But at least will understand better that in which scenarios it cause problems. The other thing is that started to rotate the wooden parts manually so not in exact 180 degrees, because it looked better for me like that. But we will see, maybe that can also cause some difficulties later.
In summary can state that being more fluent with 2.8 than expected from myself after this course. Already loved Eevee even in the Beta state, but now absolutely feeling that the 2.79 is past for me and totally moved to 2.8. The only thing why would go back sometimes is the RetopoFlow add-on which ordered some times ago and once would like to go in that science deeper, as I know it does not exist in 2.8 yet?
I echo Miranda, Aaron, and silent: It's very good to see you back here, Zsolt!
Fantastic work on the treasure chest here. I'm so glad to hear you learned from the course and you're able to produce this result.
unfortunately started to use ngons in the random combination of the wooden parts, I am afraid in the shading will pay for that
Ngons will cause a stumbling block when it comes to this lesson. So I recommend cleaning those up into quads or triangles before you get there. Luckily since the geometry is more simple than complex and you're sharing data it shouldn't be too tedious of a cleanup. My apologies: I didn't make it super clear that ngons would be an issue. Honestly I didn't know until another viewer pointed out that the subdivide tool ignores ngons.
The other thing is that started to rotate the wooden parts manually so not in exact 180 degrees, because it looked better for me like that. But we will see, maybe that can also cause some difficulties later.
I applaud this choice! Imperfection is important for appeal. And I can't think why that would be an issue down the road. Nice job!
The only thing why would go back sometimes is the RetopoFlow add-on which ordered some times ago and once would like to go in that science deeper, as I know it does not exist in 2.8 yet?
Jon Denning, the developer, is actively re-writing retopoflow for 2.8. I'm not aware of an ETA but it's definitely happening.
As for a grade, this is a perfect example of an A. Well done, Zsolt 👌
csehz Nice work, dude! Perhaps the metal bars could use a little more roughing up, but that's a small thing for me. Good effort!
silentheart00, @theluthier thanks for the objective feedback, also for the good news regarding the RetopoFlow add-on.
Well you know my Blender time potentially starts after 23:00 and this week really can not complain, 8-9 hours surely was able to allocate for practice, which is more than had in the whole year. Not exaggerating and so this is the power of a CGC class in my case and of course adding the around of 10-12 hours from Week1, really focusing to the program now.
Just thinking through that again, so really I have 10 hours weekly to Blender? That is unbelievable, I mean I would say before of the CGC Class experience (huhh is it my 22nd homework?). On the others side I could sleep also instead of doing this, but its give so lot of personal satisfaction.
Anyway can not say that this week was easy, quite a lot of issue came out due to one key thing - not drawing enough attention to the markers of the Knife tool, whether it connects the vertex or just place a new one, very close beside.
Can not remember how many times did the UW unwrap and in painting setting the base color for the parts again and again, but at least became comfortable with the procedure. Finally even started to enjoy it, knowing that the UV part is typically not the favourite of the modelers, but there is kind of beauty in that optimization too.
Homework Submission Week 2
So as mentioned started to enjoy it, especially the texture painting and when that started? When accidentally started to paint with Cyan?? color (proof below) in Overlay mode, which effect associated me to the green kind of dirt of the sea water and air touched objects (+ when switched to using the pen for that)
Not sure how the result came out, a kind of like it, from artistic point of view let's say some green algae eating the cherry wood made treasure chest :D I would need more time to express that better visually, but so from an accidental color selection got some concept to the project :-)
ps: I was just considering whether the edge detection tutorial in Chapter 2 should be included in this homework, watched it through once already but would jump into that only after this post
csehz looks great, only feedback i have is that there is no highlights on the metal surfaces and crevices are not dimmed. its bit flat. but the colors. loving them :)
csehz Good work this week, Zsolt. At first glance I thought "the red in the wood and the greenish-teal in the metal are too strong." But the more I look at it the more interesting I find the color choices. I'll bet this looks quite good once incorporated into the shader!
The only negative, as Kaj pointed out, is the lack of edge and cavity detection. It's a pretty important aspect to the final quality of the texture, how it will positively influence the material, and for marrying the texture to the model.
I was just considering whether the edge detection tutorial in Chapter 2 should be included in this homework
Yes, this should be included. I didn't do the baking version of this (from the course) during the stream but I did it by hand painting. It's an A from me this week if you can add that 👌
PS: Thanks for your post about the knife tool and the tricky consequences that can occur. No doubt people will find that very helpful.
It's an A from me this week if you can add that 👌
@theluthier Yes already added also that part, however somehow the baked texture came out too black I assume
It might occur that I will have to do that part again as maybe some point was missed, in the meantime also managed to add the materials, currently my version looks around like this:
csehz Fancifully iridescent metal! Love the otherworldliness of this magical chest of treasure.
spikeyxxx , louhikarme , ullreym thanks for your kind comments.
Let me share a WIP version after Tuesday, not sure that this will stay as final one, however liking it more than not
Homework Submission Week 3
Before of anything @theluthier Kent I would like to say a big thanks for this course what you put together, it contains so lot of techniques in one. I have read in the main thread that in the rest of the year you will work on a mega course in CG Cookie, having this experience after the treasure chest one that sounds especially exciting! Wishing just all the best for that in a good balance with your other things, as it is always a challenge to concentrate on one thing in the world of multitasking.
Regarding this actual CG Cookie Class I am very satisfied again with its power to mobilize the hidden energies in people, I really spent a lot of time with Blender in the past three weeks, with also knowing that probably will not so consequently do the same after the class. But also in that case, I am really fluent with 2.8 by know after this month so my main target is reached.
Let me just attach so the final renders for this week homework, briefly being rather satisfied, however wasted quite a lot of time with the animation, as organized much more coins than you had in the tutorial which made the whole thing slower, moreover they for long just jumped out from the chest :D Then made the coins heavier, but with that fell over to the other side, as all of them stayed and even the Sunday came. Still being not sure what should be the Surface Response combination for such amount of coins, once maybe will have the patience to figure out yet :-)
csehz Thank you, Zsolt! Your words mean a lot to me. With you maintaining the report card, 
shiennar editing homework reels, silentheart00 and thecabbagedetective as VA's and the recurring students...It's like getting the band back together! Classes are a genuine oasis for me. This one is no exception 🧡
As for your homework, it turned out wonderfully. I really like how your coins are filled to the brim. Gives a more rich feeling than my 3/4-full version. And your lighting an shading is great. The exotic colors of the wood look really good. Also you made a good choice to significantly de-saturate the floor boards so the chest stands out.
It's an A+ in my book, Zsolt. You've been an absolutely pleasure this month. Thanks for participating and maintaining the report card again!