Need Workflow Advice on Making an EEL!

[Paint Guy]

Hi, I need to create an EEL from start to finish so it is sculpted and painted, but first I need some advice as to how best to go about it. I want a fast and efficient workflow using Blender and 3DCoat or just 3DCoat. Should I start with a low poly base mesh in Blender and import to Microvertex, Per Pixel or Voxel Room or should I just build the base mesh in 3DCoat.

I have watched a few videos but everyone seems to have a different way to go about it so I am looking for advice on workflow that works best for others here. Thanks.

PG

[JimB]

You could make the initial shape using the Curve tool and sculpt from there perhaps.

[AbnRanger]

Hi, I need to create an EEL from start to finish so it is sculpted and painted, but first I need some advice as to how best to go about it. I want a fast and efficient workflow using Blender and 3DCoat or just 3DCoat. Should I start with a low poly base mesh in Blender and import to Microvertex, Per Pixel or Voxel Room or should I just build the base mesh in 3DCoat.

I have watched a few videos but everyone seems to have a different way to go about it so I am looking for advice on workflow that works best for others here. Thanks.

PG

Somthing elongated like that, you could use the Curves tool in Voxels to rough out the base...in seconds. And use the Curves tool for the teeth as well. Then just start sculpting. Once your done, Autopo can knock out the retopology fairly well and really fast. Do your UV's in the Retopo room or just merge to PTex in order to bypass the UV process altogether, and then just start painting.

You can check out some of Leigh Bamforth's training to get up to speed on something organic like this.

http://www.kurvstudios.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=P3-T008-001&Category_Code=01-02-14

http://www.kurvstudios.com/3D-coat/voxel_sculpting.php

[michalis]

To export to blender is your target, so do your sculpting in vox room as jimb and abnranger advised, do autopo or manual but avoid auto UVs! Blender can't handle lot of 'UV islands' you'll be in front of inverted normal maps. A blender issue. But its easy to use a few nice islands here. Then go for PPP or MV. In MV case blender handles displacement maps perfectly. The default settings. I'm sure you'll have lot of fun. Waiting for posting your creations.

[Paint Guy]

Thanks everyone. Your help is appreciated.

I started the base mesh using curves, but in the Voxel room I don't have a good feel for proportions or the size of the mesh like I do in Blender. How do I know how long or big to make the eel in 3DC so it doesn't import too huge or too tiny in Blender?

Also, can I load a picture (front and side view) into the voxel room?

[AbnRanger]

Thanks everyone. Your help is appreciated.

I started the base mesh using curves, but in the Voxel room I don't have a good feel for proportions or the size of the mesh like I do in Blender. How do I know how long or big to make the eel in 3DC so it doesn't import too huge or too tiny in Blender?

Also, can I load a picture (front and side view) into the voxel room?

I don't know that it matters a lot. When I export to Max, the scale is relatively the same, but in Maya it's huge. I just try not to occupy more than 50% of the grid in the voxel Room, as the larger the scale the denser the model.

As for importing reference planes, yes you can...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMrZiGp4zko

[Paint Guy]

Thanks AbnRanger for the tip on sizing and the video.

pg

[AbnRanger]

Thanks AbnRanger for the tip on sizing and the video.

pg

Glad to help, if I can. By the way, if you import a model from LW, into 3DC and then go back to LW, it should preserve the scale, position...everything.