SC2Mapster

Since I have a pretty good idea on the poly count of SC2's models, I decided to start some modeling today to get a head start on a planned map mod. It's going to be a 3rd person game, so the models will be higher quality, similar to unit portraits.

I felt like sharing it, so here's a render of what I have so far for a certain character.

Cool

I hope you're using bump maps and it's not an sculpted face or dear god that's gonna be so many polys.

I don't think SC will be grateful for your multi million polys that much :P

Quote from xcorbo: Go

I hope you're using bump maps and it's not an sculpted face or dear god that's gonna be so many polys.

I don't think SC will be grateful for your multi million polys that much :P

Haha, no, it's a bump map. The model is only about 300 polys at the moment.

Any chance you can give us some numbers on the poly counts that you are thinking about?

Quote from Sixen: Go

That's amazing, Kanaru, :).

Thank you. :p

Quote from PermaG: Go

Any chance you can give us some numbers on the poly counts that you are thinking about?

Since I would like the character models to be similar to that of the story mode campaign characters, I looked at the polycount of a few portraits (since they're about the same quality). They're about 2000-3000, but it's only about a third of their body showing. But the head is generally the most detailed part of the body, so I'm aiming for about 6000 or less polygons for characters. I've finished modeling the body, and right now I'm at about 4000, so I'm on the right track.

If you're aiming for the general unit quality, I'd say 1000-3000 depending on the size of the unit. Thors for example are about 3000 if I recall, but a Marine might be about 1000.

Cool. I am asking because I am interested in playing with Galaxy. Sadly I am not in the Beta (working on that) so while I wait for a release I can get my hands on, I have been just researching the most I can about it...which pretty much lead me here.

Are you just comparing/studying portraits or are you able to view models in a viewer of sorts (or can you view wireframe ingame and just zoom in)?

From an art perspective, any numbers to things like buildings or terrain? Again you just comparing/studying or can you actually view said models? Any texture sizes you know about?

-edit- Yes, I recall reading somewhere a marine was around 1k and a Battlecruiser was 3k (they mentioned something about 1800, but I forget what that was).

Quote from PermaG: Go

Cool. I am asking because I am interested in playing with Galaxy. Sadly I am not in the Beta (working on that) so while I wait for a release I can get my hands on, I have been just researching the most I can about it...which pretty much lead me here.

Are you just comparing/studying portraits or are you able to view models in a viewer of sorts (or can you view wireframe ingame and just zoom in)?

From an art perspective, any numbers to things like buildings or terrain? Again you just comparing/studying or can you actually view said models? Any texture sizes you know about?

-edit- Yes, I recall reading somewhere a marine was around 1k and a Battlecruiser was 3k (they mentioned something about 1800, but I forget what that was).

There is an incomplete .m3 importer for 3ds max which I used to look at existing models (http://code.google.com/p/libm3/downloads/list) It's good enough to import meshes, bones, and most animations correctly, so I looked at the detail that way.

As for buildings/terrain, I'm really unsure at this point. I'd like to give an estimate but I really don't have much of an idea.

Texture sizes seem to be about 1024x1024 for the most part, which includes portraits. However I don't suppose it would hurt to go too far over, especially that portraits are a fraction of an entire body.

Also if anyone is interested, here's some concept art I made a little before I started modeling.

@Kanaru: Go

Very well done! I also do 3d modeling and 2d art, and to say the least, I'm very jealous impressed. As a side note, have you ever used Blender before? If so, how does it compare to 3ds Max, (which I've never used)?

Quote from Sixen: Go

Kanaru, you're quite the artist, that's impressive...

Also, if you didn't know, Witchsong and NiNToxicated are the two who run the libm3 google code, they've been discussing their findings here... If you were wondering how that's going, ;P.

Thanks again. :)

Quote from begebies: Go

@Kanaru: Go

Very well done! I also do 3d modeling and 2d art, and to say the least, I'm very jealous impressed. As a side note, have you ever used Blender before? If so, how does it compare to 3ds Max, (which I've never used)?

Thank you. I've never used Blender, sorry. All I can really say is that I find 3ds max to be a great program. It might not be easy to pick up but I recommend it.

I, Rizaun, the mighty warrior from the Ewok Clans, approve your modeling. Good job, now, get back to work soldier! ò.ó

Beautiful artwork, Kanaru.

I'd like to ask, is it complicated to make 3d models for Starcraft 2? I would like to make some custom 'wall' buildings for my map, but I'm not sure if it's something I'd be able to do or not. Is there a model creator included with Galaxy or would it require outside programs?

@TDelamay: Go

Walls are easy to make, it doesn't take much time or skill.

@begebies: Go

Max has a competent or what could be called the "most user-friendly" UI (If 3d programs can actually be user friendly), whereas Blender is... "different", I say different because, for me, at least, it was hard to learn how to use blender coming up from 3ds max. The fact that the functions were sometimes not available and that you had to switch in between "modes" (if I remember correctly) was very annoying.

That's just the UI, the capabilities of 3ds max extend to waaaay a lot more than blender.

@TDelamay: Go

Walls are easy. You'd only need a box, what you'd really need is some good texture creation skills, unless you really do want to model a more complex geometry than a simple wall. Usually organical forms are the hardest to do. Things that are lifeless tend to fall into symmetry, regular shapes and so on..

I don't have access to 3D Max, but I have used SolidWork to create objects in the past. Is it possible to import Solidwork's objects to the galaxy editor?

Quote from xcorbo: Go

@begebies: Go

Max has a competent or what could be called the "most user-friendly" UI (If 3d programs can actually be user friendly), whereas Blender is... "different", I say different because, for me, at least, it was hard to learn how to use blender coming up from 3ds max. The fact that the functions were sometimes not available and that you had to switch in between "modes" (if I remember correctly) was very annoying.

That's just the UI, the capabilities of 3ds max extend to waaaay a lot more than blender.

What features does 3ds max have that Blender doesn't have? I've always thought that Blender is close to being on par with 3ds max in terms of features (but not performance).

Quote from TDelamay: Go

Beautiful artwork, Kanaru.

I'd like to ask, is it complicated to make 3d models for Starcraft 2? I would like to make some custom 'wall' buildings for my map, but I'm not sure if it's something I'd be able to do or not. Is there a model creator included with Galaxy or would it require outside programs?

No more complicated than any other modeling, I suppose. Compared to WarCraft III, you'll just be making more detailed models in terms of polygons and textures, as well as having additional maps such as bump maps and specular maps.

As mentioned, walls in general are very simple. Unless you're making a fancy wall (even then, a nice texture would probably suffice), it probably won't be much more complicated than a box.

I have heard there will be some kind of program along with Galaxy that will allow players to create custom doodads and such. However, I have absolutely no idea how that will work. I don't know if they're planning to make that user-friendly or if it's geared towards people who are experienced with modeling with other programs.

Quote from TDelamay: Go

I don't have access to 3D Max, but I have used SolidWork to create objects in the past. Is it possible to import Solidwork's objects to the galaxy editor?

I have not heard of SolidWork, but it really depends on what users and Blizzard do. All I know is that there are people working on making an importer/exporter for SC2 for 3ds max, and that Blizzard used 3ds max and Mudbox (a 3D sculpting program also made by Autodesk) for their in-game models.

If there is a way to export models from SolidWork to 3ds max, then it is definitely possible that way. I don't know if it's still available, but a free version of 3ds max called Gmax could probably do the job.

Quote from begebies: Go

@xcorbo: Go

What features does 3ds max have that Blender doesn't have? I've always thought that Blender is close to being on par with 3ds max in terms of features (but not performance).

I don't really know much about Blender, but I do know that most gaming and film companies do not use Blender because it does not meet their needs. From the looks of it, the UI makes it even less desired.

3ds max is a very powerful program; all of Blizzard's cinematics from WC3 up until the first SC2 cinematic were made purely with 3ds max for example, although they had trouble due to a polygon count limit with the SC2 cinematic (Blizzard also uses Maya and Mudbox now partially for that reason), and I haven't heard of anything really remarkable with Blender.

Quote from Rizaun: Go

I, Rizaun, the mighty warrior from the Ewok Clans, approve your modeling. Good job, now, get back to work soldier! ò.ó

I'll probably be more active after today.