LE White Phial Replacer - Design Question

[Matth85]

You don't use the UVW in the high poly model, so that does not matter. High poly baking simply calculates the details from the surface of the high poly to the low poly, using the low poly UVW map.

So that's all good!

[Saerileth]

Madcat221 pointed out to me that the white phial might actually be a snow elf creation:

"From the name of the creator, I surmise that the White Phial may have actually been a pre-Sarthaal Falmer creation. "Curalmil" sounds like an elven name, not a nordic name. Maybe you can get some inspiration by studying their design motifs in Dawnguard."

 

I actually agree, while the phial's creator is buried in a nordic tomb, that doesn't necessarily mean that he was a nord himself. Anyways, this has finally given me an idea on how to decorate the phial to make it look less bland. I borrowed rather heavily from Auriel's bow & shield in the process. Here's what I came up with:

http://static-3.nexusmods.com/15/images/110/4522213-1399321517.jpg

 

Hope you like the new design. Gotta clean up the normal map a bit, and I'm planning to add some decorative markings on the flask itself. I also think a bit of frost creeping up on the metal parts will help bring together the design quite nicely.

 

I'm having some trouble with the normal map though. I managed to have Blender bake it from the high poly model, but it seems... off. It's like the normals face the wrong way along one axis. It's hard to explain, when I use it as it is, the grooves on the bottle seem to face outwards instead of in. I tried inverting the normals with CrazyBump, which fixes the bottle, but then I get the same problem with the stopper (which is 90 degrees rotated on the UV map, that's why I suspect only one axis is wrong, not both). Maybe this has something to do with the tangents? I'll try updating the tangent space with Nifskope, then reimporting the low-poly mesh.

[Jokerine]

That's looking incredible! Can't wait to see the final result :)

[GrommashHellscream]

This is looking really good!

[Matth85]

Although I think the difuse color is a little too strong, making it look like stone, the design is interesting!

Well done!

[Saerileth]

New version:

http://static-3.nexusmods.com/15/images/110/4522213-1399522287.jpg

 

Changed the colour of the metal, put some frosting on it and added the cracks to the bottle. Slightly reduced contrast on the diffuse texture, most of the detail is now only visible in the normal/specularity maps. On the left is inventory view, on the right with Serenity ENB.

It's coming along quite nicely, methinks. I expect to release the final version sometime this weekend. Haven't quite decided how I want the patched-up mesh to look... gotta be something makeshift looking (Quintus is by no means an expert), but I also don't want it to be quite as ugly as the vanilla version.

 

Poly-count is up to a bit over 2000 with the handle and the cracks (the metal parts alone bring about 1000 tris to the table, the dawnguard items are insanely detailed). I guess I could push it down again but frankly I don't see why I should bother, it's not that much compared to other vanilla objects and it's not like players are gonna pile up these things, the phial is unique after all.

Edited May 8, 2014 by Saerileth

[nightinglae850]

Here is a few if youre still brainstorming

 

http://th01.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2013/335/b/f/potions__set_1__by_rittik_designs-d6wca7a.jpg

[Saerileth]

You may want to read my last post (and look at the screens), no I'm not changing the shape of the bottle anymore. :tongue:

 

But those are lovely potion designs, gotta keep them in mind in case I ever decide to redo the rest of Skyrim's potions (which I won't! Must... not... I'm too obsessed with modding as it is :D )

 

Edit: Followed the image back to it's deviation page on deviantArt, turns out those designs are for sale. I will not use them without permission.

Edited May 8, 2014 by Saerileth

[Matth85]

Don't worry about the polycount. Unique items, or "Hero objects" as they are named in the industry, deserve more polygons. Fact is, the polycount used in Skyrim is outdated, considering how old the game is now.

 

A rule of thumb: Use as many polygons as is needed, but don't look at numbers.

For myself, I tend to go with;

Non-unique objects(Things that you will see multiple of at the same time) - 0-5k polygons.

Unique small items(Small items hardly get looked at at great details, so the smallest detail is irrelevant): 0-5k polygons

Unique "hero-object(items that are the center of attention, and is suppose to be the main object of the screen): 1k-10k polygons

 

So for a unique vial, I would rock between 200-2k polygons. Dependant on the detail-level. As you noted, you took piece from an already made piece, so the polycount there is out of your control.

 

Optimization is a very good habit to get in to, but it is rarely necessary unless you are working proffesionally/with some real huge polycounts

[Shadowspade]

That new design is gorgeous. Please post a link with the final result in here, I am definitely following this thread. :D