<WIP> Female Power armor

[scruples]

Separate all hardedges on the uv map, TexTools for 3ds can do this automatically (usually you do this for normal maps, but).

 

Import Zbrush,

Dont subdivide yet

Then in zbrush, go Tools>Polygroups>Autogroups with UV

Tools>Geometry>grouploops (like 3 loops is good, 0 polish level)

Then subdivide.

 

This is my own workflow, so its super secret (shh).

 

You might have problems with hard edges that dont form an island, (loop in a circle).

So just double these lines up in your low poly =/.

[dragonhunter]

thanks will try that out soon :)

[scruples]

Oh yeah, another way, faster and less glitchy sometimes.

Just use Meshsmooth in Max, under surface parameters in the meshsmooth modifier check 'Smoothing Groups'

You may have to subdivide like 3x to keep the hard edges in Zbrush though....Collapse, export/import the highpoly then continue to Sub-D in Zbrush.

 

You lose the ability to generate a normal map in Zbrush but it sucks anyway...and thats what Xnormal is for.

 

edit: oh yeah, the amount you sub-d in max will determine the edge sharpness.

Edited December 11, 2010 by scruples

[ita]

Great work, dragonhunter :)

Finally a female armor that actually looks like it was made to provide protection against bullets, not to display as much cleavage as possible :thumbsup:

[Zenl]

You can use the smooth group import plugin. It creases the border of smoothing group you have. It adds additional loop automatically I believe, so if your low-poly is final then uv map it before subdividing it.

Plugin@pixologic

It's for Zbrush 3.5, but also works for Zbrush 4.

[dragonhunter]

okey changed the shoulderpad a bit, what do you guys/girls(/aliens?) think of something like this,

not 100% sure myself, but trying to add a shoulderpad that is not to bulky....

 

 

Edited December 13, 2010 by dragonhunter

[ita]

Looks good to me. :thumbsup:

[TallgeeseIV]

hmm... i like the part above the shoulder but i'm not a fan of the plates going down the arm. don't get me wrong, i'd love that if it were more of a samurai-esque armor, but this is a sleek armor. in my opinion, it should be more contained and low-profile than having raised armor plates. maybe just keep the shoulder part and add the hydraulics mentioned earlier?

[ivenoname]

I agree about the plates going down the arm not fitting in too well, but if you remove them the whole shoulder pad would have to be revamped to flow down to cover that part of the arm.

 

What about something like this...don't look at me like thart I am serious.

 

Now obviously it wouldn't need the detail work, but the way these are set up they still offer good range of movement, by being two pieces. The lower part will move up under the upper part when raising the arm...not sure if that would work in FONV but it will give the illusion of more mobility, and being female PA I think mobility trumps strength a little bit.

Edited December 14, 2010 by ivenoname

[dragonhunter]

1 once in a lifetime beautifully engraved gold shoulder protection plate, now with this limited offer, comming right up for ivenoname...

 

but seriously I do see what you mean, might work something like that, will have another look at the whole shoulder today see what I can manage :)