So, this is my first attempt at a model after doing the M1911 tutorial. But I need some help! I'm a noob! If anyone sees some problem areas that I'm not seeing, please give me some pointers on fixing them. Here's what I have so far --



-- for the most part based off these references of a KG-9/Tec-9 here (http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/2315/kg928rl.jpg) and here (http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/6240/kg916ry.jpg).

It's around 2200 triangles right now and I imagine that it'll come out to be around 3000+. Is that too much? If I ever get to animating it, I'm going to try and delete any faces that aren't ever visible and hopefully get it down to a lower poly count. The plan is to get it textured and animated for CSS eventually -- just to see how it's done more than anything.

I know there are smoothing problems galore. I don't really know how to fix them beside laying down a bunch of edges around the problem areas (somewhat randomly) until it hopefully fixes itself. Is there anyway to eliminate the smoothing problems or generally avoid them?

Here's my big question though. I'm modelling the holes in the barrel -- and there's 24 of them. I was tring to figure out a way to make doing it faster. I couldn't figure out a way to simply copy-paste geometry. I'm guessing I'm just missing something. What I did try was creating a template out of the original hole by making a cylinder that I could put through the barrel, and do a Boolean-Difference operation --

Barrel (http://img325.imageshack.us/img325/6294/kg9hole2qe.jpg) and template (http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/2369/kg9hole27gx.jpg)

The square around the cylinder is a perfect fit -- I was hoping to avoid problems with the Boolean operation. Alas, it came out horrible --



I've got a couple other things to try. But if anyone's got a way to do it really easily I'd like to hear it.

Oh yeah -- Also, I can't imagine how I'm going to model all of those holes and not come out with massive smoothing problems. Yet people make models all the time with that sort of geometry and have no problems. How do you do that?

Anyhow, tell me what you think. What would you different? Where do you see some problems? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

If it is high poly because it has a ton of details, I don't think there is anything wrong with that, some people prefer more details in their MDLs and if their card can handle it, fine.

If, you personaly dont want to have that many polys, a really easy way to fix it quick is to realize that most of the detail you are modeling can be fabricated in the skin, let the skinner worry about the holes in the barrel, for example.

In no way am I saying that you should make it high poly or low poly, what I am saying is that you must decide the reason you are building this, if it is for experience w00t, good job so far. If it is to be a highly detailed MDL for the higherend vid cards, do it. If you are planning on releasing to the masses, you might want to think about letting the skin resolve some of your detail issues.

BTW, I really think it is comming along nicely, no real tips other than that and a complement.
;)

Yeah I would try doing the barrel holes using transparency textures. Because i agree modelling the holes would result in loads of smoothing problems.

Transparent bullet holes for the win.;)

Hey, thanks for the feedback. I decided to go all out and model the holes in the barrel. Models pretty much done at 3600 polys. :eek: -- about 1000 of which are probably all in the holes. I decided to extrude them all inward, which is 500 polygons right there, lol. That's okay though -- I'm going to do some massive optimizing after I animate (once I learn how) and I think it's quite possible that I can seriously bring it down by a thousand polys by deleting all non-visible faces.

EDIT: Here's my progress report --



--Added holes to barrel
--Added magazine
--Refined area where magazine is received
--Minor smoothing adjustments

The holes did create smoothing problems, but I was surprised how small they are. Given the ingame perspective, I hardly think they'd be noticeable -- especially after a skin is applied. Link (http://img306.imageshack.us/img306/1954/kg9holes8ak.jpg). I still have to fix a bunch of smoothing issues, but for the most part I'm pretty pleased with how it's coming out.

Oh yeah, I know that the holes on the barrel are a bit too small if one looks to the reference pictures. I didn't really know how to deal with that. I didn't know whether to make each face with a hole located on it larger than the adjacent faces, or to simply have the holes span across two faces and have to deal with complications arising from that. Probably another good reason to use transparency textures, eh? What would you do?

Like I said before, it is up to you, what is your motivation, but, using the transparent skin technique allows you to have a lot more detail for less $$

I can't really see what you were saying about the holes being too small, what wanting to span them accross 2 faces. Did you mean too small in diamater or depth? and which 2 faces were you thinking of spanning them accross?

Yeah, I'm thinking of redoing some things. The holes don't really concern me too much -- it'd be easy to delete them and fill in the spaces or just leave them as is. The one way, I'd have a much lower polycount and I wouldn't have to worry about smoothing, plus the holes could be much rounder looking. The other way, it'd look just slightly cooler with the visible depth of the holes. Hrm...after writing that, transparency textures sound way better. Whatever though -- this model is more an exercise in learning the basics than anything.

Oh yeah, and the diameter of the holes is slightly too small. In order to have them the right size, I'd have to either have have them span more than one face of the cylinder, or make the faces containing the holes slightly larger than the other faces (which would look odd). Again, with the transparency textures, I wouldn't have to worry about this either.

I'd really like to get these smoothing errors figured out across the whole model. I can sort of see why they occur. However, I can't see how to fix them. I haven't found a definitive answer on this. I even watched a tutorial where someone creates round holes in a model, much like the holes in mine, and does so without any smoothing errors. I did it pretty much the same way as this guy, but I get the errors. He even did the Boolean op, and it didn't wreak havoc on the model. But then I think he was using Lightwave or something. Then there's a variety of other errors I'm stuck on. I just don't see what I can do to eliminate them. I can make them smaller, but that's about it. Here's some screens -- if anyone knows a quick fix for smoothing errors -- let me know.





More:
Pic 1 (http://img286.imageshack.us/img286/7370/kg9thsm18oo.jpg) Pic 2 (http://img286.imageshack.us/img286/4388/kg9thsm27mr.jpg)
Pic 1 (http://img286.imageshack.us/img286/7391/kg9ejsm16px.jpg) Pic 2 (http://img286.imageshack.us/img286/2074/kg9ejsm28dy.jpg)

Thanks for your feedback guys.

Here's some renders. They don't really show off the model, and they're all essentially the same shot with different magazine placement and some materials pasted on (attractive or not). Just thought I'd post them as I'm done modeling.



Got around smoothing errors by quarantining all complex geometry with edges -- either around, circularly, or until the edges reach a perpendicular hard edge. Problem areas wouldn't go away, but it made them smaller at least.



Now I will learn how to make textures. Looking for tutorials if anyone knows some really good ones. Wish I had Photoshop. :( Will have to download some freeware.

good stuff

Awesome texturing tutorials at www.sourceblog.net.....ok is that site dead now?

Damn that was the greatest tute site ever. :(