Baking the Normal Map and Fixing the Normal Map

I couldn't get the mesh from the exported 3ds Max file to show in Substance Painter. When I tried to import it as a new file, it said it couldn't import the scene properly, so I think there's an error with my exported mesh.

Exporting the Model

I now know how to export the model. I had to export it twice, but the second time I named the mesh SM_LP_Mesh_Cage so that we know the difference between the high and low poly mesh.

Attahcing the Mesh Back Together

The whole mesh of the is uv mapped and attached ready to be pieced like a puzzle into a low poly robot.

Unwrapping the Scoop

The base scoop is unwrapped and finished, and now to begin the process of putting all the mesh together into the final piece.

UV Mapping the Support

I unwrapped the uvs for the support, and now I get to start creating and then eventually uv mapping the next object.

Refining the Scoop

The base scoop is now refined and ready for the uv editing and unwrapping. How I refined it was I beveled some of the polygons to have it match up with the guide object, and then I shaped it the way it should be shaped.

Creating the Scoop Base Shape

The base scoop for the robot is created, and now the refining process will begin. After the refining process, I will unwrap it and it will be finished.

Unwrapping the Connector

The uvs for the piston connector are unwrapped, which means the connector for the piston is finished. Each step is getting closer to the final low poly mesh of the robot.

Creating the Piston Connector

Each time I create a new object in 3ds Max, I start to like the program more and more, and it gets easier and faster to create objects and unwrap them. Anyways, the piston connecter is finished being modeled in low ply form, and now I will unwrap it.

Mapping the Piston

The piston for the arm is now unwrapped, so now the piston is complete. I will be creating and mapping the connector for the piston next.

Building the Piston

After I unwrapped the uvs for the arm support, I created a piston for the arm. I used the chamfer tool to give it  more detailed look. I will now map and unwrap the piston and move onto the next object.

Unwrapping the Support Arm

I went into the modifier list to select the unwrap uvw editor to unwrap the uvs, and now the detailed low poly support arm is unwrapped and finished.

Detailing the End of the Arm

The detailing if the end of the arm support is finished, and it turned pretty alright from watching the instructor and taking what I learned from the previous videos and using it as guidance.

Creating the Support Arm

The lower version of the low poly of the support arm for the robot is finished, and now to move onto the detailing and then UV mapping of it.

Creating the Piston Support

I created the low-poly piston support for the robot. I will now start on the UV mapping for it.

Blending Grid-Based Materials

I like that we can blend material in a grid because it makes making the scene a whole lot quicker, and it makes objects not look out of place.

Placing Detailed Elements in the Scene

I placed the elements in the scene, or in other words I set dressed the scene.

Naming Conventions for Modular Elements

As described in the video, naming and numbering each of the assets is important so that when you need to change some things in an environment, you can find that specific object in the scene without having to dig for it for an hour or so. It's like naming all the layers in a project like in Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.

Modular Map Size and UV Placement

This is just a summarization of the videos about uv mapping modular meshes and texturing basics in 3ds Max for environments. In the next video, the finished touches will be made to the scene.

Changing Materials on Modular Meshes

Changing the material for the meshes is very similar to changing them on a regular object. As a matter of fact, it is a lot easier than changing the material for a regular object because it doesn't get confusing when you try to find the right material for the right object. It's all right there.

UV Mapping Modular Environmental Objects

The instructor talked more in depth about uv mapping the modular objects in an environment, and that you can use those for how you want people to see the textures on the objects.

Determining Texel Density

Texel density is important because this is the basis of how your uv maps are being sized as the materials and textures in the scene. 

The UV Grid and Editor Settings

I fixed the grid tile for the floor unit, and I know now how to change the color of the grid in the uv editor. I also now know how to isolate a texture to only work on just that piece. 

Using Base Objects as UV Templates

So, I learned that when I clone an object with uv maps, that uv map gets also cloned with the cloned object. I also learned that I can move uvs to make it look like the mirrored object is different from the other object.

UV Mapping Basics for Modular Meshes

The instructor explained that when you use uv maps in a large scene, make sure they have their own groups so that the map wont be all over the place and then you have errors that are hard to fix.

Door Sizes and Window Heights

Like in the one video about scales, having the correct scales, especially for hallways, doorways, and windows are important because if the character is too big to fit through, you'll have to go back into the original file and resize everything to a bigger scale.

Clone, Mirror, and Tools to Copy Meshes

In this video, I learned how to clone an object, mirror it or in other words apply symmetry to the object, and it saves time when creating walls for a scene and other objects.

Do's and Dont's of Modular Systems

The instructor basically gave an overview of what to do and not do with modular systems. The most important thing to not do is not make it very complex, especially with floor units. Make them into separate pieces so you can place them like a puzzle. It keeps things organized and simple.

Gray Boxing Your Modular Environment

I have the scene fully gray boxed for the more complex modeling process. Now that I have the gray boxing for the scene to make the details in, I will now be making the full models for the scene.

Dealing with Curves on the Grid

I created my own curves, and I mostly just duplicated and extruded the curves I manually made to make three different curves.

Creating Base Objects

I created all the base objects, and they are going to represent what we build for the scene's environment.

Planning Space Between Modular Meshes

This was just an explanation of planning where to put and place your modular meshes. It is very important to plan where they go because you don't want a lot of back-facing objects in your scene. It will become too complex and you'd have to back track a bit to see what you missed.

Working with Back-Facing Polygons

In games, I learned that you don't see everything that has been modeled, and those are the back-facing polygons. It is still smart to model the back of it so that it doesn't clip into the scene and make it look unfinished, but that's what camera angles are for.

Modeling a Simple Modular Pillar

This was very similar to the last video when I had to make a modular wall. I modeled this one more because it is a cylindrical object.

Modeling a Simple Modular Wall Unit

Making the wall modular unit was about making sure the pieces of the grid fir to the right scale of the original, which should make everything snap together easily.

Modular Systems You Can Work With

I now know how to make see through objects in an environment, and it'll be useful in making underwater levels and also for characters in a game if they collide with something invisible.

Pivot Placement

So pivot placement is important because it will make modeling a lot easier since the pivot is hard to find on objects sometimes, and it'll also make the modular process a breeze.

Game Engine Scale vs. Real-World Scale

What I learned from watching this tutorial video is that changing the scale effects the whole scene, and that also includes objects being imported and merged into the scene.

Unwrapping the Head

The unwrapping for the head is finished, and now to create the pistons for the low poly robot.

Detailing the Shape

The detailing of the head shape is done, and now to the uv unwrapping part of it.

Creating the Eye Sockets

So, I got to create the eye sockets for the head, and using the editable poly modifier makes it easier to get the correct edges on the eye. I will now start the detailing and shaping process of the eye socket.

Modeling the Head Shape

The head for the low poly robot is created and ready to go through the uv mapping process. Apparently, 3D modeling is mostly just creating, extruding, and uv mapping over and over again. It's a good cycle, and it's not hard to master.

Unwrapping the Tracks

I got the unwrapping done for the tracks, so the bottom half of the low poly robot is almost completely finished. I will now begin the creation of the low poly head.

Using Splines to Create the Tracks

I created the splines for make the low poly tracks, and put chamfer on the objects to define it more. I will UV map the tracks in the next video.

UV Mapping the Frame Mesh

The frame mesh was the next thing to uv map, and now that the frame mesh is done being modeled, I will now start the creation of the tracks.

Creating the Rest of the Frame

The rest of the frame is now created as a low poly object, and onto UV mapping the created mesh.