Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 8.47
Hardening select edges.
Why?
Often this combination of softened edges with select hardened edges
can help provide the best of the high-poly look that softened edges
provides along with hard edges to highlight attributes. Be on the lookout
for any places in modeling organic forms where this combination can
provide very effective visual effects.
Torso
The head is only one-eighth of the total height of most adults, yet modeling it is
easily half the total effort of the form. Starting with the torso, we will be able to make
great chunks of progress. In fact, while we were very careful to make adjustments as
we went along on the head, for the body generally the process is about modeling
with very broad strokes and then going back in to create the necessary detail.
Before continuing, be sure to swap out the image planes. Up to this point we've
been using AC_Front_Head and AC_Side_Head. We need to use AC_Front_
Body and AC_Side_Body for the rest of the steps. To do this, a bit of adjustment
is needed. To swap the image out, select the image plane attributes in each
view panel via View>Image Plane>Image Plane Attributes>[imagePlanex]
(remember that on some machines Maya 2011 exhibits a bug that requires
Maya to be restarted before the image plane attributes can be displayed). This
will open up the image plane in the Attribute Editor. In the Image Plane input
field, press the folder icon and choose the full body version for that view.
The problem is the general size of the image. When the new body images are
brought in, they will be the same size as the head images. Adjusting them is
done in the Placement Extras section of the imagePlane node.
To be honest, getting these setting right can be maddening because they
have to be eyeballed into place, and the only way to move them is by
entering values in the input fields. If you are using the version of style sheets
downloaded from the web site (
http://www.Creating3dGames.com
), the center
values that work are Center (0, -60.5, 0), with Width and Height set at 156. If
you are using your own version, it just takes a bit of adjustment and tweaking.
