My little side project (CGI)
 

I have reaised that I do not have enough experience with character modeling, rigging, texturing, bones and all that good jazz that makes a fully animate-able cgi model.

At least not good ones :/
Some might recognize my old TMNT model:
http://youtu.be/X4qS3HMJPdA

Now I wanna make a new one, made from scratch.

So first I need a good front and side reference, and thanks to my scanner not working with Win7 I took a webcam picture of the drawing I've done and did a sketch in PS.
http://fav.me/d4erync

It'll be improved before I go to the modeling of course:lol:

Very good! I like it a lot. I haven't learned anything about 3D rendering. Most of my work is little vector graphics to use for websites.

I've tweaked the front view a good bit

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...ilepicture.jpg

Very Nick-esque! (aside from the toes, of course!)

Yes, I haven planned that the main design will be very Nick inspired, but I'll have elements from other versions as well.

The side view is done, a bit rougher the the front view, but I think it'll get the job done.

Which means I am soon ready to model me some turtles

the front view picture was kinda huge, so I put the side view picture in a spoiler tag

Some very early and rough modeling

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...pa/render1.jpg

Now I'm just getting the feel of the shape of his head and a simple torso. The torso might have to go on a later point if I'm not completely happy with it.

Still not sure if I am gonna make the Plastron and the Carapace as a separate piece or model it together with the torso

looking good!

Thank you :)

This is really cool, what application are you using to build the model?

-ms

I am using Autodesk 3Ds Max 2010. So I am a bit outdated now that the 2012 version is out. but it works, and it is less buggy then the 2009 version

While I have never used Autodesk I actually have the Design Academy 2012 suite sitting on my desk to install on 30 computers during Christmas break... I might have to put it on my workstation as well... What you are doing looks so cool!

-ms

Some update

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...pa/render2.jpg

Slow and steady... :P

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...pa/render3.jpg

Getting there. Feet, hands and tail left and the basic body is sorta done.

Then I have to model the face, fix some eyes and a mouth, add some ninja gear

Wow that is some awesome work!!! I really dig your sketch designs and the 3D model is coming along very nicely!! I can't wait to see the finished product!! You're very talented!!!

Thank you :) I do hope the end result will be satisfying, although I have noticed I'm severely rusty in 3D modeling.

a new picture, tail and feet added.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...pa/render4.jpg

The tail ain't showing in the picture, but I can see now why they chose three toes on teddy bear styled legs... goat feet XD

Hands, glorious three fingered HANDS!

well they look 'okay' for now, but I'm not completely satisfied with them

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...pa/render6.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...pa/render5.jpg

Now for the face, 'tis gonna be a hard nut to crack

Just a suggestion, I think you should make the thickness of the wrist about the same as the thickness of the middle of the forearm.

I think it would look better and be more accurate to your drawing.

His wrist are about that thickness on this side, like the drawing, but I have changed the pose so that the palm of his hands are facing down wards instead of forward

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f.../render7-1.jpg

It makes it easier for an accurate twist on the forearms when the hand rotates, and makes the rigging of the model somewhat easier. or so I've heard

Looking great Kapa :)

Thanks for sharing! Its nice to see the step by step process.

another update, unlike the NICK designs, I think I'll show a bit more eye brows, for better expressions. still in development progress thought.

I'm gonna cheat big time on the eyes and model a extra set eye lids under the bandanna instead of making them on the main model. Not sure how to tackle the mouth yet...

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...pa/render8.jpg

So I changed my mind and made the eye socket right on the model.

Tech babbel: Since my model was so low-poly, I collapsed it with a turbosmooth on and started to make the eyes, so I had more vertexes to work with. Basically the original poly count was so low I had to do a lot of lines to even get something to work with. And with a new turbosmooth over that again, the model looks very smooth, thoguht my laptop don't like it when I have the turbosmooth on iteration 2 or 3.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...pa/render9.jpg

Now I have to clean u the eyelids, still not sure if I want to show some skin inside the eye holes in the bandanna, or have it more like the Nick toon designs. And white eyes or have more real looking eyes...

Started anew, with some T-poses from the Nick CG models to work with.

Right now, I'm just practicing to get into the game of modeling again, so this model is only a first draft, when its done, I'll make a new one trying to grasp more of the style the nick models have.

Right now, I have a rough model of the shell, which I really like at the moment, still need some work, but, it's good for now. I'm not completely satisfied with the head, it's a bit crowded with the polygons, and I think I can simplify it more. The legs are at the moment just a stand-in, they need a lot more work, especially when I'm going to make the toes and define the feet.

far from happy with the arms, might scrap them altogether and just redo them. needs a thumb though. I made the arms and fingers as separate pieces and then merged them together. I might just make a copy of the finger ad tweak it to a thumb and attach it to the hand.

For some reason my 3DS MAX is bugged, so I can't see the Mirror Modifier when working in Edit Poly, making it harder to smooth out that seam line where the Poly model and the Mirror modifier meets.

https://dl-web.dropbox.com/get/Photo...5fNQPMsyMMSgGg

https://dl-web.dropbox.com/get/Photo...a1OMKp41Usp9dA

It's hard to start modeling again, but it slowly comes back, like riding a bicycle :lol: