Project Description:

To create a team of four characters, each with a distinctive look. Each character will have a personality that must suit their look. Their personality will be clear simply from viewing the character and to give a unique look to the characters; they will be based in the 70’s.

The characters will ultimately be suitable for a game engine, so after they’re designed I will begin to model and texture the characters using 3DS MAX. The characters should be between 2500 – 3500 polygons. I’ll then import the models into Mudbox where I’ll add detail such as cloth creases, wrinkles and skin pores. Once the detail has been added I’ll create normal maps from the higher detailed models and bake it onto the 3DS MAX models. Once I have completed the models I will be rigging them and posing all four characters together.

Aims:

The aims for this project are to:

Design four characters that look completely different from one another. All four characters must have fashion themed from the 70s and a visually distinctive personality.
Model the four characters using 3DS MAX and then texture them.
Take the models into Mudbox where much more detail will be added.
Create normal maps to apply the Mudbox models onto the 3DS MAX models.
Rig all four characters and pose them together in an image

Outcomes

The outcomes of this project are to:

Use the techniques used in the games industry to create four characters.
Learn how to use normal maps effectively for detailed characters.

Milestones:

Research: 11^th October 2011 – 25^th October 2011

I’ll be researching into the 70’s for character designs and Mudbox will also be researched so that I’m familiar with the program and creating normal maps.

Character Design: 25^th October 2011 – 15^th November 2011

I’ll be drawing up all four character’s designs.

Character Modeling: 15^th November 2011– 15^th December 2011

I’ll model the first character and texture it in 3DS MAX.

Character Modeling: 15^th December 2011– 15^th January 2012

I’ll model the second character and texture it in 3DS MAX.

Character Modeling: 15^th January 2012– 15^th February 2012

I’ll model the third character and texture it in 3DS MAX.

Character Modeling: 15^th February 2012 – 13^th March 2012

I’ll model the fourth character and texture it in 3DS MAX.

Normal Map: 13^th March 2012 - 10th April 2012

The characters will be taken into Mudbox to be given extra details then a normal map will taken from the models. Once completed all characters will be rigged and posed together.

Finalizing: 10^th April 2012 – 17^th April 2012

This week will be used as a fall-back if something doesn’t go to plan, giving me enough time to fix the problem.

Final Hand-in: 17^th April 2012

The final hand-in for all of my work.

Deliverables:

An online blog containing the project’s progress.
A disk containing the following project files: Project plan, research, character designs, four completed character models, texture sheets, normal maps and an image with all four characters posed.

Hand-in Dates

Project Plan: 11^th October 2011
Final Hand-In: 17^th April 2012

Jason-Dunn-DD3992 Hons Project

Project plan