Creating a 3d animated low poly character for games Part 2

author: adrianorap@gmail.com

There are softwares for that, but in this case, with lowpoly models, I will make the harder way, however in my point of view this is the best for game stuff, and another cool thing is that you won't need any plug-ins!

2-Exporting the UVs:

First go to left view ( L ), select and delete half of your model

The main idea now is to cut your model in pieces, in order to stretch its skin, use the image sequence to make the selection, and then use the button “Detach”, choose “to element” and hit ok.

first do it with the back leg:

and then with front one:

Now detach the inner part of the legs, but do with one, then with the other, if you make both in same time, they will act like one single piece.
Remember, in this part do not detach any polygon of the body with the inner leg, use only polygons already detached for the leg.

Inner leg detail

More leg detail

Now detach the ear and the horn, again separately.

Inner Part of the horn

Inner Part of the horn 2

back of the ear

the ear

the ear 2

Now make a copy of the model. A “COPY” I said.
if you make an instance… well, prepare yourself to redo dome work after.

Here u need to isolate the geometry, use the shortcut (ALT + Q)

Select “Element” subobject level ( press 5 ), then click-and-drag the pieces away from the main body, remember to use a isometric viewport, in this case frot ( f ).

Now rotate 180 degrees the elements whith backfaces apearing.

Almost all faces are turned to the view now.

Now lets open the Mesh look the ear, using the front viewport.

Now using the top viewport, move the vertexes so the faces will be seen in the front view with approximately the same size they really are.

Some vertexes were moved.

The top vertex were moved also.

Now in the front viewport.

Make the same with the frontal leg, here seen in perspective.

Vertexes moved and seen by the front view.

The vertexes of the other side were moved also.

do the same with the other leg.

Same with the horn.

Now, everything is ready for a planar map!

Apply the Unwrap UVW Modifier

In the Front viewport you can see the geometry in the way I show here, select Face sub object level ( 3 ), hit ( Ctrl + A ) to select all faces, then click on Planar button, Align to View button, Fit button and in the Edit button.

Look at the black lines forming a square on the grid, make sure ALL your polygons are inside it.

This picture shows the square and the WRONG way to place the polygons:

now the right way to do it

On the Edit UVWs Window, click on the “Render UVW Template…” button under the tools rollout, then choose the resolution, (the resolution is based on the size of the character in the monitor, if it will be seen very close choose big resolutions, since my character is for a “look from above camera” I don’t need more than 512x512 pixels (normally the proportions are always 1:1), and click on the Render UV Template.

Now click on the “diskette” button and save a image file, I am using JPG, let’s call it UV.jpg

Here is my map, it’s different from the tutorial because I make it before, but the only difference is the position of the polygons and some detach operations, but the principle is what matters.

With the map saved, exit isolation mode (click on the big button), if you can’t see it, select the geometry and press ALT+Q, now with the geometry selected, click on the Create Menu, choose Compound Objects, morph and then pick a target, your target will be the copy you made before.

Now convert the morph object to Editable poly again, hit the “RMB” (Right mouse button) over the geometry and “choose convert to:”, then Convert to Editable Poly.

Now click-and-drag the “UV.jpg” file to a material editor’s slot, and make it again to the geometry.
Observe that any changes on the “UV.jpg” file, will affect your character texture now, it’s already mapped.

Now to fix some stretching, try to apply a checker tiled map, where the size or the shape of the tile are very different, you will need to tweak.

Apply the “Unwrap UVW” modifier again, click the “Edit” button, and now, observing your texture, make the tweaks in the UV’s vertexes.

The final result of adjusts, now ready to the texture work.

hope you have enjoy it.
if you have any doubt comment here or send an email to adrianorap@gmail.com