[CPT] Modanung's monster ideas

[Bertram]

Hi,

In my turn, I feel like a child learning.

This is definitely a good technique.

Best regards.

[Crush]

Doing the modeling with clay was a really good idea imo. I am curious how the final product will look.

[Len]

- Preview sketch of Longjhon walking: (¿any different proposal?, ¿like a kangaroo?)
Now that I re-draw the original concepts, its important to clarify that my goal isn't to own/steal modanung's ideas.
I just want to share this process to let other people learn from my mistakes (a lot).
¿Will be those monsters finished on TMW someday?. Don't ask that now, I'm having fun!

It would work if it had a passing frame....


here

Apxcs2v1291781520.gif (6.82 KiB) Viewed 6907 times

[pateame]

Thanks Len for that great example, now the challenge is to draw the same walk on front and back view. (spritesheet on progress)
I've been experimenting with modeling and the results are not what I expected, at least are helpful as reference, but the hardest part is to shade and color it again. All this procedure was made with GIMP

Clay models reference:
- herbagressor after modeling and redraw:
http://sites.google.com/site/pateame/metod.png
- packer after the same procedure:
http://sites.google.com/site/pateame/metod2.png

Animations: [+] Demo of Current Progress on walking sketch (fixed):



About re-size posibility for herbagressor (now is bigger than original concept), pallete/colors/details, etc.. (need a TODO list)
Every frame need lots of love, so be patience. Any help will be appreciated.

[Len]

You went too far the perceptive is wrong...(its almost 100% top down when it should be 45 degrees)

[skipy]

all the side frames look good (maybe just some touch ups )...

for the back and front frames think of trying to get it to look good a 20degrees and maybe it will falll right in place...


-----------skipy

[pateame]

To find some way of fix those perspective errors on my mind I need practice and examples,
so I will try with a clay model, toothpicks and a common webcam:
To be sure of aim at 45° with webcam on photos, I decided to try the following:

[+] 45° Toothpick reference: When you insert a toothpick inclined at 45 degrees over a clay model,
It's more easy to aim the camera looking for the same angle until the toothpick is seen as a small point and not as a line. I should have started doing that, but well, now I know more ways to solve it.
Here's a example of the concept:

[pateame]

There you have the basic version of XML and spritesheet for longjhon, tested on local eAthena server.
It's usable, but not the final version. I'm sharing it just to get some fun and test it while working.
Im going to do a list of pending stuff to organize if someone wants to help developing it.
Still needing:
[+] Fix walking animation on front view
[+] Add a nice monster shadow (transparency layer)
[+] More details to improve the "mirrored" side view
[+] Add/improve outlines and colors
[+] New death frames for each position, or a better death animation
[+] New attack frames (acid drop, kicks, bites, ideas?)
[+] Create a idle/neutral animation (optional)

[+] Longjhon:

monster-jhon.xml

Spritesheet:

[salmondine]

That is amazing 0.o
longjhon =] wow!

[pateame]

Well... it's time to start with attack frames on current monsters to can release a basic spritesheet as we did with longjhon and fix it later.
I suppose Packer could jump, bite and attack and herbagressor could do a horn attack. It's just theory, on practice I sure will need help on details and some clay to practice.
[+] Current sketch:

[+] Current packer Spritesheet:
https://sites.google.com/site/pateame/m ... packer.png

[Crush]

You really need to work on your shading skills. What you are doing is a typical newbie mistake called "pillow shading". Here is a good tutorial:
http://www.natomic.com/hosted/marks/mpat/shading.html

[skipy]

it look like the movement and form are really good now....
some shading and detail touch ups and it should be vary close to done imo...

---------skipy

[zick]

This thread brings up a good point, has anyone ever tried creating a 3D model (in 3DS Max or something), rigging it for animation/movement, and then taking the rendered frames as a basis for a spritesheet. I can't figure out how to use 3DS for the life of me (maybe because I lack the training), so I can't do that, but I'm guessing that there's one amongst all of us who can manage to do something, even if it's primitive at least getting the perspective and shading correct.

BTW, Pateame good work! Keep it up.

[Sookill]

This thread brings up a good point, has anyone ever tried creating a 3D model (in 3DS Max or something), rigging it for animation/movement, and then taking the rendered frames as a basis for a spritesheet. I can't figure out how to use 3DS for the life of me (maybe because I lack the training), so I can't do that, but I'm guessing that there's one amongst all of us who can manage to do something, even if it's primitive at least getting the perspective and shading correct.

BTW, Pateame good work! Keep it up.

A lot of people already used this method before ;P , and the results are not the cleanest

[pateame]

Thanks guys for share your ideas and help me on learning. I think pixel art should be a minimalist work (as tattoo art) using simple tools if people learn the appropriate techniques, where each color is properly used without using renders, 3D models or any tool made before 1970's.
Work pixel by pixel is stressful enough and the beginners (as me) usually choose the easy way to learn and the easiest software to start, but eventually as people say:
"The lazy one works twice". For example, a comparison of two different tools like KolourPaint and GIMP:

[+] KPaint: I can do all pixel by pixel and using a basic color pallete, but do a complex animation could take much more time without using layers.

[+] GIMP; I can sketch and do animations faster using layers, but if I apply any effect/rotation/resize, my color pallete is filled with colors that did not want to add and everything becomes a "pillow" to fix later (twice work to do).

¿Can a complex 3D tool help me to work faster? maybe...
But I think it's all about love when you do something and time enough to spend on it.