(1000) ===[TASK]=== Norse Weaponry (props)

[Radagast.]

Interesting ... it should be possible.

I recall Feneur once saying it were possible to animate the prop and the bone the prop is attached to. So a flail should be doable. (they wanted to do a dancing sword animation, some artistic weapon manoeuvres)

[niektb]

Some constructive (hopefully) feedback from my side.

You forgot to remove the UV's from the normal map, result is some ugly lines.

I like the leather grip, except the color, that should be a black variant:

(Sorry, the photo from me is a bit blueish.)

The blade is a bit too rusty. And has a ugly black line (guess from the UV lines too).

So the blade has to look a little more like this:

(My own little tiny blade)

From the reference:

"The tip of the blade came to a point, which, rather than being acute, was usually somewhat rounded, as is seen on the seven historical Viking-age sword blades shown to the right."

Could you make the tip less sharp?

SIDE QUESTION: Do we use specular/normal maps for weapons, unlike the main game (vanilla does only with shields and helmets, no weapons)???

You're specular map looks a bit strange to me. (Ah, that is due your transparency, it is common to leave no transparent parts in both your specular and normal map) But I see you don't use specular for the leather.

Regarding to the rest of the model: looks good, but I'll have to look into the other swords to resize it properly and make it attachable.

A full render with one sword, as it is right now:

Edited April 3, 2014 by niektb

[Stan`]

Some constructive (hopefully) feedback from my side.

You forgot to remove the UV's from the normal map, result is some ugly lines.

I like the leather grip, except the color, that should be a black variant:

(Sorry, the photo from me is a bit blueish.)

The blade is a bit too rusty. And has a ugly black line (guess from the UV lines too).

So the blade has to look a little more like this:

(My own little tiny blade)

From the reference:

"The tip of the blade came to a point, which, rather than being acute, was usually somewhat rounded, as is seen on the seven historical Viking-age sword blades shown to the right."

Could you make the tip less sharp?

SIDE QUESTION: Do we use specular/normal maps for weapons, unlike the main game (vanilla does only with shields and helmets, no weapons)???

You're specular map looks a bit strange to me. (Ah, that is due your transparency, it is common to leave no transparent parts in both your specular and normal map) But I see you don't use specular for the leather.

Regarding to the rest of the model: looks good, but I'll have to look into the other swords to resize it properly and make it attachable.

A full render with one sword, as it is right now:

Thanks. I'll see what I can do. The tip was rounder the line you drawn does exist though, i tweaked it a lot so might be the reason why.

Oh it's not leather except the lace... but I think I can desaturate it, I hope I kept the XCF

I didn't read much about viking swords (Though I'm a huge fan of swords) but from what I recall their swords bent easily. I can make a rusty and not rusty version so that you can have different units applying different kind of treatment to their weapons if you want.

Specular was hum... really fastly done. I need to get tips to adapt it the best for all situations, for I sometimes do crap with it.

I'd rather you use speculars, If you look at the current game swords, they are flat and not really realistic.

[Stan`]

Here is an improved version.

Since crazy bump doesn't work on windows 8.1 I used Insane bump

http://www.blenderartist.org/forum/showthread.php?317041-Insane-Bump-2-0-overhauled-Crazy-bump-alternative&s=872a0768b8f0b74e8f6369d3bed620f5

Viking Sword.7z

[Stan`]

With right bump...

[niektb]

Thanks, I'll take a more detailed look tomorrow. Do you by chance have the .xcf file for me (I want to play around with colors and stuff ) unless you've planned more changes of course, in that case I'd rather play with the final version of the texture/model. Did you actually change something except the bump?

[niektb]

And a few specular mapping related articles:

http://wiki.polycount.com/SpecularColorMap

[Stan`]

Nope. My XCF file went missing...

[Radagast.]

Hey, Stan and Niek, well done. Looks really good.

Like the idea with the different treatment and versions too. We have the first variation. Rusty and not.

Wasn't in the trash? Searched the whole filesystem. Me myself I sometimes accidentally move them somewhere unexpected. Ah, I see, you probably have the older gimp and never saved as xcf? I thought in the new one this was impossible not to save as xcf I mean.

(Using insane bump too. Glad it exists. The viking swords bend easily? intersting ... didn't expect that, probably they preferred bending over breaking?)

[niektb]

From an old viking saga:

"The stories also describe instances in which a sword blade bent during a fight. In chapter 49 of Laxdæla saga, Kjartan was ambushed as he rode up the valley past the small hill in the foreground of the photo. He was not carrying his usual sword, a gift from the king, but rather a lesser sword. Several times during the battle, Kjartan had to straighten his bent blade by standing on it."

http://www.hurstwic.com/history/articles/manufacturing/text/viking_sword.htm

The Viking swords suffered heavily from fighting especially edge damage, becoming less sharp and some times broke in two.

Edited April 4, 2014 by niektb

[Radagast.]

Thanks. Interesting. Would love to hear the smith's opininion to that. Perhaps that was a feature and not a bug. Or if they think it's common for the lesser swords. Smiths must have known a whole lot of secrets. I always wonder if they stopped giving them on to the next generations out of frustration .

[niektb]

The the way of the smiths is in that link too.

[niektb]

But Stan: We need to really be able to edit the textures if needed (and it is needed right now). So if you haven't that xcf file anymore, I think we need to create a new one.

Secondly there is no specular applied to pommel (the bottom piece) and that give unaesthetic results:

[Stan`]

I'm working back on the texture. I'll send the XCF.

[Stan`]

Added the XCF bump spec, diffuse. Reworked on the diffuse for the layers.

Viking.7z

[Stan`]

Wrong image...

[niektb]

I have to say that I liked the first variant of the pommel more ánd it was more according to the references. Moreover those lines across the blades have to be less strong, that looks better.

The crossguard is better in the new version.

(for the ones who do not know what all these words are)

I think the grip needs to be of a different material:

[niektb]

Almost forgot: in the new version the blood groove is pretty much gone, please restore that.

Edited April 4, 2014 by niektb

[Stan`]

Update... Hope you'll like it.

Viking.7z

File.7z

[Radagast.]

Our units not even have a real beard or nose other than textures. Besides that, still I like your detail. Though not overly stress stan to his utmost. We should not forget that even each smith might produce different looking weapons. So if smith Stan produces a slightly different looking weapon, it's okay.

Still your detailed and clear explanations are brilliant, Niek. Also, it's no wrong to go into super detail and perfection, though perfection might be is impossible.

[Romulus]

Perfection = quality.

And how much quality you put into your work determines it's perfection.

[niektb]

Our units not even have a real beard or nose other than textures.

[...]

But they do have one that differs in color (brown, blond and black etc. variants)

Secondly Stan states that he wanted to practice texturing and he isn't benefited by creating only mediocre quality textures.

@Stan: The hilt has been improved definitely. Keep it this way!.

About the blade: the rust has a bit too much impact on the normal, and it looks as though it is bloody (maybe a nice, bloody variant?)

Lastly from some point of views the groove looks like a ridge (thanks to those lines, I think you should make those lines running across the blade darker in the specular map (so they don't stand out). We'll have to see in game if in the specular the bright parts aren't too bright.

Only the final bits to go, Stan, good work so far! After the final version, I'll try to create some color variants (with for example silver instead of gold etc.)

Edited April 5, 2014 by niektb

[Stan`]

Hey. I realised that there is no real use of improving that blade texture, because for now texture is 1024x1024 ands it's gonna be something around 128x128 so losing five hours to fix it might not be the best idea.Anyway since I need to stop giving up I made some modification and added the variation.

Viking.7z

Edited April 5, 2014 by stanislas69

[niektb]

Oh, I hadn't noticed that it was 1024x1024, but let's move to get it gameable then.

It needs to be one sword, with the origin of the mesh being exactly in the center of the grip, that is the place where the hand is attached too. The Z-axis (in blender) needs to point upwards. That's all.

[Stan`]

Can you do that ?