Hey Everybody!
I have been talking to Monkey Soldier on relic forums and I've agreed with him to start working on a M95 anti-material rifle. This is cause I've just started out working with 3D Max, but I'm very familiar with game development with other 2D softwares, such as flash. Anyway I really want to get good with 3D Max and the best way is to practice with people that are familiar with the program. I'm going to work on creating something like this:



I'll start next weekend and hopefully I can achieve some good results :D
I will post back here with WIP pics if thats ok?

Thanks
Darkblade

cant see the image :(

fixed the image ;)

the best way to learn 3ds max is to practice. If ur having trouble just ask and I or Kaskad or DjammyRasta will try to help you out.

@DJ and Faha: I assume that pic is a good blueprint? I sended him that pic.

I have better blueprint pics, don't worry. When I inserted the bitmaps they are really blurry....
Although when I view them normally they are really clear...
How do I improve the quality of the bitmaps on 3D Max 9?

To my knowledge there is no way. try playing with the scale of it

Is that an additional Unit or integrated into a squad?

What do you mean?

I mean, whether it will be a Unit integrated in a squad (like the bazooka infantry) or a seperate unit (like the sniper) or an uprgade for a squad ^^

None of those three. It will most likely be an ability. A bit like the panzerfaust.

any progress yet?

Nope, IIRC he will start this friday. (because of the lack of time)

Why? I mean the rifle isn´t really an anti tank weapon and therefore nobody would use it against a....Humvee for example...why waste ressources if a squad kils that Hummvee anyway with their standard weapons (I assume they will have rifle grenades as well)
Maybe you could make a sniper team? An additional unit, build in the barracks OR send through the special ability "Send sniper team :D". Or did you meant that with " likely be an ability" ^^

Hey I'm back guys, sorry for not responding. I will start on Friday as I said and post some WIP shots.

Also I think that this should be for the sniper. He should first have a M24 then gets upgraded to this M82 when he passes his second vet? The rifle will be able to do increased damage to small/light vehicles.

Comments suggestions?

No, sniperteams do not work in CoH. As I said, it would be most useful as an ability, because as a normal weapon it would be quickly op'ed.

But I suggest we get back on topic.

so there will no be snipers in COH modern Combat? It will only be an ability?

But in the normal COH there are snipers? I am a bit confused...

I think he refers to that special rifle. I assume there will be a "normal" sniper.

alright I have started :D!!!! Although have a small problem...

I'm using the "Shell" modifier although once I have all the parameters I want how do I continue working with my editable poly?

Never mind I just pressed convert to Editable poly :P

I worked a decent amount on the upper receiver, not sure if I'll have any more time to work on it but here is the WIP:



BTW how do you apply mesh smooth on only a set of edges?

uhm, nice but wouldn´t it be better to show the final image? I mean the rifle when you finished your work :)

just so you know the normal tri count for a gun CoH is around 500. I would suggest not using shell or meshmooth because those will add unnecessary tri's. try looking into smoothing groups for parts you need smoothed.

alright tanks for the tip ;) Where can I check what my current tri count is?

And I'm posting pics so people know at about how far I am in the model...

utilities tabe (hammer icon) then click more and hten polygon counter. make sure tri's is selected

I finished the upper receiver, I got a lot more work to do, but anyway enjoy :P

Btw who is the head animator of the mod?




HOLY Crap I already have 872 tri...... Is there anyway I can lower this?
umm what should I do now? :(

I guess I'll make a M24 if thats ok, it requires a lot less detail.

And I could make a desert Eagle for maybe a captain or somebody?
Anyway I'll post back when I get something done ;)

Well, the point is. When I look at your pic of the M82. I see that the rails are waaayyy over detailed. Its CoH, a RTS game. So you don't have to be as detailed. I'd recommend you create a very rough outline first. After that you can do the details (if there are tri's left) All the rail sections you've made so far are all apart. I like it that you have an eye for detail (which is very important) but i'd create one big stripe of it, and we could possibly texture the spaces on. (with black rows between it for example) I also see you have softened the edges, so it's all smooth. Costs way too much tri's. So create a rough and basic outline first, and after that start adding the details. :)
I don't exactly know how the counting works, but if one corner is 1 tri/ poly. You sure get alot of tri's. I've counted them, and you got 40 sepperate rails. If you would multiply that by 8 (amount of points one rail has) you get 320 tri's, just for the rails. That is the 1/2 of the total amount of a CoH handheld weapon. (like the garand, thompson, MP40 etc etc) They're all around 600. See this as constructive criticism and not to flame your work or something related to that. You're doing good, it's just too detailed.

alright I'll start again and keep that in mind ;) although if the count goes to high again I might stick to something easy first like Desert eagle?

take into account what monkeysoldier said and then with your next progress post a wireframe so i can try to help out. theres some good ways to make a wieframe here: http://www.maxforums.org/thread.aspx?tid=479612

I don't think the U.S. Armed Forces have a Deagle as standard service pistol. So that one won't be in.

ok I will keep in mind what you said in the previous post, I will see if I can lower the count a lot by making the rail less detailed, although I'm a bit worried if I will be able to make the gun with 600 tri.

In the end I might start over or go to the M24

HOLY CRAP I just deleted my rail to reduce the tri count and it went from
872 to 28!!!!!

So I guess there is still hope :D

Anyway here is a screenshot with the wireframe ;) a lot lower with the tri count :)

Alright I went for the low approach and worked on the model!

I'm almost done :)
Although with my tri count really high I can't add the things I wanted to....

Anyway, all thats left is more editing with the stock and creating a barrel!

Please comment and tell me what I can do!

Isn´t the scope usually bigger?

Remove the circle's in the barrel. We can texture them on. I also see that the scope is completely round. Even in FPS like Counterstrike they aren't completely round. So make it much less round to save tri's.

you should also make it not hollow, if you know what I mean. you lose a lot of tris by giving the whole thing an inside

Alright there is no point of continuing as the tri count has gone really high....

I realized that my upper reflex was giving no tri count, so the whole time I was over :(
Anyway I posted the pics in case there is any way of lowering the count... but I doubt it

What should I do? Make a new gun instead?



Maybe the XM8 or MP5 for commandoes, or work on a M24 for the sniper?

Simple, restart with the M82. As Enemy said, don't make the gun hollow. That will cost alot of tri's. Just restart with the model and use our advice. I can almost say with certain that it will be good this time. Good is good, not good is again.

looks good. to lose some polys make it not hollow and i think without much loss of detail you could make the main shape a simple hexagon

At how many tri's are you currently? Maybe you don't need to restart with the model. Oh, and there won't be a XM-8. ;)