Tardis

[adrian]

Being inbetween video jobs right now I thought I'd try modelling and texturing something from scratch. This is mainly a texturing exercise for me using Atlas & UV mapping - something I've really not been able to get my head round until now. I chose something that I thought would be easier to learn how to texture using UV mapping, ie something that's not too irregular shaped.

I timed myself modelling the thing at just over an hour (quick for me!). The texturing has taken days though, and is still nowhere near finished.

I've gone for a real beat-up look, even though the Tardis was never this shabby looking in the TV series. A lot of the bump maps haven't been added yet....

You can critique the modelling if you like, but I'm more concerned with the texturing, specifically:

1) How can I make it look like there are pieces missing on the edges of the corners (ie chips and dents)?

2) What is the best way to make specularity/glossiness maps from the original UV map?

I'm still not sure that it really looks like it's made out of wood :help:

Comments/suggestions/help much appreciated :-)

Modelling steps below:

[adrian]

Render without textures:

[adrian]

and render with first attempt at texturing:

[bobakabob]

Nice work, but now you've got to model Peter Cushing stepping out for a walk on the Planet of the Daleks ;)

[adrian]

Well, I'm not sure my character modelling skills are up to modelling Peter Cushing yet.... :D

[Qexit]

Nice work, but now you've got to model Peter Cushing stepping out for a walk on the Planet of the Daleks ;):offtopic: Why Peter Cushing ? The correct actor for this would be William Hartnell the original Doctor Who, especially since the design of the TARDIS matches the version that appeared in the original series back in 1963 quite well....he says after watching the Pilot episode on DVD last night :thumbsup: :offtopic:

To Adrian, see if you can get someone to lend you the DVD, if you haven't already got it, to pick up some extra details, e.g. the brass yale lock. The original DID look pretty beaten up so don't skimp on the bumps and knocks :) No suggestions on surfacing techniques I'm afraid. I have a TARDIS model of my own that is still in its base colour scheme.

[bobakabob]

Why Peter Cushing ?

Qexit,

Just a personal preference... I love that first feature film, though William Hartnell is of course, the quintessential Doctor :thumbsup:

Adrian,

If you make a copy of your model and increase the density of your mesh, you could make subtle modifications to get rid of the supersharp edges by applying tiny levels of gaussian jitter. You've done a good job on the texturing, but this should add to the realism.

[starbase1]

Well I think that one reason it does not look very wooden is that it is gray wwhere the paint is chipped away... maybe if the idnner parts of the gray / deeper gouges were more of a wood colour?

I'd also suggest that you put more battering aorund the vertical edges, as you have with the edges along the top. Mauybe some touches of gloss away from the scratcheed up bits?

Nice model!

Nick

[randomnumbers]

Compared it to an image I found here: tardis.org (thanks, google image search!) and it looks pretty good though I think the base colour needs to be a little darker. Also seems the police signs are a different colour but maybe there was more than one version of the TARDIS.
Definately getting there!