I have decided that I prefer this design to the previous design. There are more possibilities for detailing the armour overlapping than previously.
This is the much simplified base mesh from 3D Studio Max, when I increase the polygons in Mudbox the halves are subdivided equally with identical vertices on both sides of the mesh. This allows for symmetrical sculpting and being able to manipulate both sides of the mesh identically.
This simplified mesh was also proving difficult for Mudbox to interpret correctly. I intend to use the symmetrical sculpting the manipulate the mesh, I found that there were some additional polygons where one one half of the model compared to the other, yet in 3DS Max they were identical.
I decided to simplify the geometry by not modelling such a complex mesh in Max!
I created quite a complicated mesh in 3DS Max and then imported it into Mudbox, however the complexity of the mesh was proving to be difficult to sculpt in Mudbox.
To allow the sculpting within Mudbox I have opted to block out the form in 3D Studio Max. On my company visit I was told that Morpheus use a Maya and Zbrush pipeline for the digital sculpting of toys. I do not know either Maya or Zbrush and it would be unrealistic to have to learn both and produce an outcome! I have therefore opted to use 3D Studio Max for my blocking out (as I know how to use it a little bit) and Mudbox for the sculpting as it's really intuitive and easy to pick up! Below you can see my blocking out renders, although they feature no articulation, something which I would like to model in 3D Studio Max before I render it up. I have also found that I don't like the shoulders when I blocked them in 3D so have opted to amend the design!
More development of the form of the figure through develpment sketches.
Once I had created the thumbnails I then developed the form in much more detail. I really liked the proportions of the form, I felt that the detail was a little too simple. All the designs below are variations of the design, with more form development to provide more interest and character.
Firstly I began working on parts of the toy individually which ensured I had parts which were interchangable with each other and could be used on different parts of the figure. This was not creating a coherant design with character. I amended my design process to creating thumbnail silhouettes which allowed me to generate characters quickly. Below are some of my designs.
I am going to develop the two designs underlined in red further. I am hoping to digitally sculpt them incorporating articulation into the design in such a way that the parts are interchangable with other figures which could be designed and realised later outside this project.
