As a veteran of voxel modeling, I felt I have tried to find way to make models out of 3D pixels. It was recently I adopted a newer strategy of 3D modeling. I basically have given up on trying to be highly realistic models and instead will focus on low polygon modeling. Part of that appeal goes with modeling using a simple cube followed by lots of extrusions (and maybe some duplications). So for this blog post, I figured I will focus primarily on this approach to modeling and what I could accomplish with this method. Come along, and let's get modeling!
Before I Begin...
The methods I express here are with my experiences using Blender 2.79b. You will need to adjust my methods for any other 3D modeling program you may use besides Blender if you plan on following my lead.
Voxel-Inspired Modeling
Voxels are essentially 3D pixels. Whereas a simple pixel has x and y dimension, a voxel adds z dimension. Porting over raw voxel information often results in a 3D mesh you can manipulate if your heart desires. The blocky nature of these models is often apparent in games such as Minecraft.
Discovery and Analysis.
I discovered through editing in Magicavoxel about the size of a single cube when I saved a model in PLY format and imported it into Blender. I noticed a single voxel is 0.1 in Blender Units. You could say it is 0.1 meters, since the Blender units are close to metric units. The size of 0.1 Blender Units seems just right without the model looking extremely large or extremely small.
In preparing this blog post, I tried a different size of a cube to make a more precise pixel-perfect size cube. A pixel-perfect cube is 0.0625 in Blender units. This is nearly 40% less of size of a cube at 0.1 Blender units. However, I found it harder to snap to the grid with equal size using 0.0625 as my size and increments. I probably could set up Blender to snap to these pixel-perfect measurements, but I found sticking to 0.1 Blender unit increments works much easier.
Because these models using this voxel-style method are essentially still cubes, it is possible to make them no longer "voxels." In fact, I could refine the models to basically enhance these rough drafts of 3D models. That was part of the plan as I was thinking about doing these voxel-type models from start-to-finish in Blender.
Some Voxel-Inspired Models of Mine.
Since I thought it would be too complex to share my workflow, I will instead share models I have created. So take a look:
^ I re-created one of my past voxel vehicles cube-by-cube.
^ This is a barbecue ham I modeled in Blender.
^ I modeled this blocky ham thigh in Blender.
^ Hungry for a slab of steak? I modeled one in Blender!
^ This is a re-creation of a model I intended to be a Minecraft mob. In a future blog post, I will share more renders and a story on this model. Stay tuned to John's Creative Space!
^ Three health kits were modeled by me here. Since these were intended to be game assets, I put in their healing values in the overlay. These could be offered for sale/download in the future.
So now you've seen some of the blocky modeling I have worked on of late. I will try to make as many of these models as I can while I still have this burst in creative energy.
If you enjoy my work, please Subscribe/Follow my blog(s) in any capacity if you love my work and want to support me any way you can. Share my blog post(s) with others if you enjoy my work. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.
For years, I have contemplated what to do with my voxel model characters. I felt it wouldn't really be enough just to have voxels in the raw. So for this blog post, I will discuss my plans with my voxel models. You have an idea of what it is by the blog post name, but you don't know about my full plans until you take a look at this full post. Read on to find out about my plans!
Voxel Character Evo Project
About as far back as 2014, I developed a series of voxel model characters. I spent the better part of about a month to develop five different sets of voxel characters. I made a total of 43 characters including a handful of extra characters. I therefore made about 50-60 characters total. The base 43 characters, though, are what I am primarily focused on in trying to breathe new life into my voxel model collection.
Wait- what "new life?" Well, I have a bunch of static voxels. You can only do so much with a set of static models. I decided to re-do my voxel models through a combination of Magicavoxel and Blender. What I intend to do is take my voxel models and break them up for animation. This will allow for people to either rig the models themselves or look to a service like Mixamo for animation.
It is that simple, right? Well, no. I feel my voxel characters will have to be extensively modified and enhanced to make them better for animation. That is where the "Evo" part comes in for my models. "Evo" is short for "evolution." Whereas most people will immediately think of Minecraft or something for pixel-perfect or blocky voxel models, I need to make these voxel characters different but still retain a small semblance of voxel roots while not being hyper-realistic.
Project Inspiration.
A YouTube channel that has made animations of voxel-type characters has been one of my influences to work on my old voxel models. Even better, I saw a YouTube video that gave me some ideas on how to model voxels made in Magicavoxel. The channel in question with all the different 3D animated films is Zaminmation. Zamination is famous for their 3D animations based on "Minecraft" and the "Five Nights at Freddy's" series videos among others.
The Evolution Process.
A key in the evolution process of re-working these voxel models is in understanding the newer possibilities working with models in a unique way. Part of that involves considering things like how to enhance the models. I want to make the voxel models to be sort of textured. The way I seen my exports from Magicavoxel in PLY format, I could take the individual faces and maybe replace them with some textures I could make in a different program. Maybe I could re-do these voxels and take them beyond their voxel form without going overboard. Basically, I want these voxel models to be much more than voxel models.
Let me sort of explain the process in Magicavoxel...
• separate the feet, lower legs, upper legs, torso (including neck, just moving it), upper arm, lower arm, hands, and head
• separate accessories and certain long hair pieces
• add some extra voxels to the lower legs, the upper legs, the lower legs, and some of the torso
• move all parts of the body backwards except for the lower legs and the feet
• move the neck, head, upper arms, and lower arms forward
• clean up any painting errors
At best, this process can take about 10-15 minutes for each voxel model in Magicavoxel. It can take hours to do the whole process with about 43 of my voxel models. The point of the Magicavoxel work is to prep the modified model to be modified further in Blender for refinement and animation.
Once I start making certain things available, I will share my process and maybe some sample animation tests from Blender. So stay tuned for that! For now, though, here is a picture preview of what I am doing with my voxel character models:
^ Here is a preview of what I am working on towards enhancing my voxel character models.
If you enjoy my work, please Subscribe/Follow my blog(s) in any capacity if you love my work and want to support me any way you can. Share my blog post(s) with others if you enjoy my work. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.
I returned to voxel modeling to try out MagicaVoxel 099.6. This newer version 099.6 ushers in a new level of development as it has enhanced facilities for modeling and rendering. Most notably, voxel models in MagicaVoxel can now go up to 256³, rather than being resticted to 126³ in dimensions. So more complicated models in one piece can be developed or viewed. This is great mostly for massive models or complex worlds. With these things in mind, I want to share with you two models I created and what I may intend using these for. Check these out...
^ from: (JohnMarineDesigns) - My model of a vintage church house modeled and rendered in MagicaVoxel.
^ from: (JohnMarineDesigns) - This is a vintage school house I modeled and rendered in MagicaVoxel.
What do I intend on making these models for? Well, I have had ideas of using them for possible game assets or some media projects. I was kind of thinking of making a classic-style SimCity deal where you build a city from the ground up with the voxel building models I am trying to create. Also, I was considering the voxels being used for voxel-style 3D RPGs. The problem with that is that I am mostly fixated on more modern style structures. Therefore, I am not as adept designing Medieval-type structures or worlds. The two models I created will still get things rolling as far as designing voxel buildings. I also want to make this easy by having consistent dimensions to piece together spaces in equal grid amounts. I may also decide to just let everything be set up freestyle, letting the developer add the voxel models as he/she/they see fit in their voxel worlds.
I'm glad you got a chance to view my creative works blog! This is my first blog post since the new changes Blgoger/Blogspot blog posts are made. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.
After several years putting it off and in not deciding what to do, I recently have FINALLY offered my voxel vehicles to the Internet public! This blog post describes what all I have done with these voxel vehicles I created. You will be able to purchase my voxel vehicles towards the end of this post. So stick around for more information!
My Basic Voxel Vehicle Pack
This is an opportunity for me to share with you my voxel vehicles. More information is included in this post, so read on if you are interested in my voxel vehicles.
What You Should Know.
My voxel vehicle creations were as of 2014 producing them with MagicaVoxel. I shared my voxel models across social media showcasing my work. I long planned to use my voxel models to develop a racing game. That game, however, never materialized. So the models I created have basically remained on my PC to never be available to the public. Despite a good amount of demand by some people who reached out to me, I was never fully ready to share my voxel models. That is until I finally decided in September 2019 to consider joing Envato. On October 1, I joined Envato. My first upload to any Envato product was made on October 7. My package was approved to 3DOcean for my voxel vehicle pack. Therefore, I am pleased to announce that my voxel vehicle pack is LIVE!
In my original upload to 3DOcean, I decided to keep the vehicles as static models. I had planned for some time to make the voxel models ready for animation. That will probably come in either an update or as a separate package. To keep polygon counts low, I filled up the invisible portions of the voxel models with voxels. Most of my models originally came with visible interiors if you remove the glass windshields and doors. Everything is low-polygon for the sake of game development. That was the original intent of my models.
The reworked voxel vehicles can be imported into programs like Blender or in game engines like Godot Game Engine. If you want to further use models for various applications, you are on your own to take my models and import them into other programs. So you will need to use a program like Blender to export my models into Unity3D if you want to use Unity with my voxel vehicle models. The Basic Voxel Vehicle Pack is available in three different formats: COLLADA DAE, OBJ, and the native MagicaVoxel VOX. Use the native VOX to freely edit the voxel models in their raw form.
Want to Get My Voxel Vehicles?
My voxel vehicle pack is available on Envato's 3DOcean. Purchase the Regular License if you want to feature my voxel vehicles in a free game or in certain media projects. Purchase an Extended License if you plan on using my voxel vehicle models in a paid game. Click on the image or link below to get started:
If you use my voxel vehicles in any project (personal or commercial), please let me know! I want to see how you plan on utilizing my voxel models. Please help support me and my work any way you can. Purchasing this package is one such way of showing your support... if you don't mind. I would appreciate your support.
That is all for this post! I hope you found it interesting. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.
I have recently gotten back into 3D modeling. Part of the plan is to get back into trying to make characters and vehicles. For the most part, I am trying to make stuff to hopefully offer online for sale. The recent motivation to return to 3D modeling is to practice newer modeling techniques. I look at a bunch of models on different sites offering 3D models. I try to study the geometry of models as well as learn certain techniques on how to make such models. While I still use Wings3D for modeling, I have tried to incorporate Blender into my modeling so I can better implement them into projects.
Since you are reading this blog post, I figured I'd make a few announcements.
My Voxel Characters.
While I have not officially thought of what to do next, I am considering offering my voxel characters either as static models or make some "evolved" voxel models in case people want to try making rigged "evolved" models in case people want to make some animated characters.
3D Plans.
I have some plans to make some 3D characters. What I kind of want to do is offer a lot of my original characters for you to download. Some of my original creations may even be complimented with blog posts to introduce you to each one. Of course, I also will try to add material to my Weebly site (JohnMarineDesigns).
3D Locations.
I want to make locations that could be implemented into games. I am looking at a lot of older 3D racing games because of my skill. The original plan was to use material into Sports Car GT, then go to rFactor, and maybe even find Assetto Corsa. I also thought of trying to make locations for Rigs of Rods and BeamNG.Drive as well. Blender and Godot Game Engine are also test beds for any would-be location creations.
If all goes well, I will be sure to offer more material to you all to enjoy. I want to be able to flex my creativity even further. Perhaps even flex it more if I start getting on a roll creating content.
My Godot racing project, Project Rhiannon, lives on! I recently went from trying to make modular voxel land to making polygon land. This was inspired by Gran Turismo 5's Course Maker feature. Seven environments make up GT5's collection of environments. To practice designing levels, I did some box modeling in Wings3D. I tried to closely follow some of the design nature of custom tracks in Gran Turismo 5 in trying to design modular assets for a race track. What I practiced mostly was simple modeling of such a course, rather than build a proper course. Here is a look at what I've come up with:
^ Instead of voxel land, I tried polygon tracks. I haven't yet found out how not to make things extremely shiny in Godot.
For some reason, I wanted to make some kind of non-tarmac course initially. I then decided to build an entire tarmac course in Wings3D and then scale it greatly in Godot to be used. I did not include a pit road, so this track isn't COMPLETELY practical. I wanted to make the road have subdivisions and loop cuts to allow for the possibility of making individual elevation changes to pieces of the track geometry. I am also learning that you do not have to model objects into the main model themselves. You build the track first followed by adding whatever objects you like. This can even help in the case where not rendering objects can help in the frame rate department as well as in reducing draw calls.
I still have a lot to learn, but I feel I can possibly make a proper track that I can eventually implement into racing games. It is a slow process that will eventually pay off into something amazing.
Driving Model.
While I am still using my voxel model cars for my test car, I am slowly wanting to develop my own proper 3D vehicles to use as my testing vehicles. I still have somewhat of a "to do" list to enhance my driving model. The driving model in Godot does not really allow for meticulous driving models. That is, unless you are incredibly adept at coding/logic for a proper model. The basics of the Godot Game Engine for vehicles are the commands of engine force (acceleration), brake (braking), and steering. I was looking to try to find some alternative methods to utilize these features. Everyone who has designed their own driving model through Godot GDScript has made his/her/their own spin on the vehicle model. These methods have been expressed in various games, and no one model is perfect. A driving model is only as perfect as the one(s) who deem it as perfect.
Engine Force
I allowed for more interesting acceleration by dividing the vehicle's Engine Force by a number less than 1. What would happen in this instance is that the car gets off from its starting position and go fast- almost like a drag racer. What I want to do is set a base speed that increases incrementally. So I want to properly simulate going from a standing start to properly accelerating away. I also want to develop a speedometer to know just how fast I am going as well as a tachometer to simulate the RPM range.
Braking
However, I have been struggling a bit to properly slow down the vehicle. The brakes work fine with my models. What I want to do is make the braking power more efficient. If I wanted to be more advanced, I would want to simulate brake balance. So a car with strong front brake balance could have some understeer dialed in. A car with strong rear brake balance can induce some oversteer. Too much either way can upset a vehicle's handling behavior.
Steering
Steering can be a bit slow. When I decided to meddle with the steering values, the vehicle may not even turn or only turn so slowly. Once I reached a numerical value that gives me some semblance of control, I basically left it alone and not chance ruining the steering angles.
I still need to get around these issues in trying to develop a driving model I can be proud of.
Extra Insight.
I mentioned Gran Turismo 5 and its Course Maker. Gran Turismo 5 allows you to construct race tracks purely on a set number of parameters and features. The environments differ. While you do not have meticulous control of each environment, your track is given a set number of variables you can control. There are seven locations you can choose from in Gran Turismo 5:
The tarmac environments are primarily designed to be run by almost any kind of car. The dirt environment of Liège is meant for gravel rally racing. The snow of Alaska is meant for racing on snow and ice. The kart environments are short courses suited mostly for go-karts. Each environment includes a number of different features unique to that environment. For example, the Toscana environment features mostly a stroll along the Italian countryside in beautiful Toscana, complete with Italian Cypress trees. It also has fireworks going off at night.
If you have actually played with Gran Turismo 5, though, you know many of the environments appear very sparse. Almost like incomplete terrains. That is kind of like what my environment deal is like at present. Implementing some of my work will require some extra geometry edits as well as triangle tesselation. I do feel good about designing a practical course that could be implemented into games or certain other projects.
What I did was study how the roads for the environments were set up. I looked at differences in elevation, the placement of the road, grass, barriers, and things like that. Go back to the Toscana tarmac example for instance. You have a mostly wide road that has little edges on the side close to the rail fances. Down the way are usually either bushes or trees. These object placements do not have to be uniform all the way around the track, but you can put certain features in to make the environment a bit more entertaining and lively. I hope to learn from these in building my courses from scratch. Maybe if I learn certain algorithms to design procedural locations, I could create locations without having to do everything by hand.
Now you know a little more about my development of racing/driving games of late. I have yet to find a winning balance.
Now you have an update about my racing/driving game development. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.
My first #GodotEngine 3D project is what I am calling "Project Rhiannon." Project Rhiannon is a racing game project inspired by the 2011 independent/indie game "3D Pixel Racing." I am inspired to "build a better mouse trap" with Project Rhihannon. There were faults that prevented 3D Pixel Racing from being better than what it could have been. To this point, I managed to try to learn using 3D in Godot Game Engine by coming up with my own racing game project.
I am using a lot of studying of "3D Pixel Racing" as well as the 3D Platformer template to help me conceptualize building a proper prototype from "Project Rhiannon." Important in the creation of Project Rhiannon is that of building a 3D world along with a proper vehicle setup. This project was to be a 2D-style racing game in the mold of several Mode 7 games on the Super Nintendo. I chose this method first because I wasn't comfortable with 3D and using 3D in Godot. Over time, I felt my project would be better served in a proper 3D space. Considering my love affair with voxels, I wanted to make a proper 3D racing game utilizing those voxel models.
While I have not come up with a proper prototype, I did take some of my past assets to build a conceptual idea for a racing game. I may plan to design exclusive vehicles and such just for this game should I develop it. I will keep you posted if I do come up with any interesting material for any racing project using voxels. Here is a picture of what I have conceptualized in the meanwhile:
^ This is a concept of Project Rhiannon using one of my past voxel vehicles made in MagicaVoxel.
So now you know about Project Rhiannon! :) I'll keep you posted if I come up with something cool! To see my other Godot material and projects, visit my link on my Weebly site here: My Game Devlopment Portfolio.
My voxel characters made in MagicaVoxel are now offered as a Starter Pack! This one features nine of my first voxel characters. All of them are static models in their raw VOX format. I decided to offer this package online to give people some voxel characters to use for games and other projects. I also want to showcase my voxel art talent to the world by offering this package.
Here is a look at the characters:
^ from: (my Facebook Fan Page) - The original nine characters I made with my first character pack are now available for download. Get it now!
* base model - wears a white tank top, blue jeans, and black shoes.
* a teenage girl with a bright scarf, black top, and indigo jeans tucked into brown boots.
* a middle-aged woman in a sweater over a blouse, skirt, and pumps.
* a man in an open shirt with a T-shirt underneath and jeans tucked into dark brown boots.
* a young adult lady in a yellow dress and hot pink pumps.
* a Black male in a football jersey, dark blue jeans, and orange lug boots.
* a man in overalls and wears a baseball cap.
* a teenage boy in a varsity jacket, a T-shirt, blue jeans, and brown shoes.
* a college-age girl in a sporty tank top, and yoga legging pants tucked into sheepskin boots.
I am looking to rework my regular models and offer some more advanced options for those looking to animate my models. I will keep you posted here on "John's Creative Space" and elsewhere in media. All I want you to know here is that you will now be able to use my original models. If you think you can make better-looking models using my base model, the original VOX models are all concluded as they were from MagicaVoxel.
For More Information...
Want to download this package? Choose to support me on OpenGameArt, Voxel Art Store, or both! Links:
Please also support me on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/johnbmarine and make a pledge. Your support can help me to provide more content and even gain funding towards performing other projects. Other than that, enjoy! :)
That concludes this blog post. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.
Through MagicaVoxel, I have returned to voxel modeling. "John's Creative Space" has become popular in regards to voxels. So it brings me some pleasure to discuss a few things. I will use this post to share some considerations of mine and some other bits. If you enjoy my work, you are going to want to follow this post. Or if you are fairly new to this blog, welcome to my creative works blog! Having said this... here are some thoughts of mine.
Topic 1: Offering Models.
For the longest, I have wanted to make my models public. The only problem was that I have had a tough time deciding how to modify the models to the liking of others. I don't really want to offer my voxel models cold turkey. Having held onto these models so much, I feel I have to make them viable and useful to others. More importantly, I want to be able to financially profit from my work. So I am in a situation where I want to offer my material for free, but also take donations. I also simply want to offer my work for sale in a combination of single models and bundles. Any plans I make public will be announced here on "John's Creative Space" and elsewhere on social media.
Topic 2: Future Model Plans.
I have somewhat been working on developing a new human model apart from the many past voxel models I've created. The intent is to use them to allow for better animation. One of MagicaVoxel's limitations is the inability to split up pieces of the model for easier animation. People complain about the limit of 126 x 126 x 126 for models. So what I intend to do is make both static models and separated models to allow for two different kinds of models to be used.
Besides voxel people, I have also been known for my voxel vehicles. I haven't made any kind of voxel vehicles in my return to voxel modeling, but I do hope to offer the same sort of versatility for vehicles as I do my voxel people.
Topic 3: Game Development Voxel Modeling?
One of the reasons why I have been slow developing things was because I was trying to learn Java. As I was trying to work on making a possible game, I had a vision of designing a game, but with making voxel models for it for prototyping. It gave me the idea to make voxel models for tile-based games. Nothing has really materialized, but I will be sure to offer material to you all should I develop something interesting and that I am willing to give away.
While you're here, let me share with you a little advice.
Some Quick MagicaVoxel Advice.
Version 0.97.5 is the latest version of MagicaVoxel as of this post. I mentioned breaking up models into pieces. The intent is to make material to be used in more proper programs made to handle things like rendering and (more importantly) animation. I would suggest you try to build up your model as you normally would. Then after completion, break up your model into a number of pieces. Break up key segments ranging from the body to the limbs. Save the different limbs and such into separate objects. If you have accessories and props that can be used, save them as their own objects also. Then in a proper 3D application (like Blender), piece everything together.
I actually would also recommend you use VoxelShop to optimize voxel models. I would recommend it in the case of models that don't require any transparency, mainly with models that don't have any transparent bits. You can optimize such models to not use as many polygons. This probably isn't recommended for items that may require them be transparent, such as the windshields and windows of cars.
Always Remember...
Always remember that I am working on a number of projects as a solo person. So there may be times where I seem to not have anything being worked on or when news of my work is slow. It doesn't mean I am idle. It just means I am hard at work trying to offer some material for you all. Please help support my work any way you can. The latest way you can show some love is through my Patreon profile. Who knows? You might score something cool of mine through my Patreon page should you pledge to it!
So now you have some idea of my voxel plans moving forward. Most importantly, thank all of you who visited my blog for MagicaVoxel content.
That's all for this one. Go have yourself a great day/night and thank you for reading! Take care and be well.
My 3D experience so far is featured in this blog post. I still have a lot to learn as I keep trying to add models to TurboSquid (search "JohnMarineDesigns" if on TurboSquid). The five models I've created so far will be shown in this post. This is your chance to see my work and get an idea of what I hope to improve on in the future. If you want to judge my 3D work, judge fairly. I am not expecting anyone to worship me like I am the best ever at 3D or anything. So having said all of this, here is a look at the models I've created so far.
NOTE: Because all of these items are offered on TurboSquid, you can click on the images or the links below the images to take a further look at my models.
LATEST UPDATE(S)/REVISION(S)
MAY 11 2016 - typo corrected.
My 3D Journey So Far...
Here are the models I have created so far. If you want to learn more about each model, click on the images and links to each model. The models are all listed based on the order I uploaded them to TurboSquid.
Model 1: Voxel Vehicle Starter Kit.
Voxel Vehicle Starter Kit - This is the first TurboSquid item I published. It isn't a true 3D model because this originated from MagicaVoxel, and MagicaVoxel is used in the creation of voxel models.
The first item I offered on TurboSquid was to help people make their own voxel vehicle models. Due to the popularity of my voxel vehicles, I decided to offer a package to help some people get started making voxel models. I didn't want to simply offer my fine voxel model cars freely. In fact, I am still a bit undecided on whether or not to even offer my full range of voxel vehicle models or make polygon 3D models of my voxel model vehicles. I am considering the latter and have set up a few vehicles I am still developing. Speaking of polygons...
Model 2: Basic Sword.
Basic Sword - This is the first true polygon model I created and offered online.
One model I created was a sword. It was purely basic, hence it being a "simple" sword. I still wanted to offer a basic product for people to enjoy. So anyone could use this sword as a prop, something to equip for players in games, or any such application. I actually took this sword and added a few more details at the hilt and on the blade itself. I actually triangulate the faces on the blade to add a little more detail. I even thought about making the hilt of the sword more fancy. However, I kept things mostly as is and moved on.
Model 3: Basic Trophy.
- This is a trophy I created in Wings3D. I made one in Blender, and I felt I made a better one in Wings3D.
Actually, I think I offered this trophy to TurboSquid before I offered my sword model. This is still a fairly good trophy model. This was actually a model I was working on then decided to make an entirely new model trophy. I made an entirely new trophy model to reflect some of my 3D skills in using Wings3D. One special skill I learned was in using the Intrude feature of Wings3D. You have to be careful using Intrude, especially when trying to use it to define certain interior details. It is best to use Intrude to properly define the interior of items. So one thing I did was make the cup part of the trophy it's own object. After making the cup part hollow, I re-attached the cup part to the rest of the trophy. I later went ahead and took four vertices to define the handle parts of my trophy. I then beveled those vertices. Afterwards, I went ahead and extruded those sections to define the handles. Many more extrusions were made until I made the handles as properly as I could. After I was all done with the cup part of the trophy, I went ahead and smoothened it for an amazing finish.
Model 4: Basic Trident.
- This model of a trident is fairly basic in design.
I tried a more interesting model by creating a trident. The most important thing I learned making this model was the usage of beveled edges and edge loops to define certain parts of models I want to keep sharp. At this time, I actually got to learn using hard edges. The model was uploaded in its non-smoothened form. I don't intend for the model to be smoothened anyways. The main thing I was learning was the use of adding edge loops and beveled edges to preserve certain sharp shapes for when a model gets smoothened. You have to place those edge loops very close so that you don't get funky results when you try to smoothen the model.
Model 5: Modern Stool.
- Have a seat in this modern stool! :)
I haven't made or released a model for some time. So what I did was try to create another model. My latest work is a stool. Rather than just a basic stool, I decided to make a modern kind of stool. This is a fancy sort of stool to sit in with back support and some bars for your feet to rest on. I needed to put some edge loops around the loop where the feet can be rested on to preserve a decent shape. Without proper placement of edge loops at key parts of the model, you end up with some funky results when you try to smoothen the model. This was perhaps a key lesson I learned in trying to make models. It will be a trial-and-error process trying to make proper models and trying to maintain a good amount of the geometry.
Just about all of these models were created using materials only. All of these five items to TurboSquid, except the first one, were modeled using Wings3D.
The Next Steps?
I am trying to develop vehicles and characters. There hasn't been anything I am proud enough to share with you all at this moment, though.
Everyone has a certain talent level and a certain level of devotion towards making certain material. Some can make spectacular models that are the work of weeks, months, and even years. Some feel they can make even the simplest models in just the course of one day or a few days. I don't feel I am experienced enough to make models of impressive quality. That is why I will mostly stick to low-polygon and even medium-polygon models. Even if I make hyper-realistic models, I am not expected to have the sort of quality that could get me recognized by major companies or major design studios. I don't have the skills or the patience to make some of the most amazing 3D models out there. Maybe eventually I will reach superstar status making 3D models, but that time is definitely not now for me at this point. I am not selling myself short- I know what I am capable of and what I am producing. I am just not at the level of 3D experience and talent that would qualify me as a professional or a powerhouse at 3D. The work I produce is on a level where I feel I am most capable.
As far as offering my work to others, I feel people will pick up my work and find many ways to utilize my content. A lot of the items I've modeled are nothing really special, but I am pleased if people see my work and decide to use it for various media projects or games. So please feel free to help establish my work and my presence.
Special Request!
You can find all of my work on TurboSquid, including any future models I upload to TurboSquid, by clicking here: JohnMarineDesigns on TurboSquid. Please help support me and my work any way you can. I thank all of you who support my work regardless.
My 3D experience is growing. My skills are improving. All I can hope for is to reach an impressive level of work. Only you can help me get there. I want to thank you for visiting my blog and reading this post. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.
My first offering of voxel cars is with a package that went live on TurboSquid recently. I created a "Starter Kit" featuring four cars I designed myself including one tire model for games and media projects. I offered this to get my work exposed as well as get people started in their projects using some fine voxel models. While this package does not include any machines I've created previously, I do offer my own designs to help people get started and get a feel for my artistic style.
Here is a look at my work:
^ learn more here: Voxel Vehicle Starter Pack - I have finally offered my own voxel car designs to others.
Because this was my first TurboSquid product and because I want this to be a gateway to making more quality material, I am offering this for free. Each of the vehicles I have created are my own designs amd feature versions both with static wheels and with no wheels. The versions with no wheels can be used in programs like Blender in the creation of games and media projects. Since the no wheel versions (obviously) don't have wheels, I have included a tire that can be added to models. The tire model I created features a tire with an attached eight-spoke wheel all made of voxels. Just re-size the tires to fit into the wheel arches. It may look awkward with the rest of the vehicle, but you are at least fitting a nice set of wheels on the car. Of course, you could always make your own tires and wheels and affix them to the car in programs like Blender or something. You can set up the vehicle to have a basic rig setup or try more advanced rigs with suspension setups. No matter what, I have given a unique start to help fuel the dreams of those who love cars with my voxel vehicles.
You're welcome, world. :) For more information on this package, please visit: Voxel Vehicle Starter Pack (TurboSquid). Credit me if you use my work in your projects. Please?
If you loved this package, I hope to offer more material to you all in the future. If you liked this blog and/or this blog post, I hope to offer more blog material to you all. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.
Animated voxel cars? Recently, I experimented trying to rig my voxel model cars. It is very possible to animate even voxel cars. I will explain my work flow and thoughts in this blog post, and I even have plans to share with you all. Be sure to stay with me in this blog post to see all of my plans. I hope you get to enjoy this blog post and all it has to offer.
Voxel Car Animating
"Go where no one has gone before." To many people, these are excellent words to live by. My idea is nothing new. In fact, I can tell you animating voxel cars is not going to set the world ablaze or blow peoples' minds. People have inquired me about my voxel model cars. One of the reasons why I've put aside trying to offer my vehicles for download/sale is because I have been trying to find new ways to implement my machines. Also, I simply wasn't ready to try to offer my material for download/sale.
Previously, all of my voxel vehicles were all static models. This is good enough for making various scenes, but for taking certain cars further in their design and to open new possibilities, you have to make these creations to be worthy of animation. This is what has crossed my mind in trying to make my already interesting creations even more interesting. I considered the possibility of trying to animate my cars after seeing some videos on how to rig cars in Blender 3D. While I know my voxel model cars won't blow away people with their design, I can still use my creativity to design the most interesting-looking cars. And most importantly, I can take my creations and animate them. This will make it good for applications ranging from animations to game assets.
It is time I set the mood by offering many different views on making my voxel cars in better detail than I have previously. Gain my perspective by reading further.
The Inspiration.
I have seen games use voxel vehicles as well as voxel model vehicles for games. When I designed my own voxel model cars, I am influenced mostly by the Gran Turismo series because I had intended on maybe developing a racing game. I started making voxel model cars once I started to follow the work of another voxel artist. This allowed me to come up with my own voxel model cars. As far as variety is concerned in the types of cars, I am mostly influenced by other game series with a variety of cars- such as the Grand Theft Auto series. But in terms of voxel cars in a voxel environment, my biggest inspiration is "3D Pixel Racing." Even though "3D Pixel Racing" wasn't as well-received by gaming fans because of its lackluster game play, I trust that I could be able to make voxel model cars with perhaps another game developer to exceed certain other independent (indie) racing games.
The Experiment.
So at one point, I began to wonder how exactly you rig a car in Blender. I have never attempted to a rig a car prior to taking part in this experiment. I decided to play along with a two-part video series to take car models and make them drivable. The experiment worked as I took on a different kind of modeling method. The animation process began with me taking one of my voxel model cars and doubling the scale of it. I even began to model wheels separately and then import them with my model car. Doing so meant I had to remove the static wheels for a more friendly design for putting on proper wheels in Blender. My more enhanced wheel models were imported into Blender and resized to fit the wheel arches of my voxel cars. This was a snapshot of one of my first attempts to learn how to animate a car in Blender:
^ from: (my MagicaVoxel gallery in my Facebook profile) - Rudimentary as it looks, this was my first attempt to not only learn how to rig a car in Blender, but also to learn how to design my cars to be better made for animating.
Getting better at something means you take more chances and try to sample various other things. Same applies to my efforts to design my old cars and trying to make them better ready for animating. I went with my rudimentary car because I had envisioned making better-looking and more detailed versions of my voxel model cars. I didn't want to ruin any of my original cars trying to learn how to rig cars. That is, until I finally successfully was able to find a way to rig a vehicle. After that, I decided to try my hand at taking one of my existing cars and make it suitable for rigging (namely getting rid of the static wheels). This time rather than take an existing car and doubling its size, I decided to take one car at its original size and simply fit some wheels on them (after resizing the wheels). The end result is this more handsome looking effort:
^ from: (my MagicaVoxel gallery in my Facebook profile) - This experiment involved one of my original voxel model cars at its original size and fitted with my detailed voxel wheels.
Since I was using detailed wheels on a regular scale voxel car, the car does appear pretty awkward in its design, especially around the wheel arches. The more important thing in all of this is the ability to set up a proper model for which rigging is possible. I was fairly happy for the most part with mounting the wheels to the car. I became a good bit happy knowing I mounted a nice set of wheels to these cars. It got me to wonder how I can re-style these cars so they look a bit more handsome when equipped with these extra sets of wheels.
Now to explain my workflow.
The Workflow.
Let me share with you my workflow as well as different changes in methodology in creating my works.
I am still using MagicaVoxel to model my cars. All of the cars I've made and shared pictures of were made through MagicaVoxel. The latest version as of this post is 0.97.1. I have been using MagicaVoxel to make and edit my cars. In my time, I have shared about 15 of my regular cars as well as a few commercial vehicles and some race cars. So I've released maybe 20+ models in pictures. With so many vehicles, I had broader visions for voxel model machines I have created. One such thing I made mention to was the fact I started modeling tires and wheels to be separate items from the cars. What this allowed for was a number of options to make my already detailed voxel model cars even more detailed. MagicaVoxel only allows you to do so much, so enter the other programs I am using...
VoxelShop is what I use to take my MagicaVoxel designs and convert them to COLLADA format. Originally, I used VoxelShop to convert to a low-polygon format. This is good if you want to make good use of voxel models in a refined package. However, you can't refine the voxel model as much. So one thing I did was try saving in some of the other available formats you can export models to in COLLADA format. Models exported from VoxelShop in COLLADA format can be exported in one of four different COLLADA export settings. The one I found works best for further refinement of models is to save in Legacy format. The most important (at least to me) aspect of saving voxel models in COLLADA Legacy format is the ability to save voxel models in materials. I will explain later what makes this material aspect special later in this section. While models saved under the COLLADA Legacy format offer the most complete and comprehensive design, created models come in with some of the most triangles, a high number of verts, and the largest file size. So something like this may not be too suitable for trying to maintain efficient models.
Now for the final element of my experimental car rigging- Blender. Blender is a powerful program that can deliver amazing results in modeling and animation, granted you know how to use it. My voxel models made in MagicaVoxel and refined in VoxelShop are imported into Blender. This gives me an opportunity to try to further refine my voxel models. What some people may not know about my voxel model cars is that my cars actually have interiors to them. That is because I had intended making a lot of my cars have visible drivers and passengers animated with the cars. Recently, I began re-adding windows and windshields to my cars after trying to go for a non-window approach to my voxel cars. That means taking a certain car color and making the windows that color. Remember what I typed about the importance of saving COLLADA files with the Legacy option and the materials? Well in Blender, you can change the properties of any materials of any model. Every color of a model is its own material. Since the windows and windshield are their own material, I can take that color and make it transparent so you can see through the windows. I set the transparency of the windows in Blender to 0.5 for the best results. The use of colored materials also gave me the possibility of making glowing lights. If you were to combine both the use of transparent materials and materials that emit light, this means many more opportunities and options to design cars with. As I made stylish looking tires and wheels to my models, I imported my wheel designs and applied them to my modified cars. The wheels are resized and carefully mounted to the car.
Modeling/Animation Notes.
Let me share with you some of the different things I have noticed in my attemps to rig my voxel cars. Use these tidbits in case you want to rig your own voxel cars.
• The only real changes I make in MagicaVoxel to my cars is to simply remove the static wheels. The cars will look a bit awkward with fancy voxel tires and wheels, but the wheel arches aren't too bad for the cars to be fitted with the detailed wheels.
• The only thing I really needed to change is to change the orientation of car models in VoxelShop in importing to Blender. With cars facing in the front in MagicaVoxel, I have to use the Mirror Z feature in VoxelShop to flip the car models on the Z-Axis so they'd appear properly in Blender without needing to rotate them in Blender.
• Now that I think about it, I could only export the car bodies to COLLADA Legacy format only to allow for the opportunity to make the windows transparent. I could use the Optimal COLLADA settings for all items besides the car body.
• One problem with importing COLLADA Legacy format models in Blender is that the geometry of imported items is not centered. The models' geometry of COLLADA Legacy models are centered at the bottom as opposed to the center of the model's geometry. This can be easily changed in Blender by setting the origin to the geometry of the model (Ctrl + Shift + Alt + C, then select "Geometry to Origin").
• I import my voxel wheels by first mounting them on the left front side. Previously, I would mount the tires by duplicating the left-front tire and making three extra copies. When I got around to editing various settings to animate the tires, I simply just made that one tire followed by editing its settings. After I did all the editing and parenting, THEN I made duplicates of the tires to all four parts of the car. This just makes the process easier so I wan't have to individually edit each wheel and their settings. Don't forget to parent each of the wheels to the car body. When mounting tires on the right side of the car from the left side tires, rotate the tires by 180°.
• This is an important recommendation in Blender... do NOT use Ctrl + C to copy over wheels. Instead, use Shift + D to duplicate the wheels and mount them accordingly to the car. I stress this because using Ctrl + C to make copies of the wheels somehow makes extra copies of the car body. Duplicating will save you from having to delete the extra copies of your car's body.
• Trying to model for collision is a very tricky process, and I have not yet mastered trying to make a proper car with a sufficient collision system. Trying to give my cars a decent physics system is a success; making the system work properly would be a proper accomplishment. It is something I still need to work on.
And those are the notes I have to share with you on my editing.
Future Experiments.
The next things I want to try to experiment with my voxel model cars are as follows:
• animating cars using armatures/bones
• simulating lights and light systems
• adding visible drivers and passengers
• drivers and passenger animations with the cars
• improved driving and suspension dynamics
If I come up with something interesting, I'll chat about it here on "John's Creative Space." So stay tuned. Finally...
In Case You're Wondering...
Here are the two videos I have seen in learning how to rig cars in Blender. Take a look at them:
In the future (as I mentioned), I want to try to animate cars with armatures/bones as an alternative method to rig cars in Blender. These two videos are what I've used to try to animate cars.
Voxel Car Announcement
There have been people who have inquired me about my voxel model cars. One of the main reasons why I haven't offered my creations for download/sale is because I simply am not ready to release them online. I also have been trying to come up with new ideas to work on them and enhance them. I am simply not going to release anything right now, especially half-hearted efforts. I will offer my voxel cars for download and/or sale when I feel I have designed them to where they can be properly enjoyed and utilized for a number of applications. I never offered any of my voxel creations for sale or download. There are people who offer models without them being ready to be animated. I could offer my creations as they are and leave the dirty work to modelers. However, I sort of feel there is extra incentive in offering static and animated work to others. So I want to try to provide the best possible package to satisfy as many parties as possible.
Since you are reading this right now, allow me to announce my initial plans. I will make voxel cars as somewhat of a "Starter Pack." These will be a few basic models I will create to help you get started as well as give people the opportunity to use my creations. Most of all... my base package of voxel car models I will create will be offered for free. I plan to offer these creations on services like Turbo Squid and OpenGameArt.org. The package I will offer will include my voxel model cars both in static form and in a form with the static wheels removed. The versions with the static wheels removed will feature one set of wheels you can use to mount onto the car through Blender or some other 3D modeling software. If you think this all sounds good, there is a catch- you are going to have to do all of the animation and other advanced driving dynamics if you plan on making videos or games. I'm trusting that the ones I offer my creations to will do a much better job of utilizing the content fully than I [ever(?)] will.
What are my plans after releasing my base package of voxel model cars? I will simply try to re-work some of my existing voxel model cars while also making new models. I also will work to make more voxel tires and wheels for which they can modeled with other cars. In other words... I simply will try to build up my own portfolio of voxel model cars. I even have interest in perhaps making my own Blender animations featuring my voxel model cars. These will be for promotion purposes, not to mention simply making my own video content. Unlike my "Starter Pack" of voxel model cars, my existing creations will be offered for a fee. Machines of a certain category or group may be offered as bundle packages for a fee. This will only bring everything together and offer more options for the modeler.
All of these machines are different from any of my previous creations. So in other words, you'll be getting completely original models apart from my already existing
A Note About My Re-Working of Cars.
The cars I've already created will be re-worked and may appear much different. These are all in trying to get the cars to look a bit more presentable. Future posts on "John's Creative Space" will feature my models in new forms. So the re-worked cars may look a bit different from the old picture where I combined most of my voxel cars into one picture.
Most of what I wanted to discuss is now over.
Special Message
I would like to thank everyone who has supported my work for the longest. I'm glad you all have enjoyed my work. I am sorry I've taken so long to try to address the availability and offers of my voxel models. One thing I am sure of is that you probably won't regret me making my material available to all of you. Once again- thank you all who love my work.
As of this initial post, I have not yet made my "Starter Pack" available. Once I do great a set of vehicles to include into my package, I will let all of you know and let you be able to access my creations. You will then finally get to enjoy the various voxel cars I've created. For now, I thank you for reading this post on John's Creative Space! Take care and be well.
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All of the work that I've produced for this blog and elsewhere are my own property. It is very much okay if you use my work, but be sure to give credit back to me. Plagiarizing isn't cool. Most of the material I've created is basically my own original work. Sure, I am inspired by lots of things; but for the most part, most of what I have created is (to my knowledge) very original.
If you would like to use my material in creative works or projects, please contact me. I may not respond directly or be able to efficiently work with you, but I will try to work with you to make both of us happy.
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