Import into UDK

I imported my mech and scene into UDK.  This took some time getting used to as I forgot to save the materials under separately to the UDK scene file. I had problems with collision detection, the mech went perfectly. However the diorama would not produce an accurate collision mesh, this maybe because the diorama has been created from just a single plane instead of a cube. To combat this I used the additive setting and created some blank walls underneath and behind the diorama so the character would not just fall straight through the level. I added two lights to the scene one directional light and another point light behind the mech to give the impression of day light.  This cast some nice shadows on the wall behind the mech.  I will have to spend quite a bit of time learning how to use UDK so I can create better scenes as well as be more familiar with all its functions.
Below is a screenshot of the final scene from UDK

Completed scene quick render in maya

AS the title says a quick render from maya of the final scene before being moved into UDK.  I'm not too pleased with the final result and kicking myself for leaving the texturing to the last moment. I might revisit this mech and practice my texturing skills to improve it in the furture.

Texturing the mech 2

Now I had only a day to get this model ready for hand in so I knew that my texture needed to be quick and simple.  Also the rest of the diorama would also be simple and plain.  A shame since I had created in my opinion a nice model.  But personal reasons ate into my time as well as finishing other uni work because I thought the mech wouldn't take too long to finish.  But as they say you learn from experiences like these not to repeat them in the future.

Below is screenshot of the texture maps used for the mech and the diorama.  I choose to texture the mech for urban combat in mind. 

Texturing the mech

Time was running out and I had not even started texturing.  For once I had a vision of what the mech would look like so I made a few layers in photoshop,  a base metal texture, rust texture and a camo paint layer.  Just before I start the texture I decided to try and make a ambient occulsion map.  My first attempt failed as I tried to bake the OA map from the mech itself onto itself which a fellow uni student suggested.  However, after a search on the internet, I found a nice and simple way that required setting up a seperate shader and using the mental ray settings to render and bake I final had a nice OA map to overlay on top of my photoshop texture.  Below are screenshots of the OA mech in Maya.

Finished unwrapping.

Even though I had seperated the unwrap to the mechs component parts, it took me the best part of 8 hours to manpiulate, cut and sew as well as re position the uv's into a nice texturable shape.  After this endeveour I felt very pleased that I managed to unwrap this mech and keep everything on one UV plane.  Usually I would have used 2 or 3 for my smaller models which is not what happens in the game industry.  Below is the final what the final UV unwrap and repositioned looks like.

Uv unwrapping the mech

Unwrapping this was a challenge in itself, I've never created a model with this many polygons let alone unwrapped one.  Just looking at the automatic unwrap was intimidating, there was so many parts I didn't know where to start.  To solve this I separated the whole model again and selected each component again.  This made it a lot easier to see what i was dealing with. Below is what the automatic unwrap gave me.

Update on Uni model

Well its been some time since I updated this project, my own fault.  Well the model is finished now, in the end I went for a straight forward leg design in the form of a piston type joint.  The mech is going to be a static model inside a diorama so I shouldn't be looking at making this mech walk practically. I've included a image of the concept art this mech was created from.  The total poly count at this point was 7191.

The remaining parts of the model were made by extruding from either new cube objects or from the exsisting model geometry.  The feet took awhile to get them to look right to the concept art as well as them joining to the main model.

Uni model update

Well its been a busy week, what with other assignment work.  But I've managed to push ahead with my model.  The basic model is almost finished, I am finding it hard to keep this model within the Tri limit and to include enough detail. 
Today I hit some trouble as I figured out that the concept art I'm following would not allow the mech to walk very easily. 
So I'm having to try and create my own leg mechanism that would still keep within the concept and also allow the mech to walk if I ever came to animate it.
I foresee that a lot of the detail will have to come from the texturing.

Again, most of this is just extruding from a cube or a cyclinder and adding edge loops.

Uni Assignment Prop Creation

Today I started my second prop for my computer games modelling and animation university course.
The task is to create another game prop in under 10,000 Tris in Maya.
I've based my prop on a some Mecha artwork I found through Google.
Its going to be a challenge to create the Mech within the Tri budget, but then again I love a challenge.

Once I blocked the Mech out I started work on its guns, or rather one gun as I'll be mirrioring the mesh.
The Gun has been created from Extruding a cylinder and then special duplicating it with translation and rotation to get the barrels to line up nicely. The tip of the gun barrels was a tricky item to create, I eventually ended up deleting some polygons and bridged the gaps to form a nicely ronded gun nozzle.  I could not believe after trying several different approachs to create the tip that such a simple solution provided the best results.

The rest of the Gatling gun arm was created from cylinders and extruding them. 
Lastly I added the arm and pivot joint, again this was another simple cylinder and extruding tool. 

Well best get cracking with the rest of the arm.