Nouvic Clock Journey Part 6

Alpha texturing clock hands and normal maps the traditional process.

1. I measured the right length of the hands of the clock face. I then got started on creating a block map followed by me creating a box, extruding it to make a semi circle and then shrinking the faces on top to form a bevelled look.

2. I continued the process and sized the vertexes in order for it to be a sharp point.

 3. I then used the “Insert edge loop” function and started to size the edge loops to a symmetrical curve. I continued the process down the hand.

 4. After getting the outer shape I wanted I then extruded the inside of the face to shape the holes and make sure it looked bevelled.

5. To make a similar small hand I duplicated the big hand and selected specific vertexes to shrink the hand.

6. I quickly made a bolt to resemble the pivot that the hands rotate on by making a cylinder and extruding the top.

 7.UV Map both hands using the y axis and put them to the side. I then positioned the UV maps over the single faced UV’s, so later when I projected the normal map it was correctly positioned on the single faced panels.

 8. The time then came to normal map the clock hands by going into the “Rendering” category, selecting Lighting/Shading” and clicked “Transfer Maps…”

 9. This took me to a menu, the first thing to do was to press the normal map icon to bring up options. Select a file location, Targa file and change the “Match Using” to surface normals. I then got into the Maya Common Output options to set up the resolution size and quality of baking.

10. The next step was to set up the backing process. First I selected the single panels and then clicked on “Add Selected” in the target mesh. I then highlighted the high poly meshes and clicked on “Add Selected” to the source mesh. I would then change the display to both and then the distance of the red envelope (Making sure it is as close as possible to the high poly mesh.). 

11. This is the end result and it can be seen in the ‘high quality mode’. Whilst rotating around the single panels the light changes to give it a 3D effect. Wherever I saved the normal map to (usually in the project source images) it would look like the colours of heat vision.

12. Then using the normal map as a template I used it as a guideline for the texture.

 13. I then close to use the magic wand tool to highlight were it will be see through. I changed the channel and created a new layer (default name will be alpha). With the areas still selected I filled right clicked and reversed selection in order for me to highlight the clock hand. I filled the hands with 100% opacity white in order for it to be transparent (Using a lower opacity will make it visible but slightly transparent depending on opacity.).

14.

I overlaid the grey normal map and then drew in slight highlights. After that I had an idea to add a slight different design to it using yellow and dark yellow to define shape.

 15. This will have to do for now but I am thinking of turning it to black so it doesn’t blend in with the clock face.