Action Hero - Mantis Man

[Hamilcar]

The paint is looking very nice, can't wait to see that progress. As far as the poses I found the mid air attack to be the most interesting. Keep up the great work :)

[Seavannah]

If I were to do E and have the print with a stick to hold him in mid air, do you think it will look odd?

depends on where you put the stick lol ;) . Maybe put it in his good hand and have him using it to balance him as he strikes out in that pose. If he is a small guy you can have him jumping off a stick, big guy he's gonna need a log or branch lol. I like JP's suggestion as well. With JP's sugestion you can still have him fighting or balancing with a stick or on a big branch or something as well as E. What do you see when you close your eyes and see him fighting someone or something. Create the whole sceen in your head and pick one that gets you to the edge of your seat. Become the Mantis man, be the mantis man. Good luck and I can't wait to see what you invision. p.s. hope your girlfriend is ok and you as well. Take care. :D

[therasoft]

Love the work and the progression. Thanks for showing it. :tu: :tu:

[chindian]

Hey man... sorry to hear about ur GF... hope that works out.

I still like the "lurking" pose from b4 that u labeled the defeated pose... I think it would give a dark twist to the character that cud be interesting... I dunno - just my 2 cents... hehe.
SO that's my story and I'm sticking to it!!!

Texturing looks awesome btw... maybe think about adding some high freq noise in... like small pores, dips, scratches, etc... :tu:

[- FoOD -]

Solid you are a machine, great progress on the paint looking insane man :D

[sagiarts]

boy ur doing gr8 job there keep it up
The poses r coming out really welltry to put more masculine gesture in it

[Limitless_Thought2207]

:eek: :eek: :eek: lol are you serious?!?! Man... you have got to be a comic book artist or something lol ;) everything from the poses, texturing, zsphere work is insane!! It's not fair I tell you!! lol nah j/k :p . This is really inspiring, and I'm and really looking forward to seeing more from you and the Mantis Man! Please keep the updates coming! :D

[JHK3D]

wow cool character! love your concept :)

[wethand]

very nice textures solid!
your thread will be under the top ten for sure!

[SolidSnakexxx]

Etcher:
Thank you so much for your support. :)

VitorFerreira:
The thing about material is you can start off with the basic materials then see what may fit your model. As Toy Plastic, and other base materials shipped with ZBrush 3.1 can be modified and are of very good start. Also the MatCap is a real charm if you want specific material. You can pretty much capture materials you want and use as the base for the model. And thank you for your concern for my GF, Just got back awhile back from hospital also.

GregStrangis:
Thank you man.. Sometimes I just like checking the paint job with Flat shader as it shows me exactly what has been painted. :)

LeXuSMalus:
Thank you so much, LeXuSMalus, for the suggestion. In fact, I kind of like the 2nd image like a leaping pose... I think I'll give it a try also.. Thank you so much.

Moni-Poroni:
Yes, kind of bummer that she's got injured..So I have to take her to hospital every evening to change bandage... But at least I can check the other contestant on my phone...but always itching to get back to ZBrush....And thank you for your continuing support. And as for the right word.. I think it supposed to be "Look forward to..." ...but again, my English is quite bad (In Thailand we don't use English on a regular basis.) and about "...what´ll happen if you win the first prize AND the prize for the honorable mention..." I think it's pretty tough as there are so many cool and great models on this contest, in addition, pretty much everyone here in the forum are so sweet and kind to each other and most do deserve honorable mention prize.

Frankly even at this moment I already feel like I have won something...that is I've got so many new ZBuddies..you guys/gals and thsi place really make me happy.

Gohanf22:
Thanks man for your kind concern. I'll definitely tell her that..thanks Bud.

tuh3008:
Thank you so much. :) I'll try to complete the texture phase in a few days.

Drakelot:
Thanks, man. Your stuff is coming along real well too.

Hamilcar:
The paint job's going real slow....slower than I anticipate..due to work....and hospital.. but then again, everyone attending the contest are all busy in life and work...yet able to keep such wonderful progress...so I've got to work harder...and pushing late night hours instead.

Seavannah:
True..I'll try to find a place to hold him steady by not being too distracting. And thank you for your kindness, I'll send this message to my GF. :)

therasoft:
Thank you.:) I've Been trying to keep up with other contestants...and try to save every progress I've made..just in case the current version gets corrupted..I'll have the next immediate one to continue on.

chindian:
Yes, my GF's getting better but most likely will have to take her to a daily bandage change for the next 3-4 weeks. So I've got less time than before..but will try to push as much as possible. ..And thank you for sticking to the lurking pose.. I do find it cool as well. If I have time in the end, I'll definitely do this too. And the high frequency details would be added last..along with the micro pores and stuff..as I think this mesh can be subdivided one more time...to hit my PC's max capacity.

- FoOD -:
Thank you so much, - FoOD -. Glad you like my paint job so far :)

sagiarts:
Thanks, mate. I've got to thank everyone here who's been very helping C/C. Never seen such community anywhere.

Limitless_Thought2207:
Hahahha thank you so much for your kind words. I used to dream of being a comic artist when I was younger...then I was sent to do a degre in Computer Science :) (But that's when I first realzie about digital art.) I'll try my best at this Mantis Man....and hope for your continuing support.

JHK3D:
Thank you, JHK3D. Glad you like the character.

wethand:
Thank you so much, wethand. I really dig the progress you've made with Mr, Fish. character with the added texture to his environment. You've got such a determination and cool execution man.

:idea: Daily (Night) Update:
Another small update......I've been itching to get back to my ZBrush station ever since I got out of my office...but the duty to take my GF is more important. So all I was able to do was checking other entries...on my mobile...which I must say..there are so many great great stuff..and tehy are whipping the progress out super fast....

Now back to my slow polypaint process. I've at least have a moment with my beloved Poly Paint. This session I focus on his back. The I'll work more on the leg, raptorial arm and hand..then the wings. Again, no high frequency painting just yet..as my plan is

1. Paint the overall color and tone
2. Pose the model
3. Do the final sculpt detailing in another subdivision. (Both head and Body)
4. Do the final texture adjustments.

Hopefully I can make it as planned schedule. Anyhow here's the progress of tonight's labour.

progress_070.jpg (javascript:zb_insimg('122446','progress_070.jpg', 1,0))

Again your C/C are most welcome. :o

[Gohanf22]

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: OMG OMG OMG. thats all i can say is OMG OMG OMG. THIS IS F'ING AMAZING. I LOVE THIS GUY! :D :tu: :tu: :tu: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

[brettSinclair]

cool design! Looking forward to the pose :tu:

[Moni-Poroni]

Hey Gohanf....usually that´s my business with the smileys :lol: :lol: :lol:
But I agree....
SolidSnakexxx...that´s awesome as always!
Nothing more to say! :)
And the polypainting shows off the armor plates to their best advantage :tu:
Excellent work!

Lol... hey..if I´m not @ home I´m checking the ZBC....well...probably a hundred times per hour :lol: by phone too^^
This is getting sick:lol: !!!!!!!!
But I really can´t resist! Impossible!
There´s so much to learn and I´m overwhelmed by all the kind Zbrush artists here!
I´ve been very scared first because of the language..
I understand almost everything..but it´s hard to speak what´s on my mind..
But that can only get better :)
Z u later :D
I really have to do start sculping now ;)

[JUPITER]

Hey Snake this is looking really awesome..!!!
I'm jelous,you are working fast man!keep it up you are one of the great inspiration's on this site!! ;)

[threetails]

the good work continues. great to see.

[SOLcreator]

Great work on the colours. Have you conceptualized the setting or the use of props? It would be excellent to see how you are seeing the finalize piece :D

Other work has keep me out of the loop until now! Expect Knoweapon updates soon :)

- SOL

[sazar26]

another amazing update SSXXX the back is looking super cool :tu: :tu: :tu:

[herekitty]

The colors on this are coming along really nicely. I like that you showed them unlit. I love the touches of orange throughout. I'd love to see more of that, like a translucence fake. Strong project.

[SOLcreator]

SolidSnakexxx, dropping you a line to let you know I am on board with my character, Knoweapon. Check out the latest entry here:

http://www.solcreator.com/knoweapon/assets/knoweaponbanner01.jpg (http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/showthread.php?t=66749&page=27&pp=1)

[SolidSnakexxx]

Gohanf22:
Thank you, Gohanf22. Hopeyou will likethe final result of this model :)

brettSinclair:
Thank you sooo very much, Brett for stopping by I'm huge fan of yours....

Moni-Poroni:
Thank you, miss. The paint work will take me quite long as I'm getting to have fun with it. and yeah...the madness about checking the site.....it's fun to read and follow through other threads...as I always pick up some cool knowledge and will be able to use in the future.

JUPITER:
Thank you for your kind comment. I'm just trying to catch up with great contestants here.. It's been so fun with this contest.

threetails:
Thank you so much. Hope fully I can translate the pose to the final model well.

SOLcreator:
Thanks, man....the setting...this is something I've been thinking after the poses are decided.... will see how it goes..Also I've been following Knoweapon...the concept's real cool. Will pop in all the time to check your update :)

sazar26:
Thank you, sazar26. Will try to get the color wrapped up soon.

herekitty:
Thank you, herekitty. At first I was going for full brown...but then I changed my mind due to DAnconia's suggestion and now I like the tone of the color too..it's more Mantisy.. :)

:idea: Daily Update
Last night I couldn't sleep and was thinking about the props and stuff.....and thinking about making one real praying mantis...(Not quite sure how it will be integrated into the scene yet though)..As usual I started out by finding lots of praying mantis reference..and start out the Basic ZSphere construct. Pretty much no sleep going through the sculpting and retopology. Here's the result so far.... (Maybe I'll make it into the Mantis Man logo design somehow...) Again your C&C are more than welcome.

progress_071.jpg (javascript:zb_insimg('122565','progress_071.jpg', 1,0))

progress_072.jpg (javascript:zb_insimg('122566','progress_072.jpg', 1,0))

[Gohanf22]

that is a terrific idea solid. i think you should put something like that in as a prop. maybe as his pet or something. that would be awesome. cant wait to see it finished. :D :tu:

[wethand]

cool idea!!
the little sculpt looks just nice... and you say, i am fast? what are you, then? superfast? ultrafast? ^^

anyway, very nice! and the texturing is progressing really nice, too!

and thanks for your kind compliment! :)

[sazar26]

wow SSXXX your are a monster man :tu::tu::tu: the prop mantis looks spot on!!!!!
I was wondering if you could share some of you polypainting techniques with me?

[Etcher]

Man, where do you find the time and energy? Eventually you will need to sleep...:) . Great updates though!

[digichu]

I can't believe you modeled that mantis over a night..... man you are crazy.
I wish I could work half as fast as you.....

Forgot to say I hope you gf is alright, can't believe you can work a daytime job, model your own project at night, and take care of your girl at the same time.

[spimmy]

Amazing stuff!! Really great work, texturing is awesome, modelling is fantastic!! :).

I think which ever pose you end up choosing, it will look awesome ;) .

Look forward to seeing more stuff.

[bryzol]

Very nice mantis, man :D Your Mantis Man man could give it as a snack for Sting Lady on their date ;-)

[dustbin1_uk]

Hey that Mantis is a top row on it's own!! Great work! and great ZSphere to hold it up!

[Moni-Poroni]

It´s safe to say YOU ARE CRAZY :) !!!!
You did that in one night :eek:
You are the the real hero for sure ;) LOL
Really amazing little mantis :)

[jp_smith]

Nice mantis Yong, I'd have him on his shoulder...maybe he is his sidekick and scouts out trouble, enters places mantis man can't fit, etc.? :tu:


Jason

[D Adami]

nice job man!
I really liked the colors.

cheers

[Trurl]

Great work! :tu:
I like the texturing and the furs on the neck.

[petekasim]

OMG, it's getting hard to keep track of your thread, it's just spiralled into such a huge size!

Beautiful work on coloring him so far, excellent as I would have expected.:tu:

If you're still considering poses, I gotta say I actually like B, the down pose, although it looks like I'm in the minority! I love the fact you have experimented so much and are going into such depth, I'm sure it will pay off big time

Good luck going forwards :)

[sazar26]

yo SSXXX i tried to do your technique with the hexagon pattern you made and i got stuck on step 4. this is what i have so far.....

help.jpg

[slashpot]

Hey that Mantis is a top row on it's own!! Great work! and great ZSphere to hold it up!

And thereby hangs an interesting question. Should Action Hero entries be kept off the top row? It would certainly be a huge advantage to anyone lucky enough and would get the attention of both the judges and peoples choice selectors.

(Let me point out that I'm not an entrant myself, and that the mods have probably already decided this question).

'tis a dilemma indeed because as Dustbin points out this Mantis Man right here has garnered a lot of interest, and rightfully so, it's bloody brilliant and under normal circumstances should be to row material (Wish I'd thought of it!) ;)

Sorry, this is probably not the place, I was posting just to add my enthusiasm for this excellent piece - (feel free to move, amend or delete it mods) :o

Anyway, sensational work thus far, can't wait for more! LOVE the 'real' Mantis model btw! :tu:

[SolidSnakexxx]

Gohanf22:
Thanks, bud. I think I'll try to incorporate this little guy in somehow :)

wethand:
Actually the idea of the little guy's from you and Skullbeast....with the little fish and spider and all...so I've got to make one too :) But one long straight night put me out cold for a good 8 hours...:( So I wouldn't do this kind of marathon again.

sazar26:
Thank you sazar26. The PolyPainting (Up til now) has been quite a simple process for me..The process I normally do is


1. Create a color palette small size (Perhaps like 512 x 512) in ZBrush then

2. Increase the document size by using Crop (So the color palette stays on the left area) leaving blank area for my tool to be dropped there.

3. Activate the Colorize to start the polypainting process (Also make sure ZAdd is off)

4. Use "c" shortcut key to pick up the base color (Pick from the color palette you prepared)

5. Fill the entire model with the base color...by go to Color > Fill Object..now you can full with full strength or the opacity you want by choosing RGBIntensity before..clicking the Color > Fill Object (In general I like to build up little by little so I set the RGBIntensity at this point to like 25) But that's just personal preference. If you know the exact base color you can just use 100 and fill the color in.

6. While painting I'd use really low RGBIntensity like 5-10 and using varying Drawsize.

7. The key is to use the shortcut key "C" to quickly pick up underlining color on the color palette and/or the part you've painted.

Also for the Alpha creation, you'll have to make the document size square at first..like 512 x 512 and be sure to cover with plane3d (with Flat Material and white color) to serve as the base of the canvas.


Etcher:
Hahahah I just had an 8 hour crash down....I'll start on it again in a few hours...after the hospital session :)

digichu:
Late night sculpt is fun but if it gets to morning then the energy's all spent..I was like a zombie at work yesterday....And thank you so much for your kind concern on my GF. It's important to keep these 3 things in balance- Life-work-ZBrush :) Thanks, mate...By the way, your model's coming along super fine..You've got an amazing skill, man.

spimmy:
Thank you for such kind words. I'll do my best on the pose.

bryzol:
Yes, I think this little guy can be used as "love message"? hahaha great idea.

dustbin1_uk:
Thank you so much for a wonderful comment. I feel really honored. I'm addicted to ZSphere now for creating any mesh.

Moni-Poroni:
Thank you so much. But again, like stated...one long night would mean hours of burnt out..so I'll try not to burn the midnight oil :)

jp_smith:
Thank you, buddy. the idea of him on the shoulder is quite enticing. and the concept that he can be the hero's little helper is quite sparkling. Very cool idea...I never thought of. Thanks, man.

D Adami:
Thank you. will do more on coloring today as well :)

Trurl:
Thanks, man, Trurl. The neck hair was a taking quite sometime to arrange..but it does look more fitting with it. Thank you again for stopping by and comment.

petekasim:
I've vowed to at least spend at least half an hour a day for the project so that I'd not get behind too far. Thank you for liking the chosen color theme for the Mantis Man. I think there are a few liking B pose as well. If time allowed, I would certainly do that pose too :)

slashpot:
That's a very kind comment :). I'm glad you see my pose is of such high standard. I'll try my very best for the remaining time to not disappoint you, buddy. :)

:idea: Small Daily Update (Woohooo I'm awake!)
After hours of motionless slumber in bed. I'm finally awake with the goal today to complete many things......one being the over all color of the Mantis Man himself (Again not the high frequency yet...sticking to the old plan) But before that..I've got an idea to use the newly sculpted mantis bug as a logo for the Mantis man. After all, every hero's got to have a logo, right?

Although this is not a part of the sculpt or the polypaint process, it does take advantage of ZBrush to create basic elements so I try to keep it documented just in case one might be interested in my creation process. What I did was using the mantis silhouette as the base for Logo design before adding the typography. By applying the Flat shade I'd be able to grab the basic silhouette then able to tweak and simplify. The edges of the raptorial blade looks too choppy and not quite readable as a smaller logo so I decided to ditch it to make it fit as a really usable logo. Here's the progression of the logo.

progress_073.jpg (javascript:zb_insimg('122793','progress_073.jpg', 1,0))

Now back to polypainting...:)

[Webhead]

I really like your little zbrushed praying mantis. Nice details in your hero costume, too. :tu:

[Gohanf22]

5 is looking very classic. it has the retro look to it. i like it that your giving him a logo. very well done bud. :D

[adroit.jr]

Nice logo. forward to see how that log look on Mantis Man.:D

[snoopalu]

your making all the cool things here :lol: :cool:

[SolidSnakexxx]

Webhead:
Thank you. I'll try to add more details once pose's established as well.

Gohanf22:
I'm planning to use 5 as an alpha for the base... Ill see how it might fit in. Thank you man :)

adroit.jr:
Thank you, sir. Will most likely be on the pedestal..rather than the man himself.

snoopalu:
Thank you so much :)

:idea: Daily Update:
Today I tried to complete the overall color of the mode and test assign the materials to see how they all fit together. Not much update in term of technique used in the polypaint. I think when the pose's made I'll have a lot of things to do in term of sculpt clean up and detail up....plus more Hi-Frequency texture placement.

So I think after today I can move fourth to the posing now....

Here's what I have so far:

progress_074.jpg (javascript:zb_insimg('122830','progress_074.jpg', 1,0))

[sazar26]

thank you for the walk threw of your poly painting process. I see Mantis Man is looking fuggin awsome:tu::cool::tu::cool::tu::cool::tu::cool::tu: :cool::tu::cool::tu::cool::tu::cool::tu::cool::tu: :cool::tu:

[luis2008]

man, it only gets better and better. this is awesome.

sazar26: dont you mean this is looking buggin awesome? lol im tired :p

[Moni-Poroni]

Oh wow... this is simply wonderful what you´re doing with zbrush :) :tu: :tu: :tu: :tu:
I truly love the Polypaint work :tu: :tu: :tu: :tu:
and it´s so cool how you´ve used the mantis silhouette to to create the logo!
That would have come never to my mind :o
Amazing update as always---:)
I´m sure you´re getting tired of my posts...
everytime the same things I´m writing :D

Edit: Oh and may I ask you a question?
Are you using Zapplink for the images? I asked jp_smith before how I can get this high quality images... and he told me he´s using Zapplink...
I´ve installed it and it´s in my document menu now...
but it doesn´t work ^^ ( I would have been very surprised if something´s going well for me ^^)
Do I need photoshop or something like that ?:o

[animastur]

Master texture work. I like very much!!! :)

[Gohanf22]

DAMN DUDE! I MEAN.....DAMN! this model is looking SWEET! i love the wings its F'ing AMAZING! dude your an inspiration to us all. your a winner in my book. :D :tu:

[D Adami]

congrats man, the overall look is amazing.
I can't wait to see this guy in action.

[digichu]

It's looking good man!
I like how you paint the translucent color on the tip of the little arms on the chest. Good job!!

[dustbin1_uk]

Amazing!!! :tu: Simply awesome work!

[GregStrangis]

Looking fantastic as usual man!! Great work, can't wait to see him in the pose :D

[markrulz]

Damn, your entry makes me want to hang my head in shame! Incredible. He's perfect in almost every way.

I almost want to see the head slightly bigger for some reason but really he's a clear winner. Also, don't the mantis' have an eyespot instead of the fly-ish eyes? In any case he's... just wow.

[SolidSnakexxx]

sazar26:
No problem at all, sazar26. Glad you read it :) and Thank you for your kind praise.

luis2008:
Thank you :)....I like that..."buggin awesome" ..Can't believe we have so many bug-related herpes/villains in this contest, eh?

Moni-Poroni:
Thank you so much...I would never be tired of your kindness. In fact, I'm glad you do come comment often which means you still remember my Mantis Man :) I have yet to use the ZApplink but will soon after the pose's completed...as I will be using it for high frequency texture ..You would need program that can process PSD file..this can be PhotoShop itself, or programs like Painter as well :)

animastur:
Thank you so much. Glad you like it.

Gohanf22:
:) always a pleasant smile reading your comment, buddy. You really cheer me up. Am I glad you like it :)

D Adami:
Me too...can't wait for the pose....but wait...there's a tragedy today (Read in my update section :( )

digichu:
Thank you, mate. Glad you like it.

dustbin1_uk:
Thanks man :) The painting process real fun.

GregStrangis:
thanks man...But behold.....see my tragedy below for my pose attempt!


:idea: Daily Update:

Tragedy post today...........accompanied by this screen grab :(

crash.jpg (javascript:zb_insimg('122856','crash.jpg',1,0))

This is the first test posing using Transpose master on Mantis Man. I did the whole process to learn the full transpose...and it was working rather well....until convert the model back to subtools... :mad: The crash happens after I exported this movie.........

gxbsSetbh4M

So at least I've learn the first step to do transpose....The result's still not as I expected so at least I don't feel wasted as this is a good practice. But then I've to find a way to.....stop the crashing...Hmmm... but for now C/C are most welcome.

[AVTPro]

He's ready for Hollywood.

[Gohanf22]

oh snap! i hate it when that happens. happens to me alot. god knows why it does. i hope you didnt lose much bud. i know when it happens to me i forget to save, i lose a ton of work. :cry:

[GregStrangis]

Looks AWESOME! I too have that same problem with Transpose Master as well, either it crashes or works but does not pose the subtools. I myself couldn't find any fixes for it but I am sure somebody has to know!

[Captain Sensible]

The pose is lookin good. Shame about your transpose problem. Hopefully you will get it fixed!

[jp_smith]

Argh, oh well like you said, good practice. I'd suggest varying the value on the poly paint a little. I think the color work you've done is great but he seems to have the same tone over all the armor pieces, it might lend a little more realism if his feet and hands were a little darker shade of green than the rest of him. Just a suggestion, overall he's looking bad ass. :tu: :tu:

[skullbeast]

Welcome to TP master!!!

seriously, he's looking killer! :tu: :tu:

[adroit.jr]

pose is looking cool and the problem oh no:cry:

[industripop]

oh F***K! God I hate that. Sorry that happened to you man. Same thing used to happen to me all of the time when I used Transpose Master on the PC side of my Mac. I haven't tested it out now that I have ZB running OS X native, and I'm more than a little timid to try.

[Etcher]

I hope you can fix the TP problems (sorry, the only help I can give you is encouragement). I'm really looking forward to seeing this guy in action!:)

[brettSinclair]

Wow love the polypaint so far :tu:

The crash might be because you have colour turned on when you transpose. Its a guess but worth a shot to test I think. Though this isn't the time for testing is it :rolleyes:.

[LeXuSMalus]

IMHO. you need more think about the choice of pose. there is still time.

I would not wish what would you killed this character by pose. look at this heros

(I deleted those links that would not offend anybody :) )


all they have a similar situation legs. they sit on squat. one leg bent, the second straighten. Don't do this man. Create a more original pose. You can do this. IMHO


P.S. Sorry guys whose work I have set an example, but you also need to think about this.
;) IMHO !

[wethand]

cool test vid!
i never saw something like this...
what windows do you use...?

i hope this doesn't happen again!

[jp_smith]

LeXusMalus - Dude, what are you talking about? Have you ever read comic books? That's a straight out of the book Batman, Spider-Man, Daredevil type pose. Don't just show up and shoot something down without offering a better alternative, that's just weak criticism. We're creating superheroes, using a pose inspired by the comics is perfectly acceptable. Not to mention he wasn't even done with it yet.


494360-111255_7277_batman_super_super.jpg


comic spidey crouching.jpg


batman_adams.jpg

[LeXuSMalus]

LeXusMalus - Dude, what are you talking about? .....
;) I said that it is in my humble opinion (IMHO)

I do not see anything wrong with move away from stereotypes and begin to create their own
:)

[jp_smith]

And all I'm saying is it's polite, when offering criticism, to offer an alternative suggestion instead of "do something else". Describe a pose you think would be better, do a quick sketch, or provide some reference. Example: "In my opinion, this isn't working, or it's not original, what if you tried X or Y?" What you said is almost as vague as "Make better art". It makes the artist feel as though you're helping him improve his work, not just shooting his ideas down. Sorry Yong, this isn't my thread, but you've had a bad week and I'm feeling a bit over-protective. Hehe. ;)

[LeXuSMalus]

Sorry Yong for this discussion. do as you think right.

I also worry for your work. :tu:

[Moni-Poroni]

Oh..I´m sorry to hear that your Zbrush crashed :(
well it looks like my computer devil has made a short trip to thailand :confused:
But I´m pretty sure he´ll come back until tomorrow :lol:
Other than that your video is really cool..:) :) :) :tu: :tu: :tu:
ummm..that´s been a really good idea with your clean topology LOL...
I´ll ge a lot of problems..because mine is ... :rolleyes:
But I´ve aready won my personal first prize...with learning so many usefull things for my next Zbrush project....and I´ll learn from mistakes :)

Your work is truly inspiring...and so professional!
Zbrush Master ;)

[jp_smith]

Oh Yong, you should name his Mantis buddy Chip, and he sits on his shoulder...get it, "Chip on his shoulder"?? Cheesy fun. ;) ;)

[fluxist8070]

This is looking really great!
About the pose....You may already know about it...but there is a book called, "how to draw comics the marvel way." It talks about here stances, poses and gestures in the book. Based on that book, I would have to say that you might want to push the dynamism of the pose a bit. Maybe think about bending the spine some more and pushing the foreshortening.
keep at it!

[SolidSnakexxx]

markrulz:
Thanks man :) for liking the character.I have tried out the eye spot thing..but it came out looking funny... So I removed it :)

AVTPro:
Thanks for the kind comment man..

Gohanf22:
I know..it kinda sucks that happened.. I've tried again 2 sessions with one no painting on and regular one... same result......But I think I know what to proceed next.

GregStrangis:
Same thing to me huh? I thin it could be the reason that the mesh are too large once they try to get back out....I'll try another way with using Transpose Master to create the auto group for me and see how it works out.

Captain Sensible:
Thank you, man. Can't believe it's crashed either...I'm on my quest for this fix or work around now. :)

jp_smith:
Yup, the pose wasn't getting nearly as good as the concept you refined for me anyhow.. So it was a good practice. I do agree with the color thing... Will definitely adjust it per your suggestion, mate.. Thanks for pointing that out ;) And thanks for kindly answer about the pose. I think LeXuSMalus was meant to be constructive as well. Just a small misunderstanding. And the idea on "Chip" is awesome..I might as well take that! Thanks man. You've been such a great help!

skullbeast:
Thanks for your kind comment. Hahahahh so TP Master got many system stunned ;) Will try to find a way around it....

adroit.jr:
Thanks, man...the problem I think many people face..so I've got to conquer it somehow!

industripop:
Oh man so you have also experience the TP Master crash? Hope this is fixed for the Mac version so you wouldn't have the same issue here.

Etcher:
Been thinking all night about a way to pose without losing much work... thanks for your encouragement :)

brettSinclair:
Thank you so much, brettSinclair. I've tried out taking colorize off but the problem persists..I think it might have something to do with the total poly once it gets expanded back..I'll experiment some more. Thank you for your kind assistance.

LeXuSMalus:
Thanks for your kind suggestion. I'll do check and most likely I'll try to do multiple pose and see. I do value all comments, and I'm thankful that you have pointed out what you think.

wethand:
I use Windows Vista Business 64 Bit Edition. I'll have to find a way to beat this crash ;)

Moni-Poroni:
Normally it's a super steady app, except the TP Master and some glitches in Subtool Master (Which for example I try to mirror a subtool but the new subtool would not be re sized to the correct size. Stuff like that but nothing major) I hope the devil has left my computer....to nowhere land where it can't bother either of us :) And Thank you for your kind complements.

fluxist8070:
Thank you so much for the great suggestion, I'll definitely look into it.


:idea: Daily Update:

Did 2 more quick test session with Transpose Master this morning. One I disabled all the colorize per brettSinclair's suggestion and the other the old method... Both yield the same result...when TP Master's splitting back out as subtools. This time it just froze.....like this:

hang.jpg (javascript:zb_insimg('122942','hang.jpg',1,0))

So my theory is that it has some quirks during that process. If all else failed...I still think I can try another way..but more of going abckward one step...but at least will ensure I'm able to pose.. :)

[maxinkuk]

Transpose Master is a devilish thing.
If you have got the processing power you can use my method for transposing multiple subtools without transpose master (http://209.132.96.165/zbc/showpost.php?p=522348&postcount=194).

[skullbeast]

do it old school, f tp. give me a ring if you need the steps.

[jp_smith]

Yeah I've had enough experience with transpose master that I didn't want to risk all the crashes and goofiness that happens when you use it on a model with lots of subtool and lots of sub-d levels. That's why I posed Overwatch as soon as i finished the base mesh (shrug).

[LeXuSMalus]

When I work with Transpose Master before returning to the normal model, I save Transpose Master result in two - three files.
1. as tool
2. export to .obj
3. save by Transpose Master (he save in .obj to)
if ZB failed you may load transpose mash from file (.obj)

[- FoOD -]

hey at least you can still pose :) i was going to use it but think I might give it a miss - anyway looking slamin as usual

jp_smith - that chip joke is super cheesy :D

[testure]

It's funny, because this contest is obviously designed as a marketing tool for transpose (which is why it's a requirement).. It's really drawing attention to how buggy the whole transpose process actually is though.

[skullbeast]

I got tp master working on some work projects today I deleted all of my low sub d's and reconstructed them and it was ok. then the next time the same mystery crumpling that I posted on my thread. then It was ok again. :confused: :confused: :confused:

[jp_smith]

Well I think transpose itself works just great and I've never had a crash just transposing, it's transpose master that's buggy and unstable. :)

[skullbeast]

I have never had a problem with it when it was first released just only recently with the mac version. (sorry for the hijack snake) :tu: :tu:

[brettSinclair]

Ye I had these crashes too. I think your right, Its the sudden jump back to high poly when you exit Transpose.

[Moni-Poroni]

Hi SolidSakexxx

Hm..this is what I´ve meant with "my screen becomes white" :( well
but I´m pretty sure that´s not a Transpose Master problem.. because this happens if I try to blurr the mask...and also when I try to rotate /scale my model....during the sculpting process

DD-blurr mask.jpg

Somehow I think this happens because of my bad computer :(
But in my case I just have to click a on the left mouse button ( when I´m really angry I´m clicking on this button a hundred times ^^)
therafter everything´s ok.. and I can continue with my work....
But I know just yet that´ll happen when I´m recording the transpose video...
And I don´t know what to do... :( my video will look terrible with those constantly recurrent white screens...

Please let me know if you´ve solved this problem

[SolidSnakexxx]

maxinkuk:
Glad I wasn't the only one experiencing this.....Hope things will go well on this..meanwhile, I'm trying to be optimistic..as the more I do and crash the more turns I have for practicing ;)

skullbeast:
I'm thinking about going that route as last resort..as I have so many subtools to keep the model intact. Hmm....

jp_smith:
Oh..man...I wish I knew that.. hehehe but I've got to bite it hard and keep focus eventually it's to work! I think your route of posing early is way great! And true Transpose tool itself is quite stable...and before this contest all I've been using was for each subtool but not trying to pose with all subtools..

LeXuSMalus:
That's a good process and I've been doing this after reading your advice..thank you.... :) At least I'd have something to fall back to...

- FoOD -:
That's true...at least I can do the pose..and Thank you for your kind encouragement.

testure:
Hmm, I think the fault may be not knowing its limitation. As today I changed things around and work pretty fine...so far :) Hopefully it will stay fine like this.

brettSinclair:
I think the problem's with the amount of poly it has to calculate..so today what I did was reducing (Delete higher res) that I think can be re sculpted and it's been working fine.

Moni-Poroni:
Oh..you got the gray screen like me..... This happened to me normally in 2 occasions...one being the Transpose Master ...the other is when I sometimes do topological masking in conjunction with Transpose Master....But yours which only uses the blur mask never occurred to me.....

:idea: Daily Update:
After a long struggling with Transpose Master.. I tried to pin point what could it be the cause of the crash...The first thing that came in to mind is the amount of poly at the highest subdiv...which I think straining the system too much. So I've decided to remove the high subdivs that will most likely need to be re sculpt..and it seems to be quite all right.

So comes the Session 2 of Mantis Man pose test...Still not satisfy with the result....but at least it didn't crash. ....For the next few days ....I'll be doing a lot of Transpose Master practicing........Got lots to learn! Please let me know what can be improve..

The pose Result:
progress_075a.jpg (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:zb_insimg%28%27123016%27,%27progress_075a.jpg %27,1,0%29)

The Process:
LbSuQP_f9bA

[mkk316]

I occasionally get the gray screen when I blur the mask, just open a new document and redraw your model. You should be fine.

[jp_smith]

Good first pass Yong, I think now you need to rotate his torso forward...what you want to go for is a sense of strong aggressive forward movement, like he's about to spring off a building and whoop some villain butt. :)

[SolidSnakexxx]

mkk316:
Um.....when it happened to me....I was waiting for a good 10 minutes...but then still hanging so I had to do the unthinkable .......task manager...thing :o

jp_smith:
Hey...glad you are up... ..I'd need your advice.....Pose master :) I've grab the view angles..here..can you point out the areas of which need serious attention? You are always..my life saver, buddy. .....Don't forget your Thailand Trip, man. :cool:

progress_076.jpg (javascript:zb_insimg('123017','progress_076.jpg', 1,0))

[Gohanf22]

WOW WHAT A POSE! i love IT! your doing an AMAZZZZZIIIIINNGGGGG job. i can't wait to see it on a base. your work is so inspiring. i would say that your a jedi master but that would be stupid so ill say this. "may the zbrush be with you." :lol:

[wethand]

cool pose and great vid!
it's cool he is going while he snaps his arm.
but in my opinion his super-arm is to wide open. it looks, like he would try to touch something. i think it doesn't look, like he would attack something.

anyway, nice posing vid!

[jp_smith]

Hmm when I see it like this this pose really isn't that strong, let me think about it...maybe do a couple of tests real quick. I'll get back to ya.

[pitchepuck]

your sculpting is realy nice. I like this character and the details. :tu:
but I think the pose is not so good for him. it is definitely not easy to find the right one. and this one you have chosen is not bad at all, but for me it does not fit so good.
it looks not dangerous... it seams to me that he tries to scratch on something carefully with his claw.
your character has got a face which is not able to show expressions. that´s why the pose is very important. it is the only way to show expressions on you character
well, I would take a pose where he winds up with his claw. the claw more in the back and the hand in the front...

[goast666]

you're drawing a stencil on the canvas...it's a weird hotkey config...anyway, go to stencil...and turn it off.

that is why your screen becomes white when you sculpt.

[skullbeast]

...maybe a counter clockwise twist the waist and bring the claw up behind his head, or turn the claw so he's about to catch a man by his waist. :tu: :tu:

[jp_smith]

Ok I have a new idea...much more aggressive and dynamic. The idea here is that the rock and the branch penetrate his body enough to stabalize him so he doesn't fall off...he'd need a big solid base under the rock and in front of him to counter it as well.

mantis_sheet.jpg

3dia8spNX-o

[zeke3d]

nice posing and progress solid :D sorry to hear about the crashes, they can be frustrating

[Captain Sensible]

I'm liking the new pose. Much more dynamic. I think he needs a bit of action :tu:

[nacho_grande]

Your work is brilliant so far and yes, the new pose is much better in terms of dynamic scene.

[Etcher]

Yeah! Great to see the TP resolved : back in business! Regarding the pose, I have to say that jp_smith is giving great advice. His suggested pose can be great to show of the spiraling movements of interlocking muscles and/or body plates- segments (from toe to head) as well as the slight forward tilt of the pelvis and the twisting of the spine. You know: you gotta get suited up and act these poses out... (don't forget to pose the vids :) ).

[Etcher]

Yeah! Great to see the TP resolved : back in business! Regarding the pose, I have to say that jp_smith is giving great advice. His suggested pose can be great to show of the spiraling movements of interlocking muscles and/or body plates- segments (from toe to head) as well as the slight forward tilt of the pelvis and the twisting of the spine. You know: you gotta get suited up and act these poses out... (don't forget to post the vids :) ).

[Marsyas]

The finished model and paint job looks amazing. The various poses are looking nice too. :tu:

[SolidSnakexxx]

Gohanf22:
Thanks man for your support..and man am I glad to see you in action again.

wethand:
Thank you sir. :) I know the pose's looking not aggressive enough.....I'll definitely wok on this....to make him look vicious...

jp_smith:
Thanks man...your help's greatly appreciated...Like I've praised before..you are one true friend and thank you for going out of your way to help me out on this....And man....how I love the suggested pose!... But do you think the branch and such would be alright.. I'll try to do one with and without and see...

pitchepuck:
Thank you. I do agree with you on this...Due to his design, he's lacking human facial emotion...I'll have to work extra hard for it to show up on his expression and at the moment it ain't working. I'll take your advice in consideration, thank you so much!

goast666:
Um, that has happened to me too...but the gray screen I had certainly was not stencil....s it would freeze the app altogether... But thank you for your kindness.

skullbeast:
I think making him look more dynamic is still quite tough...I'll need more practice time with Transpose master :) At least it's working like a charm now....(The trick is I think the overall poly count shouldn't be too huge...liek 1 mill total is working smoothly)

zeke3d:
Yes, the crash...but since I've pinned point and isolate the issue..I hope that will not happen again :) BTW, your stuff's rocking out so fine.

Captain Sensible:
I do agree with you, Captain Sensible I think JP-Smith's suggested pose is real dynamic..I hope I can translate it to my real mesh....

nacho_grande:
Thank you man.....The posing is real fun and frustrating at the same time.....hahahaha...as I'm always too anxious to see the end result..

Etcher:
Yup the Transpose Master is now tamed! Actually only if I knew the size limitation, that wouldn't have happen...(It might as well be the computer spec as well) and yes, Jp_smith is a real helper! I'll start working on this first thing after work...and hospital :)

Marsyas:
Thank you... I figure the pose I have now is quite weak so I've got to work extra hard to bring it to the level of impact I anticipate. Again, thank you so much for your comment.

[chindian]

Hey man - progress looks awesome... I do agree with the majority that the pose needs to be more dynamic to really do ur character justice!
I like jp's suggestion... I'd definitely play around with it some more and see what interesting solution you can come up with!

Good luck and keep up the excellent work! :tu:

[Malleable man]

This entry is superb.

From your amazing participation with every entry to the high level of quality in your own submission.

I love the new pose, and the addition of the sidekick is perfect.

Regards, James.

[Drakelot]

Awesome turntable Solid ... I woud extend his other arm out just a little ??? ... fantastic

[Smooth_Criminal]

Hey,

This has been a solid entry so far.. I really love how this character has turned out overall.. the colors look great (kinda reminds me of cell from DBZ) Awesome pose... I am looking forward to see more development on this.. Keep going man.

[Moni-Poroni]

Hey SolidSnakexxx:)
Oh wow.. Chip is soooooooooooooooooooo coooooooool :tu: :tu: :tu: :tu: :tu: :) :) :)
What a great idea :) :) :) Reminds me on the little cute ****roach in Wall-e :)
Fits EXCELLENT to Mantis-Man :)
Would love to see this two buddys in a movie or comic :)
and I can´t wait to see the final pose...
which one do you choose ? jp_smith´s :) ?

[dustbin1_uk]

Hey SolidSnakexxx well done man!! This is looking just as amazing as I had hoped! Still way up there in my top 5 possibly 3!! in fact..... yeah in my top 3!!

I love the story, the concept, the character, and the skill you clearly have.

Also I have learnt more watching this thread then I have in last 2 or 3 months prior to this contest!

I hope one day I can produce something of this quality! ;)

Can't wait to see the final poses and composed image now.

Kudos dude!

Well done mate!! :tu::D:tu:

And special props to jp_smith!! This just proves to me what this contest is all about!! well done smith!! Your efforts are just going to make this peace even more awesome than it already is!

[SolidSnakexxx]

chindian:
Thank you chindian, I'm going to keep at the pose every day for the next few days...to get me up to speed with transpose. Got to find the right pose for him!

Malleable man:
That's very kind of you for that comment. I'll definitely add "chip" in :)

Drakelot:
Thank you, Drakelot, for checking this thread out. Today I'm redoing the transpose process from scratch. Hope you like the new one.

Smooth_Criminal:
Thank you, Smooth_Criminal. It's like growing with this character entering this contest..and along the way..meeting many cool friends...:)

Moni-Poroni:
Yes, Mantis man will have his sidekick :)....a real mini one that is... I'm going for JP's suggested pose now...but I'll definitely do other poses too...I'm going transpose crazy now! :)

dustbin1_uk:
I'm really happy my progress can keep your interest. And more than honor to know it's in your top 3 list....ZBrush is all about practice....and man...I'm going over and over doing the same transpose process for more than 10 times with the very same character (Only 3 poses here I kind of semi-satisfy with) And the best thing of all about this contest is I too am learning a lot from other contestants...and making friends would be the best prize of all.

:idea: Daily Update:
I've got to thank JP_smith for helping and spotting the poses not only for me but for many contestants too. Anyhow....today's trip to hospital wasn't too bad...as the nurse kind of know the bandage routine...so it take very little time :) (Better be as I was freaking anxious to get back to my ZB station) to do yet another pose.... Don't get sick of me posing yet....

This is my third success test pose for Mantis Man...but you know what!!!!!! I almost hit myself in the head...as I forgot to capture the transpose process.... oh well....at least that means I've got to repose this action. But look on a bright side..that means more turns for practicing.

Still:
progress_077.jpg (javascript:zb_insimg('123173','progress_077.jpg', 1,0))

The result in turn table:
mtltgOmWBVs

[Gohanf22]

that pose is looking better man. your doing a good job. im loving the mantis man each day. :D

[Moni-Poroni]

My daily visit :cool: ...hmmm

really....ugly....

-the keyboard I´m using ^^
lol...surprise;)
I could never ever say something bad
about such an excellent piece of work :) :) :) !!!!!!!!

[jp_smith]

Nice Yong! I'd consider pulling the mantis arm up a little higher from the shoulder, and the human arm pushed back and down farther, and I'd suggest posing his hand in a more gnarled up tense pose, his hand looks like he's performing ballet a little bit right now. I'd also flare out the wings, I think that'll help him look more dynamic. Nice progress buddy. :) :tu:

[gordon-v]

Hey solidSnakexxx!
I have to say that I love this thread! Sooo much Information and many things to learn from!

I like the pose. But i think jp_smith is right. Also you could bend the right foot down, I think that would give him more dynamic too!

[Gohanf22]

bye dude. i wish you well with everything. i have made things out of hand and i just was shown the light of my mind. *CRY* thank you for being a good friend. :cry:

[LeXuSMalus]

it is much better. I like this pose :tu: :tu: :tu:

[Etcher]

Another great update, he's coming to life! :tu: !

[SOLcreator]

Thanks for your obvious passion in this contest! It's great to read your posts, and of course Mantis Man is top notch!

You've got a sharp sense of aesthetic I'd love to get your feedback on my costume design for Knoweapon I just posted.

- SOL

[GregStrangis]

I like the new pose better Snake, its a little more dynamic which is great :tu: :tu: :tu:

[Captain Sensible]

That's the ticket! Just what that arm's meant for. Have you tried maybe having him with his wings up?

[gregoconn]

Yes! The pose looks great Snake, I think you've really hit the money with this one.

[Gohanf22]

neglect what i said.

[Finners]

loving the pose! keep it up man

[SolidSnakexxx]

Gohanf22:
Glad you like the pose man :) It was a real fun experience using Transpose master. I think this TP thing will definitely revolutionize the way 3d sculptor create concept design for movies or games....man I can imagine doing the pose suggestion like this to my director now.....and I think he'd be happy :)

and hey (just saw your latter post) don't feel down man. I think things will get resolved. Just try to cheer up, alright?


Moni-Poroni:
Hahahahah I just love your comment, Moni-Poroni. Always delightful and bring me a cheerful smile....Thank you sooo much..for keep checking my thread..I'll try not to disappoint you.

jp_smith:
The credits should all go to you, my man..I'll redo the entire pose process tonight...with your additional suggestion. I've been thinking about the other hand a lot and I might make it more monstrous...spike similar to your pose suggestion..I think it would bring a more aggressive look to him. Again, thank you buddy :)

gordon-v:
Thank you so much, gordon-v. And extra grateful for your crit on the right foot, I'll take all these in and make the transpose process once again.

LeXuSMalus:
Thank you so much.. (^_^) and man, your thread on rendering the plush doll dog is just awesome. Got lots to learn from you.

Etcher:
Thank you, Etcher....I really want this Mantis Man to be able to express his aggressiveness...through his body language...as he's the disadvantage of being a bug man and all.

SOLcreator:
Thank you for such kind words....I think, for me, if I decide to do something, I'd do it at the fullest extent...as my mentor Yoda told me...."...No, try not, do or do not...there is no try"....There goes my geekiness in full too.

GregStrangis:
Thank you..I'll make sure to do a few more transpose...to make him more dynamic..

Captain Sensible:
Thank you, man. The wing thing is quite interesting, Today I'll check out more on real mantis behavior and how the wings could be improved.

gregoconn:
Thank you...again I'd like to thank everyone for such valuable suggestions on the pose...Without you guys, this bug man would be a real stiff rubber.

Finners:
Thank you, man. Glad you like the new pose.

:idea: Today's Plan:

What I'm planning to do are

1. Repose the model...now that I've done this pose before...I think I know what I did wrong and what I can improve upon.....and I think practice will make me feel at home about Transpose process...

2. As my character's similar to Ironman in the sense that his face..can not show (much) of emotion. So pose will be a big deal to him. So if I have time I'll do as many poses as possible (Going back to the ZSphere pose test in my earlier posts) Then selecting the best out of these to continue the mesh refinements.

3. "Chip" will be added to the scene somehow....Maybe atop his shoulder as Jp-smith suggested..

Again thank you for reading this thread...Until next time... :)

[jp_smith]

No Yong, I think you misinterpreted what I said, I really like that he has a perfectly human hand, I just thought the pose of the fingers could be more expressive....please don't change the model! :)

[SolidSnakexxx]

jp_smith, Gotcha.....I'll play around on the hand expression. At least will try to get it to be more dynamic. :)

[jp_smith]

I have this Apocalypse statue at work, i love the hand pose, really bad ass...maybe something similar?


Apocalypse_20statue1.jpg

[BARON_3D]

The pose is looking better I like this pose. Great work man !!! :tu: :tu: :tu:
________________
Gemini Creature (http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/showthread.php?p=527743#post527743)

[slickytom]

wow. Your a true zbrush master! Great work. Really impressive.

[ravioli_rancher]

SolidSnakexxx,

Great updates. Your thread should be retitled the Official Guide to SuperHero and Insect Creation in Zbrush.

Insane amount of effort and energy.

Just out of curiosity (so I don't attempt to exceed anything on my archaic system) at what polycounts did you start to crash ZBrush? Any thing quirky at say 12million polys (which is what I anticipate for my own entry).

Anyway, you seem to be taming the computer bugs, and reestablishing control. Looking forward to the new poses and props. :cool:

[Pharion3d]

I think SolidSnakexxx is a bit of a super hero in disguise himself, one with the power to control time....

All the forum posts helping out other contestants and updates to this thread, my god man, there cant be enough hours in the day :D

[DiegoMaia]

Nice turntable!! Congratulations and good luck!

[- FoOD -]

Pose is much stronger - looking great and the bigger feet look much better as well :D

[maxinkuk]

Very good pose. Well done man!!:tu::tu:

[SolidSnakexxx]

jp_smith:
That's another good suggestion, jp_smith I'll give it a try. Thanks a bunch man.

BARON_3D:
Thank you so much.. Glad you like the new pose :)

slickytom:
That's very flattering..I'm grateful you like my entry so far :)

ravioli_rancher:
Wow, that's quite an over statement..and I feel really happy you do like Mantis Man. I'm just trying to put the same amount of time and attention on a daily basis..So I can keep on track with the schedule. As for the problem that I no longer have, I reduce from 38 million polys to around 1.5 million (I figure many of the details must be redone anyway so I just keep the form and go for it.)

Pharion3d:
Hahahha, that's very funny, Pharion3d.... Me? Super Hero? Far from it....If and only if I have such time control power.....I'd be bliss! So I'd have more time on the ZBrush :) However, reading the threads is one of my favorite things to do as there are so many things ....great knowledge piling over and over the forum.

DiegoMaia:
Thank you so much, DiegoMaia. You are one of my great mentor and inspiration, I'm honored you popped in my thread. Thanks :o

- FoOD -:
Thank you so much, man . The pose is real important to this guy. I'm glad this pose is getting better.

maxinkuk:
Thanks, mate..your stuff's getting real cool too. and thanks for popping in :)

:idea: Daily (Night) Update:
As yesterday I pose the model and forgot to record the process. Today I decided to do the very same pose again..and of course make sure to record the movie.. (Still uploading to Youtube) Not much has changed except a little on the position of the Raptorial arm and tensing the human arm a bit as JP-smith suggested. Still think I need to do more on the human arm (Will do so at the higher subdivs) Here's what I have so far.

progress_078.jpg (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:zb_insimg%28%27123403%27,%27progress_078.jpg% 27,1,0%29)

[jackdaniels666]

Lookin sweet man. I hope he doesn't take off his own head with that claw. :lol:

[JesseGraffam]

Love the pose. This is coming along nicely.

[Gohanf22]

that pose is looking good bud. i dont know if its dynamic enough though. jp will fix that. oh and by the way. i now dub you zbrush grand master like luke skywalker is the jedi grand master. yeah. your that good. ;)

[gang]

nice pose
great work :tu::tu::tu::tu::tu::tu::tu::tu::tu::tu: :tu::tu::tu::tu::tu::tu::tu::tu::tu::tu:

[nerveink]

hey dude the mantis man is coming along very nicely!!!!!
i was gonna say though man depednding on how powerful your machine is you can add some more details on his exoskeleton with hd geometry. you can add a new layer on your mesh and sculpt away without having to worry about going back to correct those lil minute details in case you make a mistake.

great job though mate!!!

[pitchepuck]

this pose looks better!
but the front leg... there is something wrong. the hip joint is too high... maybe...or the upper part of the leg is too long... what do you think?
but cool so far :tu:

[Etcher]

Updates are lookin' good! Jackdaniels 666 might have a point there about Mantis snappin' his own head. I looked up some Mantis action on YouTube: the claws are reversed most of the time when attacking. Maybe this works:Mantis_Claw_Reversed.jpg

[Etcher]

Oh s***! I added an image and now it shows up on the scrolling thumbnails! That wasn't supposed to happen! I apologize! How can I prevent this in future posts :o ?

[Captain Sensible]

The new pose is coooool! Hopefully you've not lost too much of your sculpt from posing!

[Hamilcar]

Looking great! If you're having trouble deciding on a pose I would suggest looking at some pics of mantis style kung fu, it might give you some ideas on how to unify his human and mantis attributes.

[wethand]

yeah, this looks nice! now he is really attacking someone!!! and i am happy, i am not this person... :)

nice!

[Moni-Poroni]

Too bad...I can´t make the same joke like yesterday... :)
(Ummm....maybe in a few months.....never say never :D )

Ok...I´ll try something out of the blue :cool:
Rhyme time:D

Really cool the latest pose
looks action-packed from head to toes
I´m checking your thead for quite a while
and I have to say - I love your style!
Keep up your work for many years
you´re an amazing artist... Cheers ! :)

[entrop23]

It's looking really nice, as it has for quite a while! hehe. I do agree with pitchepuck, though--for some reason the front (right) leg looks differently proportioned than the back leg to me... perhaps it's an optical illusion of sorts due to the pose?

For whatever reason, to me it seems that the upper portion of the right leg seem a little long, the lower part a little short, and even the right foot looks slightly smaller than the left foot. I know sometimes these things happen while transposing, and I know you're still making all those tweaks and such, but I just thought I'd mention it in case it's helpful!

The whole thing is really awesome though! I've been following it for a while and definitely will keep doing so!

[Lucky_1]

He is looking very nice Yong

[SolidSnakexxx]

progress_079.jpg (javascript:zb_insimg('123554','progress_079.jpg', 1,0))

jackdaniels666:
Thank you so much for the crit, I'll take that into a serious consideration!

JesseGraffam:
Thank you. Will do more adjustments here and there again tonight.

Gohanf22:
Thanks, bud. I'll try to add more motion and hopefully once integrated to the base it will look more dynamic. and that title "zbrush grand master" is sounding quite geeky as "jedi grand master"...you are funny.

gang:
Thanks gang, your hammer man's hammering out well too. Nice progress on your thread.

nerveink:
You are right... Once the pose's established (Hopefully a few more pose work to do) I'll knock out the details....and if necessary the HD Geometry might be very handy. Thanks for reminding me about that great feature. and thank you for your kind words :)

pitchepuck:
Let me examine this tonight and see if the look can be fixed....I think it could be the rotation that makes it seem that way. Thanks man ;)

Etcher:
Thank you so much for the suggestion. It does look more threatening too.. Will revisit this for certain.

Captain Sensible:
I do loose a bit of sculpt there...but again, re-sculpting would be quite fun as I now know what/where to sculpt...Thanks man for your comment. :)

Hamilcar:
Great advice..the kung fu...eh? I'll Google that and see..

wethand:
Hahhahaha I'd try to stay clear of the Raptorial blade too... Thank you for your comment :)

Moni-Poroni:
Thank you so much...you've got fine sense of humor, Moni-Poroni. I just always smile when reading any of your post. And glad you think I'm a capable artist :)

entrop23:
Thank you. man. I'll do the leg proportion checking tonight..It could be the perspective was turned on and that distorted the view a little...But great that you mentioned so I can be thankful of your eagle eyes.

Lucky_1:
Thank you, Lucky_1. Your stuff, especially your paint skill, are freaking insanely cool.

Daily Update:
All right. Finally get the Transpose video processed and live... So here's the result of the 3rd pose. Nothing exciting...just a lot of masking and rotating.... C/C are super welcome. until next time. :)

iExtew24Oow

[Gohanf22]

looking sweet buddy. but hey anything made by you already is sweet. and what makes you think that title i gave you is geeky. :D i find it very rewarding for you. besides, with the skills you have my friend, its like the "metecloreans" are pouring through your veins. (more star wars gibberish. :lol: ) what can i say. im a total nerd. :cool: amazing work solid.

[JHK3D]

good pose! I like your character!

[goldo_O]

Nice progress Yong! Keep it up mate, your final entry is going to ROCK :tu:

[Etcher]

Thank you for posting the transpose video. For a beginner like myself, it is of unbelieveable value to actually see you work on this piece. It's also great to see the sculpture from all angles when you twist and rotate it.:tu: !

[chindian]

Wow man! Stellar work!
I am really liking the new pose... Has nice movement and is one of the strongest yet. It still needs some refinement to me though... maybe think about adding in a bit more of a torso twist? Like to emphasize a bit more of a stronger S-curve?
Just a suggestion...

Keep it up man! Looking forward to your updates as usual! hehe.. :cool:

[KrakenCMT]

Nice work on the pose Yong! I agree the pose could be just a little more emphasized. Maybe bring the back leg back a little farther. Twist his torso just a little bitmore. What I sometimes like to do is to exaggerate the pose until it seems too exaggerated, then bring it back. It's better to over-exaggerate the pose initially then bring it back than to not quite get there.

[SolidSnakexxx]

Gohanf22:
Hahahahah Now you are getting so technical terms with metecloreans :) Thanks man for your comment.

JHK3D:
Thank you, glad you like the pose.

goldo_O:
Hey there, goldo_O, Your Bug Hero's super cool too. Like I have suggested before we can do a duo scene one day....the bug.....team and shall we also invite...sting lady...to join the party too? :)

Etcher:
No problem man. I'll be sure to pose some more and capture to place here. When I started learning ZBrush this forum's real crucial and it's the biggest sources for all ZBrush needs... And I'm glad my vid can be of your help.

chindian:
Thank you. I've made some minor refinement today based on you suggestion...I did rotate the torso a bit more....and also change the raptorial blade to face outward per pitchepuck suggestion. Let me know what you think.

KrakenCMT:
I agree, What I did today was taking your suggestion and twist his torso all the way and slowly twist back..I think it's quite a nice technique for this kind of pose.


:idea: Minor Daily (Night) Update:
Today was another hectic day....for work...Well..I hate..politic at work.....and when you are the one....having to oversee the entire childish thing these people do and try to amend the problem, it's just ridiculous.....Man I'm ranting about work here...I'm so desperate.... :mad: Please forgive me :o

Well, because of that I was not able to do anything until after midnight..and my 20 minutes of ZSession's cut short by another nonsense office politic again.. Arggh.... :mad:

Anyhow, I'd rather talk about ZBrush..it's a great distraction to the hectic world...for certain. Today was more of the Raptorial blade fixing..I agree with pitchepuck comment that the Raptorial blade facing in might do him harm than good..So I twist the arm outward and also twist his torso more to create a more dynamic feel....Besides that I also tilt his entire body so that the weight's on one leg more..Still need to refine some more... My next plan is to add the base to the Mantis Man foot. I'm thinking about basic ground / stone..... As I think I don't want much distraction on the scene...Once that's set..then detailing on the mesh shall begin.

Here's tonight's attempt....

progress_081.jpg (javascript:zb_insimg('123606','progress_081.jpg', 1,0))

[gang]

nice pose man
i loved it

[Moni-Poroni]

Oh wow :eek: the banner looks hot.
and the modification on his raptorial blade is great...:tu: :tu: :tu:

please stop it.. !!!!! you overtop your own work .....everyday!!!!!
well...you drive me bananas :D LOL

[raguyarts]

A really nice pose, nice overall style as well.

[Gohanf22]

Nice work buddy. its looking swell. hey you want me to get anymore technical. hell, i could go in the whole jedi philosophy if youd like. :lol: . j/k. great work bud, keep it up. :D

[slickytom]

Amazing great work. I'm digging the hand out position alot .

[goldo_O]

Cool pose Yong! We definitely have to make an insect heroes photo group after the contest, and don't forget Samourai beetle! :D

[SOLcreator]

looking great :tu:

[JHK3D]

so sweet! really super cool character!

[SolidSnakexxx]

gang:
Thanks man, your hammer man's coming along well, too. Can't wait to see yours in action.

Moni-Poroni:
Hi there, Moni-Poroni. glad you like the banner..I was thinking about creating a proper cover start image for the video capture. So I spent a few minutes altering the image on the contest page to what you see now. and Glad you like it :)

raguyarts:
Thank you, raguyarts, glad you like the style I'm going for.

Gohanf22:
Hey man, It's great that you also like Starwars too...I'm a huge fan of the series...but not nearly as fanatic as you, buddy ;)

slickytom:
Thank you so much, slickytom, hopefully I go go fourth and improve the mesh details soon :).

goldo_O:
That's be the ultimate plan for my Mantis Man...he needs friends...as my hero's one ugly bloke.....friendship with other heroes especially bug heroes would make him feels like he fits in.

SOLcreator:
Thank you man, I'm also eagerly anticipate the costume for Knoweapon.....The design and colors you have look wonderful.

JHK3D:
Thank you so much, JHK3D. :) I'm so happy you like it.


:idea: Daily Update:

Today I start out with the idea for base....Still not sure how this will be in the end....but for now it's just a boulder.....like he's leaping off a cliff or something in the act to charge at his enemy. As I was sculpting I was thinking about adding a duded missile on the ground behind him....I'll see what I can do as I think my project needs a bit of hard surface ZLove :)

BTW, does anyone know the limitation of which we are suppose to be building the base? Again, I probably go for a standard base..not too elaborated one..as I want the main character to stand out.

Anyhow, here's today minor adjustment. You may notice another minor addition....chip..as he's really tiny it's quite hard to read out where he is. I'll be texturing chip soon as well.

(http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:zb_insimg%28%27123727%27,%27progress_082.jpg% 27,1,0%29)progress_082.jpg (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:zb_insimg%28%27123730%27,%27progress_085.jpg% 27,1,0%29)

progress_083.jpg (javascript:zb_insimg('123744','progress_083.jpg', 1,0))

progress_084.jpg (javascript:zb_insimg('123745','progress_084.jpg', 1,0))

progress_085.jpg (javascript:zb_insimg('123746','progress_085.jpg', 1,0))

[bryzol]

Cool! This looks realy nice! You are geting close to finish it!

[wethand]

really nice!! i like the image he jumps from this rock on an enemy!
maybe his front leg could be a little bit higher.
because now it looks, like he would expect ground in his next step.

i hope, you understand...

anyway... very cool! i think you are nearly done?

AH, yeah, just saw his little friend!!! lololol
his VERY little friend! ^^
hahaha

love the idea. mantis man is in a hard fight and kills some enemy's and his little friend chip is chilling on his shoulder... best cinema! :P just nice! :)
he could be a little bit bigger and maybe i would choose another place (on the head, there he has a better view ^^) :)

[jackdaniels666]

Lookin good, I like chip. :D

Your pose really reminds me of MJs Thriller. :lol:
http://www.2dayblog.com/images/2007/october/thriller_dance_record.jpg

[Etcher]

Yeah! Now he's really on his way to avenge his wife and daughter!:tu: !

[markrulz]

Very nice solidsnake!

Somehow I feel like he shouldn't be leading with his claw. When you punch or snag you pull back rather than reach forward so you can get maximum power. It feels a bit wrong somehow.

Really great looking. A very solid contender for top spot IMO.

[SolidSnakexxx]

bryzol:
Thank you man...and I'm ready for engagement as well :)

wethand:
I was thinking about adjusting that too..but thought it might be too exaggerated...what do you think about the sketch in this post...would you think that's still too low? Thanks for your valuable comment. Also my Gf also told me chip's one super bug so making him atad larger might not be a bad idea. :)

jackdaniels666:
Hahhaahh that's classic, mate..I remember that as well :) thanks for your support for chip ;)


Etcher:
Yup, bad guys beware......Mantis man's about to take his vengeance......


markrulz:
Thanks markrulz, I was kind of indecisive about the claws backward (previous one) and this..as at first I was thinking his raptorial blade was more of defensive mode just prior to actual slicing...but switching the other way around like what I have now is more threatening pose...but I think I'll need to refine it too. Thanks man for your comments.

:idea: Daily Update:

I'm starting to rebuild the details one by one once again...Meanwhile still perfecting this pose as wethand suggested...it could be better with his one leg higher up..What do you guys think...too high? Too low?


progress_086.jpg (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:zb_insimg%28%27123782%27,%27progress_086.jpg% 27,1,0%29)

[wethand]

hey solid!

this could look much better! it would give more tension to the pose!
it would look nice if the foot would be straight like in your sketch!

just one question: i have stolen your ideas with the logo and the cover-image. i hope, it doesn't matter! :)

[Etcher]

Pulling the leg up might work! But then I think you need to pull the knee out first (inset, front view), otherwise he might come out looking to feminine. Keep goin'! :tu: !Mantis_Leg_Higher_001.jpg

[markrulz]

My suggestion for your pose:

mantispose.JPG (javascript:zb_insimg('123805','mantispose.JPG',1, 0))

Suggests the attack instead. What do you think?

[Gohanf22]

sorry bud but all your going to get out of me is a job well done :( . you know why. :cry:

[skullbeast]

Nice bug on the shoulder.

Cool pose! :tu: :tu:

[- FoOD -]

Hey Solid

Pose is looking really strong - very cool

Think Etcher got some good feedback and I am sure you will be doing this but I would crack the rock where his foot is pushing off

Apart from that his lookin badass :D :tu:

[Hamilcar]

Hey Looking Good! I love this pose, it's a really nice combo of all the ideas you've gone through, yes I like it better with the knee a bit higher.

ps. I still really like the mid air attack you had at the beginning but I know it doesn't work for a sculpt; unless you drill a hole and support it with a thin metal rod. just some food for thought :)

[fluxist8070]

solid, this is coming along nicely! good work! :D

[jp_smith]

Hey Yong, I think this one is a little bit better, more heroic, and he has his mantis arm ****ed like he's about to decap someone. :) Let me know what you think.

Jason

mantis_pose3.jpg

GtX105Vffqc

[Gohanf22]

nice pose jp. im loving it. very well done. man you really know your stuff jp. :tu: :tu:

[dustinbrown]

The pose is looking fantastic now, and I really like Chip. Maybe Chip could be like his little spy; the proverbial fly on the wall ;)

I was looking at your logo designs and I want to suggest that instead of Mantis Man, just call him Man-tis. You could perhaps do something graphically clever with the M so it's made out of mantis front legs/claws splaying out.

-Dustin

[avtart20]

Its looking amazing!! i got kicked out of the competition cause my computer broke and i wasnt able to get my files off. looks like you got this competition in the bag.

[jp_smith]

Heh anyone notice this thread has 52,000 views?? That's like 3x as many as anyone else. Go Yong! :)

[Drakelot]

Loving the new pose and animation ... Xcellent Solid ... :tu:

[Gohanf22]

hey solid is a master of disaster. the cream of the crop here. or he is the Zbrush Grand Master. :D

[Moni-Poroni]

Hi SolidSnakexxx
oOoOoh... I missed a lot here :o
Great "old" Pose...:) and I love Jason´s new one too :tu: :tu: :tu:
Btw-hey there Chip :D
Well... I think it´s really hard to get better than now ;)
Only fine tuning :)
You´ve almost reached the maximum limit of Z-kills :lol: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and I´ve definitely reached my personal maximum of wordlessness :)

[Etcher]

Good morning! (quick post, gotta get to work!). I think jp_smith made great suggestions: the right arm forward can really be posed like he's taking aim at something. You could still play around with the direction of the snapper. To bad you can't add extra characters to have him react against.:tu: ! (voila: replies and pageviews went up again :D )

[slickytom]

this looks great. If I could add my two cents... it would be to switch the leg position. It seems like you would get more power from having the opposite knee forward... like when you run your left knee is forward while your left hand is back. You have the left hand back and the left knee back... so if he were to slash he wouldnt have the hip twist he would get from having the left knee forward. eh, not sure if that makes any sense. lol. Either way, the amount of work you have done is staggering. Great job.

[markrulz]

Wow that pose looks just like my sketch JP! LOL

[jp_smith]

stickytom, I tried your suggestion with the opposite leg up, here it is. markrulz, yeah I thought it was a great suggestion. :) Either of these look pretty decent I think, but it's up to Yong. :)


mantis_pose5.jpg

[skullbeast]

you guys are going to build the best mantis man ever! Jp-snake you guys rock. are you doing some kind of joint entry?

[jp_smith]

The more i look at it I think the latest pose is the one, he looks much more balanced.

[jp_smith]

skullbeast - No, he's just nice enough to let me mess around with his kick ass character...and I love posing. :)

[Nattawat_OBBI]

Pose is looking really strong and very cool. :tu:

[SolidSnakexxx]

wethand:
Thank you, I'll do the adjustments tonight :) And for the idea you claim to steal...it's perfectly fine man..as you've done so classically..and very cool... What shall I forbid you :)

Etcher:
Thanks man and extra grateful for the paint over....to suggest the front view...now I know exactly what I think needed to make him more action like and agile. ;) Again, the pose's still a WIP and I'll be finetuning to best his charactersistics.

markrulz:
That's such a great advice..now I think I'll have another transpose session in schedule...Thank you so much!

Gohanf22:
Hey there. thank you for your kind comment. You can comment on my thread all you like buddy. No need to shine away.


skullbeast:
Thank you...Actually I modeled the little mantis to be the base prop, but then JP-Smith suggest it would be nice as a mini-sidekick...so I took upon the idea and I think it adds the lighter side to this dark hero. :)

- FoOD -:
Thanks man. I'll definitely try to define the pose again tonight and try to get all poses ready for high res sculpting. and great idea on the cracked rock :)

Hamilcar:
Thank you so much for your comment. Glad you like the pose so far. The mid air attack..I'll definitely do some day as it' one of my fav too.

fluxist8070:
Thank you, fluxist8070. Your debaser has some variety of great cool poses too.

jp_smith:
That's indeed a very cool suggestion, Let me try tranposing this as well. Thanks for the great suggestion as always! I think a mix with this and markrulz's suggestion would yield an action pack pose.

dustinbrown:
Thank you, glad you like the idea. :) Neat name...I didn't think of that...Man-Tis Great suggestion.

avtart20:
Oh man, sorry to hear about your situation. Is tehre a way to continue doing ti anyway?

Drakelot:
Thank you so much... Let me do more transpose work tonight :)

Moni-Poroni:
Thank you for your nice comment :) Always great to see you visiting my thread as it gives me more energy. Thank you!

slickytom:
Great comment, I do agree, I'm planning another pose session as well. Thnk you so much (^_^)

skullbeast:
JP's been a great help for everyone. His pose suggestions have been very useful. I'm still in the process of finding the right pose for Mantis Man...ever since....I started to flesh out the model...still not totally happy with the pose so I will definitely try to do a few more transpose sessions.

Nattawat_OBBI:
Thank you so much...Glad you like it Khun Obbi :)


:idea: Daily Update:

Haven't done much re transposing..But aiming to do so tonight and coming weekend. Transpose has become one of my most favorite ZBrush features now..And man...thank you everybody for such kind comments and suggestions to improve the pose. I'll most likely end up with a few poses by next Monday and line up for another round of voting, then I can go fourth with more detailing. That way I'd have more times to practice transpose tool. Frankly Transpose is like making the model like action figure where you can bend the joints here and there.... Simply amazing tool!

Anyhow, this is a small minor correction to lift his right leg up a little. Will get on with the pose more tonight (^_^)

poseadjust001.jpg (javascript:zb_insimg('123910','poseadjust001.jpg' ,1,0))

poseadjust002.jpg (javascript:zb_insimg('123911','poseadjust002.jpg' ,1,0))

[threetails]

looking great, that pose has some great strength well done, i love looking at the sculptues on here with that bronze material.

[jp_smith]

Very cool buddy, he looks great in bronze. The overall impression I'm getting when i look at this pose now is that it looks kind of "prancy" for lack of a better word, like he's doing some kind of tribal dance or something as opposed to leaping off a rock ready to kick ass. Not that that's a bad thing mind you, just thought I'd throw out my opinion. :)

[pitchepuck]

this pose is much better than the last one. but I have to agree with JP....

[spimmy]

That is just pure awesomeness ;) !! Great Pose and base! :tu: :tu:

[Gohanf22]

very nice buddy. your work is always an inspiration to me. im still feeling sorry for myself bud. i really really screwed up :( :cry:

[Trurl]

Nice, dynamic pose. Congrats.

[Nattawat_OBBI]

New pose Looking great, the details are nicely done :tu:

[dustbin1_uk]

Love it! 5*!!!

Sorry been out of the loop for a while, but I come back to see some great progress on the pose!!

Very action like! In the final I hope you'll add some motion blur in PS.

Keep going man! This one is still in my top 3!!

[jempix]

Great job on the "Action" shot. Its a very dynamic shot. My only concern with the base might be the whole balance of the piece. I'm just thinking if it were to be realized in the "real world", it might fall over.
But I really like how Mantisman is leaping off of it.
Great Work :tu: :tu:

[bryzol]

Someone's head will fall down for a second ;) Realy nice pose. I lik it!

[chindian]

Hey man - lookin good... I could be wrong - however from the pics with the new pose - his leg proportion looks a bit funny to me... like it's been elongated on the thigh a bit? The chest also looks a little strange... doesn't seem to have the same nice volume u had from before...

On a personal note - i liked this pose (quoted below) better... I think it had a nice balance and motion to it... also looked more like a striking pose!

Anyways - looking forward to ur updates! Keep it up! :tu: :tu:
-T



stickytom, I tried your suggestion with the opposite leg up, here it is. markrulz, yeah I thought it was a great suggestion. :) Either of these look pretty decent I think, but it's up to Yong. :)


mantis_pose5.jpg

[SolidSnakexxx]

threetails:
Thank you man, I like this pose...and like the other new poses too.. I'll need your vote once the pose lineup is ready :) And I do like Bronze materials...most of my models I do try out with this mat.

jp_smith:
You are right, JP-smith. It does look prancy..but I still like it... Hmmm let's see the entire pose lineup and I'll need your keen eyes once again :)

pitchepuck:
Thank you mate, Yes I do agree too...Hmm

spimmy:
Thank you for your kind compliment...:)

Gohanf22:
Thanks man. Don't feel sorry man...The best you can do is pick up the pen tablet and brush away..

Trurl:
Thank you. Glad you like the adjusted pose.

Nattawat_OBBI:
Very happy you like the new adjustments kub :)

dustbin1_uk:
Glad to see you again, dustbin1_uk! Glad you like my pose attempts...Been having loads of fun with Transpose :)

jempix:
Thank you...I was also worry about what you stated...but for its purpose..it might be all right...Will revisit the base more soon though.. Thank you so much.

chindian:
Thanks for the comment, chindian :) I've altered the pose a bit can you check it out below? with the transpose vid.

:idea: Daily (Night) Update:
Today I rushed home early to do the transpose session. The pose suggestion was mainly by markrulz and JP-Smith. I'm so overwhelmed and really thankful for those who have contribute to the pose suggestions and all.

This is the result so far.

progress_089.jpg (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:zb_insimg%28%27123948%27,%27progress_089.jpg% 27,1,0%29)

progress_090.jpg (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:zb_insimg%28%27123949%27,%27progress_090.jpg% 27,1,0%29)

The Transpose Vid:

KG9xyhoodFo

[Gohanf22]

looking good buddy. very nice indeed. i know what you mean bud but im the kind of person that is the nicest person in the world and when they make a mistake like this, will make them feel bad for awhile until something is done to make it better. i will not forgive myself. :(

[sadicus]

That looks great!
I really like the concept.

[pitchepuck]

the hip joint is still too high. that´s because the upper leg is still too long ;)

[bryzol]

I must admit that I liked more previous pose. It was more agresive, I had a felling that he will cut my head off for a while, and now (in my opinion) he looks like he whould want to take somthing from the ground and pick it up...
Don't get me wrong, I just prefer previous pose :)

[Hamilcar]

sorry I'm in a rush...Hey Looking great! I have two comment if you jump off a rock you jump off the end not the middle, and I think JP's comment is a valid one. Here I attached a pic to describe my words. Sorry I'm not trying to be rude I just have to go now!

[jp_smith]

Yong something to think about in the future, I wouldn't model the legs so close together...it was a pain in the ass to select one of your legs for posing. :)

[fluxist8070]

I think the earlier pose where the pincer was in the gesture of the insect was much better.

The reason why in imo is that it has the illusion that mantis man is coming from above, plus the gesture of the hand on the original pose is better too. It has a stronger sense of excitement. This new pose does not have as much identity in it.

My 2 cents....I hope it helps! :D

[DAnconia]

These poses really dont represent the back story at all. Its MORE than just a pose. I would create a storyline of him taking revenge on the people that murdered his family and he is about to strike down the one who ordered the hit on him and his family. Or the moment of retribution after his revenge is complete. These poses are just too commonplace for such a unique character. It seems he is just skipping through instead of charging through with rage. If someone killed everyone that you loved and cared for and tried to kill you what would you do? Leap off a rock? No. You would have blood on your hands. Hatred and wishes of death to your enemies. Slicing up anyone that stands in your way until you have had revenge. Sweet sweet revenge.

Just something to keep in mind.

[luis2008]

you need to mix the poses. i like the other one because it was more aggressive. the only thing i didnt like about the other one was that he was leading with the claw. if he was attacking, youd think hed have his claw behind him, getting ready to swing it. i also like the hand in the old pose, it was more expressive. cant wait to see the final one :D

[Harmonic]

Hey SolidSnakexxx, I have to agree with DAnconia. I would suggest trying to imagine yourself as mantisman, how would you move, what is his attitude. I would not worry to much about the pose being super dramatic. I would rather see you really capture the essence of mantisman.

[Etcher]

Hi SolidSnakexxx. The new pose is looking good, these are the only suggestions I can make on it:Mantis_New_Pose.jpg

[Firebert]

Man I have been silently following your awesome endeavor for quite some time and I am so impressed by your dedication and skill! Keep it up man. I really like the new pose as well. The arm makes sense from a physiological stand point, but just feels awkward because I don't think we're used to seeing half man half mantis guys walking around 5th avenue. :lol:

[SolidSnakexxx]

Gohanf22:
Thanks man. Glad you like it.. BTW, don't press yourself too hard, Gohanf22. Life 's good and is even better with friends. I'm certain that even you may have offended people unintentionally, they will forgive you.. You will also need to learn to forgive yourself. And simply have fun.

sadicus:
Thank you so much. I've been excited about this project since the initiation, from conceptualize, zsphere, and now onto the poses.

pitchepuck:
I see what you mean, pitchepuck. I think I know what direction I'm going now..thanks man.

bryzol:
Hey there, bryzol. I also like the previous pose more simply because it seems more aggressive..I'll work and refine on that one some more. Hopefully I can distill the result by this weekend..(It's Chinese New Year and got loads of things to do....)

Hamilcar:
I'm really grateful you took time to create the paint over even when you have little time. I think yours and JP comments are really valid and i'll definitely address this issue. thanks, man. I'm so overwhelm by the assistance I've gotten at this place!

jp_smith:
You are absolutely right, jp_smith. The legs are too close together.....If I were to paint mask it's real difficult :) That's something I have learned and will apply to my next project. Thanks for the wisdom tip ;)

fluxist8070:
I also do agree with you. I think I'm quite please that I have a few transpose sessions and poses to chose from. Your comments are greatly appreciated! :)

DAnconia:
You are absolutely right, DAnconia. The previous pose I did, I was envision myself as Mantis Man and I could relate to him more. Very good technique for finding pose indeed, thank you so much

luis2008:
Thank you for the good crit.. I'll definitely take in and do the process and most likely will pose myself and have my girlfriend take a sanp shot at me...Don't worry I won't post the pics up to destroy you guys' eye sight :) But very valid crits.. Love it to have extra pairs of eye helping out.

Harmonic:
Thanks for the suggestion, I'll do just that... :) I'll pretend to bethe Mantis Man for a day tomorrow...heheheh :)

Etcher:
I see what you mean, Etcher. And it does look better with the paint over you did. Will adjust that...Thank you so much.

Firerbert:
Thank you, Firerbert.... I haven't imagine him going to toilet just yet.....But be certain..I won't pose that action

:idea: Late Night Pondering:

I've been pandering and planning out my next moves...as I've done a few bits of transpose....while it's fun I need to move on now...So some plans have changed here are what I'm going to do:


1. Complete and refine current poses (4 poses) and will post up for comments and voting

2. Once the pose have been selected, I'll further refine on the modeling (Most likely a few retop in the groin area) Including the micro details of the entire body. and then

3. Do the texture of the model. This time around it would be perfect to apply high frequency texture to it.

For now, a special someone would like to say something to you all:

thankyou.jpg (javascript:zb_insimg('124018','thankyou.jpg',1,0) )

[markrulz]

I'm really liking the new pose. I agree that the leading arm needs to be raised, as if taking a bead on the receiving end of 'THE CLAW'™ ;)

If only there was a way to get motion blur in zbrush, it could really help give the claw some movement.

[Gohanf22]

oh dude i have found my inspiration. well besides being yourself. :D . anyway ISK wrote something on my thread that almost brought tears to my eyes and made me remember something my grandmother gave me. when you get a chance, read what i replied on my thread to ISK's reply.

[Moni-Poroni]

Hey Chippy :) (and BTW hi SolidSnakexxx:rolleyes: ...Sorry I think I´ll talk only to chip in the future :D ;) haha lol)

Hm...seriously... I haven´t any advice regarding the poses so far..
as I said 1000000 times before... amazing work!
I´m looking forward to your next update.:)

[JHK3D]

I belive that you can make a super awesome pose soon by yourself. Just do it!

[Marsyas]

Love this mega-thread. :tu: The poses keep getting better and more dynamic.

[SolidSnakexxx]

progress_091.jpg (javascript:zb_insimg('124151','progress_091.jpg', 1,0))

markrulz:
Thank you so much, markrulz. I'll try my best at it :)

Gohanf22:
Glad you've found your inspiration. Go for it.

Moni-Poroni:
That's funny. So now you are not talking to me any more(Just kidding) Thank you for your comments, This post I'll need your eye in voting the pose for me :)

JHK3D:
Thank you, JHK3D for your kind words. It gave me a great courage.

Marsyas:
I'm in deed in debt for those who have left kind and constructive comments. It's really overwhelmed to have such great audience. I thank you for taking your time to read this thread :)

:idea: Daily Updates:

All right after this weekend, I'll be focusing on detail parts of the model. As I'll be busy tomorrow for Chinese New Year I want to get the pose decision set. So I readjust a bit here and there of the current poses I did. For now I'd like to ask your opinion which one should I go fourth with the details and texturing. There are 4 poses I created using Transpose tools. Thank you so much for helping out.

4qRzONxPPDA

[supermanu]

Woh!! SolidSnakexxx you rock! not only the posing are cool, but we have 3 of them!
Do you ever sleep? :eek:

I'm waiting to see those final renders.
Full support from me, if we did have to vote, you will have mine. :tu:

[gabo1991]

nicely done with the poses. Way to use the elements of the Hero Content.

[rodion vlasov]

cool creature.:tu:

[Nattawat_OBBI]

Looks perfect,really great. :tu:

[Moni-Poroni]

SolidSnakexxx... this is a tough decision!!! :)
The only thing I know so far- I don´t vote for the first pose.
No special reason but I like the others more. But I don´t know if I vote for the second one or the third one....???
I can´t say something conctructive..:o because they are both good.
If I would have to make a decision right now... I would vote for the third one.
That´s all I can say so far..:)

[fluxist8070]

I really think pose 3 is the way to go.
Findng the right pose might be easier than we are making it I think. :lol:
Thanks for the compliment. that is nice of you. For some reason, I can't get to better pose than the first one I made. It makes me think that I am over thinking. It might be better to stick with a pose and then find ways to make subtle adjustments to really make it look out of this world.

[Harmonic]

Hey snake, good work you have really put some time into the posing process.
I like 4

[Etcher]

Hello, I'd go for 3 or 4. Looking forward to the final pose!:tu: !

[dustinbrown]

I don't care for the first pose. The second two poses are nice, but the one thing that irks me about both of them is that the claw is pointing backwards on them both instead of forward like he's going to strike with it.

I would apply a white matte matcap and focus on getting a dynamic, cool silhouette out of your pose.

-Dustin

[Pharion3d]

I Like the 3rd pose best, and its nice to see a hero with a chip on his shoulder :D

[petekasim]

Hey Solid!


Man, it's pretty hard to pick a pose, but I shall try

Not the first: something doesn't quite grab me about it compared to the rest

I think the last looks very dynamic, but is perhaps a cliche, a little too obviously heroic

Out of two and 3, it's tough, but I think 2 just pips it for me. I like the idea of 3, but 2 seems more striking somehow

Anyway, still amazingness all the way!

I wish you all the best for Chinese New Year!

[VitorFerreira]

Hey Solid, this is looking fantastic so far. Top row for sure.


Do you mind explaning what did you use for the transpose video? I tryed a couple applications but not getting good results so far. And also , did you record it realtime or saved and replay a Zscript?

[MindFX]

The pose is looking great so far... it seems to me that the head looks a little bit small compare to his overall body... the rest are just perfect. Been busy with my in-law funeral and have not had a chance to work on mine, so I am out. Keep it up.

[Gohanf22]

im voting for the first pose bud. it think its dynamic. but its your decision on what you do. keep up the good work bud. your doing great.

[Marsyas]

Nice transposing. :tu: For some reason a pose jumped to mind which I don't think you've tried--flying/leaping backward while sweeping the claw forward (right after a big swipe attack). Granted it's the end of an action rather than the beginning so there'd be less tension, but you wouldn't have to worry about 'balancing' the claw as much. But he also probably wouldn't be touching the ground... :P

Of the ones you've tried I think I like the third one best. It really looks like he's just about to swipe.

[BARON_3D]

Sawasdee krab Yong master. All pose's look great :tu::tu::tu: ... I like 3rd pose :D

[LeXuSMalus]

IMHO 2 is the best :tu:

[maxinkuk]

The third pose is the one that works best for me.

[Captain Sensible]

I would say the 3rd one too :tu:

[adroit.jr]

very nice pose.wooooo:tu:

[Y/Haüss]

Hey SolidSnake... what a job man! 03 great poses! All of them are very balanced. Love all!

[SolidSnakexxx]

supermanu:
Thank you so much, I've been in love with Transpose tool for awhile now. It's super easy now to test pose so I decided to make choices....and allow me to find one that fit him most. And again by exploiting the great community to help me find a good pose. :)

gabo1991:
Thank you so much. I'm just so happy many people are willing to help me through this hero process. :)

rodion vlasov:
Thank you, sir :) glad you like my creation.

Nattawat_OBBI:
Thank you krub. Really happy you like it.

Moni-Poroni: (voted for 2 or 3)
Hello, Moni-Poroni, I'm in the same tough decision making right now as well. It's hard to finally come to a point to choose a pose. So either 2 or 3 eh? (Thank you for your valuable Vote) :)

fluxist8070: (voted for 3)
Thank you for your vote. :) (I've been liking pose 3 quite a bit too). I just find transpose tool just perfect for this kind of stuff. I think I'll try to add this as a pipeline to my studio...soon for presenting models and characters to director.

Harmonic: (voted for 4)
I figure this is an important part of making a good pose..that having keen eyes helping me. Thank you so much for your kind vote, Harmonic.

Etcher: (voted for 3 or 4)
All right :) I think the direction of pose's setting little by little. Thanks, mate.

dustinbrown: (voted for 2 or 3)
Good suggestions I'll play around with that. Thank you so much for your input! :)

Pharion3d: (voted for 3)
He hehe yes, Chip will definitely be in, he's Mantis Man little mascot :) Thanks for your vote.

petekasim: (voted for 2 or 3)
Great crit and comment on the poses.. :) I'm thankful for taking your time to vote for this :)

VitorFerreira:
Thank you for your kind words. For the transpose vid, what I did was going to Movie>Record and start recording all I like. Then after completing the session, go to Movie > Pause then Movie > Export to a QuickTime format. I did not utilize any of the 3rd party software as this feature's been running smoothly for me. Did you experience errors while doing so?

MindFX:
Will do the final proportion check again, thank you for your comment. Hopefully you will be freed up after your lost. Sorry got hear that , mate.

Gohanf22: (voted for 1)
Hey there buddy, Glad to see you. and thank you for your vote. :)

Marsyas: (voted for 3)
Yes, I know..the flying pose I was planning to do but never got around to do so. And you have provided me the reason so that I didn't .... Glad you like the 3rd one at least :) Thank you so much for your vote.

BARON_3D: (voted for 3)
Sawasdee kub :) Glad you like the poses...And very much appreciated for your vote :)

LeXuSMalus: (voted for 2)
Thank you, LeXuSMalus. Just want to say I've got lots to learn form you...your entry's just very eye opening and very resourceful! Thank you.

maxinkuk: (voted for 3)
Thank you, maxinkuk. I was leaning toward 3 as well :)

Captain Sensible: (voted for 3)
3rd pose seems to be getting the love from most audience, thank you so much for your valuable vote.

adroit.jr:
Thank you mate :) Glad you like the progress so far.

Y/Haüss: (voted for 3)
Another vote for 3rd pose. Thank you..your stuff's coming along so wonderfully...You've done amazing job since the conceptual stage.

:idea: Nightly Pondering:

Happy Chinese New Year, everyone. :lol:

Thank you so much guys/gals for helping me out through this very tough decision making. I just got back from Chinese New Year festival (Hacn't had a nap for quite sometime) and man I was so tired until reading the thread and see so many people are willing to take time and assist me. Am I glad I'm going with voting route...as this community's one of the most friendly and very helpful on-line societies. :o

I'm too tired to do a session now...So I'll take a long sleep then go to work..and then....the fun shall begin....once again...:) Can't wait for my next ZSession. For now, while I'm in slumber land, I'll be dreaming about refining his pose and detailing him :) Again, thank you for your vote.....

[Trurl]

I like the second version more, too. :tu:

[Moni-Poroni]

HAPPY NEW YEAR :) :) :)

Hmm..somebody told me chinese new year is on 5.2.2009 :o

I´m pretty tired too... :)
Good night