Action Hero – Golgotha (hero) - Nero (villian)

[markrulz]

A long time ago on a planet far, far away....

Um no.

Far into the future, scientists discovered a temple on another world, which imbued the people who discovered it with arcane powers. Seeking to keep this power for themselves, they created a new society of what they dubbed Sci-mages. They began to use both a combination of science and magic to subjugate the people of the galaxy.

But with any power, the new society began to fray at the edges, as the Sci-mages began to contend one with another for what they considered the most choice planets. While they coveted each other's holdings, they would not openly war with one another. Thus were born the mage assassins, a society of highly trained military operatives that used both science and magic to help assassinate other Sci-mages for the highest bidder.

Enter Golgotha. His homeworld was subjugated most ruthlessly by two Sci-mages, his entire family wiped out as collateral damage in the demon wars on that planet. When he found out one of the Sci-mages of his world was assassinated, he determined to join the assassin's guild by any means possible, so that he could carry out his revenge by making the Sci-mages pay as a whole.

Golgotha became one of the best Mage Assassins the galaxy had ever known. This shot will show him after his first botched attempt at assassinating a particularly nasty Sci-Mage named Nero. Golgotha was regrouping to his dropship in an alleyway and Nero blasts him from behind.


golgotha_pose.jpg

Mark Loertscher

[markrulz]

Oops forgot to put powers/etc.

Golgotha doesn't have any powers per se, he utilizes the newest in Sci-Technology to help him take Sci-mages down. He usually prefers to use his knowledge of the Sci-mage he is assigned to to make his assassinations look like accidents as to keep his clients from any blame or suspicion. Since the Sci-mages use summoned demons and other minions to do a lot of their dirty work, his speciality is disrupting summoning rituals so that the demons being summoned do the killing of the Sci-mage for him.

His armor is a bio-suit that augments his strength and agility to almost the speed of thought. It has spells applied to it to ward off the effects of most spells, and is very battle-resistant.

More on Nero soon.

[SolidSnakexxx]

Cool idea...like a futuristic super Ninja...... :cool:

[Harmonic]

Sweet concept, and great sketch. If you can model as well as you sketch this one is going to to fantastic. :tu:

[markrulz]

So after the base model was modified I started using masking and sublayers to create Golgotha's armor.


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I kept choosing armor placement and then decided that for the sub-armor (Colossus-inspired) needed some help. I created a custom alpha in Adobe Illustrator like this:


muscles2Hc.jpg

And started using the displace tool to create the armored body.


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I kept using the dragrect placement to vary the size of the 'muscles' until I covered the whole body.


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Then for the armor details I started using the alpha selection tool again:


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Neat fun. Starting to look pretty nice, lots more details to add and I have a question. I still have the toes sticking out, but I want them not to be there anymore. I'd love to make them one piece of geometry so that the boot toe would be correct, but not sure which tool to use to merge them together is. Currently they look like this:


Picture-26.jpg

Should I just make a simple piece of geometry? Or is there some cool tool that I can merge these together quickly?

[markrulz]

Oops forgot the other shot.


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[P'etur]

It seems you haven't hit "P" to go into perspective view.
The screenshots will look nicer if you toggle that on.

Anyways, good progress. Good job :tu:

[SolidSnakexxx]

Great Progress. I just love the pattern over his body. :tu:

[sirquadalot]

Looking really cool, I like how you are using the alpha's to create the skin detail. Since the armor covers some of the characters joints (body parts), maybe break down some of those parts into subtools so you can divide them again making them look a little smoother. :tu:

[joe55]

bad ass wiring !! keep going.

[dustbin1_uk]

Nice alpha work!!

[threetails]

that alpha is great. but keep in mind its got to go on good form, don't rush at the cost of developing strong Anatomy one supports the other. your character shows some good potential.

[markrulz]

Ok more progress today:

More custom alphas, this time for the stomach. I masked off the stomach area:

Picture-8.jpg (javascript:zb_insimg('119481','Picture-8.jpg',1,0))

And then used this alpha for the stomach area:

stomach.jpg (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:zb_insimg%28%27119482%27,%27stomach.jpg%27,1, 0%29)

Which resulted in:

Picture-9.jpg (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:zb_insimg%28%27119483%27,%27Picture-9.jpg%27,1,0%29)

Then with more massaging and detailing:

Picture-10.jpg (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:zb_insimg%28%27119484%27,%27Picture-10.jpg%27,1,0%29)

And then a simple sword model in Wings3d:

Picture-11.jpg (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:zb_insimg%28%27119485%27,%27Picture-11.jpg%27,1,0%29)

Picture-12.jpg (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:zb_insimg%28%27119486%27,%27Picture-12.jpg%27,1,0%29)

Then after watching the sword texturing tutorial, I started differentiating the model parts with different textures:

Picture-16.jpg (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:zb_insimg%28%27119487%27,%27Picture-16.jpg%27,1,0%29)

Picture-18.jpg (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:zb_insimg%28%27119488%27,%27Picture-18.jpg%27,1,0%29)

Picture-19.jpg (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:zb_insimg%28%27119489%27,%27Picture-19.jpg%27,1,0%29)

Good times.

[industripop]

lookin' good!

it's crazy---i've been thinking of the name "Golgotha" for a villain since I was in high school.

[Kanga]

The mask is brilliant!
Well done,... not sure about the ears, but the mask itself is really beautiful.

[SolidSnakexxx]

You seem very proficient with the use of alpha...I love the technique..Look forward for more!

[dustbin1_uk]

Awesome work!

[markrulz]

More alpha work. Been busy with freelance, but managed to get an update or 2.

Did some work on the ear thingies. Made an alpha in illustrator/photoshop like this:

Buttons_v3.jpg (javascript:zb_insimg('120779','Buttons_v3.jpg',1, 0))

Which resulted in:

headdetail.jpg (javascript:zb_insimg('120780','headdetail.jpg',1, 0))

And then a bit of work on the boots:

footdetail.jpg (javascript:zb_insimg('120781','footdetail.jpg',1, 0))

Now comes the hard part: transposing this guy. Gonna take some trickery methinks. I'll practice on a regular figure to see if I can wrangle this tool into what I want.

[aurick]

Please note that the rules require that your entry be updated at least once per week. If no updates have been made on this entry within the next 48 hours I'm going to have to disqualify it.

[sazar26]

I dont know how i missed this one but he is looking super cool so far! i like how your using those alpha good job

[markrulz]

Well after much pain using the transpose master tool it turns out that the way I crafted the head makes transpose master crash EVERY time. It's messy geometry so I'm thinking I'll have to start from scratch :(

Hopefully my failure will result in a much quicker workflow :P

[markrulz]

Here's a pic of the problems:

helmet.jpg (javascript:zb_insimg('122628','helmet.jpg',1,0))

It stems from using super average man as the base for my mesh, and the messy way I tried to close off the mouth. My inexperience is nearly the death of me!

[markrulz]

Ok after much blood, sweat and tears, Golgotha is rebuilt, and hopefully better this time. I used the free base mesh from Zbrush downloads center as a base mesh since I could grab it as an .obj and then close off any orifices that could create nasty geometry... or at least I hope so.

Here's pics of the journey:


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:eek:

Ok picture overload I know but it's been quite a ride :P

Transpose Master here I come!

[Harmonic]

Hey markrulzm, it may not be your extractions that are causing the problems. I you look around at other peoples entries your will see that many people are having trouble with transpose master.
But in any case I would recommend retopologizing all of those extractions. It will help them look much more crisp and clean.

[SolidSnakexxx]

Hey there...nice update.. :) ..about Tranpose Master I think we have to find its sweet spot....mainly the max poly it can handle when splitting back out suntools...(As it hangs when doing that process often) and in my last test, I did the subdiv clean out and seem to be working much better.

[markrulz]

So I'm pretty new to zbrush, so how do I retopologize my extractions? And should I merge them to the model perhaps to help?

Been watching the tutorials and running with that but there aren't any on transpose master particularly.

[markrulz]

Ok now I'm at the end of my rope.

I can't get any posing to work correctly, and I can't find the instructions on how to bypass transpose master altogether. Anyone have a link to a way to bypass transpose master? It crashes every every time.

[wethand]

hey, nice progress so far!
maybe the wires are a little bit chaotic.
this looks cool! i like his costume very much (if i can call it a costume)

[Harmonic]

Hey markrulz, sorry to hear you are having so much trouble. as inspiring as Zburhs can be it can be equally frustrating.

To retopo you extracted pieces, I would clone a piece in the tool pallet. Then select a z sphere, the menus for ringing will shop up at the bottom of your tool pallet. Select the tool you cloned in the rigging pallet. Then in the topology pallet pres the edit topology button. and go to work.

I think to retopo it all as one piece you would have to combine all you meshes into one. and because they are so hi poly that won't work without loosing detail. At least as far as I know.

As far as transpose master, if you are not going to use it then you will have to pose each separate subtool individually. That is you I did my entry, but yours has allot more subtools, so it will be allot of work but at least it will work.

Hope that helps, give a shout if you have more questions.

[maxinkuk]

If you have the processing power you can pose in high res with this method:

http://209.132.96.165/zbc/showpost.php?p=522348&postcount=194

[markrulz]

Thanks much for replying guys. Had felt asking questions were just going into the void. I'll try the hires method and see if it yields success; if not I will pose the base alone and then add subtools after the pose is finished. Don't want to be spinning my wheels anymore!!

[markrulz]

Well unfortunately the Mac version of Subtool master does not contain the merge tool, so that's a bust. I think I will go back and pose the modified original mesh to the pose I require then add all my subtools. Makes for a very awkward workflow but whatever works I guess.

[maxinkuk]

You can do that manually. Delete all lower subdiv levels and clone each subtool and then insert mesh them one by one into the first one, then clone that subtool and you have a clone that's exactly what the merge option would have produced.

[markrulz]

So here's the transpose vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAXjr4YA9jA

Everything else is coming along... I pulled some of the pieces over, but since most of the pieces were made doubled up, I'm having trouble bringing over the pieces individually instead of both. Is there a way to pull out different parts of a subtool as a new subtool by itself?

It's now at this state:

golgotha_progress.jpg (javascript:zb_insimg('124358','golgotha_progress. jpg',1,0))

[maxinkuk]

If they are divided by polygroups you can hide the polygroups that you want to move, then mask what's visible and then unhide the rest and work safely.
For example geometry with thickness made with extract mesh or topology tool comes with three polygroups, one for each side and one for the thickness.

[markrulz]

Thanks for the tip max!

It's coming along nicely now. Almost ready for texturing and the base.

[SolidSnakexxx]

Good pose so far. :) .it reminds me of...American Footballer pose somehow...with his strong physique and all.

[markrulz]

Closer, ever closer.

Through a happy accident I added a red tint to his costume. Let me know if it's a bad/good thing. :P


Picture 9.jpg

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[maxinkuk]

Looks very strong.:tu:

[markrulz]

Ground pound!

Hopefully this will help give the character a feeling of being smashed back, but ready to retaliate. Thinking of putting a whole lot of particulate cement flying through the air to help with the scene.


Picture 16.jpg

[markrulz]

Miz, you're right about the hands. I'll size them up.

He is overly buff for the armor to sit the way I wanted however. I realize that his biceps are too large (as are many other features) but I sculpted it that way purposefully so that the armor could fit over a regular physique and not look to small a character. Hence the face sculpt as well, it allowed me to get the helmet look that I wanted.

[SolidSnakexxx]

Like the added sword.....also I would suggest the hand on the ground should be spreading just a little.....to show to expression that he's dragging his fingers along the floor. :)

[luis2008]

i really like the ground model. youve also done some great sculpting. i agree that the hand needs some work. but other than that. great job

[markrulz]

Slight update, I need to kick it into high gear!


ZBrushOSXScreenSnapz001.jpg

[- FoOD -]

Awesome ...the cracking ground is great ...love that stuff ....it will be cool if you can some how fake that illusion with the rock :D:tu:

[markrulz]

MOAR UPDATES!

Polypainting... It's great, but a bit hard to implement since the on-site documentation is for 2.0 (I think? The menus don't sync up with the program). Nonetheless, I forged ahead thanks to the tutorials on the tutorial forums.


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[SolidSnakexxx]

I like the worn look to the armor... making him very battle worn. :)

[markrulz]

Final Submission!


Golgotha_v2.jpg

Plus a shot of the ground detail:


ground_detail.jpg

Turntable movie:

iAd5GXl2z-M

And the expanded and improved transpose movie:

GvRBHch8Sw4

Good luck to everyone!