Katana

[DanCBradbury]

Here's a model I made today. It's a japanese Katana with a wave inlaid blade and a lion insignia. Let me know what you guys think.

[trajcedrv]

COOL! Very realistic and well done!

[KenH]

Nicely done. The last one is at a cool angle.

[jamagica]

sweet! nice rendering too! It'd be real nice if you posted up the model file (hint*hint*)

[Mr. Jaqe]

Really cool katana! Love the... everything!

 

It'd be real nice if you posted up the model file (hint*hint*)

That would be great!! *wink* *WINK*

[teh1ghool]

That's extremely good!!! Wow!! Too bad i don't have time to look at tthe model file.

[arkaos]

That's pretty bad-ass. Did u used displacement maps for that detailing? Awesome. Let me know if you are willing to share that one!!!!! I know I could use it. WOW!

[DanCBradbury]

Did u used displacement maps for that detailing?

No, i just used a simple normal map for the detailing. The grip string was about the hardest part to make on the model. It's actually modeled, and i made a normal for the ridges onto the string. Pretty much every surface has a normal map on it... from the stainless steel look of the wave pattern on the blade to the wooden handle.

 

Nicely done. The last one is at a cool angle.

i had to use a fish eye lense to get that shot. But i still like the close up shot of the handle and blade.

 

I'm happy the way it came out. Thanks for all the coments guys.

[phnxpyre]

Very nicely done. It looks real.

 

How did you get the fish eye lense effect in the third image?

 

Great render

[DanCBradbury]

Well, it's not so much as a fish eye lense as it is making the camera focal length property smaller. It can produce some realy crazy looking renders.

 

This is a picture of a square room... but it looks all rounded and stuff. lol If i wanted a real fish eye lense... i'd probably have to create a refractive parabolic dish to bend my images correctly.

[lazz]

Holy cow Dan. That katana is really impressive, heck, just the renders of the room its in are impressive. Like, wow. I like it. Very good job to you sir. How are you rendering it? You using radiosity? However you're rendering it, its really good. Great job.

[John_TrueBlue]

wow that is very nice.

 

tho i would only give it 9/10 for it.

 

one small detail you had left out tho.

 

the BIEN thats the round disc like thing that stop your hands from sliding up the blade.

 

would have been a 10/10 if there was some form of design to it

 

tho there are plain round one.

 

but apart from that you have done a great job.

[DanCBradbury]

You using radiosity?

yup. Almost all renders i do nowadays are done with radiosity. It can make your worst looking models looke insanly awesome. lol. I dont know y so many people dont use it for their stills. It's not good for animation purly because it takes a long time to render, but it realy makes a difference in the look of a render.

[lazz]

but it realy makes a difference in the look of a render

but it realy makes a difference in the look of a render

Ya it does. But still, That model came out realy good. I like the engraving part on it too. Thats a nice touch. Are you gonna do anything with this model at all? Make a character for it, or a sheath? Just curious. Great job once again.

[Clone Reject]

its awesome....hey...buddy...howzabout sharing the .mdl file...please?

[Odog2020]

Yes, I think I have to agree, that is one great model. One question, how long did it take you to model the handle, I think that is pretty impressive with no maps on the handle. And the camera idea is great, kind of gives the animation a 'Samurai Champloo' look, or whatever that show is called. Great work

 

James

[Gerry]

Yeah, really nice, but...what's a normal map? Or are you gonna make me go running for a book?

[DanCBradbury]

The handle is 2 pieces. The cherry wood shaft, and the string. I actually modeld the string surrounding the wood in this model. I applied a normal map to the patch images of the string, giving it a flowing look that would have been impossible with pasting on a decal. The wood on the other hand has a simple normal map decal pasted on both sides. The handle only took about 20 or so minutes to model, and seconds to apply the surface and decal attributes.

 

what's a normal map? Or are you gonna make me go running for a book?

normal mapping is an application of the technique known as bump mapping. While bump mapping perturbs the existing normal (the way the surface is facing) of a model, normal mapping replaces the normal entirely. Like bump mapping, it is used to add details to shading without using more polygons. But where a bump map is usually calculated based on a single-channel (interpreted as grayscale) image, the source for the normals in normal mapping is usually a multichannel image (that is, channels for "red", "green" and "blue" as opposed to just a single color) derived from a set of more detailed versions of the objects.

 

A normal map is basically a slop map; unlike the hight map of a bump, displacement, and fractal maps in which slope is generated as a basic afterthought of the render proccess resulting in undesired slopes sometimes... or at least that's what i've found to be the case.

 

In Normal mapping, the reds are sloping from the left to the right and coming towards you. The Blues are sloping from the left to the right away from you. And the Greens are sloping from the top to the bottom comming towards you. And the shades inbetween are the varrying level of slopes... depending on their amount of blue red and green. The flatest part of a normal map shows up as a sort of dark sky blue color.

 

well, that's as far as i want to explain normal maps now. lol. Hope i havent bored anyone to death.

[selahpoetic]

Could you post a wireframe? I would love to see the wireframe............ I've seen people ask this earlier but you never said anything

 

SOOOOOOOOOOO "HOW ABOUT SHARING YOUR MODEL" ITS FUNNY BECAUSE i'VE BEEN TRYING TO LEARN HOW TO MODEL A KATANA FOR A WHILE NOW BUT..... ANYWAY....

 

You should think about sharing the model.......... come on.......... it would be fun.......

[arkaos]

I think Dan has elevated everyone's knowledge of texturing to an all-new high. Now it will be REALLY interesting to see what people are going to come up with! Thanks Dan!

 

As far as sharing the model: I think Dan should show it to us IN ACTION (yeah, baby!) first. He worked hard at it, so I want to see what he will DO with it (slice and dice....oooohhh so nice!).

[DanCBradbury]

Oh, hello. Ya... about that. I'd rather not have my katana end up in someones work in the WIP with their name all over it... so i'm just gunna hold onto it for a while. However, a wireframe will be in order.

 

i guess you'll just have to have fun with this instead. lol

[Clone Reject]

thanks for the wireframe! if i make something using this as inspiration i will give you credit, not to worry...

[selahpoetic]

HEy Dan I don't mean to carry this on but... How thick is the blade??? is it just simple extrusions or does it have any depth or thickness.. (I'm trying to find the words to describe, I hope you understand )..... from the side view the blade looks flat....... like you took some point's and extruded them.. is that the case or.....?????

[DanCBradbury]

is it just simple extrusions or does it have any depth or thickness

 

Nope the blade very much has depth, and is a solid. Here's one of the cross sections for the blade.