Steps to create a game character

[dmoss]

Hey whats up people, I am in the process of creating my first game character. I have been reading a bunch of different material, some great some not so good. I am getting a little confused of the actual process needed . My final goal is to have a low poly model (no larger then 12,000 faces) and a high poly detail model to create the normal map. From the material I have read I am going to list what I have interpreted as the steps to complete this. Please let me know if there is something out of place or missing completely, like I said this is my first game model.

1 character R&D
2 create low poly Proxy model
3 UV unwrap low poly model
4 use copy of low poly and create a detailed high poly model (SUBD or import into zrush or mudbox)
5 UV unwrap high poly and create diffuse, spec and normal maps
6 Import high res over the low poly and bake down textures

I realize this is WAY over simplifying the process but in general is this the way to do this? My big question is do the unwrap of the UV layout of the low poly have to match up perfectly with the high poly model?

Anyway all comments welcome, I love information!!

[SkwigglesWorth]

That is one way to do it, and it does work for some people.
Although there shouldn't be a need to UV the high poly model.
And the way your doing it should mean that the high is already UVed and will be using the same space as your low (each time you SUB Divived it'll just subdive your UVs with it)
Not sure what the first step is (charcter R&D)
This methord i belive set up well for baking with in ZBrush and also the poly piant transfer

The other common way of doing it is.
Create base mesh for high poly
Create high poly sculpt
Create Low poly (often via retopoligizing)
UV Low poly
Then bake in your main 3D application or something like XNormal (I would recomend XNormal)

BTW: baking usually doesn't go well the first time, so do some test

[dmoss]

ok thanks for the info, I will try that too

[kanga]

Originally Posted by dmoss

I realize this is WAY over simplifying the process but in general is this the way to do this? My big question is do the unwrap of the UV layout of the low poly have to match up perfectly with the high poly model?

Anyway all comments welcome, I love information!!

No the high poly model just has to have uvs, any kind. That means you can use auto uvs like GUV tiles on the high poly sculpt. This is for zbrush but you can decimate the hipoly and import it into your 3d application for baking. Decimate the hipoly to about 10% minimum with uvs. Your lowpoly should have good edgeloops for deformation and be mostly uved on one sheet in one uv space.

Xnormal is a great app but it has no projection cage. The projection cage in 3dmax will give you superior results. With xnormal however you dont have to open the high poly model, just point xnormal at the file.

Yeah its all a bit of a process, hope this helps.