Hi all, love the work you've been doing so far, I'll help if I can.
Click the image to go to the sketchfab model (sketchfab's generated thumbnail looked awful, I hope I can change it somewhere...)
Feedback welcome! This model was made with 4k textures, you're seeing 1k jpgs on sketchfab though.
It looks nice, but the hilt is disproportionately long and the hand guard is a little wide. I really like the texturing, though; it feels like Morrowind's daedric weapons.
The good
The texture work is spot on! This is impressive even - you preserved the Morrowind feel of the weapon while making it appropriate in this engine. The Daedric runes are impeccable. Even the shape of the weapon is perfect.
Cons
The model proportions are quite wonky. Either the blade needs to be much longer or the hilt is far too long. Currently the shortsword looks like a dagger more than anything. Once that is fixed I'm pretty certain we'll have a Daedric shortsword for our game ;)
needs proper uv's but good work.
Something I didn't notice before: Are the inscriptions supposed to be read from tip to hilt or hilt to tip? Either way some letters are backwards. And if you ever want to write something specific, UESP as a good article on the daedric alphabet. Alternatively, I can write it out for you if you give me an inscription and I can send you the image. There is also a free daedrric font online. Just make sure to skip any y's and x's in the text.
Good work plasmax, some of the comments I can make are:
- You need fix those uvs, you have plenty of wasted space. They need to be tightly packed to make the most of the texel density.
- I think you should probably remove that overlayed noise on the metal. Its really killing it and making it look like wet concrete. From what I noticed that noise was put into the diffuse instead of the normals on the skyrim weapons. You may want to add that noise though onto the leather.
- The leather specular should probably be blue not brown.
- You may also want to fix that wood type pattern on the specular and replace with with brushed metal. Which would make it really stand out.
Is 2048 the final deliverable?
I like it's practical look and minimum of decorations.
Hi!
Good work on the model :) Other than tynew's suggestions - There is something "artificial" about the look of the texture and i'm pretty sure it's the bake. Other then normal map - which also could use a bit more love, i don't see any bakes affecting other textures. And i think both diffuse and specular could use some cavity / AO overlays. I would also experiment with specular a bit, maybe add some contrast between different sorts of metal?
Also - I'm pretty sure you can forget about 4k textures unless you want it for your own use. 2048 is definately enough for ingame model and that might save you some time with the bakes and such.
Oh and yeah! Any noise and stuff like that work better on specular. I would rather add leather texture for a normal and any scrathes, noise etc on spec (unless deeper scratches and such)
Hey all, thanks for the replies!
- Proportions were taken directly from the Morrowind Daedric Shortsword model. I think the texture work was making the blade look a bit stumpy, and I can tighten up the handle a bit.
@ Twisted - good catch on my lazy mirroring of daedric symbols. I've done a retexture of the blade with nothing back to front.
@Tyler - great points. 2048 is the final texture size although I'm working at 4k.
I've resculpted/baked the middle ornament on the hilt, but because I'm overlapping UV's to save texture space I wanted to test my normals ingame to check for seams. The normal map isn't showing up. I used the daedricsword.nif as a template and replaced the model and texture in nifskope (which also doesn't display my normal map). Took a screenshot ingame (3ds max viewport for comparison).
I followed this tutorial for getting models ingame.
Haven't figured out how to get normals working ingame, but I do have a WIP shot of the updated model. Should be done soon. Need to put normals on the wings and leather.
The proportions look much better!
Question about the grip; leather doesn't strike me as an element that was very prominent in Daedric sets - wouldn't it be better as black leather or ribbed designs on the metal?
Update: added details to normal/spec/diffuse map and changed leather colour. I forgot what the runes meant. Need to check, haha :D
Very cool! I'm wondering, are there any plans to expand the red patterns a little higher up along the blade? It seems to be really focused up to the first set of teeth on the sword and abruptly stop. Will the red core be back or are you experimenting with different textures?
One thing I'd change - the bottom of the cross-guard seems like it's sharpened. I don't think I have to explain why is that a bad idea? :P
Ok, been dicking around with textures for the last hour and it's getting there.
New sketchfab preview (I hate sketchfab's limited material options after playing around with marmoset).
Speaking of, here's another marmoset screenshot:
And 2k textures, much less wasted space:
Diffuse
Specular
Normal
Next step, getting the thing ingame with textures that work... any tips appreciated.
omg yes! its there, just perfect :)
It looks amazing, although I think Dragomir's point about the bottom of the cross-guard is worth considering.
Along the Edge:
In the Chappe and the Bottom of the Fuller:
If I may make a couple notes: Dovahkiin has two i's. Also, I would recommend completely omitting the y's from the texture, as is standard with anything daedric. Except, maybe, Divayth Fyr's name. But there I'd use the Vvardenfell Yahkem, not Battlespire.
Please note that these are just recommendations, not demands. :)
Here's a version with jagged edges instead of barbs:
Mock first-person view:
+ Nice catch twisted. I should have spell checked before I spent 2 hours painting those symbols out -.-
Brilliant! Love the texture work. we need guys like you :)
Fantastic! Hopefully you are looking at doing the wholes set? Cross fingers
plasmaxHere's a version with jagged edges instead of barbs:
This is gorgeous. Please keep it as is - I really really like the barbed design!
happychappyFantastic! Hopefully you are looking at doing the wholes set? Cross fingers
So much this. You won me over with how incredibly talented you are - I'd love to have your vision carried over to all of these weapons!
You guys are so nice 
I'll give the rest of the daedric set a go after me and mooncactus have done a couple redoran(?) buildings.
Spent a couple hours figuring out how to get it ingame, finally there in a limited sense!
Need to tweak the shader a bit more, and I cheated my gloss map by copying my specular into the normal alpha, so I need to fix that. It was turning out black until I turned on vertex colours in nifskope. Something I had previously read not to do.
Man that looks so awesome in-game!
Looks great indeed! Is it just me or is the model itself much bigger than it should be? :P
Yeah, umm, it's supposed to be a sword sword. What's really considered a "short sword" in Skywind?
http://www.dsogaming.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Morrowind-v2.jpg
yep... that`s one sexy sword. Will you do the other weapons as well? You have a good hand for the style!
Well, can`t we just call it "short sword" in game and make the difference show in the stats? (less damage, more speed. Kinda in the middle between a long sword and a katana). So it can bi about 20% smaller ingame (wich also makes the length of the hilt more reasonable)
DavidSReducing the scale by about 10 to 15% would be good for a short sword.yep... that`s one sexy sword. Will you do the other weapons as well? You have a good hand for the style!
Well, can`t we just call it "short sword" in game and make the difference show in the stats? (less damage, more speed. Kinda in the middle between a long sword and a katana). So it can bi about 20% smaller ingame (wich also makes the length of the hilt more reasonable)
I don't know, this is really claymore size. You would need to reduce the size more than 15%.
That is a LOT of daedric weaponry. So many choices! :)
Click the image below to download the mod in a 7zip file. Contains:
- Fixed a seam in the textures
- changed scale to match steel shortsword length. handle kept a bit longer to preserve morrowind proportions.
- fixed some face normals
- tweaked shader in nifskope
Decided to leave the wings sharp. Daedric should be badass in my opinion. Plus you're wearing greaves anyway.
Sheesh, Beth really had a hard on for Daedric weapons. I forgotten how many different Daedric swords they made. You would think after making that many different swords, that they would have at least made a Daedric Crossbow.
MehhSheesh, Beth really had a hard on for Daedric weapons. I forgotten how many different Daedric swords they made. You would think after making that many different swords, that they would have at least made a Daedric Crossbow.
Actually, that was standard fare for many weapon materials in Morrowind. Dagger, Tanto, Shortsword, Wakizashi, Longsword, Katana, Claymore, Dai-Katana, Staff, Warhammer, Mace, Club, Battle-Axe, War-Axe, Spear, Bow, Arrows, Darts. All they're missing is throwing stars and crossbows. I don't know about the former, but only the Imperials and the Dwemer ever really made crossbows.
plasmaxDecided to leave the wings sharp. Daedric should be badass in my opinion. Plus you're wearing greaves anyway.
Oh yeah, good point about the greaves. That's good news, because the sharp wings look great; I was just worried about the potential 'one use per hand only' aspect of it. :)
I like the daedric sword but I think the bat face looks a little to goofy imo. Maybe make it so the sword has more menacing looking face for the bat I think would be a step in the right direction. also maybe make the sword a little more faded.
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Textures (Shrunk from 4k to
Textures (Shrunk from 4k to 1k)
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Diffuse:[External image]
Specular:[External image]