LEATHER BELT FROM CRAPPY GEOMETRY

1. EXTRACTING BASE

This is a belt I made years ago (2008). In high poly level 6 it isn't bad but is flat. I think of poly modeling a 3d form of pixel resolution. Adding detail to maximize the area is what makes a model amazing. Lets look at the level 1 res. Using the move brush, lets make this fat belt sag and drupe over the hips. I am going extract the mesh that mades the belt so I don't care about buckle design either. I just want the placement. Next we extract the just the belt.

2.BRING MESH TO MAYA

This is totally uneven with the edgeloops and doesn't even have even thickness. Its better to start over with the mesh but this sort of a experiment and tutorial wrapped in one. Anyone can make clean torus and start to make a new belt. I am trying to save this mesh and use it for its placement on the hip.

3. ZBRUSH IMM TOOLS

Zbrush's move brush was used to even the thickness and I used the IMM tools to post in a buckle and the grenades from the free scifi gun IMM tool. It looks like I stamped it in but I stopped in maya to clean the mesh and make a double latched belt much like a weight lifters belt.

4. BACK TO MAYA

In Maya we're going to fashion some details. For I am happy with the basic placement. Now I need to think about what kind of loops I need to hold the grenades to the belt and how are they held in.

5. POUCHES

Never take a page out of the art of Rob Liefield in human anatomy but damn that man can draw pouches. The pouch master. Every tactical clothing made since the 90s has been shaped by this artist. These are another free IMM mesh from zbrush but changed the proportions in maya. Downloaded from www.badking.com.au. If its not there in the future just model it. Its a box. If you can't make a box, go back to my Maya 101.

6. BANDOLIER STYLE

I like to add edgeloops made the leather have lips. This is a technique I am doing to emulate some of the beautiful leather straps on the guns made in Gears of War 2. In GOW, the artist used leather straps for the Locust weapons. Also had lots of laces on the leather to connect leather straps. Its a very post apocalyptic marauder look. My grenade girl is less marauder and more WWII GI pinup so the belt should be custom fit but look very American.

7. BREAK INTO POLYGROUPS

8. SCULPT  AND ALPHA TEXTURE LEATHER

WIP