WEAPON MODELLING - MODELLING A NEW WEAPON

I have to start a new model, UV Map it, and bake it from scratch. Here's why.

       As much as I hated the idea, I 'have' to start a new model for the assignment. It's not just the fact that I had spent hours researching, designing and developing the model, it's that I actually loved my design - I was over the moon with my model. Unfortunately, after UV Mapping and baking it, I took it into university to receive some tutor feedback. If you look below, you can see that the weapon's stock doesn't smooth out as well as my tutor wants (I agree with him), additionally, being the stupid guy I am, I forgot to use symmetry early in the development  The smoothing issue was both mine an his fault, but the symmetry predicament is all down to me. 

WEAPON MODELLING - SMOOTHING ISSUES
by Christian Whelan

   
  I could continue with this weapon, texture it, add a specular map and present it, but these two issues will effect consistency in design, and the quality of the texture and specular map. So, rather than present a ugly looking model at the end (even though I spent a long time on it), my tutor feels its better for me to start a new and simpler model to continue the assignment - he advised I model a basic shotgun.

     The silver lining in this is that all the hardest parts are over, and my tutor likes the result. So he accepted my assault rifle model for this submission and is allowing my to continue on with a simple shotgun as if nothing happened. Which will one, turn out looking better and two, be easier to texture and present. 

     Not all is lost though, he says I can continue developing the assault rifle simultaneously if I feel strongly about it, and I will. By doing that, I'll have two weapons to hand in for the assignment, not just one. It's a win/win scenario on the most part. 

I'll start modelling the shotgun now.

NEXT POST: WEAPON MODELLING - SHOTGUN LOW / HIGH POLY