Here’s my latest work; however, I want you to critique the model and the materials instead of the scene, since I obviously haven’t used it in a scene yet. I just want to make sure the pyramid looks okay before I use it. I’ve used all procedural textures (No UV mapping or image textures), and I haven’t given it a subsurf modifier, as I’m planning to render the scene in Terragen 2, so I don’t want a terribly high polycount in order for it to render faster. I’ve attached a link to the .blend file below; please keep in mind that this was made in 2.53, so I don’t know how well it will turn out in 2.49. It should be fine, I’m just saying I haven’t tested it in that version of blender yet. Don’t hesitate to be hard on me; I’m trying to get this to look as realistic as possible.
The pyramids doesn’t have such a perfect edges. Instead, they have jaggy edges due to the stone blocks they were built with. Some edges or faces, specially near the top of some pyramids, are smoother because the keep part of the original cover (the blocks were originally covered by some kind of “cement” which made the faces and edges smooth but covered the blocks, so you should either cover the blocks or make the edges jaggy).
Have a look at the attached image. Is not meant to be realistic but illustrative. One face is covered by “cement” while the others show the raw stone blocks. Also, look how blocks are “crossed” for better stability instead of piled into columns and put together.
Also, have a look at some photos from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons. They will be very helpful.
Maybe you should also do something about lighting as well (too dim I think). I know it isn’t part of a scene yet. But the lighting will make the image look heaps better.
About the comment by NoeOM. He is right about the positioning of the blocks, offset. But I disagree with the comment in regards to cement on the outside. To the extent of my knowledge they were made with some shaped blocks, as well as smoothed with limestone (or cement). But most people would recognize a pyramid with visible blocks, as that is how they are seen today.
Yes, absolutely true. Most pyramid today don’t preserve the limestone (my poor English, thanks!). Some of it near the top, perhaps… but visible blocks everywhere, yep.
Shouldn’t have told me to be hard on you. When first looking at that image I thought “That’s just a 6 poly pyramid with a texture on it”. And my mind hasn’t changed yet.
For starters your texture tapers up to the top, pyramids don’t do that. The base stones are larger than the top stones, sure, but the blocks are all right angles.
Can you give an indication on what polycount you’re aiming at. Never go for “as low as possible”, you will always turn out sub standard work. Computers these days can handle surprising amounts of polygons, it’s the lighting and maps that kill. If it is a major environmental piece (which a pyramid usually is) then you should go for at least 3000 polies. If you are really trying to scratch the bottom of the poly barrel then you could probably do this in 500. Like NoeOM’s image, you really should make it out of blocks, but for your extreme lowpoly you could make it rows and have the blocks in the texture.
For realistic pieces you really have to study the item you are modelling. Not just what it looks like, but how people recognise it. With your original image it’s just a bit off and you don’t immediately know why. It’s because the sides are flat and the blocks are stacked on top of each other, but most people don’t recognise those flaws, it just doesn’t look right. Also remember that you’re modelling something that is thousands of years old, so put in some damage.
For focused critique you should provide people with more info, what polycount you’re aiming at, in your case the time period, and most importantly (for me at least) what you hope to learn from the piece.
As much as it sucks to hear you’ll need to start over again to make a realistic pyramid, but that’s what learning is all about! Sorry if I was too harsh, keep blending!
Thanks everyone! I’m working on changing it now; I was definitely way off. @Brookesy, you weren’t too harsh, if that’s what you’re asking. However, the pyramid has 15,606 faces (16,184 vertices). It’ll become more apparent when I redo it all.
