This project has enabled me to learn a few new skills, as well as develop on skills I had previously learned. I have developed knowlege of normal mapping to give a flat object an 'illusion' of depth and texture. I have also learned to use opacity mapping to hide certain areas of an object from view. This effect can be used to create low poly, yet realistic looking objects such as plants.
To create normal maps for textures, I have been using a program called 'Crazybump' which automatically calculates an appropriate normal map from a diffuse image. Although I use this program to make normal maps to speed up the process, I do understand how to create my own normal maps using photoshop. I just use crazybump because it is really helpful to create a quick map. For opacity maps, I simply take the diffuse image, cut the object I want to show out and place it into a new layer on Photoshop. I then turn the object completely white, and place it on top of a black background.
From a modelling perspective, I have learned a way of modelling which I find to be very useful, especially for organic modelling. NURMS subdivisioning allows me to model with objects as though they had been mesh smoothed, without actually applying the mesh smoothing effect to the object. Using this method, I find it easier and quicker to create the shapes I want to use, even if I do not end up confining the NURMS shape to the object I am building.
I feel that from this project, I have come out with a better grasp of texturing and character modelling. I do not feel that my skills are quite developed enough as of yet, I feel myself improving every time I create something new, however this project was definetly a key building block towards the area I see myself in.
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