Viera Changes

[Doopliss]

I hope this is not inappropriate to post, but I have compared the textures of old and new male viera face 3. I think it very clear where the changes are and I hope they can be addressed. I do not like the prominent chin and jowls look that the face never had this before, mouth and nose are shaded very differently.

I am a 3D artist, and I can see that face has been probably retopologized and certainly re-unwrapped, so I fully understand that features are not 100% analogous between the two textures, but it is still clear to see how changes were made.

Old <<<>>> New

Hey, I'm really sorry to bother you, but this is exactly the kind of stuff I've been wanting to see so I'm really curious. I'm familiar with retopologizing, but only through hearsay. I've no real 3D knowledge. But what does "re-unwrapped" mean? And, very sorry for the stupider question, do these textures mean they actually have more of a hand in how three-dimensional shapes are perceived than not?

[Tethan]

Hey, I'm really sorry to bother you, but this is exactly the kind of stuff I've been wanting to see so I'm really curious. I'm familiar with retopologizing, but only through hearsay. I've no real 3D knowledge. But what does "re-unwrapped" mean? And, very sorry for the stupider question, do these textures mean they actually have more of a hand in how three-dimensional shapes are perceived than not?

To put very simply and to clarify, retopologizing is when you redo the actual mesh and "flow" of polygons on a 3D model. The shape stay mostly the same if you do it correctly, but it is a way to increase or reduce the amount of polygons on a model. For the purpose of the update and unifying all faces, I think every face has been retopologized.

Unwrapping is when you take the 3D model and "cut" it to be able to lay it flat for the purpose of texturing. You can think of a piece of clothing like a tshirt, it is a 3D shape you can wear, but if you cut along all the seams, you can lay it flat, because it was made from a flat piece of cloth. When you change the mesh (the 3D model) too drastically, you may be forced to redo the unwrapping and so also redo the textures, as the old ones are no longer compatible with the new UV maps.

How important textures are for the appearance of 3D object vary a lot, but very strangely, with the new light it actually matters more. The old rendering style had some very subtle but ever-present shadows and bounce light that emphasized the shape of the model:



It seems that the new rendering style is not able to recreate this for whatever reason. 3D features are only emphasized when in direct light, but when in shadow, everything becomes flat and it relies 100% on the textures.

[Doopliss]

Thank you very much for the easy-to-understand explanation. I'm not sure why, but knowing a little bit more about what sort of things can cause these changes makes me feel a little more sane, lol.