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RELEASED Hivewire Big Cat Has Begun!
- Thread starter Chris
- Start date
Agreed. And I'd like to add this note. I was a part of the DAZ Big Cat. When Dan and I ran that company, we had a skilled team of artists creating it, and I was art directing it's efforts. For what it was at the time it was great stuff. Now it's very tired tech that needs to be retired. Another artist created from it to create version 2 of the big cat, and it still has not reached the potential it should have. Hence the need and desire to fill that animal niche that is currently inadequate.
I'm very confident that folks are going to really dig this big cat of ours. It will be the first of many to come.
I've only had the beta rig in my hands for a couple of hours but WOW!!!!- you are all gonna be totally blown away!!!! Yes Chris- the original Mil Big Cat was awesome back when he came out in 2004? (Can't remember the actual year... but close to that...) But man this guy blows away anything you've ever seen before. These are just some simpler poses/renders. I also have some more details and tweaks to do on my end and I need to do a lot more on the tail still.
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Carey
Extraordinary
Try cheering Carey. It'll make you feel better than crying, even if it's for joy.
I am a big animal fan, I have fought cussed pleaded, worked and reworked all my daz animals, trying to get something that didn't look like a cartoon out of those old Daz models. Oh, the hours I have put in trying to breath life into those animal carcasses daz sold me....
To be honest though Most of the animals daz offers date back to poser 5, but even the animals presently offered by the likes of AM are more stylizations then representations of the real world creatures... I am loving what you hard working folks are doing, your going to make me look so good when I finally get them to play with!!!!!
Wowsers Laurie!
Look at those claws!
Look at those claws!
Okay, looking at those paws, I think I'm going to have to do some animation when I get my hands on this kitty, because it looks like those JCM's would make a kneeding animation pretty easy. And wouldn't that be cute.
Damn Laurie. Have I ever told you how envious I am of your texturing talents?????
That is one gorgeous leopard. Now if you could squeeze in a Snow Leopard, you would make me one very happy camper.
Thx Miss B (and Chris!) LOL I have spent WAY too long working on this guy but like Harry it is so important to me. When I was a kid the big cats and birds of prey were what I drew and painted non-stop. I studied them all I could. They were my passion (still are actually
After playing with Paul's rig and the morphs I think I might be able to make a Snow Leopard character out of the base Big Cat with some dial spinning etc. Will have to go for a little less heavy winter coat obviously- maybe Tiny will add that magic touch on. I've always loved snow leopards too..
I feel you totally. That is how I got into all of this in the first place
I started trying to make my own textures for the Mil Horse back in 2006-07 (had many many failed attempts before I started to get the hang of it and tried to do the same for the Mil Big Cat but the way the UV worked I just never could get any detail especially into the face- was always oddly stretched and pixelated looking no matter what I did, so I always ended up spending many many hours postworking and hand-painting anything I did with him. Harry and now our Big Kitty are a dream come true for me. But a big LOL- the main textures/shaders for the coat etc I totally simplified- you will see- they consist of just a color, spec and bump map. I messed with all kinds of elaborate shaders and effects to try get the feel of cat fur and how light interacts with it, but in the end it seems to be all is coming down to really making the color, spec and bump maps do their job well and interact correctly. Now the mouth and teeth and all I had to get a bit "fancier" with the shaders
Carey
Extraordinary
CWRW,
Well you will forgive if I spend a lot of time playing with the textures on this cat, it is not so much that I think I can do better than you, but it is what I do...lol I gave up fairly quickly when the mill lion. My main pain was those feet. I didn't even bother getting the mill big cat 2 after hopelessly spending so much time with big cat.
At this point though I want to say how much I have enjoyed you work, you have really made me look good through the years....That being said, please get busy, I'm hungry for the good stuff...lol
Well you will forgive if I spend a lot of time playing with the textures on this cat, it is not so much that I think I can do better than you, but it is what I do...lol I gave up fairly quickly when the mill lion. My main pain was those feet. I didn't even bother getting the mill big cat 2 after hopelessly spending so much time with big cat.
At this point though I want to say how much I have enjoyed you work, you have really made me look good through the years....That being said, please get busy, I'm hungry for the good stuff...lol
My second favorite big cat.
WOOT! I don't know what it is about them I prefer. I guess it because it was so unusual the first time I ever saw one, I couldn't believe they existed, until I read they were found in the mountains, rather than in the desert, where I would expect them. Then I realized, they had to adapt to the environment, just like every other animal only found in certain regions.
Laurie, your panther map is amazing!!! Gotta post this image on facebook and instagram now. Sweet stuff.
And I agree with you on using the dials to start to get the look of a snow leopard. That's how I would approach it too. That is how I'm going to start our Mountain lion as well. I've put in a bunch of those shaping morphs on this Kitty to allow for a great start to other breeds.
Laurie, you are indeed a blessing to us and to this Big Cat. You're attention to detail is just what is needed. I too, try to finesse morphs shapes over and over till I'm happy. By you not settling for a lesser quality in your work is a true sign of a seasoned, passionate, talented, and highly skilled professional that keeps your work not only relevant, but in high demand! Good for you, and good for all of us that benefit from your talent.
I have to say too that, I can't wait for folks here to start seeing the House cat maps that you've shown me recently. That lil' kitty will surely be a crowd pleaser.
And I agree with you on using the dials to start to get the look of a snow leopard. That's how I would approach it too. That is how I'm going to start our Mountain lion as well. I've put in a bunch of those shaping morphs on this Kitty to allow for a great start to other breeds.
Laurie, you are indeed a blessing to us and to this Big Cat. You're attention to detail is just what is needed. I too, try to finesse morphs shapes over and over till I'm happy. By you not settling for a lesser quality in your work is a true sign of a seasoned, passionate, talented, and highly skilled professional that keeps your work not only relevant, but in high demand! Good for you, and good for all of us that benefit from your talent.
I have to say too that, I can't wait for folks here to start seeing the House cat maps that you've shown me recently. That lil' kitty will surely be a crowd pleaser.
