What is the best way to start organic buildings? Start out small, or try to reach high?
There's a couple ways people do organics, and how appropriate those methods are tend to depend on the
size and
theme.
1. Lining it out (as shown by Snave here: http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/captain-falcon-300792/ )
- Would only use for the biggest of builds. This is a classic build, it was 400x400ish and I can't recommend this for builds smaller than 256 high and 300 or so long.
- A simple method to use, takes a bit of extra time but usually you'll get the dimensions right at least.
2. bulk voxel and chisel (basically, you overcompensate the size by mashing voxel until it's roughly the right size, and then smashing away at it
until it's the right model. It's the same way people do terrain, same principle. )
- This is the method I personally most use, it'll work on build 200 blocks high and under, it's a pretty slap-dash speedy way of organics, if you don't finish it off it'll look like a playdough man invaded your world though. Pretty funny imo.
- This method only works on model work, unless you're familiar with voxel commands, there exist commands to point and spray paint essentially cutting out the extra work of having made the model out of one texture.
3. build it by hand (wouldn't recommend unless it's a simple statue no more than 20 blocks high)
- I know this isn't really what you wanted to hear, but sometimes just building it by hand is best. Better attention to detail if you do, i'd stick to using stairs and slabs to make most smaller things like statues or lower end figures. this doesn't include player skins.
4. make parts individually and put it together ( Probably your hardest bet. )
- This method mostly applies to making mechanical entities, like robots. It can be applied in some other circumstances, but otherwise should be reserved for that, unless you reaaally don't have the space to make your whole figure.
That's for models.
As for textures, It depends on how well you want to make it.
You can be committed and just make things after the model which will look good, and doing good organics takes a lot of skill and practice and patience. it's not something so easy as building architecturally, it's unhinged and you need to know that you're not doing anything wrong until the product is completed, then you can criticize it because it can take any direction unless you are trying to copy an entity off google or the net.
as mentioned before, it may be worth looking into voxel painting, I forgot the specific commands myself but I found from experience that comparing my building speed to Alec's, he would always be ahead of me due to his knowledge on commands. it was cray, it wasn't even just the speed, it was also being able to make cool voxel models that can be applied to the organic to spice it up. Like say, for instance; Dragon talons or tips, horns etc. He had a command for that! (I don't know what it is, it's been 2 years since i last used it)
Where to start:
You asked what the best thing is to start on with organics. When I first started, Gassy (this guy:
http://www.planetminecraft.com/member/gassy/ ) always started small and built it up. I don't think he really knew what concept he had in mind until it was half way completed.
For me, personally, I'd make individual parts and then mash it together (
4.) and just go crazy with ideas. I loved to experiment. Like for instance, I made an architectural tower, and then i used a crazy a%# command to bend it so that it was an almost an S shape, and turned it into wings. It was so weird!
So where to start? Start small, and experiment a lot! But it depends if you have a build in mind.
Otherwise, if you want to reach for the skies, make sure it's a build that will excite you. Nothing mundane or you'll quit half way.
Something exciting like a killer robot, something you can terrorize people with!
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Sorry for the late reply, hope it helps ^^
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Hello, do you mean how to improve your building? With our tech, idea?
Sort of. What I mean is, people have questions about building and there are many ways to approach a project and many things that builders simply forget to think about.
For instance, when building trees people use 6 sided wood - and this drives me crazy - because it takes away the inconsistencies of wood and texture, the very thing that adds depth to the tree or terrain: which is never consistent in real life. Trees are not plastic!
Or that the more structurally stable your build looks the better it is because it looks right! Of course it'll have pillars or stable parts to hold it up, but people suspend their reality to make a build that looks weak or like that it'll fall over.
Or that people forget interiors or can't be bothered; But interiors add so much depth to a build and make it so personal, more than just a wall and so much more than other builds that otherwise don't have an interior.
If you have any questions specifically on building I would be happy to answer anything or at least point you in the right direction ^^.
