VelociRaptor
This is a personal project I had a lot of fun with sometimes you just feel like throwing dinosaurs into a pulp-style jungle scene. Hope you enjoy looking at the breakdown!
Software's Used
PROCESS SCREENSHOTS
STAGE 1
After finishing the base sculpt and retopo in Maya, I moved on to adding details on the subdivided model. I eventually hit ZBrush’s subdivision limit for a single subtool, so I split the model based on UDIMs. This way, I could still export and use displacement maps easily, while also pushing each subtool to its maximum subdivision for finer details.
STAGE 2
Moving on to the fun part, texturing. I started by preparing the key ingredients, beginning with cavity maps. I baked these in Substance Designer using a script that extracts RGB channel details from the displacement.
Then I set up the project in Mari and got started. I made heavy use of the Geo Channel node, loading all my RGB maps into the Geo Channel properties under the object tab.
Once everything was in place, I used the RGB maps as masks to drive my color work. This approach stays fully non-destructive, so it’s easy to tweak at any stage.
After completing the color map, I derived the SpecR map from it using HSV (desaturation), along with Levels and Grade for fine control. I also generated ISO maps to help break up the coat and isolate SSS where needed.
STAGE 3
Finally, the most satisfying stage, lookdev and rendering. I wanted to build a complete scene, so I started with a dark forest backplate, then picked up a few forest HDRIs that matched the mood. I also grabbed some branches from Quixel Megascans to add depth and detail.
From there, it was all about testing, playing around with different poses, lighting setups, and camera angles until everything came together.
Arnold Renders
