#heroprop

Overview

Today I started the texturing stage for my Bone Chopper hero prop in Substance 3D Painter. After completing the bake, I moved on to building the materials and surface look so the prop starts to feel more believable and closer to the reference.

What I Worked On

For this first texturing session, I focused on setting up a solid base before doing heavy detailing. My main steps were:

setting up the project and checking that the baked maps were working correctly

blocking in the main materials (blade, skull/bone area, handle wrap, and the iron piece)

starting roughness and material variation so different surfaces read differently under light

Progress Notes

At this stage I’m keeping everything fairly simple and controlled. I want the materials to read clearly first (metal vs bone vs wrap) before adding extra wear, scratches, and grime. The goal is to build a clean foundation and then slowly layer details on top.

Next Steps

Refine the base materials and improve roughness variation

Add edge wear and surface damage using generators (based on curvature/AO)

Match the reference more closely, especially around the blade wear and handle wrap

Do a first lighting test to see how the textures hold up in a render preview

References

Overview

Today I started the baking process for my hero prop and ran into a shading problem that affected the normal maps. When I checked the baked normal map and previewed the low-poly in render view, I could clearly see mesh lines / hard edges showing up across the surface, especially on the skull area. This made the model look faceted and “broken” instead of smooth and clean.

Problem I Faced

While baking, the normal map was capturing visible polygon/edge lines. In the render preview, the shading also looked inconsistent and I could see the low-poly edges more than I should. After checking the mesh, I realised the issue was coming from face normals / smoothing (how the model is shading across surfaces). Because the shading wasn’t set up correctly, the bake was basically baking those shading problems into the normal map.

Research & Solution

To solve this, I researched the issue and found a tutorial that explained a clean workflow using weighted normals to improve shading and reduce visible seams/edges.

Tutorial used: Christopher 3D — “Weighted Normals” https://youtu.be/60E-26Ydbh8?si=EvjvVA3tln_yfHOA

What I Learned (Weighted Normals Workflow)

From this tutorial, I learned a better workflow to get cleaner shading and bakes:

Enable Auto Smooth: Turn on auto smoothing so the object shades based on an angle threshold. This helps control where smoothing should break.

Use a Weighted Normals approach: Apply a weighted normals workflow so smaller angled polygons inherit shading from the larger flat faces they connect to. This helps keep surfaces looking visually flatter and cleaner.

Keep Sharp / respect hard edges: Make sure sharp edges are respected so the shading doesn’t “melt” across areas that should stay crisp.

Manual refinement (Mark Sharp if needed): If the shading still looks wrong in certain spots, manually mark those edges as sharp so the smoothing breaks correctly.

Fix special cases: For tricky areas where shading is still weird, adding a small supporting loop can help control how the surface shades.

Finalise for export: Once everything looks correct, the normals data can be finalised so the shading stays consistent when the model is moved to other software.

Result

After applying this workflow, the shading became much cleaner and the mesh lines were greatly reduced in both the normal map and render preview. This made the bake look more solid and helped the skull surface read smoother, which is important because it’s a hero detail that will be seen up close.

Next Steps

Re-bake the full set of maps with the corrected shading (Normal/AO/Curvature, etc.)

Check the prop under different lighting to confirm the seams are gone

Move toward texturing once the bakes are clean and consistent

References

Epic Armoury (n.d.) Bone Chopper – 100 cm. Available at: https://epicarmoury.com/products/1916-bone-chopper-100-cm

Overview

Today I started the baking stage for my Bone Chopper hero prop. The goal of this step is to transfer the detail from my high-poly sculpt onto the low-poly model so the final game-ready asset still looks detailed without needing a heavy mesh.

Software Used

For this stage, I used Substance 3D Painter to bake the high-poly details onto the low-poly mesh.

What I Did

I imported both the low-poly and high-poly versions into Substance Painter and set up the bake workflow. My focus was to make sure the bake captured the important forms and surface detail cleanly, especially around the skull area and the blade.

The main maps I aimed to bake were:

Normal Map (for sculpted detail and surface information)

Ambient Occlusion (AO) (to support depth and shadowing)

Curvature (useful for edge wear generators)

(and any additional maps needed for texturing later)

Progress Notes

This stage is important because the quality of the bake affects everything that comes after it. A clean bake makes texturing easier and also improves how the prop reads in final renders. I tested the bake and checked the results on the model to see if the details were transferring correctly, especially in areas with complex forms like the skull and the transitions into the handle.

Next Steps

Review all baked maps closely and look for any errors or artifacts

Adjust settings if needed and re-bake for cleaner results

Once the bake is solid, move into the texturing phase using the baked maps as a base

References

Overview

Today I started working on the thread wrapping on my Bone Chopper hero prop. This is an important detail because it helps the handle feel more believable and closer to the reference, especially in close-up renders.

What I Worked On

My focus for this session was getting the wrap to sit naturally around the handle and follow the same direction and spacing seen in the reference. I’m aiming for a wrap that looks consistent but not too perfect, so it still feels like a real, hand-wrapped grip.

Tool / Workflow

To help with this step, I used an add-on called Wrap Master. It made the workflow much easier and faster, especially for:

placing the thread cleanly around the handle

maintaining an even wrap pattern

adjusting spacing and alignment without manually modelling every loop

Using this tool helped me focus more on the look and placement instead of spending too much time doing repetitive manual work.

Progress Notes

The wrap is still in progress, but it already improves the overall read of the handle and makes the prop feel more finished. I’ll continue refining the wrap so it matches the reference better and blends well with the skull/iron piece area.

Next Steps

Refine the wrap thickness and spacing to match the reference

Clean up any intersections or areas that look too uniform

Decide if any small wrap detail can be handled in texturing later

Move forward into UVs once all low-poly details are locked

References

Overview

At this stage, I’ve completed the retopology for the full prop, meaning the low-poly structure is now finished across the blade, skull area, handle, and supporting parts. With the low-poly complete, I’m moving on to the next detail step: creating the rope/wrap around the sword to match the reference.

Retopology Status (Completed)

Finishing retopology is a big milestone because it confirms the prop is now in a clean, game-ready state and ready for the next workflow stages. The main focus during retopo was keeping the silhouette accurate while maintaining efficient topology that will bake well.

Next Detail: Rope / Handle Wrapping

Now I’m starting the rope/wrap work to match the reference look. This detail is important because it adds texture and realism to the handle area and helps the prop feel more believable in close-up shots.

My main focus for the wrap is:

keeping the wrap pattern consistent and readable

matching how the wrap sits and overlaps in the reference

making sure it doesn’t look too perfect (small variation helps it feel real)

keeping it controlled so it won’t create problems later during UVs and baking

Next Steps

Finish the rope/wrap placement and make sure it matches the reference

Decide what needs to be actual geometry vs what can be handled in textures

Start UV unwrapping once the final low-poly details are locked

Prepare for baking after UVs are complete

References

Overview

Today I completed the low-poly version of the handle for my Bone Chopper hero prop. Along with that, I created a low-poly version of the iron piece that sits under the skull and connects into the handle, and I also modelled additional small details like bolts to support the design and match the reference.

What I Completed

For this update, I focused on finishing the handle area and adding the supporting elements that help the prop feel more believable and structurally connected:

Handle low-poly: Clean, game-ready topology that keeps the shape accurate while staying efficient.

Iron piece (under the skull): A separate low-poly part that makes the skull area feel properly attached and reinforced.

Extra details: Small elements such as bolts, added to break up surfaces and enhance realism without overcomplicating the mesh.

Progress Notes

My priority was keeping the low-poly clean and bake-friendly while still holding the important shapes. I’m adding detail in a controlled way—only where it improves the silhouette, supports the design, or will show clearly in the final renders.

Next Steps

Do a full low-poly check (blade + skull + handle + iron piece + bolts)

Fix any shading issues before UVs

Start planning seams and move into UV unwrapping

Prepare for baking once UVs are complete

References

Overview

Today I completed the retopology for the blade of my Bone Chopper hero prop in Blender. This is an important milestone because the blade is the largest part of the asset and it needs clean topology to avoid shading issues and to support a clean bake.

What I Completed

For the blade low-poly, my main focus was keeping it efficient, clean, and bake-friendly while still matching the high-poly sculpt. I focused on:

maintaining the blade silhouette accurately from the main angles

keeping clean edge flow around key areas like the blade profile and bevel transitions

adding geometry only where it supports the shape (especially along the edge)

avoiding stretched polygons and messy triangles in visible areas

keeping the surface clean so it shades smoothly when I apply normals later

Progress Notes

Now the blade retopo is complete, it feels much more controlled and ready for the next stages. This should help the bakes come out cleaner and keep the blade detail crisp without artifacts.

Next Steps

Retopo the handle next

Do a full mesh check for shading/smoothing

Start planning seams and move into UV unwrapping once the full low-poly is done

References