The Craft of 3D Weapons

Creating a Stylized Axe

My journey into the magical world of 3D modelling, I stabled across various techniques to use to create models, textures and bring them alive.

My main goal as 3D Artist is to create and design different types of weapons and props suitable for the games that I may end up working on, hopefully.

In the previous Blog posts, I talked about the Style and development for various weapons in specific games. 

Today I want to be focusing on understanding my limitations and improve on my own techniques on creating 3D models.

I did struggle in creating suitable textures for my models, and in some cases I did ruin the look and feel of the model by making wrong texture choices or not adapting them well.

Following Tutorials

I found This Video from Stylized Station, this is what I want to archive with my 3D skills.

My advice is to practise and don't waste your searching on YouTube, you be lead to disappointment and enter a never ending loop of scrolling and watching others do the work.

A look thought ZBrush tutorials and improving my 3D skills to the next level.

Stylized Station has lot of different variety of awesome tutorials for beginners and advanced modelling techniques, creating textures and making details on 3D models.

Other great Tutorials are from 3dEx and his website were I found: Tutorial Axe

Stylized Axe

Stylized Mug

Stylized Crystal Sword

Another important tutorial that I followed is from Stylized Station Website and on YouTube channel.

How to create Overwatch Style Models

How to created 3D Hand Painted Sword

Stylized Station also has a tutorial on how to create Stylized Materials.

The Main Tutorials is on their website.

Stylized station also offers a really amazing texturing course on their website. This is an amazing toolset for anyone who wants to  learn how to texture 3D models. is a bit expensive but it is high value and worth if your plan is to become a 3D Artist.

Process of Work

Creating the weapon would require me to have skills in Maya (base model), Zbrush (detailed model) and Substance Painter (textured model), I call them the modelling trio.

Then importing everting in Unreal Engine 5 to finish the project.

I downloaded and followed a Specific Axe Tutorial for creating a Stylized Axe. I want to improve and master my 3D skills so I decided to revisit the entire process from ground. I want to be able to create solid 3D Weapons, design them and make my own one day eventually.

3D Modelling the Axe

I purchased the Tutorial eager to learn all the secrets of 3D models and text myself. on my past works I had many issues on creating high poly versions of specific objects and this resulted in issues with texturing and other technical problems related to it.

These are the files that comes with the package

The Free version of the tutorial is available on YouTube.

The First step would be using Maya to create the 3D Low Poly version of the Axe.

This is the Axe guide line that I will follow to create the low poly model.

Creating The Model

I'll start by importing the the Guide Lines picture in Maya.

The image has to be in the front camera view port and the size got adjusted to Unreal Engine 5.

Because the Weapon blade is symmetrical I will work on one side of the weapons and then duplicate it on the other side. this is is an important thing to save time.

The most important things to do in Maya to make sure the model can be exported correctly to unreal engine is to resize the Grid and fix the Axis orientations.

The next step is to import the planar image so we can work with it.

I suggest it to be imported in the front axis so it will be more clear to work with the blade.

For the mesh is important to have the front face sorted out correctly and then duplicate it on the other side of the mesh.

I decreased the Opacity of the axe map.

Now I should create the base shape of the Axe, with the help of the Marking selection tools, 

by [holding down shift + right mouse click]

And I created a Cylinder

Then I activated a feature called Discreet Rotate by [hold control + hold shift + right mouse click]

or by clicking on the following menu

This will allow us to rotate objects around the axis with precision, very useful when modelling 3D Weapons and placed the cylinder in position.

Then I when back to the front view and activated the X-ray vision to have better vision and control of the objects.

Then I decreased the number of faces and adjusted the cylinder. This must be low poly!

I positioned the face correctly, and ready to be duplicated. [ctrl + D]

And I created more cylinder faces.

Then [ctrl + shift] to select multiple objects and combined them.

The most important part for me is creating the actual shape of the object.

To archive such a task we require the use of Quad Draw Tool.

For the Quad Draw to be enabled, you MUST have a geometry in the viewport!

This is a really useful tool. back in the days I use to create and extrude cubes to recreate the shapes, but this brought many issues with triangular and uv-mapping problems.

Mastering this tool is the key to success on creating amazing 3D models.

These are the Key shortcuts for the Quad Draw Tool.

With Quad Draw you can create polygons following the drawing lines. This is essential for recreating the shape of the weapon.

First it creates the vertex points and by [holding shift] you can create the face connected to the vertex.

The connecting each shapes, vertex and face, to create the blade.

Because this is going to be a game model, we don't have to worry about triangle faces.

In the Low poly version of the model, is not necessary to add details, in fact is better to have a clean shape and focus more on getting the body as close as possible to the guideline.

Then I pressed [Q key] to exit the Quad Draw mode and I hold [Tab] to enable Drag Selection to highlight parts.

Then [hold shift] to add Connect Tool.

Then I deleted the extra faces and now I have a cleaner model.

then I make sure that is set on world.

Now I completed one of the blade, for the main Axe model.

To recreate the sharpness of the blade and give this flat polygon some 3D perspective, I need to highlight the edges and pull them a bit away from the main model.

To do this just double click one border edge and it will highlight all border edges that are connected.

With a bit of adjustments and softening hard edges around the model, I obtained a more nice and clean 3D model for the blade.

After giving the blade some depth, I clicked deleted the history. 

[Hold ctrl + D] to re-centre the pivot point in the middle and then mirror the blade on the Z axis.

 I mirrored the object and combined it with the original blade to have both sized. made sure that all the vertex are aligned and combined with each other.

To create the main body of the Axe, I have to start by creating a cube.

A important tool that I used is Edge Loop

This is a very important tool to create more edges on the face.

After creating the shape I will adjust it and delete the extra face on the back.

Then I will go back to the Quad Draw tool to create the shape. I can only the tool if there is an object connected to it, in the view port.

I kept creating more face with the Quad Draw Tool.

The shape is now created and adjusted the vertex so the shape can easily be mirrored.

Move some face to give the model a bit of thickness.

Then I fix the hard edges and moved the verted to have a more clean shape.

I kept on adjusting the shape in the 3D viewport to get as much details possible.

The shape is already created.

Then I mirrored the object and combined the vertex.

Then I adjusted the vertex so that the model is identical and symmetrical.

Then I proceeded to work on the components behind the the mesh above.

I created another cube and adjusted it with the help of the Quad Draw Tool.

I started to draw the shape with the quad draw tool

To create better angles is important to use two vertex close to each others, create the face and then overlap the vertex with the quad tool.

I proceed to create the entire shape.

Then I created a bit of thickness for the shape.

I adjusted the vertex

I fix the vertex position and added an extra edge to make the model more compact

Then I proceeded to mirror the face and combine the vertex. 

I made sure that the models follow the edges and they can be combined together.

The next step is to create a cylinder for connecting each parts of the main axe.

I shaped the cylinder and position it correctly.

Then I bevelled the main edge border to create the shape.

The welding all the components together

Now I got all the main peace of the top part of the axe

I positioned all the pieces correctly.

Now I made sure all the models are extruded and overlapped correctly.

After setting up the vertex and duplicating the face. I move on to creating the handle.

I welded and created edges to make sure the main components are all combined together.

The next step would be to create the top part of the axe and the handle.

I started by creating a cylinder and reducing the face.

Then I deleted the face so that i could work from the front view port.

I used the Quad Draw tool to start creating new face for the details.

I continued working on the face and making sure to get closer to the shape desired.

I used shift to create an edge loop with the Quad Draw Tool.

I covered the entire shape with face and made sure all the vertex are combined correctly.

I have to fix the face from the 3D perspective.

Adjusted the face in order to have a more smooth mesh.

Now the model is completed and set in position for welding.

I started by creating an edge loop across the mesh.

I created another edge loop across the base model.

Then combining both meshes and their vertex.

One the Main body is upgraded I moved on to the top part.

I started to draw the face with the Quad Draw tool.

I continued creating more face.

Making sure all vertex are aligned with the guide lines.

The face top face is nearly completed.

I made sure to create the blade part and the metal correctly.

I moved the edges of the mesh to give the blade thickness.

I started putting some details on the blade and adjusting the vertex.

I started to straight up the vertex and harden the edges around the shape to define the form.

I adjusted the face and vertex of the top part so that all the mesh would be aligned correctly.

Then used the bevel tool to smooth the face and make it more round.

I made sure that the face would look more smooth

I fixed the vertex on the model.

I Started working on the handle, the model is curved and I used a cylinder to make the work.

I made sure to set the vertex in strategical position so that later on I can bevel the edges. Make sure to move the face with the middle point

Then I bevelled the edge.

I then created the bottom part of the mode.

I then went back to the handle to add more details.

Then I deleted half of the model, and duplicated the remaining face on the other side, and connected each vertex.

After getting the objected set up, I moved the edges to form the shape.

I made sure to harden the correct edges to solidify the shape.

Then I started working on the geometry of the low poly version.

Once the model is completed I started setting up the UV maps of the various models.

The Top Blade part.

The Middle Blade

Making sure each UV is correctly reassembling the shape.

And The handle

After creating the UV, I went into the layout form to set them all in one square.

I chose the Legacy mode and made sure all these nodes are checked, then I clicked Layout UV'S.

I made sure to have all the UV Selected first then, the Layout above will organize the UV in the main editor.

Once completed the Main UV maps for the model, I renamed each parts with _low

I then created the Main material by selecting all the components, then assign new material and choosing Lambert.

And renamed the material as m_axe so that other software's can recognise it.

Then I went to export selection.

And proceeded trough the exporting of the Axe

And exported the Axe as FBX

You can also create an High Poly version in Maya for simple models. 

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF HIGH POLY - YOU DON'T NEED TO DO THIS.

I now started working on the high Poly version of the Axe, first I duplicated the object and renamed each parts.

I started by using the bevels on the edges to create more support for the high poly.

I keep using the Bevel tool [ctrl + B] to create extra edges for support.

Once I finished bevelling the handle I selected the entire model and exported it as axe_high

ONCE THE MODEL IS COMPLETED

Before exporting the model I had to make sure to check the face count.

Checking the face to make sure everything is all right for ZBrush

Zbrush will not accept face that have more than 4 vertex, this will create holes and other type of issues.

The Model is Now completed and Ready to be exported