Progress Report 8/26/2022

It's the last Friday of the month, and I figure this is as good a time as any to get back into the swing of things! Here's what I got done during my absence:

• Wrote pseudocode for two issues with the default color buttons
• Unwrapped the 3D model into a UV map
• Made a simple shader in Blender to block out the colors on the 3D model
• Organized the UV map of the 3D model

As you can probably tell from this list, I'm shifting my focus from game development to 3D modelling, and eventually 3D animation. I feel that animation will be far more fulfilling for both myself and patrons as there will be much more visible and frequent progress each week. That said, I will still be working on Run From Me (and future game projects) in the background; I'll update you guys on it when I've made noteworthy progress.

So, time for specifics!

The pseudocode for Run From Me involves two issues:

• I need all sprites under a category to be change to the same default color manually. For example, ear color should change with skin color.
• The color buttons get their default colors from the last object in the category array rather than the currently selected object. In layman's terms, resetting a color (like hair color) will use the default color from the last item in the "Hair Styles" grid rather than the currently selected item.

I haven't put these into action yet, so whether or not my pseudocode will actually work has yet to be seen. I'll fill you guys in next time Run From Me is covered, which will probably be when the giantess customizer's UI is complete once and for all. Maybe sooner, though; we'll see. :)

Now, for the 3D modelling segment! I'm really excited about this, but also a little disappointed that I haven't made more progress. It's not for a lack of trying -- I've gotten back into the habit of working on it every day; it's just learning Blender and the millions of things it can do that's slowing me down a bit. Texturing specifically is something I've never done before and will more than likely be my biggest weakness in 3D art.

However, it is going well thanks to some nifty tutorials. The unwrapping process was... interesting. I think I've finalized how that's going to look. I've also created a shader using Dikko's tutorial on YouTube, and it's looking pretty good! All that's left is to bake the texture (...somehow...), modify it in PaintTool SAI with some line art and skin blush, throw it back into Blender- yeah, there's a lot more to do, actually. :|

I'll cover all the nitty-gritties over on DeviantArt in my 3D Modelling journal series. I should have Part 12 written up within the week, provided I have the time and energy.

Speaking of time and energy, a quick update on my situation: it's... still less than ideal. I'll go ahead and say that I've had to move out of my previous living space and I'm currently living in a much louder household with family, making privacy and concentration a bit of a concern now. Hopefully I'll be able to find a new place within the next few months, but that depends on income from non-Patreon sources -- you guys have nothing to worry about. :P

Anyhoo, apologies again for the lack of updates lately. I'm gonna start making it a weekly thing again so I don't fall out of the habit, but I can't promise much progress. I can promise I'll do my best, though. :)

Thank you as always for reading, and I hope you've had a wonderful month so far! I'll see you guys again next week, progress or not!