United3dArtists Archive

CdeB · Post by **CdeB** » 29 Dec 2009, 15:57

OK, this is a more a statement of intent

.
The original idea is a play on words of a (then) recent film title, but extrapolated into the future...

It's a year since I had any time to work on this project and since it resides on the old forums which will be with us for an uncertain time I decided to transfer all the stuff here and then continue over the next few days making some progress I hope. I've been using trueSpace for work and and VueSpace for hobby, but this project is one I hope to complete entirely in trueSpace, which is a distinct challenge for my abilities

Original link is here (for as long as it exists

http://forums1.caligari.com/truespace/s ... #post84177

Over the next few posts I'll reconstruct original thread and then follow with some updates..

Chris

CdeB · Post by **CdeB** » 30 Dec 2009, 13:29

On original thread I made a false start which I won't reproduce here...

It was originally for the monthly modeling contest called "Transport of Delight"
As, before I am showing how I am working, partly because it might help some newbies, but perhaps also because it might help others correct my bad techniques

First body work

Then engine design
(The lathe tool makes me very attached to the model side..

Lathed engine with or without Subdiv

CdeB · Post by **CdeB** » 30 Dec 2009, 13:35

Seat development early stages

Next background model which will be a low resolution distant object in final scene. With and without Subdiv

Some limited follow up work

CdeB · Post by **CdeB** » 30 Dec 2009, 13:46

Some comments made in original thread and my responses!

From Nez

Re: Oct MMC Mote of Comfort Well you've sure got us intrigued... that's looking like some monster engine for a futuristic hot-rod? Similar to the speeder Annakin 'borrowed' in Episode II perhaps? Interested to see how this pans out, you've not left yourself much time!

My reply

Hi Nez-as I said in the main thread, I know I don't have time to bring this to a conclusion in the remaining time , however I will continue this as a WIP until it is finished

so after tomorrow's deadline I will continue until the final render -whenever that might be
(ADDED NOW -AT LEAST IN A YEARS TIME

)

I hadn't thought about the pod racers untill your comment but, this makes me think I could take this in two separate directions. The orginal idea and then the pod-racer idea...no promises but you've got me interested!Hopefully, in the next week you shall now see some progress. It was either this or the drill SMC and although the drill is an excellent challenge, I going for 'freer' expression with this.
(ADDED NOW -WITH MY RATE OF PRODUCTION NO CHANCE OF SECOND MODELING PATH

CdeB · Post by **CdeB** » 30 Dec 2009, 13:53

Couple of posts showing slight progress First couple showing reworking of seating from 1 to 2 seats. Thought B--- girl behind was probably essential

OK just some basic tests for body and windscreen... sphere object to one side for checking out paint job...

CdeB · Post by **CdeB** » 30 Dec 2009, 13:59

Now with wings and engines and an extra layer of subD for body..

Wireframe

Rough render

Correction for accidently shifted windscreen.

This is where I got to a year ago

from now on it'll be new stuff!

Just for completeness a couple of comments that came from Kena and TomG

Kena
Glad to see you are keeping up with this. Should be a good scene when you are finished

TomG

This is looking really good! Looking forward to seeing more!

Tom

CdeB · Post by **CdeB** » 30 Dec 2009, 14:08

OK, confession time...

It was because I decided to do everything in trueSpace that I got stuck

I needed two figures one male, one female and I was determined to do them from scratch and with no ability at figure modeling at all (go figure

)

I then stumbled across JimB's low poly figure tutorial and this is the basis for the next developments. A secret I learnt a long time ago is only tackle what you can do, so the figures will be a workaround my inablity to do figures...you will see how I do this and how successful this ploy is in future posts

I'll be back!!

Steinie · Post by **Steinie** » 30 Dec 2009, 14:45

CdeB, I'm glad you brought your project over from the old site. I am also
glad you decided to finish it! Everything is looking great!

In case any new user is wondering where JimB's low poly figure tutorial is:

vi ... 9&start=10"

CdeB · Post by **CdeB** » 30 Dec 2009, 15:50

Thanks Stenie

This is where the rubber hits the road...
Will use mirror modelling and subdiv to do this

Man figure called appropriately in many senses Jim1 (THX JIMB!!)

Woman figure called Bgirl for reasons that should become clear...

I'm going ahead with the woman figure first because I think it will give me less trouble as I don't need to worry about her clothes...no, she will not be naked but have a simple one piece jump suit. The guy needs a tuxedo (of course...) and this I think will be pretty tricky...

CdeB · Post by **CdeB** » 31 Dec 2009, 10:24

Bgirl continued 2 views with Mirror modeling on
Also an attempt at boot w or w/o subdiv

2nd View

CdeB · Post by **CdeB** » 31 Dec 2009, 11:06

OK some work on glove for bgirl
Need to do some serious work on thumb!!
The idea is she will grip a bar in front of her...

I am now working in real-time so updates will be less frequent

CdeB · Post by **CdeB** » 02 Jan 2010, 21:38

Just come back from seeing Avatar

The 3D definitely makes it stand out but the techniques Cameron uses are often subtle and not "in your face" like the old sword lunging out into the audience trick- the reason I mention it is that the transport ships gave me an idea how to continue my so far poorly developed "pursuit" craft in my scene as I already have a two helicopter like lifting engines in my sketchess
More updates on modeling tomorrow

CdeB · Post by **CdeB** » 03 Jan 2010, 09:21

Glove done shown with one level of subdiv. There was a lot of bad geometry (from boolean) to sort out so it started to look presentable. I may refine further on final assembly

Also starting development on helment -a way of avoiding detailed facial work

Used shell tool and booleans and then lofted out internal faces for padding...furthest left with one level of subD

CdeB · Post by **CdeB** » 04 Jan 2010, 14:04

A Rough draft of the Bgirl as she will be
First wireframe

Second rough render (needs more subdivision!!)

In context of vehicle

Comments welcome

CdeB · Post by **CdeB** » 20 Feb 2010, 08:09

I'm bumping this thread by way of apology

.

We are in the middle of a house extension project that was due to finish June last year...and while waiting for builders to turn up and complete it we've been living in total chaos, almost camping in our own home. This coupled with the fact that temperatures here have be regularly (and unusually) -10 to -20 centrigrade since Christmas and there is no heating in the extended part of the house
has stemed creativity

I hope to make some progress with the guy figure Jim1 next week and will update then.

By the way Mote of Comfort is a play on words taken from a film title...has anybody spotted it? If you do they you will also know the identity of Jim1

I wondered why I hadn't had many comments, then I went looking at other works in progress, which was a humbling experience (great work guys) and gave me an answer to the lack of visitors

Steinie · Post by **Steinie** » 20 Feb 2010, 15:46

So far I like all you have done.
I've wondered why all of a sudden
this project stopped...BUT others have stopped or disappeared too ( Steampunk Turtle, Suspended City, Bond,
Gangster Lawn Service... etc

) (update: Bond is back...

)
so nothing unusual.
You are right that there are so many projects going on many of them do not
get the focus they deserve. Keep going because I would like to see how the textures are handled in this project.

Breech Block · Post by **Breech Block** » 20 Feb 2010, 19:08

Looking good! Glad to see you return to this and like Steinie, am keen to see the fully textured model.

CdeB · Post by **CdeB** » 21 Feb 2010, 17:29

Thanks Stenie and Breech Block, I am honoured your both following the thread and the work you both produce inspires me to try harder

-and yes texturing will be a challenge for me!!

Since nobody's guessing the film that inspired Mote of Comfort was Quantum of Solace...so you can see Breech block I am in the same territory

but a timeshift to the future!

Here is a small update of the bgirl...proportions tweaked so a little more realistic...

CdeB · Post by **CdeB** » 04 Mar 2010, 21:34

OK I promised an update this week, but my free-space (when the family was away) disappeared in having to negociate with both old and new builders and proof-reading a Methodology book I am editing

Anyway, I gave up on Jim1 figure and returned to the pursuit vechicle which I haven't really thought about or touched since a very crude first attempt. This will be a background object so it doesn't need to be very detailed.

Below is the object with or without one level of subdivision. I am going to have propeller blades spinning in the two engines and I do remember somebody sometime on the old forum doing a tutorial on how to create (using photoshop or the like) the appearence of spinning blades. A point in the right direction would be appreciated

CdeB · Post by **CdeB** » 04 Mar 2010, 21:48

A rear view of subdivided vehicle i have also now added the first version of the windscreen.

(When I render at the moment I just get black silouettes...something strange going on (before I have got this if I had no lights in scene, but this is not the case now...go figure...

tahnoak · Post by **tahnoak** » 05 Mar 2010, 09:48

Great work and thanks for sharing the process.

CdeB · Post by **CdeB** » 07 Mar 2010, 18:54

Thanks for the comments tahnoak...efforts are now restricted by a streaming cold...despite it being a relatively small object in the final scene, I think I need to do a little more work on the geometry on the front 'cos when I now render it it looks a little uneven. (The render problem I mentioned before went away when I closed trueSpace and re-opened...don't know what that was about, haven't seen it before

)

CdeB · Post by **CdeB** » 08 Mar 2010, 14:56

Taken 2 mins off my sick bed to post these update...will return to bed immediately after

First wireframe of pursuit vehicle with some tweaks to geometry the introduction of a seat and basic colour scheme
On left one extra cell of subdivision

Render of the same

CdeB · Post by **CdeB** » 04 May 2010, 21:10

Lots been going on but not on this WIP

Nice to to see great work being carried out by others...now nearly a year late late house renovation nearing completing -lots of stuff to do on that but in the brief pause...some progress

The shadow catcher mentioned in another thread made me realize there were some simple (non time-consuming things) I could do to move my project forward.

Here are some shadow capture objects for my final scene, with an example of a pursuit vehicle: I have deliberately not rendered the background photo at this stage!

Jason Rogers · Post by **Jason Rogers** » 06 May 2010, 21:03

Looking smart! i know the difficulties modelling human characters.. i have spent a lot of time over the last few months studying other peoples methods of tackling individual parts, and putting everything i have learned together to finally create my first full male and female models.

I would be happy to donate the faces from my current models if you would like something reasonable for some close-up renders hehe, send me a PM if you would like to try them out

I have started posting my work in this thread if you want a preview - vi ... f=5&t=1794

CdeB · Post by **CdeB** » 15 May 2010, 20:29

I didn't get any help with faking a moving rotor blade

...so after a lot of trail and error I have now got something at least passable. Suggestions for further improvements are welcome!

I used coreldraw to make the shapes and corelphotopaint with radial blur both for the texture and for the transparency map.
70% radial blur for transparency (which I inverted into a negative) and 30% radial blur for texture with "blades" The secret was to not exactly match the transparency with the texture but use both together to "interact" with each other. If anyone is intestested I can give more details.

CdeB · Post by **CdeB** » 15 May 2010, 20:57

By the way, thanks Jason for the offer of help with characters. I just rediscovered some facial textures on an old 3D mag cover disc which I think will employ...checked out your thread too, but can't remember if I left a comment.

In my day job I reworked my 3D cell model for the cover of a book I am editing. Will check out whether I can post it...book is due out end of this month, beginning of next..

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