Mikala has just sent Me an update on the Guild Navigator and it's really starting to come together now!
Will be interesting to see what he looks like with his blue within blue eyes in place!
I'm hoping to get some time to work on the project again over the weekend (Busy week at work!)
If I was any greener with envy I'd be the hulk.
When organic modelling is done badly it really destroys a piece of work, but when it's done as well as this is, it puts physical models to shame.
I think if nothing else its proven to me the Z-brush wold be the way to go if I ever had to learn to do creature stuff.
Wow, that is one nice model! It is really starting to come alive. I really would like to see it with the eyes done, floating in a mist of spice in its transporter tank. This is great :thumb::thumb:
I've been doing some tests for the gas... tried making a slightly smaller "glass" duplicate and then attempting something like that but it has no interaction with the Navigator... will have to try particles with hypervoxels - preferable 2D sprites rather than full volumetrics - My PC just doesn't have the processing power (it's only a P4 1.3Mhz )
Just received 4 photos of the Atreides Starship from Ron Miller this morning... very cool... nice to see the underside (which I'd never had any references for!) IMG_4205.JPG
Looks like I'm going to have to do some remodeling!
I sent him the latest Navigator WIP from Mikala and here's his reply:
"The navigator looks great!
My wife, Judith, by the way, made the original model for the concept used in the film.
R"
So keep up the good work!!! Can't wait to see the final thing.
Working out how I am going to animate it before I stitch it together. Was thinking of using morph targets - I've modeled the mouth in this open position, with the inner mouth closed and outer mouth open and then with both mouths closed.
Want to get it all working before I texture it - no point texturing a model that doesn't work properly.
Any suggestions?
I was thinking of making a series of weight maps to control which areas get deformed.
Have been shipping away at various aspects of this project.
The sandworm is giving Me problems - looking at the reference photos, I noticed that the inner mouth is connected to the outer mouth, so I decided to remodel it in los-res and try to get everything to open and close properly. Every other worm model I have seen always has the mouth open. Trying to get it to close seamlessly is trying.
Also noticed that I had incorrectly textured My planet Arrakis model... The texture I had been using for half the "north" part of the globe is actually only for 0-60 degrees and there is another map for the southern polar region. The central portion is all open desert... should look more accurate now.
And since I've been working on the sandworm, thought I should start on the Spice Harvester... the couple of other models I have seen are quite inaccurate. While modeling, I noticed in the reference photos there appears to be a recessed area in the top of the harvester that the "cockpit" can retract into.
Still chipping away at the various parts. Harvester_Mar_09.jpg
And since I've been working on the sandworm, thought I should start on the Spice Harvester... the couple of other models I have seen are quite inaccurate. While modeling, I noticed in the reference photos there appears to be a recessed area in the top of the harvester that the "cockpit" can retract into.
Still chipping away at the various parts. Harvester_Mar_09.jpg
That is awesome! I've been wanting to tackle the Harvester myself for a long time and I'm jealous of the progress you have made.
Worked a bit more on detailing the front section and have been trying to figure out the "joins" between he various sections - especially those section I don't have good references for.
There also appears to be some structural differences between the "hero" models and the smaller scale models. Then there's the wheel suspension - seems to be three arms connecting to each wheel rather than an axel like I have presently - but it is difficult to see.
I did a quick rig to see how it looks moving (Since it never really moves in the movie) and even at this early stage I think it looks cool! Harvester_03_Mar_09.jpg
The Spice Harvester is getting there with only a few sections left to detail properly... (most notably the ribbed "sides"). Have made some multijointed "arms" to attach the wheels to the body (Each wheel is attached to the main body by 3 of these arms, but the wheels are not driven by them).
So while I was unable to work on that while at work, I traced the panel pattern of the carryall in illustrator and was able to import the eps into lightwave and quickly assemble much of the main body... I don't have enough clear references of the upper structure though, so this is where it is at until I work it out. Carryall_01_Mar_09.jpg
Thanks for your patience! Okay here you go... My rotoscoping isn't the best!
I wish I had the original footage with the blue screen to work with!
I am slowly working on the next couple of shots where! the thopters fly over the city and past the spice refinery where the carryall is just arriving with a harvester full of spice.
Then it'll be more rotoscoping work! Aaaaaagh. Drive Me crazy but only way to get exactly what I want. Hopefully I'll get better at it! (And this one was only 150 frames!)
Darn! I tried to upload the short video clip here but it wouldn't upload, so you'll have to pop over to YouTube and do a search for Omniviant's Thopter videos!
I've added more detail to the Harvester model including the doorway at the side, and remodeled the wheels to closer match the partial set that was built.
Also added some more animating parts on the 'thopter model including the large "triangle" on the top, which can now move up and down to act as a flight stabilizer. Also added the Duke's escort landing on the far side of of the harvester.
Want to add in some heat distortion between the 'thopter and the harvester and really need to get some sand interaction going somehow.
Really need to get some texture maps done for the harvester.
Damn file won't upload. Sigh.
It's on youtube anyway! "The Duke To The Rescue " Check it out if you can find it.
Feel sure I've uploaded this one at some point... just couldn't find it in the thread...
Anyway, it is My first real attempt to model the sandworm... don't quite have the mouth right yet.
Have finally knuckled down to work on on of the most difficult parts of this project... trying to rebuild the city of Arrakeen - where much of the action in the movie takes place. While the Arrakeen palace and nearby landing field were built as series of minatures/biggatures, and partial sets, the city itself is represented only by a couple of matte paintings.
My revised version of the Duke's 'thopter flight requires a shot following the Duke as he flies over the city past the spice refinery and up over the shield wall. (Originally it was simply two shots in the movie that feature an almost unrecognizable 'thopter sort of flying straight up - not very interesting.)
So, in order to accomplish that I have been creating an entire 3D cityscape that can be viewed from any angle.
I admit that I couldn't be arsed modeling buildings from scratch so I downloaded a pack of 20 tatooine buildings - originally modeled in MAX and converted to Lightwave by someone. However once I opened them up, I discovered they were badly made with incredibly high poly & point counts so I ended up having to remodel every single one of them as a lo-res model - cutting the the poly count by up to 80% in some cases. I also removed the distinctive dome shapes replacing them with sort of concave roofs. I also modeled some windtraps and other buildings based on the old DUNE 2 and DUNE 2000 games as a bit of a Easter egg.
I've added in the 20 palm trees by the palace (a show of water wealth) - featured in several photos of the original model but not in evidence in the movie.
Carryall_WIP.jpg
Added more detail to the Carryall model, though its quite difficult as I only have 4 solid reference photos of it and none of them show the top of it clearly or the shape of the wing tips properly, so I've had to "make up" certain details. I still need to detail the Harvester docking areas and add the strange little doohicky that goes on the lower front section. The original model was silver, but owing to the way it was shot and the orange filter that was placed over most of the special effect shots, you can't tell that in the movie.
I've included a render of the carryall landing at the spice refinery as Duke Leto flies past in the ornithopter. Arrakeen_WIP_Render3.jpg
Nice. Though it reminds me somewhat a bit to Mos Eisley on Tatooine, Star Wars. The buildings should look more ragged, more like they were made out of clay, almost like moisted sand, likey they have in many remote middle-east countrysides.
In the book, Duke Leto states that before 20 years ago, the people there didn't even knew how to build more than 3 floors high..
Posts
Thanks for showing the pic as well. :-)
Mikala has just sent Me an update on the Guild Navigator and it's really starting to come together now!
Will be interesting to see what he looks like with his blue within blue eyes in place!
I'm hoping to get some time to work on the project again over the weekend (Busy week at work!)
GNavprog_04.jpg
When organic modelling is done badly it really destroys a piece of work, but when it's done as well as this is, it puts physical models to shame.
I think if nothing else its proven to me the Z-brush wold be the way to go if I ever had to learn to do creature stuff.
Particles or post? Or volumetrics perhaps?
IMG_4205.JPG
Looks like I'm going to have to do some remodeling!
I sent him the latest Navigator WIP from Mikala and here's his reply:
"The navigator looks great!
My wife, Judith, by the way, made the original model for the concept used in the film.
R"
So keep up the good work!!! Can't wait to see the final thing.
Sandworm_Feb_09.jpg
Working out how I am going to animate it before I stitch it together. Was thinking of using morph targets - I've modeled the mouth in this open position, with the inner mouth closed and outer mouth open and then with both mouths closed.
Want to get it all working before I texture it - no point texturing a model that doesn't work properly.
Any suggestions?
I was thinking of making a series of weight maps to control which areas get deformed.
Ciao
The sandworm is giving Me problems - looking at the reference photos, I noticed that the inner mouth is connected to the outer mouth, so I decided to remodel it in los-res and try to get everything to open and close properly. Every other worm model I have seen always has the mouth open. Trying to get it to close seamlessly is trying.
Also noticed that I had incorrectly textured My planet Arrakis model... The texture I had been using for half the "north" part of the globe is actually only for 0-60 degrees and there is another map for the southern polar region. The central portion is all open desert... should look more accurate now.
And since I've been working on the sandworm, thought I should start on the Spice Harvester... the couple of other models I have seen are quite inaccurate. While modeling, I noticed in the reference photos there appears to be a recessed area in the top of the harvester that the "cockpit" can retract into.
Still chipping away at the various parts.
Harvester_Mar_09.jpg
That is awesome! I've been wanting to tackle the Harvester myself for a long time and I'm jealous of the progress you have made.
There also appears to be some structural differences between the "hero" models and the smaller scale models. Then there's the wheel suspension - seems to be three arms connecting to each wheel rather than an axel like I have presently - but it is difficult to see.
I did a quick rig to see how it looks moving (Since it never really moves in the movie) and even at this early stage I think it looks cool!
Harvester_03_Mar_09.jpg
So while I was unable to work on that while at work, I traced the panel pattern of the carryall in illustrator and was able to import the eps into lightwave and quickly assemble much of the main body... I don't have enough clear references of the upper structure though, so this is where it is at until I work it out.
Carryall_01_Mar_09.jpg
I miss your next step.
Ciao ;-)
Thanks for your patience! Okay here you go... My rotoscoping isn't the best!
I wish I had the original footage with the blue screen to work with!
I am slowly working on the next couple of shots where! the thopters fly over the city and past the spice refinery where the carryall is just arriving with a harvester full of spice.
Then it'll be more rotoscoping work! Aaaaaagh. Drive Me crazy but only way to get exactly what I want. Hopefully I'll get better at it! (And this one was only 150 frames!)
Darn! I tried to upload the short video clip here but it wouldn't upload, so you'll have to pop over to YouTube and do a search for Omniviant's Thopter videos!
Also added some more animating parts on the 'thopter model including the large "triangle" on the top, which can now move up and down to act as a flight stabilizer. Also added the Duke's escort landing on the far side of of the harvester.
Want to add in some heat distortion between the 'thopter and the harvester and really need to get some sand interaction going somehow.
Really need to get some texture maps done for the harvester.
Damn file won't upload. Sigh.
It's on youtube anyway! "The Duke To The Rescue " Check it out if you can find it.
Anyway, it is My first real attempt to model the sandworm... don't quite have the mouth right yet.
Sandworm_Feb_09.jpg
So, in order to accomplish that I have been creating an entire 3D cityscape that can be viewed from any angle.
Added more detail to the Carryall model, though its quite difficult as I only have 4 solid reference photos of it and none of them show the top of it clearly or the shape of the wing tips properly, so I've had to "make up" certain details. I still need to detail the Harvester docking areas and add the strange little doohicky that goes on the lower front section. The original model was silver, but owing to the way it was shot and the orange filter that was placed over most of the special effect shots, you can't tell that in the movie.
I've included a render of the carryall landing at the spice refinery as Duke Leto flies past in the ornithopter.
Arrakeen_WIP_Render3.jpg
In the book, Duke Leto states that before 20 years ago, the people there didn't even knew how to build more than 3 floors high..