ok just a little update on the carrier. Yes those are some of tbd's nurnies on the nose ty aceman for putting them up for d/l. I still havent settled on how to deal with a botched landing but I will try to work that out tomorrow. I started setting up the elevator system to bring the Migs inside. The elevators are the yellow boxs in the wireframe. I redid the superstructure as well, with a little inspiration from the Heracles. I also started some of the comm equipment on the top of the tower as well. Yes I did rip that one piece from DS-9, yet agian I couldnt help myself. There are only four launch tubes on this carrier but in the time it takes to recover 6 Migs 8 can be launched.
Very Nice! :thumb:
Where is Pri-Fly? Or will your CAG watch his nuggets from a virtual room?
I was expecting the rear doors to open to either side, but I can clearly see your navy experience - I can now see a hovercraft sliding up that lower door when opened into a ramp, you really are turning it into an L.S.T.
Four launch tubes? Surely, surely, surely you mean four *per side*?
Please tell me you are not going to have the ship's entire compliment of launch tubes clustered together in one location on one side? What about redundancy in the event of a well placed or lucky missile hit? Ahh, but I guess you can always launch planes from the landing strips too, right?
Botched landings? Well, I had suggested ski-jumps at the end of the runways, but thinking about it now, you are using fairly conventional runways for landing, so why not use what we use now? You could have a low-tech barricade, a net in a slot across each runway that could rise up if needed, or you could go higher-tech, and have two low towers on either side of each runway down near the ends that are gravity emitters, or tractor-beams that could give a wayward plane an emergency deacceleration.
You do realise that if you keep these wire-frames comming, I'm gonna demand deck-by-deck floor plans before you finish! :runs:
well monkey I am still debating on where to put the Pri-Fly to be honest but It will come. The doors on the rear bays do actually open by sliding out from the center line. However, the LST style door idea may have won out on the dorsal bay. And I have been thinking about the landings, the migs are vstol, why do I need such a runway? The grav net is a great idea, I will try to incorperate that. And I geuss your right with the four tubes for launching. I should add more. Back to the bored on that one as well. More updates tomorrow if all goes to plan.
Yeah I was thinking the landing pads. Maybe putting tracks in the skids of the migs so the can roll once on the ground. The landing skids have just grown on me.
ok mosnkey let me through this at you, what if I take that grav tower idea and turn it into a multipurpose tool and have it assist in brining the birds in as well. I was thinking about fleet tactics and I had the idea of keeping the carriers back, letting most of the large ship to ship fighting to be done by the smaller ships like frigates and cruisers. The carriers would be used the same as they are today, but the major difference would be the swarm of fighters they would release.
Also what do you think about not haveing launch tubes at all, and just having a large launch bay, that ran through the ship from port to starboard?
Okay, using a grav sytem to assist in bringing the birds in sounds sweet!
Not having launch tube at all? That sounds fine too - they don't need to generate flying speed in space, BSG launch tubes are really a consession to atmosphetic flight to make it more palateable for us earth watchers, just like the wings in the first place.
However, if you want a launch complex passing continuoisly through from port to starboard - I am left with a question - you will have a bay like count Dooku's flagship in SW:ROTSith - so in that case why bother with landing areas at all, just take off and land from the port to starboard bay?
Personnally, I like the way you are going with the top deck landing area, so I would keep thinking on the landing system....
If you do not intend for the ship to land - then how about: Land the birds on the top deck using a gravity system - then have a star-destroyer type of bay in the belly, and use gravity to launch the birds as a kind of drop-ship straight down wards from the belly, like a set of sonobouy dispensors (or perhaps like the launch of starfuries from babylon 5) The planes could load onto hatch doors in the lower belly, theat then tip vertically and gravity throughs them out at launch speed.
Failing that, you could always just expang you network of hanger doors on the upper deck, and handle vertival take-offs from the upper flight-deck as well.
Ok, trying to not hit a creative block, I have worked story and started the morphean. I have never attempted to make anything organic let alone huminoid. Im also attempting to make him look a little different than the pic I drew since that was so close to Paranthropus Boisei that it felt like i was plagerising a dead species. So I present The morphean man.
That doesn't look bad for the first try I'm not good at organic stuff either so I don't know how you could make your model better. Anyway, the face looks pretty nice and if you make a "hole" for his mouth, it should be cool.
Yeah, likewise, wouldn't really know where to start on organics.
I think he has a certain menace and inteligence - I like the larger skull at the rear!
But in the side profile, I think the lips make him look a little comical....
...but I have no constuctive alternative.
pretty cool work on the dude, especially for the first try at organics. But doing that in max is a serious chore. You might wanna check out Mudbox and Z-Brush. Those programs make organic modelling very easy, and they're not too overpriced (Mudbox is like $300).
It always helps to have a decent base mesh to bring into ZB or MB though...
How about posting some wireframes of the model as a lot of character modelling is based on getting decent edge loops defined so that the structure of the model reflects the flow of muscles to allow for better definition and deformation. It would also be wise to use a human proportion diagram as a reference to make sure that your proportions are realistic. You don't have to stick to them completely, but if the proportions are wrong then the model will look a lot worse
well thanks for the advice berkut and spud. I will put some wireframes up tonight after work. Im not quite sure what you mean by the edge loops though spud. But I will be more than happy to do the wires. Any help at this point is very appreciatted.
Have a look at this image and hopefully it will be clearer:
Basically an edge loop is a line made up of edges that defines the contours of a shape. In the case of organic modelling it is normally a closed loop that defines the muscle shapes that are below the surface and hence allows correct deformation of the model when animating. The main thing is that it defines the shape of the body or body part to give it a realistic and believable shape. Your loops should also be used to maintain a quad-only mesh which will give you better results when subdividing
oh wow that is really helpful, on top of being something I never considered. I may need to go back and start this one over. Thanks a ton man!!!!!!!! I am realizing that there more to making a mesh than I had ever thought.
You know, I have been doing 3D art for a long time...and I don't even know where to start when it comes to organic....you are doing a great job, millions times better then me, thatw the truth.
ok I started the morphean over. I was aiming for the loop edges this time. I realized I didnt have any on the first version. Some things have changed, others I am working on getting much closer to the original. One that I want closer to the orginal version is the nose. Must get that thing back to the original, or close to it. I have managed to get this one closer to the simian look that I am going after, with the oversized cheeks. I deffinitaly need to get the mouth area pulled out more. But fire away boys.
ok more work on the morphean and a small addition to the deck of the carrier, the deck grav emitter. There are going to be multiples, this is just a first concept.
Hmmm, very art-deco!
I expect to see van d'graf lightning bolts arcing off it, and perhaps the robot from 'metropolis' sitting near by!
I'll ignore the colours obviously, but in terms of design....it seems a little fragile and decorative when compared to the solid naval architecture of the rest of the ship, it kinda resembles a 'top-hat' radar from a submarine.
Do you intend to have multiples of these that are articulated and turret-mounted to point at a landing craft, or just fixed at interval on the deck?
If they are fixed, I think you would be better off with lower, almost flush fittings, perhaps a low dome woth a grill and soft glow behind...Not too sure really, but consider how gravity is generated on the standard decks of your ship, and look to make the top deck mounted system to be a beefed up version of this, perhaps with one or two turret mounted hyper-strong versions to pull craft into closer range?
ok I will be posting an update finally as soon as I figure out how I can transfer my pictures (long story) but it should be tonight. I feel bad star, you have made some real progress and I havent done much of anything.
So hopefully tonight.
ok I will be posting an update finally as soon as I figure out how I can transfer my pictures (long story) but it should be tonight. I feel bad star, you have made some real progress and I havent done much of anything.
So hopefully tonight.
hehe, cool, reminds me of the uziel from MW. I think right now the legs are way too skinny, it practically looks like they would collapse under its weight, otherwise nicely done
good work on the missile launcher and the legs. Judging fom yours and stars fighters I assume you guys are are aiming for a relatively realitic approach to technology, in which case I think the cannon is way too big. Generally speaking vehicle mounted anti-armour missiles are at least about 4 times the diameter of vehicle mounted rotating cannons. Also consider the fact that you'd need to store at least a few hundred rounds, preferably more.
^Good points mate. On which I'd like to add that while the legs are looking better now, the toes are looking mighty thin. Don't forget that they're the ones that actually support almost all the weight of the thing and if it threads on some soft ground, it mights sink pretty deep.
Posts
As always bring on the comments!
Where is Pri-Fly? Or will your CAG watch his nuggets from a virtual room?
I was expecting the rear doors to open to either side, but I can clearly see your navy experience - I can now see a hovercraft sliding up that lower door when opened into a ramp, you really are turning it into an L.S.T.
Four launch tubes?
Please tell me you are not going to have the ship's entire compliment of launch tubes clustered together in one location on one side? What about redundancy in the event of a well placed or lucky missile hit? Ahh, but I guess you can always launch planes from the landing strips too, right?
Botched landings? Well, I had suggested ski-jumps at the end of the runways, but thinking about it now, you are using fairly conventional runways for landing, so why not use what we use now? You could have a low-tech barricade, a net in a slot across each runway that could rise up if needed, or you could go higher-tech, and have two low towers on either side of each runway down near the ends that are gravity emitters, or tractor-beams that could give a wayward plane an emergency deacceleration.
You do realise that if you keep these wire-frames comming, I'm gonna demand deck-by-deck floor plans before you finish! :runs:
And deck plans maybe a serious possibility.
So, what, replace the runways with a series of 'set-down pads'?
it's fun watching the evolution of an idea!
cheers,
Also what do you think about not haveing launch tubes at all, and just having a large launch bay, that ran through the ship from port to starboard?
Well I hope you chew that over. Im off to bed
Eeek! What are you picking on me for?!?!
Okay, using a grav sytem to assist in bringing the birds in sounds sweet!
Not having launch tube at all? That sounds fine too - they don't need to generate flying speed in space, BSG launch tubes are really a consession to atmosphetic flight to make it more palateable for us earth watchers, just like the wings in the first place.
However, if you want a launch complex passing continuoisly through from port to starboard - I am left with a question - you will have a bay like count Dooku's flagship in SW:ROTSith - so in that case why bother with landing areas at all, just take off and land from the port to starboard bay?
Personnally, I like the way you are going with the top deck landing area, so I would keep thinking on the landing system....
If you do not intend for the ship to land - then how about: Land the birds on the top deck using a gravity system - then have a star-destroyer type of bay in the belly, and use gravity to launch the birds as a kind of drop-ship straight down wards from the belly, like a set of sonobouy dispensors (or perhaps like the launch of starfuries from babylon 5) The planes could load onto hatch doors in the lower belly, theat then tip vertically and gravity throughs them out at launch speed.
Failing that, you could always just expang you network of hanger doors on the upper deck, and handle vertival take-offs from the upper flight-deck as well.
I dunno....sorry!
I think he has a certain menace and inteligence - I like the larger skull at the rear!
But in the side profile, I think the lips make him look a little comical....
...but I have no constuctive alternative.
How about posting some wireframes of the model as a lot of character modelling is based on getting decent edge loops defined so that the structure of the model reflects the flow of muscles to allow for better definition and deformation. It would also be wise to use a human proportion diagram as a reference to make sure that your proportions are realistic. You don't have to stick to them completely, but if the proportions are wrong then the model will look a lot worse
Basically an edge loop is a line made up of edges that defines the contours of a shape. In the case of organic modelling it is normally a closed loop that defines the muscle shapes that are below the surface and hence allows correct deformation of the model when animating. The main thing is that it defines the shape of the body or body part to give it a realistic and believable shape. Your loops should also be used to maintain a quad-only mesh which will give you better results when subdividing
I expect to see van d'graf lightning bolts arcing off it, and perhaps the robot from 'metropolis' sitting near by!
I'll ignore the colours obviously, but in terms of design....it seems a little fragile and decorative when compared to the solid naval architecture of the rest of the ship, it kinda resembles a 'top-hat' radar from a submarine.
Do you intend to have multiples of these that are articulated and turret-mounted to point at a landing craft, or just fixed at interval on the deck?
If they are fixed, I think you would be better off with lower, almost flush fittings, perhaps a low dome woth a grill and soft glow behind...Not too sure really, but consider how gravity is generated on the standard decks of your ship, and look to make the top deck mounted system to be a beefed up version of this, perhaps with one or two turret mounted hyper-strong versions to pull craft into closer range?
cheers,
So hopefully tonight.
No problem my man, no need to apologize....