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Oct 08 MMC (Transport) - Starfighter
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Oct 08 MMC (Transport) - Starfighter // Work in Progress
Post by Nez // Oct 13, 2008, 3:45am
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Nez
Total Posts: 1102
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Well, hopefully this still counts as a form of transport, it gets someone from A to B at least... if the powers that be (i.e. Weevil) decides that a military vehicle is not an appropriate form of transport for the challenge, I may have to de-militarise it....
The intention is a single-seater star-fighter, not necessarily from the Star Wars universe but comparable to others such as the X-wing, Headhunter and the like, and of a comparable aesthetic such that it wouldn't totally look out of place in the Rebel Alliance era.... Vague visual intention was a cross between the X-Wing, Millennium Falcon and the BTTF DeLorean....
Started with a basic 'block' layout to define the crude form (still evident in several of the renders below) and worked up the wing initially. This is probably not totally complete as I'll probably go back to add some more detailing if time permits. Key features are the engine outlets to the underside of the wing to provide thrust vectoring/vertical thrust, undercarriage doors (wheels/skids still to be added) and unfinished wing-tips - you'll see later that these are going to receive wing-tip weapons...
After that, worked up some main engine 'side pod's - again, extra detailing required but form is basically there. NB - the blue engine glow is just a placeholder to allow me to easily select the relevant faces/objects later, no other textures applied at the mo, just a default pale grey. The above was all worked up at home on TS5.
Need to start working up the main body of the craft now, but one side-track to follow first, in the next post... |
Post by Nez // Oct 13, 2008, 3:49am
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Nez
Total Posts: 1102
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As my main wing etc files were at home, I decided to take advantage of my lunchbreak to work on a section that wasn't too closely tied to the rest dimensionally, which can hopefully be added at a future stage without to omuch adjustment. So I worked up the wing-tip weaponry, as you can see below (viewed from either side - the 'plain' side will be at the join with the wingtip obviously).
Nothing overly fancy so far - deliberately trying to avoid SDS in general as I don't really want a smooth/streamlined look - want that more chunky/boxy look of the X-wing and the like - kind of crude and unsophisticated (definitely far removed from the sleek Naboo craft).
Need to get on the fuselage and pilot's canopy.... |
Post by rjeff // Oct 13, 2008, 3:57am
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rjeff
Total Posts: 1260
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Nice Nez, alwaysa like your work. This is goona blow my Flintstone car back to the stone ages..oh wait.. |
Post by Nez // Oct 13, 2008, 6:03am
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Nez
Total Posts: 1102
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I'd have to borrow your old SMC Tardis to get there ;)
At least you might finish yours, which looks pretty unlikely for me... this was just a useful excuse for me as this was something I was vaguely planning anyway but had no specific deadline for, so hopefully it will get me at least partway to finishing something eventually... But thanks for the kind words, I'm looking forward to seeing how yours tuns out too as usual - hope the little one's letting you get some sleep, those early weeks are pretty tough I know.... |
Post by Breech Block // Oct 14, 2008, 12:13am
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Breech Block
Total Posts: 844
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Superb work as per usual Nez. Can't wait to see how this baby turns out. |
Post by Weevil // Oct 14, 2008, 2:42am
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Weevil
Total Posts: 534
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Damn nez! Those cannons are some of the best I've ever seen. They're freaking amazing! Whatchoo worrying about me changing the rules for! Go nez go! |
Post by Nez // Oct 14, 2008, 3:35am
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Nez
Total Posts: 1102
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Well cheers Weevil! I wasn't sure weaponry maybe fitted in with 'transport of delight' so I thought I should ask...
they're actually relatively simple really - I started with a simple cube for the 'base', added some geometry by 'slicing' it to produce a range of faces of varying sizes. Some of these were swept by small amounts and a few edges moved to create an irregular shape, and then some 'lumpy bits' added by taking primitives or simple shapes (mostly a chamfered rectangular object) and intersecting them in the object at various sizes/angles. See screen grabs.
The barrels are mostly simple tube shapes coupled with basic primitives - the muzzles are again based on a chamfered rectangle to give a slightly different look, insired by the side mounted cannon on General Grievous' wheel bike (and also reminsicent of Sebulba's pod-racer).
I haven't actually tried them on my wing-tips yet, so whether they'll look right I don't know...
Roughed up my fuselage now, need to work on the canopy to get that to fit properly and get it into the main model, scaled appropriately and more details added. Struck me that this craft is probably pretty rear heavy so may need a 'backwards' undercarriage with the third wheel at the rear....
Breech - thanks for the comments - I'm not going to have much more time this week or over the weekend so how close I'll get to finishing is questionable... so you may have to wait till after the competition to see how it eventually turns out :o |
Post by Nez // Oct 17, 2008, 4:47am
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Nez
Total Posts: 1102
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Well, I hoped to add a lot more detailing but don't think I'll have the time as not expecting any free time over the weekend and the deadline is starting to loom...
Have pieced my startfighter together based on the bits I've done so far; I've closed the undercarriage doors in the wings as I'm unlikely to have time to model undercarriage at this stage - I need to work on a setting.... haven't done any material work yet, just used a couple of key coulours to allow me to easily select certain parts later but needs some work yet...
Anyway, two assembled views for now, plus a quick attempt at a starfield backdrop (using the starfield.tsx plug-in) just as a test... |
Post by rjeff // Oct 17, 2008, 7:51am
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rjeff
Total Posts: 1260
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As usual great work Nez. The only thing that "bothers" me about it, is that the body does not really macth the wings. You have a very angular shape with the wings and a organic shape with the body. They just seem mis-matched to me. Maybe you could square the body off some. This is just my opinion and does not mean alot, but thought I would throw it out there. |
Post by Breech Block // Oct 17, 2008, 3:46pm
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Breech Block
Total Posts: 844
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Sorry Nez, but I'm afraid I must agree with rjeff. Individual, the main fuselage and wings are indeed both excellent models. However, when placed together they seem very much at odds with each other. |
Post by Weevil // Oct 18, 2008, 9:19am
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Weevil
Total Posts: 534
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I'm slightly inclined to agree...but I think I can offer why
The cockpit, because it's square like that and then the body carries on as a circle, maybe if you made it a razorback.
Also, as much as I hate to say it...the wings may be too thick, unless they split actually like the star wars fighter.... |
Post by spyfrog // Oct 18, 2008, 9:51am
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spyfrog
Total Posts: 181
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I'm slightly inclined to agree...but I think I can offer why
The cockpit, because it's square like that and then the body carries on as a circle, maybe if you made it a razorback.
Also, as much as I hate to say it...the wings may be too thick, unless they split actually like the star wars fighter....
I disagree. Wings of a starfighter can't become "to thick" if you don't mean of some aesthetic view or if they are supposed to be able to fly in atmosphere also. Since the term implies that it is supposed to fly in space, you could have a starfighter with any thickness of the wings since the vacuum there produce no drag.... ;) |
Post by Weevil // Oct 18, 2008, 10:10am
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Weevil
Total Posts: 534
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Maybe I should go into more detail.
If the wings were THIIIICK and still had a leading edge it wouldn't matter, but the fact are SQUARE and thick means they just start, and square being the shape that's conflicting with the body is what I was really trying to explain. but it's less noticable if the wings are thinner
But personal preferences do come into it somewhere down the line I suppose |
Post by spyfrog // Oct 18, 2008, 12:26pm
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spyfrog
Total Posts: 181
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Maybe I should go into more detail.
If the wings were THIIIICK and still had a leading edge it wouldn't matter, but the fact are SQUARE and thick means they just start, and square being the shape that's conflicting with the body is what I was really trying to explain. but it's less noticable if the wings are thinner
But personal preferences do come into it somewhere down the line I suppose
I was actually joking a bit with you but the fact remains - a spaceship can have its wings look like anything. It doesn't even need wings, you know. ;)
We all know why - because in space no-one can hear you scream. The reason for that is that space lacks a medium to transfer soundwaves - and because of this vacuum there is also no resistance that would make a wing necessary or hinder it from look however you like. :D |
Post by Nez // Oct 20, 2008, 10:18pm
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Nez
Total Posts: 1102
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Thanks for the comments guys; I actually agree with everyone on the fuselage/cockpit - it was intended to look more angular and was modelled from a swept poly with relatively few faces, but still too many it seems. Wanted a really boxy X-wing type feel to the body and it hasn't quite happened. Will have to see if I have time to rectify as so little time left; I had a few composition ideas but the only one I think I can pull together time wise means that the fuselage shape may not be that apparent anyway so may be able to live with it for now....
With the wings, Spyfrog is essentially right - I deliberatley chose a thick wing section because it was a look I wanted, recognising that this ship is primarily for flight outisde atmospheres. That's not to say that it might not occasionally have to go into atmospheres but it will be very efficient if it does - but it has dirty great engines to compensate! The wing surfaces aren't at all smooth either, but could perhaps reconfigure and deploy some leading edge elements to improve atmospheric performance, but I'm not going to worry about that for now! This is a space-lauched fighter, intended for fleet defence etc....
So if I have time, I'll work on the body shape, if it shows up badly in the composed view... thanks for taking the time to look... I'd like to try some other scenes with this craft anyway so hopefully I'll get round to reworking the body shape anyway at some point. |
Post by Nez // Oct 22, 2008, 2:54am
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Nez
Total Posts: 1102
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OK, for some crazy reason, I decided the easiest composition was going to be a 'flypast' over a 'capital ship' rather than the internal hangar shot I was originally thinking about (plus I did a hangar shot for my last aircraft, so wanted to try something different).
Downside is that this would mean modelling a fairly massive ship, when I've not even finished the detail on the fighter but a good hangar would needs lots of detail too.
Image below is of the 'carrier' ship as modelled, could do with more detail really, but not too bad for about 2-3 hours work... also figured some of the lack of detail would be hidden in final image, for reasons that will become apparent in a mo... ship has central 'runway' and hangars similar to the Venator class from SW episode 3, but rest of configuration is made up on th efly, so to speak....
Backdrop done using starfield.tsx plug-in, lighting with HDRI plus light-emitting materials on hangar lights. Planned for more sophisticated lighting (and textures) but the PC/software just kept balking for some reason and didn't like it at all, so I had to simplify with much more basic effects for the sake of getting an image done today... |
Post by Nez // Oct 22, 2008, 3:04am
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Nez
Total Posts: 1102
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And here's the assembed final view (for the time being) - a small flight of fighters buzz their carrier as another pair are lined up for takeoff....
Liked the idea of a computer-game style vantage point just above and behind the rear fighter, considered a view from in the cockpit but would have required mocking up HUD and displays which time didn't allow... this view doesn't allow me to make the most of front or underside details, but does avoid the dodgy fusealage shape being too obvious!
After Weevils cool motion blur example with his Vipers I fancied having a go at some motion but in a different manner, with the aim being the 'sharp' fighters over a blurred carrier, supposedly indicative of relative movement of carrier and (fast) camera moving at same speed/direction as fighters...
Set up some movement/animation for the carrier and rendered as a single frame with motion blur and then just used this as backdrop for fighters render (same HDRI used in both) - help keeped poly count in each scene down.
Finished with a post-process render for the engine 'glows' which was comped in using Paintshop Pro. Modelling was done in mix of tS5 and 7.6 model-side (but could all have been done in tS5), lighting and rendering in 7.6. Took advantage of material instancing whcih was neat....
Final shot isn't really all I would have hoped for but I have to shelve this for now as too many other things looming - may mean sitting out of the SMC and MMC for a while, will have to see how things pan out. It's been good fun, and I had a starfighter scene in mind anyway (which will hopefully be better than this one!) but could never have finished in time, so hopefully I'll be able to return to this at some point in th near future and improve the fighter and composition.... |
Post by Weevil // Oct 22, 2008, 5:30am
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Weevil
Total Posts: 534
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Very slick nez. And very quick work. That's a good shot |
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