My “Other” Project.

[Jonathan_S47]

This is a little something that I started working on when I get some free time. I am only able to import DXF files into Maya and the program does something to them that makes the mesh unworkable so I have to rebuild the model from scratch using the import as a guide. This is still in a very early stage. Sorry about the watermarks but it is something I am forced to deal with.

[DaBrain]

You know everybody will bow before you when you release this, don't you? ;)


Looks like a pretty good start.

[MatthewPapa]

You know everybody will bow before you when you release this, don't you? ;)


Looks like a pretty good start.

Yes you will be worshipped by some but cursed by others because of the drop in FPS.....I myself will worship you...

Looks nice, keep it up. Once all of FS2's models get high polyized its gonna be an uber game (if it isnt to you already..)

[FusionStorm]

Looks good to me. :nod: :yes:

[Taristin]

I'll curse you if you don't dramatically redesign the big raygun.

It needs big armour chunks hovering over the main body, and scaffolding connecting to the rear, with maybe passageways in the middles so that techs can get to them if they need to.

And the general shape would have to be reworked a tad, since it's supposed to be TV and as it is, it's T with brown T textures to make it seem V.

[Jonathan_S47]

I finally got most of the base mesh completed. The only real change to the model right now is just the “neck”.

Matthew: No worship necessary. Just send me food. ;)

Raa : Curse away. :p

[Jonathan_S47]

Bump :biggrin1:

I am struggling with the “fins” on the ship. Any suggestions?

[Turambar]

keep the fins straight and simple, add some detail to the main body
cut grooves i nthe sides, that looks good, hmm, yeah, make the bottom arm thing more of a strut, oh its a stupid design to begin with, just make it look better

[DaBrain]

:yes: The engine part looks pretty cool already.

[Taristin]

Such a shitty ship... :sigh: It needs to be redesigned, not high polied in the same fashion...

[Jonathan_S47]

The problem with doing that is that the turret placement and load-out would probably have to be changed as well and then the ship would no longer be compatible with the main campaign.

[Taristin]

Ehh. Not really. Big gun on the front. a few oj the sides... that's not much of a requirement. Especially since the big C doesn't get used an aweful lot.

[Turambar]

we should have a contest:
Redesigning the Colossus

shall we start a new thread for it?

[Black Wolf]

Err...no?

It's the collossus. Leave it as the Collossus. If you want to make it more interesting (and believe me, I have no problem with that) look at Bobb's deimos for ideas on how it can be done without breaking canon. This is a good start though.

[Turambar]

come on, it'll be an optional thing, we'll have this colossus, and then someone else might decide to model the 'new colossus'

because really, the original colossus design... doesnt suit me. this isnt meant as a deterrent to hi-polying the current one, im very curious to see how it comes out.

i'll start coming up with ideas when i get some time, something that better blends Terran and Vasudan, while still being really Terran, for some reason, my mind comes up with the Hiigaran Battlecruiser, but that'll change. its gotta be long, it doesnt have to be as tall, with that big awkward arm sticking out the bottom, and its gotta look big. i'll sketch some stuff. then i'll start making maps for the Astral Queen.

[pyro-manic]

It needs Vasudan-ifying. Keep the same general shape, but give it carapace armour (Like on the Sobek) instead of the usual Terran plating.

[Jonathan_S47]

It needs new textures, really. I was amazed at how much :V:’s textures killed the model.

[DaBrain]

Agreed. I think unsing only one kind of tilemap for huge areas of a ship just has to look bad/boring.

You'd have to add some windows and pipes and whatsoever to bring a bit dynamic into the layout.
I think you need a 'reason' to use different maps.

[VA [TI]]

Wow, just noticed this. It's looking good :) , but there could be a problem: Karma said he was also working on a HTL Colossus: http://dynamic4.gamespy.com/~freespace/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=600356&highlight=colossus#post600356

On the other hand, he hasn't posted any pics, and I don't know if he's been working on it recently.

[Jonathan_S47]

That’s the risk one runs when they decide to create an HTL version of the cannon ships. I think something like this has happened before and, it probably will happen again. :)

Anyway, if Karma does make his Colossus and people prefer his over mine that is fine with me. I am doing this because I want to challenge my self and because I just want to. :biggrin1:

[Jonathan_S47]

Update: I was looking at the way the ship was textured and an idea came to me. What do you guys think? :)

[VA [TI]]

TBH, i think those girder-textured areas should be given the impression of depth to them rather than changing their shape. Basically this would mean recessing those areas and texturing the insides of the recessed area with a mechanical material matching that in the texture, and then placing a poly over the recess like a grating cover.
This cover would be textured with the girder texture, but it would have everything but the girders themselves filled over with pure green. The end result should be that only the girders are displayed on the upper surface, showing the mechanical stuff behind them in-game. (They'd appear to be separate from the stuff behind them, adding that much needed depth.)

If that made no sense, here's a quick demo: (obviously yours would look a whole lot better :D)

Oh, and it would probably be easier to see the model if you just took print-screen shots of the mesh rather than rendering it. ;)

[Jonathan_S47]

It took a couple of read throughs but I see what you are saying. Doing something like this makes me wish I could texture them in Maya. Unfortunately, the export process causes them to loose their texture. :(

Oh well, I am just going to have to figure out how to add that when the model gets converted in Truespace.

And… um… that is a print screen cap. I just cropped the rest of the screen out in PSP7 before I posted them to cut down on the image size. The watermark in the renders is even worse.

[VA [TI]]

Yay, i made sense! ;)
Anyway you can put in a couple of staggered layers to create a really cool depth effect - so it's definitly something to look into for something like the Big C. :)
If/when i get around to making a HTL Arcadia it's something i'd really like to use on those glowing internal portions - it should work quite nicely.

Screenies: It can watermark anything taken through the printscreen? Ouch. :blah: Erm, could you try using some screencap program like Fraps (http://www.fraps.com/) perhaps?

[Jonathan_S47]

Not exactly, you see that water mark is in the workspace its self. The only way to turn it off is to go to a wireframe only view. I am using a free version of a $2000 piece of software. :sigh:

[Black Wolf]

Oy MP. What's the official GW polict towards posting things like, for example...

Get a Crack!

Err... Hypothetically?

[MatthewPapa]

Well I would consider myself pretty liberal on stuff like that...so go crazy.....just be smart , dont post stuff that your better judgement says you shouldnt be.

[FusionStorm]

I really don't get what that even means. :lol:

[DaBrain]

Post it in way MP won't be blamed by the big companies for not removing it. ;) :drevil:

[Black Wolf]

Perhaps Don't get a crack and get rid of that watermark would be better?

[Jonathan_S47]

Sadly there is no crack for the PLE version. I would have to get a hold of the full version of Maya which oddly enough will not read the .mp format that PLE uses.

Anyway, on to the update. I made some changes to the Colossus’ hanger. That highlighted triangle is where the original hanger was located.

[Jonathan_S47]

Just to let you guys know, I haven’t forgotten about this. I am rapidly approaching the last few weeks of the semester at my tech school and class work is keeping me pretty busy. I should be able to get back to it once school lets out for the summer.

[Jonathan_S47]

A ghost of the past returns. :nervous:

http://www.game-warden.com/starfox/Non_SF_related_stuff/JS47/Watergun_WIP1.jpg

This got put on hold for a while but now I have time to get back to work on it again. :biggrin1:

[Star Dragon]

I was going to "acquire" a full version disk from work (a overrun or what not) but that job seems to be done for now. Otherwise I would send one to you as you seem to know what to do with it.