Starfighter!

[Fuzzy_Modem]

Not really sure where to go from here. I may re-create the tattoo from scratch this weekend, but other than that.... it isn't finished yet, I'm just not sure what else it needs...

[Fuzzy_Modem]

Things to work on:



See anything else?

[Fuzzy_Modem]

I'm now thinking I'll work away from the teeth shapes, and create more of a tattooed border at the edge of each wing.

I'm also pondering maybe making the nose look more like that of the apache.


I've always liked that nose... though it might reduce the streamlined look I have going on... maybe I just need to find a way to make that style of nose smoother and sleeker...

Should I add rivets to the bump map, or does it look too high tech for that? Maybe just to the spec map? That way they look like a different material, but not like they're protruding.

[Fuzzy_Modem]

This is a rivet test:


I don't like it. But now that I see it, I know I need something. Some sort of alternative...

[fractalsponge1]

Sometimes, less is more. I think the clean modern-fighter look suits this better. Instead of adding greeble, I'd be more worried about the segmentation I see on the wing edge and the engine pods. You need to up the number of segments there.

[Fuzzy_Modem]

New tattoo wip:

[Fuzzy_Modem]

New weapons and tattoo progress:


[edit]


[edit] I think it's getting close. Working on a UV map for the missile pods now...

Honestly I need to have it done by Tuesday at midnight, as after that point I'll be playing StarCraft 2 every free moment for as long as it takes me to finish the single player and curb stomp a satiating number of noobs.

Video games are such a detriment to my productivity...

Seatbelt and countermeasures (poking out of the squares toward the tail.)

[Fuzzy_Modem]

Not done yet. Still need to work with the bump map. Any last suggestions?

[Pint0 Xtreme]

No suggestions from me but it's looking absolutely incredible! I hope you're as good as an animator as you are a modeler and texture artist. Absolutely beautiful.

[Fuzzy_Modem]

Render render render...

[Fuzzy_Modem]

Still looking for things to tweak...

[fractalsponge1]

There is still very noticeable segmentation; is this for a game? If not, up your poly budget and make the geometry live up to the texturing; it's a very nice design so far.

[Fuzzy_Modem]

There is still very noticeable segmentation; is this for a game? If not, up your poly budget and make the geometry live up to the texturing; it's a very nice design so far.

The visible poly angles are pissing me off too. I need to find a way of smoothing only small areas, as Maya always seems to want to smooth the whole object, which destroys the texture.

It's not for a game, or an animation, only for stills, so I really have no poly count ceiling.

[salm]

Smoothing only small areas is usually not very recomendable.

How does it fuck up the texture if you smooth after unwrapping it? In Max this usually works pretty well. I´m sure you can do that in Maya somehow. Can you post a picture of the ship with the fucked up texture?

[Fuzzy_Modem]

Smoothing only small areas is usually not very recomendable.

How does it fuck up the texture if you smooth after unwrapping it? In Max this usually works pretty well. I´m sure you can do that in Maya somehow. Can you post a picture of the ship with the fucked up texture?

It's a problem of the new polys being slightly out of sync with the UV map. When I make my next smoothing attempt I'll take some screen shots.

[Fuzzy_Modem]

Right now my final "to do" list looks like this:

Reduce size of running lights

Fix cockpit rim?

Fix cockpit control panel clipping

Smooth rough areas without ruining textures

Thicken landing gear doors

Rotate missiles 45 degrees

Perfectly align tattoos

Drop height on sticker bump

Retexture guns/add flash guard

[Fuzzy_Modem]

It's not something I normally do, but I thought I'd share the WiP script for this scene.

Setting: A filthy workshop. The wreckage of a fighter plane is suspended from chains at the center. A woman's legs, clad in coveralls, stick out from underneath.

Parik enters wearing a full suit of formfitting power armor

(This armor will be updated.)

Parik: Kalea?

Kalea: Down here.

Parik: Come out. I have something to show you.

She climbs out from underneath the fighter.


At, like, 2% post production on this image.

Kalea: >Laughs<

You look ridiculous.

Parik: Hey!

Kalea: How much did you have to pull from the resource pool to build that?

Parik: You and I are practically royalty. We're allowed to buy ourselves birthday gifts.

Kalea: Your sense of entitlement knows no bounds Parik, and you don't get a birthday. You weren't born, and you've never even seen "day."

Parik: True, but exactly 20 "years" ago, you and I breathed air for the first time. "Spawning Vat drainage and Lung pump for dry incubation stage" just doesn't have the same ring to it as "birthday" and besides, the Enforcement caste celebrate birthdays, hell, even the Vagabonds do. Why should we deprive ourselves?

Kalea: Well then, happy Birthday.

Parik: You too... What do you suppose the council would say if they knew you were doing the work of a common grease monkey?

Kalea: What they always say, that "My purpose is greater than that." Why you can't have great purpose and still get something done is beyond me.

Parik: And what have you gotten done?

Kalea: Unfortunately, nothing. >sigh< She'll never fly again Parik. Nothing left to do now but turn her in for recycling.

Parik: Let me show you something.

Kalea: If it isn't a shower and a sedative I'm not interested.

Parik: Come on Kalea, it will only take a moment.

___________________________

Scene change. They enter a hanger platform overlooking the heart of the city.

I'll need to add detail to the down town area.

A shiny new fighter sits on the central landing platform (see above.)

Kalea: Is that-?

Parik: Yep. Based on your blue prints and reviews of the S-11 series, but I added a power reserve system for extended range, the new MK8 shield projectors, and I cannibalized those rocket pods from an old gunship. They're dumb fire, but fast enough it shouldn't matter. The missiles though, are AI controlled, and high yield enough to take out just about anything. But, yeah, it's you're design. 90 percent. Maybe 85.

Kalea: So, you've been hacking into my personal terminal.

Parik: True. I also read your journal.

Kalea- >Arm punch<

Both: Ouch!

Parik: So do you like it?

Kalea: I love it Parik. Thank you.

Parik: Happy birthday little sister.

Kalea: Hey- watch it with the "little." If anything we're twins.

Parik: And when you're taller than me, you can call me little brother, until then- where are you going?

Kalea: Where do you think?

She climbs on board.

Parik: Okay, but have her back soon, they still need to tweak some things before the next operation. We're headed out to the borderlands.

Kalea: And when was someone going to tell me? What's the target?

Parik: The factory by the old solar station.

Kalea: I've never been that close to the Dayside.

Parik: Me neither, and I don't want to take any chances, so have her back soon okay?

Kalea: Stop worrying, and don't wait up.

Parik: Remember she's never been flown before, and watch the stabilizers, they might be a bit touchy, and I'd leave the afterburners alone for now, and we haven't tested the shields yet, so don't-

Kalea: Parik!

Parik: Right. Sorry. Just be careful.

Kalea: I will. See you soon.

[Fuzzy_Modem]

I'm adding:

Shield emitters

Air intakes

Glowing plasma hover device along the edge of the wing

-to my "To Do after StarCraft 2" list.

[Fuzzy_Modem]

I've gone back quite a bit and dramatically multiplied my poly count, and I've remade the wings from scratch using a much higher poly starting point (though they still have some visible imperfections.)



Now I'm re-texturing the wings and fuselage from scratch using a different base color. It's an almost purple blue with sky blue highlights, and it's color will remain very simple. All the detail is going to go into the bump and spec maps.

[Fuzzy_Modem]

Early bump tests:

[Fuzzy_Modem]

Some progress... Not sure yet about the gold and my purple/blue ratio...

[Fuzzy_Modem]

Progress:




I'm getting a nice iridescent effect.


The engravings at the edge of the wing show my origin story.

[Fuzzy_Modem]

The glowing magenta strip provides lift by means of plasma emission.

[Fuzzy_Modem]

2 new renders:



[edit]
It occurs to me that if I'm not careful, I'll end up with a flying crown royal bag.

[salm]

The Bumpmap is looking pretty good and the magenta glow is pretty cool.
The ship is getting really, really cool.