posted
Bluggggh, I reallyreallyreally need to teach myself the Lightwaves. But since all I know is Strata... Here's an early version of what those spacefighters might look like:
On the actual sets I didn't really have the time or money to do the decals like I wanted. Watched Moon though, and so now I want to go stencil crazy on every surface! The fun part for me will be putting dudes like this one into the CG...
posted
Neato, but you dont need wings for a space fighter and that thing would never fly in an atmosphere shaped like that so why not lose the wings, replace them with long boom arms and have RCS clusters at their ends? You could string weapons or sensors or whatever along the booms- or just make them thin and sleek with a lattice suppoort....
Oh! You could make the booms like long armbones- two thin booms acting like a pivot for the RCS "hand".
that would be cool.
Registered: Aug 2002
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Da_bang80
A few sectors short of an Empire
Member # 528
posted
But they don't NOT need wings to fly in space either, so let him have his wings man. I think it looks cool, a little cluttered but cool anyways.
-------------------- Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. The courage to change the things I cannot accept. And the wisdom to hide the bodies of all the people I had to kill today because they pissed me off.
posted
My main concern would be having the pilot so far away from the centre of inertia, unless you have a magical inertial dampening system, the pilot is going to black out every time he makes a turn. Of course without knowing the "rules" of this fictional universe, it's hard to judge.
You might want to try asking Axeman for a little advice, he's built a few 3D space fighters in his time.
Oh and I'd drop the name "Avatar" if I were you, what with the James Cameron film coming out.
posted
Also, is that thing supposed to be a heavy bomber? Cause if not, then it doesn't need all that apparent ordinance, especially if there are also going to be capital ships.
Registered: Feb 2005
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posted
You're setting yourself up for some serious CGI work. The way the ship is designed, you should be able to see all kinds of rocket launcher and wing parts on the greenscreen behind that dude. If left off, it'll be kinda obvious.
-------------------- . . . ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.
posted
What Guardian says is true. Never really thought about it before - but look at the fighters in Stargate... most of the back is blocked out and they sit on top of the rest of the ship - so you don't have to see too much out the 'windows'. Clever.
-------------------- "Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica." - Jim Halpert. (The Office)
posted
Ooof, that wll be extra work, but OTOH, it might help tie the interior to the exterior. You're right though, this will mean I'll have to be extra meticulous in the match moves.
Thanks all for the feedback, guys! Yeah, the wings stay. The technology of the show has the fighter projecting artificial masses and gravity sources down the length of the wings (which are independently articulated) to propel and orient the craft. Various wing geometries will enhance stable flight or give certain advantages in combat maneuvers.
I appreciate the heads up, Rev, and am indeed stymied by the title impending Cameron film, but haven't as yet come up with a viable alternative. FWIW I've been calling them Avatars for years. Unfortunately the exceptionally logical idea of placing the cockpit at the center of inertia of the vehicle, must be set aside for what looks awesome (and what I've already built/shot). While the mass projection technology used in the show would sure be used to insulate the pilot (and I suppose it could be explained that the projected gravitation is always oriented in reference to the cockpit), the real truth comes down to neato factor. And I do think this looks neato...
Got a little more geometry to add and then to textures. (Egads.)
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted
Well you could try giving it an alpha numeric designation, like real aircraft. Like, for the sake of argument: AVT-17R "Seraphim"
As you say, if the in-universe tech allows for counter-inertial forces then the trick is in making sure it's consistently applied and that attention is paid to real physics in the show's other facets. The temptation is of course to just go for the cool factor and fudge the real stuff, but I think you'll find that the more fantastical the conceit, the more important it is the ground the rest of the story. For example, would the 'Lord of the Rings' films have been better or worse if Jackson had treated them as straight out fantasy with magical elves and funny critters, rather than what he did, which was to treat it as a "real" history? It's been my observation that the more you ground something, the more it reinforces the believability of the fantasy elements.
posted
Plenty of bloom there, have you textured the fighters at all or are you leaving them bare metal? Also, what parts of the ship are animated? Do the rocket pods move or the wing 'flaps' move during turns? Any test animations?
As Rev says, always happy to help out.
-------------------- www.kennyscrap.com - where I download crap I make.
Registered: Jun 2003
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Still very much a WIP, Axeman. There's going to be a lot of CG and match-move and me learning Lightwave yet to come. The pods and the wings are semi-articulated and will flex and pivot as the craft maneuvers (projecting artificial mass, etc. all the way) But not in Strata. Too much work. Test anims will have to wait still I have some more brain cells. Good spot on the bloom. The textures at present are a mottled metallic with a decal here and there. I like what the bloom is doing in terms of washing out detail. Helps to sell it.
Registered: Sep 2000
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Teh PW
Self Impossed Exile (This Space for rent)
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