Hoover vehicle model: Xoel's WIP (Warning, going to be alot of images!)

[Xoel]

My goals for this model:

Keep the polycount as low as possible.

Make it look good when it is all smoothed, and not to bad if solidified.

Effectively use a single texture over the whole model, and have the model unified as a single object, with a single "material".

Effectively use specular, texture, and normal maps to add details, to the point that the model is satisfactory to TitA standards.

So I made a few concepts for a "Hoover" vehicle, a hovering, steampowered, low gravity explorer which has weaponry and armour attached now with the onset of war (whether between empires or humans vs. Venusians). it started as simply an idea for low-gravity exploration and defense on asteroids, but now the concept has moved to an all-purpose atmospheric light defense vehicle.

Colour view:



Side view:



When I have finished the military model's geometry I will endeavour to build a civilian version. To do so I will copy the blender file to a new location and come back to it once this model is complete.

So as you can see, it has the majority of the working parts hidden under an hulking metal shell. Because it's so similar to the Civil War "Ironclad" warships, I have decided to designate it as American. Looking at the side view, some of the parts (boiler, steam jets) are visible under the shell. I also added a few decorative ideas in the side view, such as checker patterns on the rudder.

So that is the concept. Now for the model itself.

I got this far in about an hour and a half on blender last night, using a plane with the side view textured onto it, I traced around the hull and it's details by extruding a single vertice, I then 'G' grabbed these vertices, and moved them along the X axis to make the left side (driver viewpoint) of the hull. I copied this geometry and inverted it along the X axis to make the other half, and connected it all up. I also added the cockpit, and the rear fin, as well as the steam power assembly visible on the side of the cockpit.



Next, I will add the "wings", and wing engines, set the model to smooth and channge geometry as necessary, and then add details such as the seat and controls, fueltank, rudder, propellers, smokestacks/funnels etc.

Feel free to comment and critique this work as I go along, so that we get the best possible model for the game!

[Xoel]

Day two:

Added the wings, looked at the polycount and reduced a few things. Applied smoothing in places as a test.

Looking better.

[Xoel]

Day Three:

Today I finished most of the "exterior" work. Now, she just needs propellers, some steamjets and a boiler sitting just visible under the armour, some detailing on the "steam-train assembly", and the cockpit controls and seat, and new (lower-poly) cannons. And then we'd be ready for UVing and textures!



I will be seeking feedback on how it would be best to animate this model too.

[Xordan]

Oversized particle effects for the exhaust 

[Xoel]

yeah, this one is going to be fun to put some character into

[Xoel]

Day four part one

added a seat, reworked the engines (saving 300 triangles!) re-added low poly cannons.



Will probably add more later tonight.

Yes, I did!

Propellers are done, and a steering wheel added. All that remains is the steamtrain wheel assembly, and maybe a lever or two in the cockpit.

[XilliX]

This is looking quite good so far Xoel. I like how true to the picture you have been able to be.

[Xoel]

Sorry for not updating last night:

undercarriage done and dusted.

[Xoel]

Finished the geometry modelling.

Currently around 3500 faces, many of them quads. So I will need to reduce faces (there is plenty of wastage that I can think of) and see how low we can get it without reducing the quality we have here.

Here's a screeny:

[ulf]

Very nice. I like to see the cannon's exposed and not hidden under the cowling. There's a nice opportunity for attractive detail on them. Of course this could push your poly count, however, much of the shallower details (like the dials) can be done with normal map.

[XilliX]

Looking good.

[Xoel]

I designed this with alot of defensive style skirmishing in mind. Complete frontal armour is a must, but I am thinking of making this model with a few different texture maps, allowing for:

Ornate/Plain Cannons

Different Serial Numbers

Flag On/Off? Should be American.

And different levels of detail, adding ornate areas to the cockpit etc, all using texture/normal maps.

At this point though I think uncovering the rest of the cannons would be a bit of a mistake design-wise, exposing the frontal area will severely weaken the vehicles fighting capacity.

[Venalan]

Can't believe I've only just read this post (bad, i know). Looking great.

One thing, I assume they are exhaust pipes on the top, that might make it a bit hard to see if engine fumes and stuff are blowing in your face, would it make a bit more sense to have them moved down the side? will there be landing gear (or steam powered pistons to land on), id hate for the bottom of my new speeder to be dented or scratched.

[Xoel]

There is a tether on the front for connecting to landing positions. Mostly it is designed for exploration on asteroids and low gravity environments, and isn't a civilian vehicle, quite a hardy military explorer, so scratches etc are not the end of the world (also asteroids are rather soft rock).

I like the idea of smoke blowing all over the pilot, I thought it fit in with that class of steampunk, smoke blowing in your face filthily as you dash along in a steam hovercraft blasting twin cannons at the opponent...

[Kieve]

...isn't a civilian vehicle, quite a hardy military explorer...
...smoke blowing in your face filthily as you dash along in a steam hovercraft blasting twin cannons at the opponent...

It would be quite poor military sense to obscure a pilot's visibility while expecting him to actually hit something with those cannons...
The image of steam and smoke belching from the exhaust pipes is a wonderful one, throwing it right in the pilot's face, not so much. I didn't really think of it until Venalan pointed it out, but the exhaust pipes really should move down a bit, more towards the wings on the side. Otherwise, it's looking great and I can't wait to see the next progress shot