Deadline Week!!!

Original post 11:07am

Deadline week, 1 model completed, 1 model near finished, I just need to add the height maps to the model and a few tweaks here and there, and then one final pod racer and then all should be done!

The second model is almost complete, The height maps have been created in a different file so will need to just convert the file and import it into the model itself for the pod racing stadium and it should all be finished!

I was thinking of doing the environment by creating a few boulders of regular spheres but just edit and 'scrunch' them up to form boulders and duplicate and resize to make an effective environment, but I have been shown how to use and create height maps so will be using this as it looks a more realistic environment.


Update 12:39pm

Stadium is coming along, i have added a few more height maps to give the scenery more of a desert feel to it.

Height map used from website:

http://www.reallusion.com/iclone/Help/EarthSculptor/Image/Utilizing_Height_Map_05.jpg

I jsut need to sort the boarders out around the edge of the stadium maybe make it a bit bigger and all should be finished!

Issue #2

More issues!! and probably not the last either! going through to add the blueprints onto max to try and make a pod racer to the normal and precise size, and the blueprints do not match and are different measurements and different views (not as in the top side and front) more of the engines are open where in some views are not.

As you can see form the images above the pod racer pod itself does not match to the top down view, also the engines themselves do not match up either which means i would have to stretch them and it would not be a precise size.

Another example is the side view to the top down view, the images themselves do not line up at all, so I will have to take a blueprint to one side and try to free model this pod racer as it will be more accurate to do it this way than to copy from blueprints that do not match up, and will also give some artistic work to it aswell.

Terrain time!

Today I got some help from Mario (again) for setting up and preparing terrains using height maps.
Height maps are basically black and white images showing the intensity of a surface in a black and white image Black being the lowest point and slowly increasing in brightness to finally come to white at the highest intensity.

This is an example of a height map.

http://away3d.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/broomstick/Examples/Away3D/as/embeds/Heightmap.jpg


In the example above, as mentioned before, you can see the black sections and the brighter sections of the image, what will happen is the lighter surfaces will extrude higher and more intense than the darker surfaces creating a terrain.

I plan to use some of these height maps and to edit them and allign them together to create a pod racing terrain, the textures will come at a later date but it should still look amazing.

Stadium problem

So...a problem today, Bridging objects together...

Trying to bridge the yellow stairs together and is easier said than done, because they are no longer a simple polygon to attach the two together. It has become quite the problem.

A simpler alternative, and solution,to this problem is to simply create a staircase, it may not be as detailed, but is a much simpler solution! and also I can bridge and use a board in between each!

Stadium progression

The stadium is coming along very nicely as you can see! 

I have managed to put together the key components for the stadium, the stands, main stand, columns, spires etc all together to make the semi ring around, the other side I will be making rocks and a more natural desert look for the rest of the stadium.

Stadium in the making!

Another day, another part of the stadium!
The stadium is coming along nicely, Last week we was able to create a ring loop and the follow along the line tool to help with the seating around the stadium so the seats actually follow the curve around so it's easier to mold together and shape in.

So as above we can see the main seating part of the stadium which isn't looking too bad! and also the top left (top view) the ring in which the stadium seating selection will be placed, I have also decided on putting rocks around the bottom half of the stadium so it will be more of an outside environment than a whole stadium.

modelling in 2016

It's a bit of a pain to switch from 2015 to 2016 as I have no idea what functions would work, what wouldn't and what would cause me to lose my files and models, which isn't a fun situation to be in, so In 2016 I will be making my 2nd pod racer, or attempting too, the blue print side of things is...just the greatest to work with, I will have to check up some tutorials to help me in how to make the different views the same size so it isn't stretched etc.

may take a little while, but on the plus side the pod racing stadium isn't looking too bad, is a little bit different to what i was thinking to do but....as long as it looks good and gets finished!