Machineflesh 3D Challenge Entry: Clint Hannaford

[Pleribus]

Well I'm long time lurker and a bit of a n00b to 3D but I'm looking for ways to challenge myself and improve my skills. Really loved the idea of this challenge so I'd thought I'd give it a crack.

My initial idea is for a pre industrial age "clockwork" cyborg. A crazy scientist perhaps with the desire to live forever, replacing his body and limbs with mechanical counterparts.

A "Clockwork Immortal".. heh.

Sketches soon...

Looking forward to seeing what the pros come up with. Great idea for a challenge.

[Pleribus]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/5/1923/1923_1079748880_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/5/1923/1923_1079748880_large.jpg)

Well this is a first concept sketch. A scientist/inventor wishing to live forever by replacing his body parts with clockwork counterparts. Only thing is that he needs someone to keep him "wound up". Hence his monkey, who will happily wind him up for peanuts...

So that is what his life is worth now... peanuts.

Immortal as long as he carries some.

[Pleribus]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/5/1923/1923_1079749140_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/5/1923/1923_1079749140_large.jpg)

Just an idea of how I want him posed in the final composition. The idea being he is revealing his inner gears and cogs behind his brass rib cage. I don't plan on sketching out the intricate gears, but will instead model tehm and just lay them out in 3D to make it look all complicated.

I'm thinking I will have him in a narrow and foggy london street a century or so ago... sort of "Jack The Ripper" style.. Lit by the moonlight and the lantern he carries.

[rajdeep]

Still thinking I suppose, the sketch doesn't show anything u describe may be u r working on that, Best of luck...

[Pleribus]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/5/1923/1923_1079787251_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/5/1923/1923_1079787251_large.jpg)

started working on the rib cage and placed some gears inside... not quite as I want it to look when final, but it's on its way... I'm aiming for a complicated looking insides, so will need to model some different looking gears and gadgets inside... They are all looking a bit bulky at the moment.

[CLONEOPS]

ya needs some brass laddy........cool stuff all around

check out net- all brass stuff 18th century
Babbage's First Difference Engine
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/on-line/babbage/page3.asp

[Pleribus]

Cloneops, thanks heaps for the link, just the sort of resource i've been searching for.

And if anyone knows some good metal tutorials/tips to achieve a realistic sort of brass (i'm thinking slightly dirty/decayed)

More sketches soon...

[CLONEOPS]

which program you using?,there are a few metaltuts out here at cgnet -do a search-
checking out the clothes- that style works in really well too
very uh jack the ripper 18th century.
maybe- ,little -add ons like vest and a pocket watch/
the coat looks almost cape like ..fits in well.
try old steam engine assemblies for refs too.
but i think you want watchmaker things right?
-big gears or some really delicate thin watchwork.?

[Pleribus]

CLONEOPS: Yeah, I had never heard of the term SteamPunk until I started working on this, and I'm beginning to wonder whether I want intricate watch mechanics or go to this "alternate reality" of steam powered robots...

Think I will stick to my wind up idea though. So I guess I'll aim to go for more intricate clockwork style gears and gadgets. Finding heaps of reference images at the moment, so hopefully I will have more to show soon. I'll try orienting the gears to the side so you can see them a bit better too...

I'm also coming up with ideas for ways to light the internals with glowing fluids in beakers that hook up with glass pipes into his flesh head.

Using 3dMax and have come across a few material threads here that may help.

I'm trying not to cover up the inner workings with extra clothes, I want it exposed so you can see all the gears... a figured a vest would just get in the way.

Anyway thanks for the feedback.

[CLONEOPS]

steampunk -ya actually i think the natural progression of that stuff comes from the novel by william gibson 'the difference engine"where the setting is 18th century.....and things in the steam- coal age get a superboost by this 'babbage machine'
really a prehistory to all his other novels i think . but then
they are hindered by that eras industrial capabilities.
a case of lots of real good intel but lack of a high tech industrial base. good book.
-never read it?

[Pleribus]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/5/1923/1923_1079863389_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/5/1923/1923_1079863389_large.jpg)

An idea on how the head attaches to the rest of the body. I figured since it's based in a time that medical science was still a little primitive, the methods employed to attach his head would also be fairly rough.

[Pleribus]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/5/1923/1923_1079863689_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/5/1923/1923_1079863689_large.jpg)

Sketch to base the head topology on. I'm not too flash at sketching, but hopefully I'll be able to refine it once I have it in 3D...

I'm thinking he needs a monicle (eye piece) when I get him in 3D.

[Pleribus]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/5/1923/1923_1080216072_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/5/1923/1923_1080216072_large.jpg)

Started modelling the face. This is only my second attempt at a human head.

The first was of my own and was an absolute mess of polygons and tris, so I have really tried to work out this edgelooping technique and simplifying the mesh to the least number of polygons (before mesh smoothing is applied).

Really happy with how it is coming along.

[Pleribus]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/5/1923/1923_1080481479_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/5/1923/1923_1080481479_large.jpg)

Quick update. No ears yet as I have trouble modeling them... looking for any good tutorials if anyone has links.

Crits and comments welcome.

Plan is to finish head, then move onto the intricate workings of the torso.

[Saschi0815]

Hi Pleribus,

yes - really a weird concept:applause: . I like the style of your gentleman + the whole charisma of your idea.

And your gears are much better than mine...:p Look in my thread, and u will know...

Are u planning to develop a functional mechanic in his body?
I could imagine a lot of wires and strands of cables in his body bteween the cogs...
I'm lookin' forward to see more of your progress..

Rock on:beer:

[Cullen]

Hey Clint. Great work. I didn't realise you replied to my thread until I came here. Really like your concept. Luv the idea about the monkey and how his life is over if he doesn't have any peanuts.
First sketches are great... except I think the legs should be a tad longer.

Nice start on the modeling as well. Your just kicking along with those gears.

My coments on the face.
- I think you need to define the top of the nostrils a little more.
- I really like the concept of the face, and think the model should have the same chin, which will need a few more polys to achieve this.

Good luck with the challenge Pleribus... I'll keep an eye out.

[Pleribus]

Saschi0815: Mine are just the star shape in 3dMax extruded with a couple of holes for good measure. I want to make it look as though it is a functional machine inside, but not being a mad scientist, I'm not sure how that might work... I think I will be just laying out the gears in an aesthetic manner and hope it looks like it all does something... I'm intending to add some flask/beakers in his abdomen with glass swirly pipes up into his brain... hoping to make the liquid inside glow so as to light up his inner gears. Other than that, I'll add a few cams and other gadgets to complete the look.

Cullen: wasn't sure if you'd remember the alias from the PM I sent you a while back. Will definately take your comments on board, as I agree the nostril isn't very well defined... still learning ;) All crits and suggestions help me no end.

I'm going to adjust the chin as well, it's a bit too pointy for my liking, I wanted to make it a little "knobby" as I drew it (tried to anyway)

Took another stab at modeling the ear but have failed miserably. Back to where I was last night...

I have managed a monicle though ;)

Does anyone out there know the best way to create a jacket/cape... is the best way to create a polygon that is somehow double-sided or do I create it with super thin sold shapes (if that makes any sense)

[Saschi0815]

The best way for me is to select the faces in poly-mode which are relevant to the jacket. Then detach them as an object. After that scale them a little bit up for extrusion or the "soldify"-modifier. Push the vertices in Place, cut, delete and so on like all the other boxmodels.

Here in your case u can do this way with the shoulders etc..
Then you can extrude the lower edges to create the bottom part of the jacket.

The cape could be extruded from a spline. After that extrude the faces for the thickness.

Hope it works...:shrug: :)

cya

[RekAge]

Looking interesting. I like th idea that his life is in the hands of a chimp. It's a nice suprise to see people going in the other direction in design instead of the "in the future people will have giant lobster hands". I'm going for the steampunk stlye as well (follow link in sig) and I'm going to be keeping an eye on this thread.

[ZMass]

Very cool idea! You're off to a pretty strong start too.

I know what you mean about the ears - they are tough. There are lots of tutorials though fortunately. Check www.maxunderground.com/tutorials.html (http://www.maxunderground.com/tutorials.html)
or www.secondreality.ch/tutorials/modelling/ear.html (http://www.secondreality.ch/tutorials/modelling/ear.html)
I think 3D Cafe had a decent one, and I may have seen one on Polycount.

It looks like you are modeling half and then mirroring. Use Max's symmetry modifier on top of your mesh with 'show end result on' (little button under the modifier stack). That will get rid of the seams and give you a better idea of the final result while you model.

I would suggest giving the clockwork in his abdomen some depth maybe. You could layer different sets of gears or have other gadgetry under the gear layer. Do a Google image search for clockwork or some such thing for ideas.

Hope this was helpful :)

[BaronVonWink]

this is a really unique idea and I think its coming along terrifically! are you going to put in all the little bits you see inside of a watch? the little levers and switches?

good stuff!

[Pleribus]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/5/1923/1923_1081003330_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/5/1923/1923_1081003330_large.jpg)

Small update. Have tried out my idea of the glowing fluids to help light the inner workings of my clockwork immortal. They will eventually be hooked up to the head via some twisty glass tubing that will wind it's way up past the gears... which I have still to work on.

What do people think so far? Any crits are more than welcome. I'm still learning so any suggestions help me immensely.

[Pleribus]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/5/1923/1923_1081003581_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/5/1923/1923_1081003581_large.jpg)

Have started on the coat/cape the scientist wears.

I'm hoping it doesn't obscure too much of the inner gears once I have him posed as I want him.

[Pleribus]

Can anyone tell me or point me in the right direction of the best way to acheive a realistic looking hair without hair plugins such as shag fur.

I'm wondering how I'm going to go about creating eye brows, and a realistic looking moustache and hair style.

Let alone the monkey...

[JRBRAZ]

Good progress. I like the idea.

The ears look a little strange ... post in a new angle to we see better. About the coat, need more details, but I know is a wip yet ... And the hat could be a little higher ...

To make the hair, if you use 3dsMAX, you can make a line, and use Scatter and select all surface you want. Or make on hand, inserting line by line ...

I'm doing a scientist too, but he is a Doctor Frankenstein :surprised, That wants too live forever. Almost the same idea :beer:

Sorry for my horrible english

[Pleribus]

yeah, I'm not too happy with the ear at all. I spent so much time on it, and messed it up so many times, I just thought I'd come back to it (if I have time). It's so hard to see all the nodes in their front and side views and work out if they are at their right depths etc...

So I moved onto another part of the body until I felt like trying again.

Only my second attept, as I said, of a human head. Hopefully it gets easier with each try.

Maybe I'll create a new file and just practice making ears for a while ;)

[Saschi0815]

Maybe it helps:)

http://www.comet-cartoons.com/toons/3ddocs/hair/

[Pleribus]

Saschi0815: thankyou, that is perfect. Exactly the sort of thing I was looking for...

[bigkrull]

Hi Pleribus, very original idea!!, fo the ear try this, is a very interesting approach.

:thumbsup:

http://mr2k.3dvf.com/tutorials/max/polygones/joan_of_arc/part02/part02_oreille01.htm


------------------------
my machineflesh:

http://www.cgtalk.com/showthread.php?threadid=132720

[Pleribus]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/5/1923/1923_1081259739_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/5/1923/1923_1081259739_large.jpg)

I've modeled some new gears to put inside my clockwork cyborg. I'm going to model a couple of other variations of gears, as well as some other "watch" parts to put inside. I think these ones will allow a little more depth to the insides as the 'spokes' are a lot thinner.

[Pleribus]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/5/1923/1923_1081260011_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/5/1923/1923_1081260011_large.jpg)

I've fixed the ear up quite a bit, and am a lot happier with it, but not completely satisfied.

I've also added some tubing to the insides that run from the bottles of fluids up into his head. These also light up the internals. Not sure if I like it or not... I'll probably make up my mind once I have put the gears inside.

[Ravendsg]

Hope to see the gears working inside soon man! NIce work on the details!! :applause:

[Pleribus]

bigkrull: Thanks for the link to that ear tutorial... I'm thinking I might model it and then copy it into my scene to hook it into the head. It should look 100x better than the mess of an ear I have at the moment.

Ravendsg: Soon, very soon.

In researching the inner workings of old pocket watches, I've come across a lot of watch layouts with all the bits and pieces... it's actually really interesting stuff.

Some of the mechanics are works of genius. Not sure I'll include all the different parts, but I hope to model a few other things that aren't simply gears. Once I have done them all, I'll start laying them out in the chest cavity.

[Pleribus]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/5/1923/1923_1082289894_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/5/1923/1923_1082289894_large.jpg)

Slow progress. Have been a bit slack in terms of getting more of this done. I have placed the new gears into the chest cavity and have updated the pipes. Wasn't happy with the glass versions.

Any crits and comments are more than welcome.

I'm wondering if the mish mash of gears is a good look, or whether it would be worth the time to lay them out in a more systematic, uniform way. What do other people think?

I've also messed about with some photoshop post adding a slight glow, which I am liking, and may use in the final composition.

[Cullen]

Looking good Clint. The glow works for me. I like the extreem colour lighting setup you are using.

[ParadiseFlyBird]

Pleribus..... wow man ... you're entrys lookin sweet.... the cog systems you have in place are great... and it keeps that old school feel to it perfectly.... i like you're attention to detail ... :thumbsup: keep up the sweet work......PFB

[Pleribus]

Thanks guys, Have him lit mainly from 3 lights, a white one, a blue fill light and an orange/tan backlight.

The colours really come through from the image post processing I was doing. Basically I copied the image to a new layer, adjusted the levels until only the highlights were visible then blurred these and applied a screen effect to the layer. I desaturated the image and did the same again for the white highlights and applied it all back to the original image.

Have heaps of ideas for the treatment of the final composition, but it's going to be a matter choosing what suits it best. Was toying with a desaturated, old photo style, but I really like the brilliant colours I have going on at the moment.

The plan for the final composition is to have him lit mainly by moonlight (blue backlights) and his lantern. I might be able to introduce some coloured lights from nearby windows and street lanterns.

Half the fun is coming up with how that final image will look.

[Saschi0815]

Hi again, Pleribus,

ooops, you've done a big progress, man!!!:applause:
Really good!!

Looks like some clockwork mechanics. And maybe u could make a great animation with all these cogs and gears.

Keep it up!!!!:thumbsup:

[Tremoside]

Hi Pleribus,

clock mechanics are beautiful and beliveable. FINE WORK!!

only I miss some details from cloth..:rolleyes:

KEEP IT UP:buttrock: :buttrock:

[Pleribus]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/5/1923/1923_1083163183_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/5/1923/1923_1083163183_large.jpg)

Well, a little more progress made, I have made a start on the pants and shoes. Details are coming for all the clothing, I'm just sort of "blocking it all out" to make sure I have the proportions correct before I go in and add wrinkles etc etc.

Does the height look right to everyone? I have made him about 7 and a half heads high.

Now onto making the clothes look like clothes, adding hair and eyebrows, and the hands... Not to mention the monkey!

[Pleribus]

Saschi0815: Thanks mate. Loving your entries progress by the way.

I cannot imagine even attempting to animate all of those gears.. i'm still learning this whole modelling, texturing and lighting thing, let alone animation tricks of the trade. I'm very eager to learn as much as I can though..

Tremoside: Thanks, and yeah, details coming as I learn tricks from the masters... heh. I have bookmarked plenty of threads on cgtalk with examples of fine clothing work.

[Tremoside]

you're right man, proportions for first:thumbsup:

see ya!

[Saschi0815]

yes, you're right. Animation is a capitel for itself. I don't know how long u are learned for, but it's my honest opinion that your stuff looks really great and u can really be proud of your progress:bowdown:
I'm lookin forward to see your clothes. I do the same yet, and it's not easy, but I think u will made them such your mechanic parts.:thumbsup:

Maybe one suggestion: don't use black as background, it's hard to see your whole modell. Perhaps use a gradient ramp of two colors like black and white...

Keep up this way,mate!!!:wavey:

[Pleribus]

Saschi0815:
Thankyou for those kind words.

I haven't been learning long. The university course I did a few years ago had a semester of basic 3D modelling in which we created a lego man and some other basic sort of things and a small/simple animation.

I was hoping it would have been a bit more in depth, and was a bit disappointed as I basically chose the course as it was the only one at the time that offered "3D animation" as a subject. The course was more of a computer science course, but with visual design thrown in for good measure.

I ended up becoming a web developer/interactive author in the end...

Since then I have only recently got back into it as it's an area I'd really like to move into, so I have just been reading lots of tutorials on modeling things, and have made a 3D version of myself (my avatar on the left), and a few other bits and pieces.

Hopefully one day I'll be able to do it full time, instead of in my own time.

[Saschi0815]

Hi Pleribus,

sorry for my late reply - I had to work- you know the f..... deadlines.... Now I have a little sparetime to reply some in some (the important:p ;) ) threads.

In my study (mediadesign) 2 years ago I learned in 4 weeks some stuff of 3DSMax 3.1, and I thought this could be a great hobby...
So one year ago I bought a license and started to learn as u do...btw I'm still a newbie, but the basics are in my head and I can work in my agency with these skills.( but still i do layouting brochures, websites etc..)

..and yes, I believe u are able to work in this branche, 'cause it's not the technical aspect in mastering the programm- it's the artistic way to show people things.

Keep it up, mate. Believe in u and u will get it....:thumbsup: :beer:

[Pleribus]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/5/1923/1923_1086091992_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/5/1923/1923_1086091992_large.jpg)

Well, looks like I'm not going to be able to finish my entry as I had hoped... which is a real shame. I was so into this challenge. Unfortunately (well, depending on how you look at it) I've had some work fall in my lap which is too good to turn down, so, I'm going to have to leave it at this for the time being. Maybe I can finish it off over the following few months for something to do...

Have learnt so much in just attempting to complete my entry, that I don't feel so terrible about abandoning it at this point.

Hopefully I'll have the chance to post a completed image further down the track.

Looking forward to everyones final entry... there are so many fantastic entries that I don't envy the judges position...

[CGTalk Moderation]

This thread has been automatically closed as it remained inactive for 12 months. If you wish to continue the discussion, please create a new thread in the appropriate forum.