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View Full Version : Above & Beyond - Vehicle/Character - blakboks

blakboks
08-14-2002, 06:47 AM
Ok, here we go again!

A little late now, probably won't finish again, but that won't stop me from entering and trying again. Besides, I'm at the point now where I really could use some great Crits and Comments on my stuff and try to get some more recognition for myself. So, anyway, on with the show...

Again, I'm not going to post a concept sketch right away, but if anyone wishes it, I will. As for the description, just listen to your heart's desire... My guy is a mechanic (probably not to surprising since he's building a flying machine:p ) in a semi-post-apocalyptic time when fast isn't fast enough. Basically what he's building/built (depending on whether it actually runs or not, he hasn't really tested it out yet) is a jet engine with a seat and a couple small wings for stabilization (and probably a rudder too). So you can get an idea of what he's like: he's a very round guy who wears a long leather overcoat, with leather gloves, leather boots, a leather 'helmet', leather goggles (ie. snoopy's goggles when he dogfights the red barron). As far as tools he carries, he has a multi-lens magnifying eyepiece for the small details and circuitry on the jet engine, some of the normal tools (wrenches and such), and one of those air powered (pneumatic?)-wrenches (that car mechanics use to take your wheels off your car)...except his is powered by an air-compressor he tailored so he can carry it on his back (like a back-pack).

I've done some work already on both him and his death-rocket, but it's late now, and the post can wait 'till tomorrow morning...
blakboks
08-14-2002, 04:35 PM
Alright, I've had a little bit of time this morning to take the screen grab. However, I had forgotten that Max crashed on me last night while I was working on the jet...well, it said it backed up the file, but when i went to look this morning, sure enough, can't open it. So, all i have to show here now is just the pilot/mechanic.

http://www.rpi.edu/~bulloc/images/FatMan.gif

But what I can show you as far as the engine goes is one of my references, perhaps to whet your thirst. I did some reseach yesterday before beginning on the engine...I think i'm gonna base it off this one:

http://www.rpi.edu/~bulloc/images/Model%20Jet%20Engine.jpg

and the PW4000 Turbofan (which, i think my old roommate actually helped engineer, I don't remember which one exactly it was, but I know it was a PW-X000 series)

I realize that it's a little too early for much C&C, but thanks in advance for all comments.
Rhid1en
08-14-2002, 06:13 PM
Have you checked your auto-backup files to see if there's anything recoverable? If you don't know how to use these; change the name of the newest one, right now it should read-autobackup.mx, rename it to autoback.max. If it still won't open, sometimes you can try opening a new scene and merging the objects into it. If you have multiple objects, sometimes just one will be corrupt and you can at least steal everything else back from the bad file. Good luck and I hope things can be salvaged. I know how frustrating it can be!:hmm:
blakboks
08-16-2002, 03:43 PM
Weird...somehow I LOST replies in this thread and a number of views.... Did this happen to anyone else? Just wondering what the hell happened...

Anyway, since all hell seemed to break loose yesterday I wasn't able to put up my update last night (not that it would've been there today, anyway).

Well, enough of that...here's what I would've posted last night if I could've:

I have yet another small update...this time it's the fabled turbofan. Not yet quite to the details. I spent half of my time tonight trying to figure out how to do some sort of expression in Max. I finally got someting pretty good...that green helper box in the image controls the diameter of the exhaust just simply by sliding it. Yeah, simple, but effective...if I ever decide to animate this beast. (which i believe that was one of the requirements...it has to be animatable, ya??)
Baal
08-16-2002, 04:43 PM
I don't think that the 'thing' has to be animatable, at least it is not in the requirements. For the lost of posts, it happened to everyone has far as I can see, so it is probably a db crash.
blakboks
08-17-2002, 06:25 AM
Tonight's update of the turbofan.

http://www.rpi.edu/~bulloc/images/TurboFan1.gif

http://www.rpi.edu/~bulloc/images/TurboFan2.gif
blakboks
08-19-2002, 07:16 AM
Ok, nothing like a good Brazil render to make something look good. I've sorta started adding details here and there, but there's still quite a few things I gotta add (landing gear of some sort?...and a better connection between the wings and the body...)

http://www.rpi.edu/~bulloc/images/Turbofan_Brazil.jpg

Later.
freemind77
08-19-2002, 11:32 AM
coming along nicely! please put more light , because now its only dark what i see :bounce:
blakboks
08-19-2002, 04:25 PM
yeah...sorry about the light... i'm on a laptop, and i can basically change my screen brightness just by tilting the screen, so i guess it's a little brighter on my comp. than it would be on other peoples'. I was going for atmosphere there with that render...with the color of the light. I'll probably post another screen-grab tonight so you'll be able to see everything.

Later
blakboks
08-20-2002, 05:09 AM
Ugh, Max keeps crashing on me...i think i've pretty much almost maxed out my system resources on my laptop (PII 333 w/128 MB Ram and a 4 MB graphic card w/o OGL).

I was able to get another render off before I call it quits for tonight.

http://www.rpi.edu/~bulloc/images/Turbofan_Brazil_2.jpg

I'm a little indecided...if anyone would please help me out: which looks better? the tail wing with (right side of the picture) or the tail wing without (left side of the picture) the brace to hold it up?

If it sounds like the one without is favored, I'm still going to add just some small make-shift (from the mechanic's standpoint, not mine) braces.

Man, it seems to be coming along so slowly...but i guess that happens when you're pretty much adding as you go along (as opposed to having everything sketched out). Hopefully next weekend I'll have quite a bit more time to work on it. I'm thinking that the pilot won't ever get finished...but hey, maybe this'll become my senior project:curious:.

Thanks again,

Later
blakboks
08-22-2002, 07:56 AM
I have but a small update here... It's getting harder and harder to work without crashing...just don't have the system to do 3D, here at home, i guess:thumbsdow. Well, it'll be back-to-school on monday, so i'll probably work on it in the animation studio then. Didn't even get to work at all yesterday...and tonight, i've only been able to do what you see there (not much...maybe a little dark again...didn't really realize it until just before i posted...apologies in advance). I really want to start on the details now...but i guess there's more than I expected for this....I gotta make it at least look functional...right now, it's just way too smooth for a 'real' jet engine. I guess it doesn't help that I can't even model the detail in (i.e. model the smooth edges instead of letting meshsmooth take care of it) without getting about a 1 fps refresh or worse. Sorry to complain...just had to get it out of my system...I know very well that 3D is quite frustrating, but it doesn't make it any easier when you're trying to do it on a system that can't even handle it. Ok, i'm done.

http://www.rpi.edu/~bulloc/images/Turbofan_Brazil_3.jpg
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