Grand Space Opera 3D Entry: matt gee

[madmatt]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/7/4488/4488_1098363826_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/7/4488/4488_1098363826_large.jpg)

first concept sketch, the challenge is about a grand space opera, this reminds me of the idea of the cosmic ballet how the planets move and interact this linked with the idea of space collanisation and a conflict brought me to the idea that the battle could be with a natural disaster ie the death of the sun .. super nova style .. then I started thinking about the idea that a civilation may not wish to leave their planet to die and therefore great plans could be put in place to move the planet to another solar system, the image will show a fleet of ships leading the way as a giant solar sail pulls their planet behind them..

[madmatt]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/7/4488/4488_1098363977_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/7/4488/4488_1098363977_large.jpg)

more interesting layout with the dieing star in the background, the planet towing sail and the fleet up close ( much more depth )

[madmatt]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/7/4488/4488_1098546671_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/7/4488/4488_1098546671_large.jpg)

first layout of the planets with the oversized sun getting closer in the background as it uses up its fuel placement of the fleet and sail are still to be done

[pch123]

Hope this info is of some use. As the Sun uses up its fuel (moving from 'burning' hydrogen to helium etc) it will expand and turn into a red giant. Also the earth's temperature would have risen causes great changes in the planet's vegetation etc.

Going well, good idea. Good Luck

[simoncvy]

I love the vast engineering project saving humanity idea.

Is the image going to take place during the supernova? It would look cool to see the planet surfing on the explosion wave of a supernova with its vast sail.

[daxcat]

Nice idea... very nice. I can see it reflecting the massive scale of the brief and the resultinm image should be really dramatic. good luck

[theduke]

Wow, talk about original :-)
I'm curious how you're going to pull this one off. It looks very promising. Also i like the idea of it being sort of a last minute saving, when the supernova is already at a VERY critical stage :-)

Keep up the good work!

[Citizen Suicide]

Sounds really original and breathtaking if done right...

Wish i'd thought of it :)

[madmatt]

thanks for all the comments great to hear from you all, will check out your own entries when I have a free moment. riding the supernova explosion sounds a good idea but makes the whole concept a bit pointless as the plannet would have been distroyed by the expantion of the sun well before that point and so there would be very little of the planet left to save, I intend to show the inner planets already burning in the outer layers of the expanded sun.. will try to do some more work this evening and post some new stuff tonight..

[madmatt]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/7/4488/4488_1098724333_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/7/4488/4488_1098724333_large.jpg)

first ideas about the technology behind the fleet and solar ships, want to use very graceful lines very insect / bird like qualities in the designs, this may be a starting point for a smaller ship either a scout or transport vehicle

[simoncvy]

I am very happy to see such cool looking models here (after your very rough sketches) bravo!

[Shardana]

great models!! they really seems very light! :applause:
keep it up!

[madmatt]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/7/4488/4488_1098744025_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/7/4488/4488_1098744025_large.jpg)

thanks again for your comments, they are rough sketches that is for sure was at work at the time and just quickly roughed them out while I had two minutes.. is nice to be getting comments as never had them before/. anyway this is just a quick play with colour and texture for the technology will do more on this ship before deciding on the designs for the giant sail and the fleet..

[madmatt]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/7/4488/4488_1098803966_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/7/4488/4488_1098803966_large.jpg)

some tests on changing the texture for the planet, the first image is the first stage render the second is a treated version of the first image showing where I would like to end up colour and style. the oceans evaporated away and the last bits of water at the poles the rest a mixture of desert and rock.

[coCoKNIght]

Wow, very kewl idea and beautifull images. Keep it up!

[Velk]

I really like where this is going. I wasn't too sure when I saw your first concepts but now I think this will be amazing. The planet is really starting to take shape and I like the burned out colors of it.

[simoncvy]

Is that Africa in the middle - or my over-active imagination?

I would be careful using the burn tool - it tends to oversaturate dark parts of the image.

[Velk]

I think it is Africa simoncvy if you look at post #4 it shows the world, looks to me like a bad world map that has been sphereized.

[WazaR]

Some notes on planet creation aming for realism;

a. at large distances, most topographical detail is lost,... mountains that to use look huge from space look very flat. Also you will notice from sub orbitail images of the earth that in the horizon you are not able to see any kind of mountain ranges, or "edge" bumps.

b. the atmosphere is not so visible espeacially the furhter it is from the planet.

c. you can tell that the bump/displacment map your using is of earth. Depending on the thickness of the atmosphere, it can have a noticable effect on the saturation of the planetary surface, or basically it has a fallof effect on the planet.

buena suerte amigo.

[madmatt]

hi there, everyone thanks for all your comments yep was using the earth info and maps as a starting point as was unsure where to go straite away but with your sugestions I think designing a planet from scratch may be a better way of developing the idea instead of locking myself to the initial earth idea.. ( as if we could recognise earth after it had been burnt so badly from the sun ) am working on the craft again tonight want to get a feel for the first ship so I can move forward on the technological side of things..

[madmatt]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/7/4488/4488_1098828698_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/7/4488/4488_1098828698_large.jpg)

been working on the solar ships adding rigging and gantries to the rear area and also the main airlock gantry at the front of the ship, surfaces are still prelimary but give an idea of where I want to go the ship ( sea ) qualities are comming through now want to feel these ships are sailed through space

[madmatt]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/7/4488/4488_1098828774_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/7/4488/4488_1098828774_large.jpg)

see earlier notes this shows a clearer view of the rear rigging and rear access point leading to the tail gantry

[madmatt]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/7/4488/4488_1098828861_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/7/4488/4488_1098828861_large.jpg)

this is a close up of the main front airlock and access gantry this is more the sort of angle that you will see the ships in the final layout as they sail ahead of the planet.

[jwilson02]

i really like that ship..awesome materials ur usin there!

[WazaR]

hate to be a stick in the mud but.....

how are people supposed to walk about on the ladders of this ship in space, or anywere else for that matter?? Needless to say, this ship does not look like it could survive the riggers of space travel.

[madmatt]

Reply to WazaR : - a: how are they to walk on the ladders, didn't say they were ladders anywhere and didn't suggest that anyone would walk on them, in space any astronaught would tell you that free maneuvering without any support or structure to guide your movements is very dangerous and difficult, therefore guide (ladders as you put it) to pull yourself around the ships external areas and to attach safety ropes to seem like a very valid idea and seeing as they exist on nearly all of the space craft that humans have sent into space in one way or another I would take that as a possibility on my own ship design.

B: we are talking about a future situation with materials we don't necessarily have so unless you can look in the future and tell me what the strengths and weaknesses of the materials I am using are then I do not see how you can say that the ship could not survive space travel. If you compare a 747 to a micro light I am sure you would get my point.

P.s I know this sounds very nasty but I must admit I found your last comment rather blunt and although the first comment seemed constructive I feel this one just annoyed me,

Have you seen the solar flyer in starwars attack of the clones. Maybe you should tell Mr. Lucas he got it wrong as well.

Sorry to all about this message just needed to get that off my chest..

[daxcat]

well I'm seriously liking it all, the ship itself has a certain romanticism about it, almost like an old naval tradition and that's nice especially given the serious nature of the mission.

and Matt, don't forget the Bajoran space yacht in Deep Space 9. that one seemed to work quite nicely too...

[wibvisual]

I really like the development of the solar ships.. keep going, I want to see more.

[Crin]

I like the "boaty" concept for the ships, taking the nautical thing into space is an obvious but very intelligent decision.

[arturro]

I like the style of this ship, it reminds me an flying machine of Leonardo da Vinci. It's different, but I got a nice feeling that it has something in common with Leo's concept. Great stuff:thumbsup:

[HieSpike]

looking good. The ship is a bit Star Wars, but that might be a good thing, no? Anyway, good luck.


peace

[Elfo]

Wow. Those ships have a really nice design! Nice modeling! Your idea is also very cool! I really like the orange colour of the ship ^^.

[madmatt]

thankyou to everyone for the messages, just what I needed to get me going on this again as after last post got very down about tit all, will try to get some more done soon but have holiday comming up so may be a bit of a break mid the process as I am out of the country.. will be new stuff soon promise.. again thanks to everyone :thumbsup:

[madmatt]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/7/4488/4488_1101749637_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/7/4488/4488_1101749637_large.jpg)

re-built the planet, as already mentioned didn't want to base it on earth and also realised that the main light source would be the sun behind the planet so the majority of the surface would have no natural light.

THe cities ar shown with their lights shining on the surface while the towers ( part of teh towing system would have been built at equidistant points along the surface of the planet to generate a constant traction from the sail system and to keep the planet turning..

[madmatt]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/7/4488/4488_1101749739_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/7/4488/4488_1101749739_large.jpg)

a quick render of one of the towers a little closer

[Manoo77]

Hi, I saw your post on my thread about the similarity of our base concepts...
First of all, I hope you believe me when I honestly say that I had NO IDEA of your thread when I started mine, that it was pure coincidence! But then again, on a world-wide challenge, maybe it is not that difficult for two people to have the same idea, right?

But after seeing how your aproach is very different from mine (nice idea with the solar sails, by the way), I am hoping it is ok with you that I also keep working on my submissions.

I think this is only awkward because we both thought we had an original concept, something fresh and new, and now there are two of us working from the same base idea...

Also, considering that there are so many people doing great images based on the same concepts (battles, invasions, etc), is it that bad that there are 2 guys trying to save 2 different planets?

I hope it's ok with you...

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