Lego Matrix APU (Armoured Personnel Unit) WIP

[djjimmy2k2]

sorry to have to double post but this thread has had 72 views but no replies. is there any chance of ANY feedback? i could do with it :sad:

[wayfaerer]

Looks very good so far. Only thing that wonders me is that the vehicle itself doesn't look like lego, at least to me.

[dARCKLOWN]

It dosent make any sense? Its either one of the other cause atm it looks like you threw a lego man in there for scale ref or somthing. The simple lego models kills off the effect of the nice detail you have going on the APU.

[nemo]

I think it's a good 5th model.

Looks like plenty of polys as far as i can see.

keep up the good work.

[djjimmy2k2]

Looks very good so far. Only thing that wonders me is that the vehicle itself doesn't look like lego, at least to me.

well the APU itself isnt Lego, its just that im making it for a Lego character. i want to make poses with it and everything and i couldnt do it without a character in it. anyway, Legoman was my first proper model and im trying to learn more about modeling by making things for him to use. i wouldnt learn much if i just kept making lego bricks and stuff. you can understand that right?

but thanks all for saying it looks good.

[Mechmaster]

Very nice work on the APU but I have to agree with wayfaerer and dARCKLOWN about the lego thing. Your model deserves a better operator, having the simple lego figure in such a detailed model is terribly discordant. Maybe your next project could be to model a more realistic pilot figure.

[djjimmy2k2]

yeah ok, you have got a point. the thing is that im not that good enough a modeler to amke a human. like i said in my first post, i havent been taught any modeling skill, i do it all myself, and i dont know enough to do a human. i guess ill take my Legoman out and just have the model on its own. ill still do poses with my Legoman. i want to use it with him even though it may not look right.

[blz]

model is quite nice.keep goin.

[djjimmy2k2]

well ive been carrying on with work on my model and i think its finished. for this image ive taken legoman out of the APU, purely because the general opinion seems to be that putting him in this model is a waste of polygons.

please let me know what you think of the model then ..... cheers ..... :)

http://members.aol.com/djjimmy2k5remix/lego_apu_5.jpg

DJJimmy

[ReBootedOne]

I don't really understand the concept, but the APU modelling itself is very nice... Couldn't some of those details been achieved with bump-mapping, though? I mean, all that detail just seems like needless torture on your part.... The lego figure, however, ressembles a lego figure in color only....
http://cache.lego.com/images/shop/prod/9247-0000-xx-13-1.jpg
See?
That is unless you're shooting for the *shudder* Jack Stone figure style...... Looking at it again, that's probably what you're goin' for, neh?

This does look nice, though.

G'luck with the rest.

-eric

[trankillity]

Would have been nice to see some originality in there. The APU thing is a flat-out video tute from one of the simply* sites and you've just chucked a simple LEGO man in there. Would have been really nice to see you take the concept of the APU and actually model it as if it were made out of LEGO.

[djjimmy2k2]

I don't really understand the concept, but the APU modelling itself is very nice... Couldn't some of those details been achieved with bump-mapping, though? I mean, all that detail just seems like needless torture on your part.... The lego figure, however, ressembles a lego figure in color only....

See?
That is unless you're shooting for the *shudder* Jack Stone figure style...... Looking at it again, that's probably what you're goin' for, neh?

This does look nice, though.

G'luck with the rest.

-eric

maybe i couldve done some of the detail with bump maps but i wanted to model it, the whole point of me modeling is to learn more about how to do it, since im relatively new to it and not very skilled. it may seem like needless torture but it wasnt for me, i enjoyed making every piece.

and the legoman is based on the more articulated technic figures, i wanted to have more joints to play around with.


Would have been nice to see some originality in there. The APU thing is a flat-out video tute from one of the simply* sites and you've just chucked a simple LEGO man in there. Would have been really nice to see you take the concept of the APU and actually model it as if it were made out of LEGO.

look, there may be a video tute out there but who says i used it? i didnt. i made this purely through images off the official matrix site and repeated viewings of the zion siege. and i think ive said it on here before but im making things so i can learn more about how to model. it may not be lego but building things with lego bricks all the time wont teach me much.

to be honest im starting to think i shouldnt have posted this, all im getting is how my legoman doesnt fit in and when i take him out i still get it. i model the most detailed thing ive done and all everyone can say is how my legoman looks out of place. i put him in because i havent been taught anything about modeling and i dont know how to do a human. i just want to make different poses and images with my APU and because im proud of my legoman, since he was the first thing i modeled, i just want to make use of him.

[Mechmaster]

I'm sorry if you feel we are being too hard on you but really we are only trying to help you improve your work and I don't think that anyones' criticism was particularly harsh. Like you, I am entirely self taught and I know how tough it can be.

You have said that you can't build a human because no one has shown you how, no one showed you how to build the APU either but you still did it. You have already stated the answer to your dilemma, you said that you built the APU to learn how to model better, the best way to learn how to model a human is to bite the bullet and actually model one. Sure you won't end up with a perfect model first time but if you never try you will never learn. Read some of the other threads on these forums, there are always plenty of people building human figures, look at how they do it and give it a try yourself, you can always post your results here and ask for suggestions and help.

[djjimmy2k2]

I'm sorry if you feel we are being too hard on you but really we are only trying to help you improve your work and I don't think that anyones' criticism was particularly harsh. Like you, I am entirely self taught and I know how tough it can be.

You have said that you can't build a human because no one has shown you how, no one showed you how to build the APU either but you still did it. You have already stated the answer to your dilemma, you said that you built the APU to learn how to model better, the best way to learn how to model a human is to bite the bullet and actually model one. Sure you won't end up with a perfect model first time but if you never try you will never learn. Read some of the other threads on these forums, there are always plenty of people building human figures, look at how they do it and give it a try yourself, you can always post your results here and ask for suggestions and help.

i overreacted. its just that i posted an image without legoman and i still get replies about how he doesnt look right or whatever. i explained earlier why i put him in and i guess it kinda annoyed me, i overreacted. i know the point of posting my images is to get what people think and get to learn from the criticism.

but i gotta admit you do have a point about me saying i cant do a human. the only way i can ever do it is to try and fail and try again, but to be honest i didnt think of it that way. thanks, i guess ill take a look around and maybe start one soon.

[Mechmaster]

If the idea of jumping straight into a realistic human figure seems a bit daunting perhaps you could start with a pilot figure wearing some form of rigid body armour which would be a little easier to model, or maybe even make it a robot. The problem with the lego man is that it doesn't look realistic in the APU, however you could use the lego man as a basis for a more realistic robot pilot, keep the articulation you have worked out for the lego man but replace the actual parts with pieces more in keeping with the level of realism you have in the APU.
Good luck with whatever solution you decide on.

[djjimmy2k2]

great idea Mechmaster. i might try the action figure way, model more detailed parts and do normal toy articulation, like legomans. thanks for the idea Mechmaster. that is what you meant right?

and i know many of you may not agree with the legoman in a detailed model thing but until i make a human figure im still gonna use him in it. and this is the render i created today. maybe youll like, maybe you wont, just let me know what you think :)

http://members.aol.com/djjimmy2k5remix/reload.jpg

DJJimmy

[Mechmaster]

great idea Mechmaster. i might try the action figure way, model more detailed parts and do normal toy articulation, like legomans. thanks for the idea Mechmaster. that is what you meant right?


Thats right and remember that with CG models there is no limit to the number of times you can go back to an earlier model and improve it so you can build the pilot to the best of your current abilities and update him as you learn new skills. Many of my own favourite models have been rebuilt half a dozen times over the years and will no doubt be revisited in the fuutre as I continue to learn.

Not a bad render though some of the parts of the APU seem a bit too clean, but perhaps you haven't finished texturing yet. Keep up the good work.

[djjimmy2k2]

Thats right and remember that with CG models there is no limit to the number of times you can go back to an earlier model and improve it so you can build the pilot to the best of your current abilities and update him as you learn new skills. Many of my own favourite models have been rebuilt half a dozen times over the years and will no doubt be revisited in the fuutre as I continue to learn.

Not a bad render though some of the parts of the APU seem a bit too clean, but perhaps you haven't finished texturing yet. Keep up the good work.

well ive made this new render today. its the same pose as the image yesterday but from a different, further away, camera.

also ive retextured some parts, like the console in front of the pilot, so hopefully ive fixed the problem with how clean they were. you can kind of see them in the new render .....

(oh and btw, i havent started on the new pilot yet. to be honest ive still got work to do on the APU. i watched the zion siege last night and noticed quite a few details id missed and some bits id done wrong (like the support bits on the back of the legs) and ive been working on them all day. ill get to the pilot as soon as im satisfied that the APU is 100% complete.)

http://members.aol.com/djjimmy2k5remix/reload_2.jpg

DJJimmy

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