Game Art Challenge #10: Pickup Truck - PVC cannon array

#1

I have a couple of tiny sketches on paper, but won’t be able to get them up until I get home.

I have a friend that built a mortar out of PVC pipe, it launches Soda/Beer cans full of concrete. After originally playing around with the idea of a pickup with a huge battlebots-esque buzz saw, I realized that that was a bit ridiculous given the sort of Mad Max post-apocalyptic setting, so then I recalled the mortar my friend had made, and decided it’d be great to have one of those on my truck instead.

Basically, my concept is a pickup truck with chunks of metal bolted to the sides of the cab and front engine area, with some wicked jaggy bits strapped to the hood for better ramming folks. Popping out of the broken-out windshield on the passenger side is 4-5 PVC pipes loaded with cement shells, connected to a fuel tank used for propelling the cannons. They’re fired one at a time, and due to the nature of the weapon, multiple barrels are required in lieu of reloading. Additionally, the back truckbed has a mortar attached and a couple of coolers full of ammunition and ammunition-in-the-making.

Not much of the driver is visible, because he’s got armor plating covering up most of the windows and the drivers portion of the windshield.

Additionally, the front bumper is going to have a large pipe mounted in the front to help it roll over stuff and will have reinforced wheels of some time (chains or something).

I’ll post the concept later.

#2

I haven’t gotten the concept sketches digitized yet, but I sat down and spent 30 minutes modelling a quick little concept. I’m probably going to continue to work the body of this model into the actual body of my truck, but the rest is just filler to quickly show what the concept looks like.

#3

An Update.

current tri count is 2169 for all 4 wheels and the truck body, seats(pink), and interior(blue). The mortar in the back, the pipes in the window, and the green spikes are just there for concept at the moment, and will change as I continue to flesh this out.

At this time, I’m working on getting the interior done and connected to the body, then I’mgoing to start strapping the armor plating on. The driver’s side windows are all going to be replaced with heavy armor plating with an eye slit. The broken windows are going to have some wire mesh placed over them, as well, so seeing the driver and the interior is going to be difficult.

#4

Another update. Again, a few parts of the model are still conceptual, namely the Cannons and the Mortar. It has a solid interior now, with seats. No driver (or steering wheel) yet. He’s going to be really low poly, since I can normal map him and he’s going to be mostly hidden behind his armor plating. The broken out windows are going to have some sort of metal mesh pulled over them, I’m going to wind up using my 512x512 for all my alpha needs.

Started modelling the armor plating, it’s going to have normal mapped bolts eventually. The truck could use some optimization under the armor still, although I’m going to need to keep it a solid mesh because I’m going to be putting this into the MUPPETS(http://muppets.rit.edu) engine once I finish, and stencil shadows will break if it isn’t airtight.

I still need to model the straps that hold the impaling spikes onto the armor, the window mesh, the and the PVC pipe cannon array & rear mortar, the steering column, the driver, coolers full of ammo, and other stuff for the back of the truck. If I’ve got polys left, I’m going to wrap the front with barbed wire.

#5

Another update. My host is being goofy so I can’t upload this properly.

Still gotta get my pilot modelled, and may need to model some other stuff. I need to optimize a little bit, too.

I’d love any/all crits and suggestions.

#6

Looks good - I like the metallic panels - it looks used and cobbled together which fits in with the post apoc theme. I think the spikes on the front are too thin and flimsy looking. How about scaffolding tubes cut off at a sharp angle?
The actual truck topology looks odd in places - particularily the front and the sides. Its efficient, but it just looks flat and unconventional - if you can afford them, add an extra edge or 2 so that the side of the van has a slight curve of some sort. hope that makes some sort of sense…
What the heck is a PVC cannon anyway? does it fire plastic or somthing?

#7

Hey ghost, like the truck. good idea going with older vehicle. I like the spikes welded to the hood. Although your wepons could be a little more detailed.

#8

PVC Cannon - Imagine a homemade cannon that shoots beer cans full of concrete. I’ve got a friend who made one.

#9

Cool concept, reminds me of something out of twisted metal black. Keep up the tight work!

#10

Likin it. could easily see this in road warrior.
little containers of cement filled doom sound really painful-

as for the over all shape, the truck bed walls seem really low to me- are you using any sort of referance for the trucK?

and just a style thing: the spikes on the front look more like sharpened sticks than anything else. (might change with the texture though)you might wanna play with the idea of metal beams, ibeams etc, that have jagged ends. i figure it might make it look more mean that way.

sorry to hear about your whole model having to be one piece, thats must be really limiting.:sad:

#11

The truck is very loosely based off of http://www.onnovanbraam.com/blueprint.php?nr=323 , A 1955 Ford Pickup. I say loosely because I stopped using the reference about the same time I submitted my concept model, as I didn’t want to copy the design accurately because a) I didn’t like all of it and b) I didn’t want to date my truck back to the 50s.

As far as the spikes on the front of the car, originally I was thinking of some bent up metal stakes, now I’m thinking it might be nice to cut some sharp ends onto those big curved stakes they use to hold up that orange temporary fencing, like http://www.fotosearch.com/comp/CRT/CRT218/005811WM.jpg. Not the thin ones, like http://www.melfisher.org/lastslaveships/africancemetery/ceremonypics/fence.jpg, but the thicker ones with a cross section like _/’’’’_ .

For the curvature of the front and rear, or lack thereof, rather, I hadn’t even noticed it. I’m definitely going to curve the front and the rear corners a bit.

Looking at my screenshots, it looks like I may have inadvertently lowered the rear at some point, as I don’t recall the rear-side windows poking down like that.

As for the whole air-tight thing, it’s not such a big deal, and it’s all going to be normal mapped and lit per pixel when I’m finished, so it should look pretty sweet.

#12

First of all, Thank you for the generous comment, and I really like what you have going here so far. I’m kinda worried about the weapon requirement on ours. Either I need to make mine bigger, (will look out of place) or I need to attach another. I’m not sure if yours fits the 1/4th size requirement either, but I hope they wont enforce this too strictly, or I may have to work on another concept I had. Great work here!

#13

An update. I’ve got like 30 tris left, I can probably cut some somewhere if I need 'em. Everything is modelled except a steering wheel, and the drivers feet and pedals. I’m thinking I’m leaving them out since it’s almost impossible to see his feet. The wheel will get modelled however.

I changed the pointy spikes to be those big metal stakes I was talking about, I’ve got a pilot, and I tweaked the back, etc.

Crit/suggestions for improvement would be appreciated before I go through the process of unwrapping this guy. Then I’ll get to build the hi-rez and normal map him.

#14

Just two things pop out at me, the stakes feel like they’d jam back into the cab on impact with anything, maybe instead of bindings you could have bolts holding them down, or convert the end binding to some sort of pocket. The other thing is the glass, are you going to have it with the square cut ? it seems like it would be more likely to be broken out with a few remains left. Anyway very neat model can’t wait to see it normal mapped.

#15

really cool thing! coming very well!

really apocalistic :smiley:

#16

def cool, i agree with Cunbelin, seems like you could save a few polies if you just made the broken windows one plane, and alpha mapped a hole.

but it looks -f-ing awesome, lots of detail, and it should look dope (especially the cabin) once textured)

#17

As for the window, it will be alpha’d, but I’ll get better texture usage if I break it up like that.

As for the ram spikes sliding into the cabin, The new version has big pegs that will stick through the spikes to keep them from sliding in their bindings.

I’ve got an updated version that I need to get around to posting, it’s the final model, just gotta unwrap. I came in at 4995 tris.

#18

Updates. Precious little is new, actually. I’ve been busy working on Wings of Megaira, a game that some friends and I are making. You can download a woefully outdated build at http://andysgi.rit.edu/andyworld10/games_education/archives/student_work/index.php If you’re interested.

#19

verry cool, no crits,- you got a good thing goin,
hurry up with your shooter so you can get back on this *cracks whip

#20

I’m not dead. But the IGF student showcase deadline is November 12th. This is also the 9th week of my 10 week quarter at RIT, so I’ve got finals cooking, too.