HARDCORE MODELING!: 80's Cartoon: Macross Valkyrie

#12

Hi, first post here.

I’ve done a VF-1S and have many reference images, you got a good start, as long as you don’t want make it transformable.

The nose cone and frontal fuselage is more triangular:

And here is a CAD drawing showing the interior, landing gear, etc (It’s a VF-1A variant, but the only difference is the head/laser turret):

And here you can find the instruction sheets and decals for the plastic models:

http://www.macrossworld.com/macross/models/hasegawa/hasegawa.htm

And here you can see detailed pictures of the finished plastic models, very helpful:

http://www.macrossworld.com/macross/magazines/_magazines_hobbyjapan2001-2003.htm

Browse that site, there is a lot more info in there.

#13

Wow, thanks Woz. These are amazing. I already had a pretty good side, bottom and top, but these will be very helpfull indeed.

I intend to make hins thing transformable, but for this competition i’m just going for a cool pose in Gerwalk mode.

I’m curious as to how your Valkyrie turned out.

#14

Hi, for you model to be transformable, you’ll have to make the nosecone, cockpit, front fuselage and rear fuselage separate objects.

Here’s a render of my old VF-1S model, it’s made on Truespace, and at the time of this render I didn’t had enough machine for a better quality render.

#15

Wow Woz,
That’s one slick looking Valkyrie… I hope I can get mine to look as good as that :applause:
And thanks again for the ortho’s. Especially that transparent sideview was helpfull.

Here’s some more updates. I’ve been working on the legs/engines. I got wrapped up in the details i put the paneling and landing-lights on the top in stead of the bottom… I fixed it already though with a little cutting, pasting and re-aligning.

I’ve also started cutting up the fuselage to get the thing fully transformable…

#16

Another WIP-shot. I’ve been looking at some movies on youTube where guys show how to transform the Valkyrie and I’ve got a pretty good grasp on how the whole thing really works… I just hope I’m done modeling by next week… time flies…

#17

And here’s what i’ve got so far…

#18

Lookin’ good!

Hope you have time too, you did a very good model so far!

#19

looks great …
hope to see it transform too …

#20

I adore Macross Valkyries, modelled one myself many years ago (still in my avatar too) - if there’s one thing I remember it’s that it took alot longer than I thought it would to complete, especially the texturing. It’s kinda like having to make 2 models instead of one where as I thought i would only have to make one model to get two forms. :argh:

I have several VF-1 toys and kits, they all transform slightly differently but the basic principle is the same as far as the layout of parts. The key differences are the leg swingbar and the heatshield (often a separate piece). I would advise looking at the Yamato 1/48 as it probably has the best solutions. I can scan some reference images of how the designer envisioned the VF-1 to transform if you like… it uses a swinging mechanism unlike any of the toys or kits have tho.

It’s looking good so far. :beer:

#21

Sweet progress here!

I cant help but think what a great idea it was for those guys to turn the way-cool Tomcat design into a futuristic spacefighter/transformer.

Anyways, I hope you’ll have enough time to finish and am keeping my fingers crossed.

Cheers!

#22

Nice progress there!

I see you’re going for the toy look. Good decision, that way it will look good in both fighter and battroid mode.

#23

Dispite (or rather because of) the long easter-weekend I didn’t find any time to make any real progress on my model. However I did some more work yesterday-night and early this morning… I have to put some more detail on the booster-thingy that folds out of the fuselage’s back and I still have the arms to do… :hmm:

However, as a fighter it’s starting to look pretty complete.

and here’s the wireframe:


#24

I also did a quick and dirty Gerwalk-pose (without the arms, that is). No rigging involved yet, just a bit of parenting and rotating stuff :stuck_out_tongue:

#25

Great progress, it’s a shame you wheren’t able to make it to the deadline. I hope you will finish it, can’t wait to see the final model!

#26

Here’s a rendering of the Valkyrie in fighter-mode. The backdrop, flares and afterburners were added in Photoshop. Background Artwork by Robert Hurt. NASA/JPL/Caltech.

#27

Well, it’s far from complete but this will be my last post before friday. The arms are quite done yet. and the hands are really just placeholders. I know some of you were wondering, but i’m definately gonna continue working on this model to have it completely modelled, textured and rigged to transform into all 3 modes and have walkcycles on both battroid and gerwalk. I’ll also put in a landing gear for the fighter mode.

But for now: Here’s the gerwalk

#28

Hello,

I admire your work and wondring how many polys does it have?

#29

good job…
too bad you weren’t able to finish to whole thing before deadline … hope you will continue to finish it and texture it after the contest is over …

#30

Thanks everyone for cheering me on. :bounce:

I’ll definately keep working on this thing. I’m gonna redo the hands to make them fully articulated and rig the whole thing to be fully transfomable into all 3 modes.

If I stll feel as ambitious when I’m done with all that, then I’m also gonna try and build a low-poly mesh and use this one as a basis for a normal-map and put the whole thing in a game-engine (I’m thinking Torque) so everyone can walk/fly around with this thing.

By the way: Where would one move his forum-thread if he continues to work on it after the challenge is over?

#31

You have experience with Torque? Otherwise maybe you could help me, if you make low poly model with normal map. I am working on macross game for some time myself, and did a coupel of models. We could exchange models if you want to http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=73&t=753593

BTW, nu woon ik in Delft!