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Re: Limit Theory Fan Contest - Discussion

#2056
Black--Snow wrote:
Mon Apr 16, 2018 4:43 am
CSE wrote:
Mon Apr 16, 2018 1:29 am
The ship itself looks nice, but thin - somehow it needs something to give it scale so that it looks like a "capital" ship.
Yeah, I'm struggling with this one. I'm not sure how to properly give it scale. If you have any tips, I welcome them with open arms.
There are a couple of possible tricks to give a sense of scale.
The first one, as mentioned by thedamngod, is windows - even if probably a spaceship would never have windows as weak points, we are automatically thinking that every lighted square is about 1m2. This is the trick used in my movie above.
The second one is using other objects to emphasis size difference. This is the way I used in my last LTFC entry with the fighters that are small as dots when they leave the carrier bay, but large close to the camera. This could be turrets as well as thedamngod is mentioning.
The best option is greebles. Adding details that give the impression of structures and therefore scale. It works best when used in clusters and not on the whole surface, as illustrated in an ugly picture here. I also used this technique in my last LTFC entry, with the cannons, some pipes and some localised tectures with heigh-maps (e.g. close to the canons with the red lights).
FInally I learned higher in this thread that the FOV of the camera is also a good trick to give a sense of scale - just scroll upwards. But your model must have the details to allow closer scrutiny.

I would love to make such an exhaust in Vue. Not using Blender and don't want to start one more software now when there is still sooo much to learn in Wings 3D and Vue... :oops:

On another topic:
HowSerendipitous wrote:
Mon Apr 09, 2018 4:02 pm
CSE wrote:
Mon Apr 09, 2018 1:24 pm
This model, as opposed to the industrial ship, is done in Wings3D. While this is so much more effective, somehow it looks much less natural; so I must be doing something wrong!
I think it'll just take practice. I usually start with a cube and keep cutting and extruding faces until I get a vaguely ship-like shape :twisted: I use the extract function to create separate models for when I need a different texture.
I think the problem comes from the lack of details/polygons.
When building a model in Vue, it is a "perfect" geometrical definition. So when rendering, automatically the level of detail increases as the part is close to the camera.
A sphere is always a sphere, even seen from very close.

A model in Wings 3D has discrete faces (even if the edges can be "soft"). So when you zoom in a sphere, at some point, it will look flat. And the default number of polygon for spheres or other rings is actually quite low...

My conclusion (if I am not wrong) -> angled shapes as often existing in human designs look good (see for example in my model the pentagonal object holding the engines) but the rounded shapes are more difficult. Probably I need to increase dramatically the number of polygons even in places where I am not adding details or correcting the geometry (which were my only motivation for adding points and vertices)...
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Re: Limit Theory Fan Contest - Discussion

#2057
Black--Snow wrote:
Mon Apr 16, 2018 4:43 am
CSE wrote:
Mon Apr 16, 2018 1:29 am
Whoaw - I absolutely love the exhaust plumes!
How did you do it? What software are you using?
Thanks!
I'm using ole' reliable Blender. It's about 25000 particles in a point density cloud. Emission effect and a bit of post-processing glow on the top.
CSE wrote:
Mon Apr 16, 2018 1:29 am
The ship itself looks nice, but thin - somehow it needs something to give it scale so that it looks like a "capital" ship.
Yeah, I'm struggling with this one. I'm not sure how to properly give it scale. If you have any tips, I welcome them with open arms.
CSE and thedamngod have covered everything I was going to suggest, for they are wise :twisted:
CSE wrote:
Mon Apr 16, 2018 7:09 am
Black--Snow wrote:
Mon Apr 16, 2018 4:43 am
CSE wrote:
Mon Apr 16, 2018 1:29 am
The ship itself looks nice, but thin - somehow it needs something to give it scale so that it looks like a "capital" ship.
Yeah, I'm struggling with this one. I'm not sure how to properly give it scale. If you have any tips, I welcome them with open arms.
There are a couple of possible tricks to give a sense of scale.
The first one, as mentioned by thedamngod, is windows - even if probably a spaceship would never have windows as weak points, we are automatically thinking that every lighted square is about 1m2. This is the trick used in my movie above.
The second one is using other objects to emphasis size difference. This is the way I used in my last LTFC entry with the fighters that are small as dots when they leave the carrier bay, but large close to the camera. This could be turrets as well as thedamngod is mentioning.
The best option is greebles. Adding details that give the impression of structures and therefore scale. It works best when used in clusters and not on the whole surface, as illustrated in an ugly picture here. I also used this technique in my last LTFC entry, with the cannons, some pipes and some localised tectures with heigh-maps (e.g. close to the canons with the red lights).
FInally I learned higher in this thread that the FOV of the camera is also a good trick to give a sense of scale - just scroll upwards. But your model must have the details to allow closer scrutiny.

I would love to make such an exhaust in Vue. Not using Blender and don't want to start one more software now when there is still sooo much to learn in Wings 3D and Vue... :oops:

On another topic:
HowSerendipitous wrote:
Mon Apr 09, 2018 4:02 pm
CSE wrote:
Mon Apr 09, 2018 1:24 pm
This model, as opposed to the industrial ship, is done in Wings3D. While this is so much more effective, somehow it looks much less natural; so I must be doing something wrong!
I think it'll just take practice. I usually start with a cube and keep cutting and extruding faces until I get a vaguely ship-like shape :twisted: I use the extract function to create separate models for when I need a different texture.
I think the problem comes from the lack of details/polygons.
When building a model in Vue, it is a "perfect" geometrical definition. So when rendering, automatically the level of detail increases as the part is close to the camera.
A sphere is always a sphere, even seen from very close.

A model in Wings 3D has discrete faces (even if the edges can be "soft"). So when you zoom in a sphere, at some point, it will look flat. And the default number of polygon for spheres or other rings is actually quite low...

My conclusion (if I am not wrong) -> angled shapes as often existing in human designs look good (see for example in my model the pentagonal object holding the engines) but the rounded shapes are more difficult. Probably I need to increase dramatically the number of polygons even in places where I am not adding details or correcting the geometry (which were my only motivation for adding points and vertices)...
Hm, that's a good point. I guess you could do it any things that aren't a primitive in Wings, then actually assemble the model in Vue, using spheres etc generated there. It'd be a bit slower going, but you'd get those nice perfect shapes. Alternatively, you could turn up the polygon count, just click on the cog on the right when creating a sphere for example. You can also subdivide faces by connecting two of the edges, then move the edge to create a curve. Just chop the face(s) in half, move the new edge, chop the two new faces in half, move the edges.... Etc, until you have a curved shape. It just depends how crazy you want to go with the modelling :twisted:

I think the trick is to add detail where you need it and be economical with polygons. That's also the hard bit :twisted: As for my entry, things are going slowly, but I should get something done before the end date! Just need to write more and do some properly finished renders. I have a quite fun idea that'll involve a bit of post-processing, but I think it'll work :twisted:

There's a particle system in Vue, but I've not really done much with it. Could it do spiffy exhausts like Black--Snow's entry? Possibly.... I'd need to experiment. There's also a particle painter there which might help.
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Re: Limit Theory Fan Contest - Discussion

#2063
CSE wrote:
Mon Apr 30, 2018 12:22 am
HowSerendipitous wrote:
Sun Apr 29, 2018 5:22 pm
I'm just waiting for a render to finish then I'm uploading mine :twisted:
Very nice HS!

I will order a couple of them after the admiral has found and weathered all all the bugs ;)
Good idea, the foreground in the presentation room.
Heheh, thanks... I wanted to do another ship review thingy, but not in the same way. So I made a story of it.

And one more picture because, well, I liked it but I preferred the one showing the underneath :twisted:

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Post

Re: Limit Theory Fan Contest - Discussion

#2068
HowSerendipitous wrote:
Tue May 01, 2018 1:57 pm
Like the entry, Black-Snow, the details you added really improved the scale :twisted:
Thanks! It was a bit rushed at the end because I forgot about this for about 10 days.

I might do some more work on it post LTFC, particularly with the final presentation (Like my submission for the combat edition).

Did you make the silhouettes for your submission or grab them off a site? I've sort of dreaded the idea of humanoids.
<Detritus> I went up to my mom and said "hey... do you feel like giving five dollars to black lives matter?" and she laughed and said no :v <Black--Snow> my life does matter though ~~ added by Hema on Jun 11 2020 (2770)
Post

Re: Limit Theory Fan Contest - Discussion

#2069
Black--Snow wrote:
Wed May 02, 2018 12:35 am
HowSerendipitous wrote:
Tue May 01, 2018 1:57 pm
Like the entry, Black-Snow, the details you added really improved the scale :twisted:
Thanks! It was a bit rushed at the end because I forgot about this for about 10 days.

I might do some more work on it post LTFC, particularly with the final presentation (Like my submission for the combat edition).

Did you make the silhouettes for your submission or grab them off a site? I've sort of dreaded the idea of humanoids.
Doooo it! I'm gonna' keep chipping away at those particle beams, they need more ooomf :twisted:

Heheh, well, I could've tried to do the silhouettes, but I suspect my stick people would've been awful. so I pilfered them via the infernal power of Google Images :twisted:
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Post

Re: Limit Theory Fan Contest - Discussion

#2070
HowSerendipitous wrote:
Wed May 02, 2018 12:36 pm
Doooo it! I'm gonna' keep chipping away at those particle beams, they need more ooomf :twisted:

Heheh, well, I could've tried to do the silhouettes, but I suspect my stick people would've been awful. so I pilfered them via the infernal power of Google Images :twisted:
On another note, do you know if there's an easier way to make clones or 'clouds' of ships without duplicating and making a big old mess?

I wanted procedurally placed fighters but especially with their particle system I think that's not possible.
<Detritus> I went up to my mom and said "hey... do you feel like giving five dollars to black lives matter?" and she laughed and said no :v <Black--Snow> my life does matter though ~~ added by Hema on Jun 11 2020 (2770)

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