It's been a while since an update so I will do my best to get everyone up to date :)


My models came out reasonably successfully for the first semester, but they do need work for semester 2, so first I will outline my objectives here before talking about progress.

LUCY

I like the Lucy model I created but I am not entirely happy with the finished result. My main weakness when starting this project was the modelling side of the characters, as I had never managed to create an organic model before. However, by focusing on creating an acceptable 3d model I have ignored one of my skills at texturing.

Although I am happy to have created an organic humanoid model the texturing on the hair and clothes is very basic

Lucy will be getting a makeover to reduce topological errors, such as triangles and polygons that share vertexes, but the modelling side of this character is pretty much complete. Lucy's final model featured simple specular and bump maps - but these are what I am targeting for improvement in this semester. These include the file problems that caused broken connections most of the time when importing or opening the file on other computers than my own. One aspect of correction with topology will be for normal maps to increase the detail on her tracksuit and facial features.

The Blunderbus

Because the main objective of the project was to create an organic character the protector character of The Blunderbus (Don't know if I've explained on this blog, but he's named after a camper van my dad used to torture the family with - the point being that it was an ex-ambulance that was not built for the job but kept us safe anyway) was largely ignored. The model was very simple at the best of times and because of the focus on modelling Lucy he was left with many placeholder elements - the feet, for example, are simple pyramids that I meant to upgrade but ran out of time for by hand in. These are one of the  many modelling based examples that the blunderbus needs.

I have to admit this model came out far worse than I hoped.

So I feel that by focusing on improving weaknesses I have actually failed myself by not allowing myself to use my strengths to improve characters. I have always been good at making mechanical models, but did not allow myself to model the Blunderbus successfully because I wanted to improve skills in other areas. I have been texturing for ages but did not allow myself to use my full skills because I was too busy concentrating on skills that I had not learned yet.

With another semester to improve my models I am hoping to improve where I failed by allowing myself to use my skills.

New Semester

New semester and time to continue the development from semester 1.

My main objective is to increase the detail on the characters I have created, and to make them ready for rigging (I will probably rig them as well)

By the end of the last semester I feel that my  characters strayed from their original designs so I will look at returning them to the forms that inspired them - right now that means looking at the dimensions of Lucy and making her more realistic - I feel tshe's too tall and skinny for a little girl. The Blunderbus also needs development to make connections between the geometric shapes of his joints and limbs

Further 3d Development

My character models are pretty much finished, so I'm just playing about with composition and lighting now

The two characters together: Lucy and the Blunderbus

I've been loking at trying to create concept poses for the game that these characters appear in

So my continuing job is to get the characters into the a composed picture together that shows off their modelling as well as revealing a little of the SpiralArm Robotics Facility that they are trapped in. More soon!

More hair, and Robot forms

Continuing my cloth/hair idea by using painted textures with transparency (alpha) to allow a more layered look

Bump mapping is a little strong, and I removed the black outlines on the eyes

Looks much better with lowered bump mapping and without the manga-style eye outlines. I've also played with the specular levels to give a less shiny look to her skin

So Lucy is coming along well. I have two more targets for the model before I will consider it completed: A mouth for lip-syncing and eyelids - both of which are not simple additions and will require me to drop back down to my low-poly original


My robot (Which I like to call Blunderbus) Is being modelled in a different way from Lucy, who was built using image planes in the more standard way. Blunderbus has been build as separate pieces, using Maya as more of a 3d sketchbook than with Lucy. Work on him has, of course, been slower - but I feel I am learning to be far more comfortable in Maya's interface by working in this way.

The robot has been developing more organically than other models I have worked on. This render shows the smoothed High poly version, which has been placed together for completeness. There is still low poly originals of all parts to be welded together properly before final assembly and smoothing.

Hair continued

Maya's hair and fur functions are hugely complex and processor intensive for rendering so I've been looking at other ways to create hair. While modelling a rigid model of the hair shape I hit on the idea of using cloth with a hair texture and allowing it to settle around the head, which would also look better in motion, rather than being a solid mass stuck to the characters head.

My original test, just to see if it could work

Moving vertexes to create hair spikes and applying a simple white test texture

 

I'm going to create a couple of materials in photoshop to test this idea further, but this seems to sit nicely between mega detail and resource friendly.

3d progress

Early work on my Lucy character, testing out Maya's hair functions

And it's collider nCloth functions

and a basic model of my robot for testing lighting and materials (mostly chrome and other metals)

Using mental ray rendering to create realistic reflections

Disposables: Concept design

This is my concept for a third/first person action game that uses technology to explain current game mechanics (A game that plays like a game with explanations) Example: Game is played in a third person perspective - because each player has a small 'drone' that follows them to allow the pilot to see. Destroying another players drone will force them into a limited first person perspective.

The game is a action adventure following the protagonists as they fight for their freedom from the immortal enemies that currently control society.

Why robots?

I like robotics and the idea of strategic design, so I am usually disappointed by the way they are portrayed within popular culture. The most exposed piece of robotics design in recent works would be the robot suits in James Cameron's Avatar, which I felt were silly and childish (Why would you give a robot a knife?) and older examples tend to just scale up human forms and have them fight as if there were no weight difference or strategic difference between human or robotic forms: Gundam, Power Rangers and Transformers.

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Of course, a lot of these works are aimed at children so the silliness of their actions can get ignored in favour of over the top action sequences.

With the advent of unmanned drone technology and the development of actual robotics to be used in real-world battlefields the idea of war-robots is much less far fetched than it has been in the past, although the design of these pieces of robotics is of course completely different. Specialist robotics tend to get drawn up for one job, rather than one jack of all trades solution - bomb defusal robotics is a specific field, and one of these pieces of robotics could not really be used for any other task.

As such, I would like to revisit the 'Robot Battles' idea in popular culture, with designs based on current real world robotic needs and current weapon design. In all aspects of battlefield robotic design there is only one actual factor that determines the use of these pieces of equipment:

Will the use of this prevent the loss of human life?

The main argument for the current development of robotics in a battlefield is not that they will be more accurate, faster or stronger - but that using a robot will save human life from being exposed to danger (Even if, ironically, the robot is used to kill - like an unmanned drone)  A bomb defusing robot is far worse at its job than a human for manual dexterity, but if it messes up there is no human loss of life (hopefully)

Many works in popular culture that use robotics also usually have some kind of Deus ex Machina in their design, usually in the form of an unlimited (or pretty close to) power source for the robotics to use. Without this in the real world, we have to choose when these weapons would be used, so as not to waste a very limited power source - after all, they don't launch planes for anything - they usually need a detailed plan of attack for them, so they do not waste resources or risk human life.  (The primary factor in using robotics to begin with)

There are a few works in popular culture that try to expand on the use of robotics within our current world and only one that tries to imagine what they could be used as in a warfare situation with any kind of realism, called Steel Battalion.

Console: £300, Steel Battalion game: £150, Television: £15 from a charity shop

This game, for the Xbox, tried to create it's own terminology regarding the use of robotic weapons - it referred to them as VT's or 'Vertical Tanks', which does make sense, as tanks are the closest battlefield weaponry in style and in operation and are also crammed full of modern technology. Like tanks, these weapons were best used at extreme range and in the case of the VT's their increased height allowed them to out distance many other weapons (The only real limit on a modern battle tank's range is the curvature of the earth), however the VT's failed on the one real world rule for the use of robotics: They did not prevent the loss of human life, as they still needed a pilot who was in very real danger during the battle. (the game also had an evil streak, as it would delete your saved game if you did not eject your pilot in time)

With the current development speed of robotics and computer technology I don't feel it's too long before we can see real 'robots' on the battlefield, like DARPA's Big Dog prototype for a 4 legged pack carrier for modern armies that can carry up to 500lbs with no loss of speed.

Go to YouTube and watch the video where they try to make it fall over. It's terrifying.

Thusly, I am aiming my design for Disposables to reflect real world robotic needs with a dramatic slant. The game will centre around rebellion, and the very human story of overcoming repression - but with the weaponry dictated in a real world setting: The robots are remote piloted to prevent loss of human life, are less efficient than using soldiers and are technologically advanced but massively wasteful. The player's perspective will switch from controlling one of these robotic monsters to having to fight on a battlefield where they are roaming.