The mighty Greek Trireme!

In continuing my exploration of the world of 3D Studio Max, I decided to delve back into the depths of NURBs modelling as well. Instead of manipulating polygonal objects (i.e., objects with polygon faces composed of vertices connected via straight line edges), I would be using NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational Basic Splines) objects. These are basically objects that are constructed through mathematical curves, like Bezier splines, instead of flat-faced polygons. Recalling an Egyptian galley that I modelled using NURBS geometry in my early foray into Maya modelling, I decided to model a Greek Trireme in 3DS Max!

What resulted is perhaps the most complicated model I've ever created to date. As with the original ship, there are 170 oars divided into three rows (hence the "Tri" in "Trireme") on each side of the ship. Of course, there are also 170 corresponding seats, portal holes, seat braces, et al. as well as a seemingly endless array of internal scaffolding. Using a large variety of source imagery (as well as written research), I attempted to model the ship as historically accurate as possible. I'm happy with the amount of detail that I was able to capture within the moderately high 30,544 polygon range. I credit the low poly number with 3DS Max's spline/surface system, whereby I have complete control of the creation of my mesh through various spline controls.

Here's a nice view of the starboard side. In particular the oars and bronze ram can be seen.

Here's a shot of the bow with another view of the ram. Rams were used to cut large gashes in the hulls of enemy ships as well as snap the oars along one side, effectively disabling them. The three rows of oars can also be seen in this view.

Here's a view of the port side, revealing the rigging behind the dual masts, the steering rudders and the captain's chair.

Here's a view of the stern/aft, revealing a close up of the stylized "fish tail" forming the rear of the craft. This same basic form was also used in the Egyptian galley.

Here's an interior view in which the seats of the top two rowers (i.e., Eretai) can be seen: 31 Thranitai sit along the outer edge of each side and 27 Zygitai sit staggered below them on each side for a total of 116 Eretai on this upper level of the ship. The Thranitai are named after "Thranos," the Greek word for "Deck," and refers to the Parexeiresia railing which hangs over the outer edge of the ship through which the Thranitai's oars are mounted. The Zygitai, on the other hand, are named after "Zygoi," the Greek word for the crossbeams on which their seats are mounted.

Here's a view of the bottom Hold (i.e., Thalamos) of the ship. Here, 27 Thalamitai sit staggered below their brethren on either side of the ship in this least desirable of places. Being on the bottom means that the Thalamitai are both targets for anything falling (or dripping) from the upper deck as well as potential victims of flooding because they are so close to the water line.

Ode to Venger

Allow me, if you will, a moment to become lost in the fond memories of my youth and pay humble tribute to a favorite villain of mine. If you, like me, were a child of the '80's... feasting on the veritable smorgasbord of truly kick ass cartoons available (G.I. Joe, Transformers, He-Man, Super Friends, The Real Ghostbusters, Muppet Babies--Yeah, I said it! It rocked!--Voltron, Thundercats, M.A.S.K., Silverhawks...the list is endless), then you might remember a little show called Dungeons & Dragons. It was condemned by critics as being too violent and protested by Christian fanatics as being "demonic!"... which means it kicked ass! Now, without further ado...

Venger, o Venger... how I truly miss thee, and yet, how I feared thee as a child.
Not so much for the evil acts you committed, but due to that big, friggin' horn coming out of the side of your head.
Somehow an asymmetrical horn makes you far more intimidating than Tim Curry's Lord of Darkness in Legend.
(2 horns = predictable, 1 horn = loose cannon)

Venger, o Venger... your light gray skin and eyeliner make you the very first "goth."
With your glowing red eyes, vampire-ish fangs and tiny, almost nonexistent (dare I say Michael Jackson-esque?) nose.
And how your strange headpiece always freaked me out...
Does your head actually extend all the way to the back (i.e., Alien-style), or is it just like a long hat?

Venger, o Venger... with your little red armor and your little black, um, shawl...
No one would ever make fun of that gray pleated skirt (due, primarily, to the aforementioned horn).
You would wrap those great leathery wings about you like a warm (albeit slimy) coat...
And you always managed to fly without flapping them, supporting not only your own weight, but your horse's as well!

Venger, o Venger... speaking of horses, you had the best steed in the whole world...
Way cooler than that "Equort" Ookla the Mok rode in Thundarr the Barbarian.
The Nazgûl only wished they had a horse that cool!
But I still can't figure out how you managed to keep that horse aloft by gliding with your bat wings.

Venger, o Venger... all you ever wanted was those li'l bastards' weapons.
How I would secretly root for you when it involved the maiming/death of that annoying Uni ("Maaah! Maaah!!!")
And you get extra cool points for having the same voice as Optimus Prime.
Everyone thought you simply wanted to defeat Tiamat, but, alas, you just wanted a big 'ol hug from Dungeonmaster.

WWII Half-Track in 3DS Max

In addition to learning Maya as a 3D modeling/animation tool, I figured it would behoove me to learn 3D Studio Max as well. For my first project I modelled an M3A2 Half-Track Armored Personnel Carrier, a sturdy--yet mobile--means of transport for infantry and equipment as well as reconnaissance in World War II. Basically, the body of an M3 Scout Car was fitted with the rear bogie assembly of a T9 Half-Track Truck with a "pulpit mounted" .50 caliber machine gun attached to the top. A .30 caliber machine gun was mounted to the side with another being mounted at the rear. The armor included an adjustable armored shutter for the engine's radiator as well as a folding bulletproof windscreen. In addition, a bumper-mounted roller assembly assisted with negotiating rocky, uneven terrain. Mine racks lined either side of the vehicle and two large equipment racks were attached to the rear.

The model has not been UV unwrapped and textured--only colored using simple shaders. While it is certainly not a low poly model for games (i.e., 15,179 quads), it is not a high poly model as typically used in animation; let's just call it an intermediate poly model which could possibly be used for cutscenes in a game. By the way, I have to say that learning 3DS Max was way more frustrating than I expected. I thought, "Hey, I know how to model in 3D... just need to learn where all the buttons are in Max, right?" WRONG!!! In addition to having a completely different naming convention for everything, in many cases, Max has a completely different approach to various functions. It's like trying to draw with your other hand... you already know how to draw, but you just can't... can't... make it look right?

"Dammit, how do you 'Center Pivot' again?!"

"I just want Maya's 'Split Polygon Tool,' and NOT that accursed 'Slice Plane'... whaddya mean use 'Cut?!'

"Wait a minute, so 'Attach' is like Maya's 'Combine' and 'Detach' is like Maya's 'Separate?'"

"Where' is my 'Attributes Editor?'.... absorbed into the 'Material Editor?!?' ARGH!!!"

"THE Z AXIS IS FRIGGIN' POINTING UP?!?!"

etc., etc., etc.


There's actually still some more detail that I would like to add here, including the small shutters for the bulletproof screens, the hood fasteners, the two side-mounted ladders, the two side-mounted gas canisters, the two side-mounted shovels, as well as rivets galore!

Regarding the rear of the model, there's a rear access door that I should probably model as well as some additional detail on the bumper. The guns and mounts also need quite a bit of work.

I'm fairly happy with the overall silhouette and direction the model is heading. I just need to add in those extra details.

The inside of the truck probably needs the most attention. The seats, floor and "pulpit mount" are all a bit lacking! Hopefully, I'll finish 'er up soon!

Adventuring Space Janitor?!?

...and, no, I'm not talking about Roger Wilco, hero of the old school Space Quest series. I'm talking about a much older and, er, grumpier janitor... who sifts through the endless refuse of space debris for a rare bit of a strange relic which somehow perpetuates his very existence. Okay, it's a bit of an odd concept... which is why I'll readily admit that it was not mine. No, the author of that concept is Mr. Rodney Allen. For my part, I envisioned said janitor as a kind of futuristic Ponce De León, discovering a "fountain of youth" which disguises his 200 years of existence as a mere 80 or so (perhaps mid 70's with proper makeup and lighting). On the other hand, perhaps this aged janitor has become eccentric over the years and believes this story to actually be true (i.e., Don Quixote), and simply leads a life of adventuring within his mind. Either way, I ended up settling on a Conquistador-esque aesthetic for his suit. The concept was so strange that I felt I needed to go in a more stylized and exaggerated direction to capture the spirit of the concept. Although the story was set in the future, I wanted the suit of janitor to look as old as the janitor himself. I wanted the hints of deep sea diver, conquistador, old hydraulic valves and hoses to reflect a technology that has long since passed into history, yet still functions nominally. I also wanted the rusting, obsolete suit to reflect the lonely and "discarded" feeling the janitor must have. With that said, I drew my concept sketch of the character...

Hydraulic valves assist the janitor in partial and full gravity environments and mag boots allow him to walk across the hulls of space vessels. A custom-built wrap-around converter mechanism accepts pieces of the relic through a small front door, processing the material and utilizing the radiation to prolong the character's life. A "hand jack" (not modelled) breaks larger debris into smaller pieces, while the "graviton grinder" (also not modelled) crushes medium and small bits of debris into space dust. Ah, such is the glamorous life of a space janitor. The finished model was a respectible 3,000 polys (how's that for an even number?).

After creating the normal maps via some Zbrush sculpting as well as the textures, the real character of the, er, character began to come through...

...and, yes, he installed a jet pack upgrade to the back of his converter thingie. You gotta be prepared for anything the the depths of outer space.

Ooh, grab the Tums cause someone's got some space heartburn.

"Obi-Wan never told you... I am your mother."

Okay, I mentioned I was going kind of exaggerated with this, right? Somebody give him a sam-ich!

Normal maps make all the difference with the fine details...

...especially skin textures. Eww, that looks like the worst case of psoriasis I've seen!

Grumpier Old Men... IN SPACE!!!

"...and I would have gotten away with it if it weren't for you meddling kids ...and your friggin' talking dogs!!!" Hey, he must be related to our gang member... same cauliflower ears!

Air Strike Recon Rifle 3!

Okay, so I wanted to design a unique weapon for a First Person Shooter game. I ended up creating an extraordinarily large rifle that can launch up to three small drones which can be guided via a camera link to a flip-up screen on the rifle itself. I dubbed the weapon the "Air Strike Recon Rifle 3" ( or ASRR-3). The drones can either be used for simple recon work or actual engagement via the mini vulcan chin cannon, mini stinger missiles or payload of 8 rifle grenades. The user can even guide the drones directly into a target, kamikaze style. Heck, if all else fails, the user can simply use the 5.56 mm full automatic integrated rifle. I decked out the weapon in a desert camo, although (obviously), any paint job appropriate to the locale can be added.

Here's a view of the right side of the weapon...

Here's a 3/4 view of the front right side...

Here's a view of left side of the weapon...

Here's a 3/4 rear view with the digital screen up...

Here is a view of one of the drones in folded/packed position...

Here is the same drone with canopy, wings and tail fins extended. Note: the pop down mini vulcan cannon.

Here's a cheesy 3/4 rear view simulated aerial shot...

Wow, another cheesy simulated aerial shot...

Boy, Photoshop sure is fun...

Wish I had compositing skills...

First off, Monsieur Gangster is just there for scale. Second, yes, the weapon is obscenely huge and front-heavy as hell. Heck, even with giant straps, he'd still be taking a nose dive... but within the magical world of FPS games, anything's possible (Redeemer, anyone?). If I suited said hooligan in some absurdly exaggerated Gears of War armor, you'd buy that he could hold it, right? Oh nevermind.

Come to think of it, I think I've actually seen street gangs armed with exotic military weaponry in Grand Theft Auto. Hmmm...

Finally, a super cheesy FPS simulated screen...

...and after launching a drone.

Here's a quick animation of the weapon in action. Note: requires VidX MPEG-4 codec to play.

Lastly, here's a quick animation of one of the drones...

More backgrounds...

As requested, I am providing more of the backgrounds that I completed for the freelance job that I had last quarter. The first one, representing a Kansas City street scene is my least favorite. I generally like most of the image with the exception of the "Hendersons" store. I just didn't nail the colors (especially the windows). Bah, that one's always gonna bug me!

The next one is a nice, if somewhat simplistic, representation of some barracks in Fort Riley base.

I actually really like the way the Green Zone tent turned out. I think I captured the lighting fairly well.

I enjoyed creating the lush interior of the Iraqi Politician's Home. The sheer, black curtains and fancy inlaid stone floor were the most challenging to create.

This exterior scene of Green Zone buildings was ultimately unused because it was changed to an interior scene. Since the scant reference imagery I received was illuminated by daylight, it was actually very challenging to try to represent the scene at night.

Thuggin' it up!

Okay, to apologize for not posting anything in a while would be both redundant as well as a massive understatement. However, as with Mark Twain, "...the rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated!" I am still, in fact, very much alive. So, skirting pleasantries, I figured I would walk straightaway through my process of developing a "gang member" low-poly game character. You know, gettin' back to my GTA roots!

First, I found a few images online and did some quick "research sketches." These were intended to be quite loose, simply capturing gesture, clothing and style...

After doing a few sketches, I decided to give my gang member baggy "saggin' style" jeans with visible boxers, a "wife beater" style sleeveless t-shirt, a do-rag and tennis shoes. For a weapon, in lieu of a bladed weapon or gun, I opted for a good ol' fashioned baseball bat. I then drew a quick turnaround to assist in my modeling effort. Initially, I created a complete "nude" body and modeled the clothing and accesories separately. This initial mesh was a very respectable 1,187 polys (with clothing and accessories bringing the total up to 1,906 polys).

After UV unwrapping all of the pieces, I then composited all of the textures for them using Photoshop. As can be seen, I opted for numerous tattoos and a very stylish pair of plaid boxers.

Hey, this fellow color coordinates with a nice blue bandana ...accents his eyes, don't you think? Um, wait, does that make him a "Crip?"

I also decided to add a bloody texture to the baseball bat, so the viewing public wouldn't mistake this fellow for an MLB team member. Nonetheless, his RBI isn't bad...

Ooh, this guy's a real sourpuss!

Ouch, that tat looks fresh. Someone grab the aloe!

Hey, look everybody, it's Robert Van Winkle! ...and no, Vanilla Ice was not my original inspiration.

I then went back and tweaked the mesh out quite a bit, which caused the geometry to jump up to 3,821 polys. Being less than 5,000 polys, this is still considered to be a low-poly model and appropriate for gaming.

I then UV unwrapped my new mesh objects and imported them as .obj objects into Zbrush for some digital sculpture work. After sculpting all of the desired details, I exported a Normal Map from Zbrush and applied it to my low poly model within Maya. I also recreated all of my textures, matching them to my Normal Map. The resultant model appears to have quite a bit more geometric detail than the original model, but it's still only 3,821 polys.

I obviously decided to do two "sleeve style" tats, in lieu of the more sparse version previously.

Normal maps are great for providing a lot more detail to very simple areas of the mesh, like hands and fingers, for example. Ewww, this guy needs a manicure--just look at those cuticles!

"Puff, the magic dragon... lived by the sea... and frolicked in the Autumn mist... in a land called Honah Lee!"

Hey, you'd be surly, too, if you had gimpy cauliflower ears!