BFG- Big Fuck*ng Gun
polycounter lvl 9
Hi guys,I didn't touch anything 3d related from 8 months I think :poly122: so in order to avoid getting too rusty & forget everything,I decided to get back on it :poly124:
I am helping the team who is working at Warcry: Extermination, the Lead asked me to do a "BFG",so I said "sure,show me the concept!" & then "there is no concept..." for a moment I was like :poly141: but then I have accepted the challenge anyway,with the hope that I can improve during this
I started on paper with a simple concept,very very simple because that's the most that my actual 2d skills & creativity allows me to do in that field,but at least I don't have to start inside 3ds max totally lost & with no directions at all,so it's already something
I moved then inside 3ds max,doing a rough blockout of the whole thing (changing thing that in my opinion didn't fit right).The nice 3d model will come later,after I am 100% sure of what am I doing,so now the blockout is about at 70%,only the back/middle of the weapon is ok, all the front is only a placeholder to avoid to show you guys half blockout,I will be working on that part today or tomorrow.
I think I will keep this topic pretty much updated,in case someone had some nice suggestion that could help improving it :thumbup: :poly121:
I am helping the team who is working at Warcry: Extermination, the Lead asked me to do a "BFG",so I said "sure,show me the concept!" & then "there is no concept..." for a moment I was like :poly141: but then I have accepted the challenge anyway,with the hope that I can improve during this
I started on paper with a simple concept,very very simple because that's the most that my actual 2d skills & creativity allows me to do in that field,but at least I don't have to start inside 3ds max totally lost & with no directions at all,so it's already something
I moved then inside 3ds max,doing a rough blockout of the whole thing (changing thing that in my opinion didn't fit right).The nice 3d model will come later,after I am 100% sure of what am I doing,so now the blockout is about at 70%,only the back/middle of the weapon is ok, all the front is only a placeholder to avoid to show you guys half blockout,I will be working on that part today or tomorrow.
I think I will keep this topic pretty much updated,in case someone had some nice suggestion that could help improving it :thumbup: :poly121:
Replies
At the moment it's looking quite streamlined, when I think BFG I think exaggerated "big" shapes.
I was trying to put out some ideas for the working of the fron,not yet convinced with it so probably I'll have to block out something different or trying to change something to make it work,also I read your suggestions only now,so still work to do in the central part of the blockout
...suck to don't have a concept artist who came up with the solutions for you! :poly136:
Gif below
Sorry if the animation sucks,I am at 0 with animation,but is just to explain that the front barrel rotates,the "covers" jumps up & slide behind during the shooting & the internal pieces slide forward & backwards during the shoot as well
First thing I'll replace will be the bottom grip,cause the actual one is nonsense & imbalanced,you right FridockShir, lateral handle is probably the only viable option
wich in terms also gives it a more nimble/light feel then it is probably supposed to.
I personally would more imagine it going with the flaps opening a bit ( like a flower), while the gun charges (and maybe also some parts charging up, think the little arms on the quake4 lightning gun, the heating up on the peacemaker carbine in bulletstorm, stuff like that) and then releasing one big shot.
just my personal opinion
I juste want to know how the character will hold the weapon ? I'm sure you could put a handle somewhere, to make him look like a heavy machine gun.
Thanks Geno
Little up,added the right handle blockout & some re-work in the blockout of the middle part,now I move to the inside of the barrel
Just to be clear on what was asked me to do (just the main features), it have to be the strongest weapon in the game,an heavy weapon who shoots devastating beams of energy,with 3 spinning barrels with "covers" (the front pieces) that slides back during the firing.
Most of the time I am just cutting,moving vertices,adding shapes & counting also on "happy accidents",as for now the Lead says it fits with what we need in the game, so I'll keep going with this
However, I am pretty much unsatisfied of the overall shape of this thing,maybe is that without having a proper concept & blindly/randombly putting shapes in place this is as far as I can go therefore normal that I don't have a weapon as cool as I was wishing,because of that as for now I don't feel really like to begin the proper weapon modeling,got to sort this out first,maybe I'll have to try to change some shapes.Or maybe destroing everything & starting back from concept(this time doing that stage better) would be the key. :poly141:
Btw,a friend told me it seems a space ship,another said it resemble a squid xD what do you guys vote fore,ship or squid? xD
To people who missed the topic until now, green = rotating barrel , orange= covers that slides backwards during the shooting, blue = magazine with an hidden handle that is ejected when the magazine is empty.
i feel that would help, not sure how aesthetically pleasing it would be
anyway, looking good
@woot: functionally talking I agree with you,that kind of handle position would be the best (though probably would require some modify to the back handle as well),though in this situation I am not willing to sacrifice the view of the front mechanism (spinning barrel & sliding covers) & also the front silouette in favor of functionality,because as you suspected the hand would probably cover most of it
I'll modify it directly during hard surface modeling phase, I will try different solutions in order to have a good compromise between functionality & aesthetic
...can't tell if I am not putting enough hours on it or if I am just slow modeling/designing xD
Little up,I was doing the top piece,the screen area,buttons area & some cut between the pieces (plus the details to add) are still missing,because I'm focusing on putting the main shapes in position,so now I move to the bottom big piece & then forward.
I don't know why I am proceeding so slowly damn,I should focus more on this & less on Etrian Odissey II
Anyway,noticed the fan missing inside the cylinder? I had put it in position,I had tried different variation to make it work but I didn't manage to find a way to justify it & have it looking good. First of all,because since the fan blades are at certain degree,let's say rotated 45° in the Z axis,from the player view you actually see the space between the blade,probably you wouldn't even understand that is a fan,so looks bad. Secondary (but equally important) it doesn't make sense,I mean,you are bringing this thing into a battlefield,this weapon cause explosions & debries flies around...what if a small piece of rock goes in there? A) damage the blades
I'll probably cap the cylinder with some other piece,maybe a plate,like a big "lithium battery" shape wich actually is a cooling piece,with some extrusion meant to see the blue glowing liquid inside.
This turned out with me moving the magazine on the bottom,wich is that green cylinder you could see right there,also this shape gives a silouette that's more interesting in my opinion,not counting that if you extended the top barrel,it would ended up compenetrating the old magazine,wich was harder to explain than this solution,so I think it's a double win
Again,apologies for the slow progress of this topic,thing is that between other things I have the priority of study my third language, japanese, & clearly said to myself that I will not play with 3ds max until I'll have done the daily japanese study & review, so if you're following this topic,be patient :poly121:
so now I proceed to properly model them
Don't pay attention on the indents that should separate some pieces or the compenetrating one,I still have to work properly that parts,also because I used FFD here & there
Worst part is it won't stop :shifty:
Though,after asking some friends,I started to think there is something not working well enough in the basic design of the weapon & I fear that I've looked too much at it so I can't see what is not working x_x
Can you guys give me some feedback about it? I would really appreciate
Maybe I should just finish it & move on with something else,better luck with the next one right?
Only thing that seems off is the circle on the side with the generic sci fi seam on the side. Maybe something more interesting?
really good work man.
You drew a decent concept out, maybe a few sketches over the model you have can get you in the right direction.
This reminds me a lot of the alien gun Lonewolf created for Crysis 3 which has a lot of organic shapes (like yours). Maybe have a look at that concept as to how his gun looks much more detailed, yet feels just as organic as yours! Hope this helps!
@Selaznog: don't worry for the center cilinder piece,is not finished yet,if doesn't work in the end I'll just replace it with something else
@Stormfreek: as for now I was going on pretty much without any reference,just replacing shapes wich don't felt good with shapes that felt better,but you're right,for medium/small details I totally need some proper inspiration/reference ,please don't esitate to post links to reference material sites if you know any
http://www.lonewolf3d.com/images/Crysis3/Crysis_3.html
I always relate organic hard surface models to grant warwick's model for some reason. Looks awesome:
http://features.cgsociety.org/newgallerycrits/g62/160862/160862_1358122615_large.jpg
(I will just post links so the pictures don't take up your thread!)
I've never really delved into organic hard surface but it seems like a very balanced skill of form/simplicity and a lot of re-used small/medium detail. You definitely have the bigger forms in place, just the more medium and making this fit together. Sadly I don't know the 'correct' or best way to do this, thus cannot help too much. My best advice would be to just google weapon concepts or future weapons and have a look at how things fit.
Don't give up though, a lot of work has gone into this and it is moving in the right direction! Keep up the hard work!
I was thinking to something interesting for the player to see from his view,so I put in position those 2 lights things at the sides of the main screen of the weapon
That side handle seems like it is flying as for now,so I'll put some proper support to make it attached to the rest of the weapon :poly136:
Keep it up tho bud :thumbup:
Btw,ignore the cylindrical piece in front of the air intakes,it has to be replaces with something lot more interesting. Any crit is appreciated
The little bump around the screw holes was an happy accident,I could have removed it but I think that it adds a nice touch so I leave it there
Below another little update,the back of the weapon.
Though you guys probably have noticed how slow this is going,this because I am not very creative,and when I am asked to create something from nothing,without a concept that clearly tell me what to model and where,I get really stucked, like wasting days without even open the model because my brain simply can't process it
So I am pretty much resolute after I finish with this (low poly and texturing as well) to quit hardsurface for a long period and just focusing on drawing and maybe Zbrush too,anything that brings me away from moving vertex avoiding pinch and give me the chance to train my creativity...my question is creativity can be trained?! If I lack it,I can became creative just by drawing a lot for years? Because I feel like,if I struggle so much to problem solve this kind of things,I will not make very far as game 3dartist,and that is not acceptable for me :poly127:
Back to the image below,ignore the high polycount,is just since is only for bake purpose I didn't felt like redoing the topology of pieces to better fit the detail I thought of later,also I don't felt like using floating details or quickly making them with ndo2,so I've just collapsed some iterations of turbosmooth an inserted them the hardcore way lol ,though my pc still handle it without problems so it's ok
Spending some time improving your 2d skills is never a bad thing, but don't abandon the modelling side man, maybe balance it out a bit with bringing other skills in, but keep at it I say.