Modular AR15 Kit

Amsterdam Hilton Hotel

I'm working on a project to make a bunch of swappable AR15 parts that all work together as a kit. The modular design of the AR15 and its huge number of aftermarket parts enable the idea.

In order to finish this century, I'm targeting a third-person spec that will allow me to be loose with highpoly modeling techniques while still taking advantage of baking and contemporary materials. The final appearance will look something like this or this.

I don't know how many parts I'll make, right now I have a big master document but really my attention span is going to be the limiting factor.

This is a pseudo-highpoly M4 that I made for a previous lowpoly project and which I'm using as a base for this one. For the new parts I'm going to increase the detail resolution slightly because I might bump up the final texel density relative to the project this was made for. I'll be cramming lots of parts onto shared texture sheets in order to texture large numbers of assets at the same time.

Magpul MIAD:

Using basic poly modeling techniques here with edge chamfers done procedurally in the stack

Magpul K2:

This one was done using my proboolean-dynamesh workflow (https://polycount.com/discussion/168610/3ds-max-zbrush-proboolean-dynamesh-hardsurface-workflow-tutorial/p1)

Why poly model one and boolean the other? Let me tell you, chaos reigns. Right now I'm just using whichever technique seems like it will get the job done fastest.

Magpul SL:

Magpul MOE M-LOK handguard:

In carbine, mid-length, and rifle dimensions:

Troy M-LOK handguard:

(This should be paired with a low profile gas block, however I haven't made one yet, so bear with the A2 style front post for now)

And a Troy drop-in rail:

Eventually I want to set up a Unity project where you can click on the various parts to change them out in real-time, as a model of how games should be handling gun customization. Haven't gotten there yet.

That's it for now, more to come... questions, comments, feedback all welcome. Also follow my sketchbook thread if you just want the pics without the words / making of.

Stealth23

This is really cool, I've loved all of your past work and find modular asset design fascinating.

At this point do you have any idea how you'll handle the materials if this is intended as a system for games?

Amsterdam Hilton Hotel

Stealth23 said:

This is really cool, I've loved all of your past work and find modular asset design fascinating.

At this point do you have any idea how you'll handle the materials if this is intended as a system for games?

Thank you, they will be uniquely mapped on shared texture sheets, probably 1024s with mass amounts of parts on each. They only need like 32^2 - 128^2 pixels each to get the look so putting a bunch on one texture is still cheap to load and makes it faster to do. Probably going to be metal / rough since iirc that is how Unity's default shaders are configured.

Magpul MOE Carbine, Fixed

All booleans on that one

Zi0

Nice work so far, reminds me of not so long ago when I had to model all kinds of scopes and optics for a game. Keep up the good work!

Alex_J

Consider recording this. Could be a very thorough tutorial in hard-surface and modular workflows. I know I'd buy it.

kohg

Where do you get refences images for all those attachments?

Also, when you popping out a gun tutorial my man?

Amsterdam Hilton Hotel

Thank you all for the kind words!

BCM Vertical Grip Short, M-LOK

kohg said:

Where do you get refences images for all those attachments?

Well to start with I looked at threads on ar15 dot com and 4chan's /k/ board, people post their IRL gun builds and list and discuss manufacturers. Then go to the manufacturer websites and check out their product catalogues. Once you know what the parts are called it's pretty easy to image search them and make ref boards like these (downsized):

BIGTIMEMASTER said:

Consider recording this. Could be a very thorough tutorial in hard-surface and modular workflows. I know I'd buy it.

kohg said:

Also, when you popping out a gun tutorial my man?

I really should. I definitely appreciate the interest. For whatever reason it takes more psychic energy to make a tutorial than to grind out art, and I haven't been in the mental state to do it in a while. I'll see about recording some of these at least.

Alex_J

You could just record and do what you usually do, then later do a time lapse, narrating key parts, explain your general processes, the why's more than the hows. Still a lot of work as you have to go through all the video and do a lot of talking, but... money

Amsterdam Hilton Hotel

Knight's Armament Low Profile Gas Block

scale feels weird but i'm not sure. can only find ref of the block itself not sitting on a barrel. annoying

AlexRodriguez

Never heard of AR15.com but what a useful sight. I started with Flickr and Photobucket user accounts, only problem is when people remove there images/accounts you can't Google Search for the image anymore.

Magpul/Noveske are my favorite companies. 

Will you be doing modular optics/sights?

ZeroThirteen

Your works really inspire me to get better. I want to become better than you and Bulgarov. (sorude)

P.S. Perfect as always. 

MarcoAntonio

Oh niiiiice!!!

rage288