Gun Knowledge
polycounter lvl 20
So, thought just occured to me a minute ago....
I see a lot of people on the forums able to very acurately pick apart exactly whats wrong with a work in progress gun model, and they seem to be very knowledgeable about the workings and precise pieces. So my question if you are knowledgeable in the area, is it due to actual hands on experience with guns or is it knowledge gained through video games and curiosity to read up on things?
I ask just because i see this happen quite a bit when someone posts a gun for critique, and i started to think that all of my basic knowledge (type of gun, model, type or round, just basics) is straight out of video games and research when 'im bored
I see a lot of people on the forums able to very acurately pick apart exactly whats wrong with a work in progress gun model, and they seem to be very knowledgeable about the workings and precise pieces. So my question if you are knowledgeable in the area, is it due to actual hands on experience with guns or is it knowledge gained through video games and curiosity to read up on things?
I ask just because i see this happen quite a bit when someone posts a gun for critique, and i started to think that all of my basic knowledge (type of gun, model, type or round, just basics) is straight out of video games and research when 'im bored
Replies
hands-on experience(military draft), work experience(military simulator), and general interest.
lots of web searching too.
Good question, I've always wondered this myself.
However, this is a good question because i do have quite a few friends who are in the industry and just happen to be gun nuts or have some crazy gun knowledge for seemingly no reason, and I too found this to be rather curious.
Most of the time when I critique a gun it goes something like this:
"Congratulations in your rush to finish something you completely forgot one of the most important steps that requires the least amount of effort!"
Own some too.
Never research material from other video games or 3d models...
if possible visit gunshops or hunt around the internet..
theres dozens of gunsites.
whereas germans are the go-to guys for ovens.
Knowing how something works is, in my mind, intrinsic to knowing how to make a good version of one. Knowing the underlying mechanics of the real world stuff lets you know where to change things for a fantasy gun. The same thing goes for cars, for tanks, for planes, etc.
Oftentimes people with some passing familiarity with these sorts of things may not understand why something looks wrong when it is missing X, but they'll know that something looks off. If someone saw a plane with a flat front, they may not be able to tell you how that affects the aerodynamics but they'd know it was off. Same thing with a gun that is missing the bolt or has the ejection port away from the receiver.
I can claim to be one of Carlos' friends who happens to have an inordinate knowledge of guns and their workings.
I have some experience with real guns, I also collected Airsoft guns for a long time (still have many) But mostly it's just interest. I don't really know why, but I have been fascinated by the workings of guns since I was a young child, so even if I hadn't played with guns, I would probably still understand how they work, because I find it interesting.
Also, this
While Guns are probably what I have spent the most time learning about the inner workings of, I do the same for any type of mechanical piece I'm working on. At work, I am often the one who is advocating to make something more functional. I understand trying to make things more fantastic, but it always bugs me when it's Fantastic and ridiculously broken. I much prefer Fantastically Functional.
Also, http://world.guns.ru
I personally prefer the aga my granddad had in his house in ireland tho
So personal experience, research, and love of understanding all things mechanical (deconstructing and understand the workings of machines ftw) for me
That said, I'm not one for anally picking apart gun models with gnat's ball-hair scale inaccuracies. Unless they're awesome futuristic/made up guns (like EQ made) gun models tend to bore me stupid.
I never modeled a gun (except a microwave gun for a mod) I should have a go
It also may be because I started out doing the same thing as Redrouge at the same websites. The other artists there were huge gun nuts and every detail needed to be precise and exactly like the real thing, and eventually I just kind of started to make stuff that was as accurate to the real thing as possible. Having the guns look as accurate as possible really does push the realism if that's what you're going for.
Tiny inaccuracies don't really bother me, but if it's some glaring detail that totally breaks the look of it then I will certainly point it out. And I really dislike when people insist that futuristic/fictional guns must work in real life to be cool.
I am kind of a gun nut. They are just cool, like smoking, you know. Holding a gun makes you cool (especially if you are a 3d character). Except in the real world. I am opposed to guns irl.
I guess it's not that weird, finding weapons really interesting, but hoping that no one really uses them. There are several weapons not in common use, like swords... It just happens to be a sad fact that guns are very common.
As far as the accuracy thing goes, I do try to be as accurate as possible and I do know quite a bit about how each gun I model works before I start. When looking at others models I only pick out the big glaring stuff, like if the grip is too big for a human hand to hold comfortably, or if it isn't thick enough, etc.
unless it's a Desert Eagle!
I think getting knowledge from games/images is incredibly difficult. When making this, it took me days to find out that the middle box on the sled was a lubricant holder. I still have no idea what the big rod is for.