CAT D6M WIP

Perfectblue

Quick introduction since this is my first post. I aspire to be an environmental artist within the industry one day, and plan on attending SMU Guildhall in Spring 2012. I have about 5 months of actual modeling experience This is my first 100% subD model. I learned many techniques by watching Eat3D's "The Dozer". I decided to start my own project modeling a CAT D6M, which has some similarities to the D9 in the tutorial, but enough differences to offer some unique challenges.

Xoliul

Hey cool beans man! I'll be keeping an eye on this
Which version are you making? All these dozers change every few years. You gonna do the open or closed cab?

Anyway just looking at ref I see you'll have problems with the alignment of your sprocket and rollers. They need t sit on the same line, plus I think the drive sprocket is a LOT fatter.

edit: contrary to up-armored D9R's, these D6's are not impossible to find in real life, I think I've seen a few of them standing near construction works in my neighborhood. Might be worth finding one for ref!

Amadreaus

Save yourself the enormous debt and time invested and just do tutorials. You obviously have the modeling chops and there's no reason to give a scam college your money.

Perfectblue

Laurens, if its not the man himself! Thanks for stopping by your tutorial was very insightful. I am not sure what version of the D6M I am making, its a collage of different versions that I like really that I am combining, some from internet reference some from some shots I took around a construction yard. In other words, I am not really going for a 1:1 of a specific version just taking bits here and there to make something aesthetically pleasing. I made an update for you on the sprocket alignment and thickness let me know what you think. As for the rollers, I am not sure whats wrong with them since they are directly lined up to the blueprint. Also I would like to attempt open cabin because I have never modeled furniture e.g the leather seat before. Not really sure how to approach it so it will be a learning process for sure, but it can only make me grow. Thanks for pointing out the misalignment!

Here is a new render, and a shot in viewport to show the rollers line up. Thanks for stopping by once again!








Amadreaus, yes I am self learner but I have heard nothing but good things about Guildhall. In this industry connections are probably just as important as your portfolio itself, and I know thats one Guildhalls strongest aspects. That is its direct link to the gaming industry. I also know local developers within Texas also think highly of it, particularly Gearbox and its leader Randy Pitchford who often interns and occasionally do scholarships for students there. Why do you think its a "scam" by the way? Appreciate your input either way, from you and any other member that has an opinion on this matter.

dogzer

I love this model and I'm not sure what it is yet!

Perfectblue

dogzer wrote: »

I love this model and I'm not sure what it is yet!

A few versions of the CAT D6M

Perfectblue

Had to to completely scrap the initial frame I had (the part that connects with the suspension). As I was beginning to build more parts I noticed, pieces were not fitting or making sense with the old frame, namely when I started working on a piston for the front blade. I just assumed the CAT D9's frame would be similar enough for the D6 I could just reuse it, but this is not the case. Fortunately I was able to find two pictures of the D6 frame, although poor quality. Finding the correct references has been the hardest part of this project so far.


Heavy WIP of the frame

Xoliul

Still don't think you've got the frame right. It'll be somewhere near the D9 frame.
Have a look at this:
http://xml.catmms.com/servlet/ImageServlet?imageId=C465788
Page 10!

I think the thing you circled in red is a plate they added over the frame or something.

Perfectblue

Xoliul wrote: »

Still don't think you've got the frame right. It'll be somewhere near the D9 frame.
Have a look at this:
http://xml.catmms.com/servlet/ImageServlet?imageId=C465788
Page 10!

I think the thing you circled in red is a plate they added over the frame or something.

Thanks for the link. What sort of search term did you use in google to get that xml catalog? I tried a few, but was unable to find something similar.

bonds0097

If you go to CAT's actual website, they have brochures like that for all the different models, really good ref.

Perfectblue

Anyways latest WIP, please ignore the smoothing issues on the front blade I will fix those as well as some of the holes on the side panel grating not rendering. Need to up the samples on the next render some of the holes on the side panel grating to get them to show correctly I suspect. Modeled the correct frame this time hopefully.




@Bonds0097, Took a quick look and to access the same manuals xolioul posted I have to be a purchaser or affiliated with CAT somehow. Perhaps I am in the wrong section?

bonds0097

Nope, anyone can get that, it's the standard product brochure.

Check out: http://www.cat.com/cmms/17569410?x=7

That's for the D6N, you can download the brochure from there. There's also one for the D6T. The D6M is a non-current model so there's no brochure for that, you'll have to decide which of the current models best matches what you're going for.

This looks pretty cool so far. Working on a D9R myself in Modo right now.

Perfectblue

Thanks again bonds0097!

Latest WIP in viewport, no render this time, likely my last before I show the final piece.

EDIT: Sprocket needs to be moved its intersecting with the suspension, again. Will fix it for good this time.

bonds0097

Well, I gotta say, you're certainly cranking this out fast. Looks like you're making use of some cool nice sub-d techniques, it's nice to see people making the complex shapes as single sub-d meshes instead of just intersecting stuff.

Perfectblue

Thanks Bonds. Yes the credit for the techniques definitley goes to xolioul and his DVD. Would be a slower learning process without it for sure. Here it is . Not bad for my first 100% subD model no?

Render


Wires

HAL

Really nice details, edges are a little bit tight though

Joshflighter

Take a look at you're thread at eat3d:
http://eat3d.com/forum/work-progress/cat-d6m-first-100-subd-model#comment-1018489
Hope this helps.

Perfectblue

Joshflighter wrote: »

Take a look at you're thread at eat3d:
http://eat3d.com/forum/work-progress/cat-d6m-first-100-subd-model#comment-1018489
Hope this helps.

Awesome thanks! Initially I was going for 1:1, but somehow I lost track of that between all the different versions of the CAT6. Thanks for pointing it out, I tend to get tunnel vision when Im modeling this hard. I may revisit this project sometime later this week and make those adjustments you pointed out. But I need to take a break from it at the moment.

Xoliul

Cool, definitely did that fast, good quality to have.
Few things I still see:

tracks need some tweaking. They're much wider, seem proportionally wider than the D9's. Also the spacing over the track spline is off, they're splitting up at the corners. Gotta add more or readjust the trainmaker script. Make sure the pivots are correct and so.
The cab looks a bit underdetailed because of the flat windows. With such big open windows, I'd consider doing a basic interior, doesn't have to be samel level as exterior but would be worth it.
You're using the same red colored details as I do, keep in mind I picked this from the Israeli military bulldozer where they use red paint to mark the areas that can be handled or stepped on. You won't see that on a civilian bulldozer. But it does look cool so that's a reason to use it anyway
Main curves on the blade (up down curve) seems a bit wonky on the side plates. Also it's kinda flat for my taste, bigger curve would look better.

Perfectblue

@ Xoliul, thanks for the Crits! I will revisit them along with the suggestions Joshflighter put forth. Not sure that I will design an interior, since I really want to move on to another project at the moment. However, I do agree the front blade looks a bit off.

Big thanks for your Eat3D product, gained a ton of knowledge about working in SubD, clearly.

Thanks!