Scifi Sketchup Modeling

liam887 · 27 Nov 2009, 23:27

Thanks!
I have to laugh tho, when the render was done I looked it over and noticed all the buildings in the shipyard where floating many meters off the ground! Dont know how I managed that, they are all grouped together you see still a shame tho, oh well!

liam887 · 30 Nov 2009, 00:06

Doh!managed to delete some of my work when I upgraded to OSX 10.6 from tiger .
Anyway the first image is what I had deleted a few days ago but since then ive rebuilt it slightly smaller but more detailed. Used marians shuttle for the basis of the second ships hull and little spaceman is by max grueter.
Working on the windows atm making them have depth and defining the frames to make them look more than just simple transparent geometry

dolphus · 30 Nov 2009, 04:21

Nice ....very nice clean crisp lines and brilliant rendering ( I like the reflection of the Astronaut )
nice concept for a shuttle (show the launch vehicle too......)great stuff keep going

liam887 · 30 Nov 2009, 12:37

Thanks, there wont be a launch vehicle its a SSTO (single stage to orbit) using the aerospike engine. Its based off the NASA/Lockheed X-33 that got cancelled. However have added some solid rocket boosters for extra lift.

liam887 · 8 Dec 2009, 04:57

!Work In Progress!

liam887 · 8 Dec 2009, 09:44

work in progress

dolphus · 8 Dec 2009, 11:46

Way cool Liam i like the Cockpit concept i can see myself piloting this craft int battle.......dream on

olishea · 8 Dec 2009, 12:03

Liam i saw your screenshot, how come you are still using podium 1.5? is it cos ur on tiger? black UI looks sweet! took me a minute to work out which OS you are using!

some great work here, keep it up

liam887 · 8 Dec 2009, 14:48

Thanks Oli!
Well ive upgraded to Leopard last week but haven't installed all my previous software its all archived on my drive so I just opened an old podium trial dmg from a pendrive for quick renders for the moment. Ive just upgraded to CS4 and still trying to get windows 7 on bootcamp with no luck SU & podium are next after that. I havent even got round to installing all my plugins again except for weld lol.
Got webdesign module due on thursday and a presentation on Friday then im done till Jan so it will be render heaven come Christmas. One of the other reasons I havent got round to it is that I just got kerk renderer which didtnt work for me on tiger because my X11 was messed up but it going full power on my new OS so have been playing round in that. Do muss the one click wonder of podium tho lol!

EDIT: ahh lol I was confused to what yo meant by 1.5, thats not on my mac those images are from a PC, my models but not my computer its my mates he renders stuff for me now and again like the big Star Trek ship as it will eat my MAC alive lol. Ive got the up to date Podium on my MAC ill be installing it soon like I mentioned above!
Been looking at an 8core Mac Pro for the new year we will see the state of my wallet after christmas lol

liam887 · 15 Dec 2009, 13:33

Been having lots of bugs with the new OS wish I still had tiger!

dolphus · 15 Dec 2009, 14:41

Very Menacing looking critter.....will we see more of its evolution?

liam887 · 15 Dec 2009, 15:21

Yeah its got more to come the design keeps changing everytime I fire SU up lol. Want to keep this very low poly tho as I can practice materials and rednering on it.

As for textures im either going to apply materials to certain areas of geometry or unwrap the whole thing and paint some maps in photoshop. Like I said im keeping the model as low poly as possible in case I decide to unwrap it. At the moment the file is very low and ive already imported it into other 3D apps to see how the model behaves and its all good so far. Once Ive created a rear door ill remove the interior, no point having it there if you can see it., Then when ive nailed the texturs ill put it back in and inimate the door to open and close! Well fingers crossed so far so good!

pilou · 15 Dec 2009, 16:54

Seems Cheetah3d has a very speed renderer !
Here the workflow
Explode with bomb.rb at Smustard
then group surface by material
Export FBX with disasable all except Swap XY
Before exportation
Create a smart folder for have a direct chanel between SU and Cheetah
for no need to export at each time you make a modification in SU

infos by Tim Danaher

liam887 · 16 Dec 2009, 23:14

Yeah ive just downladed the free version of cheetah ill look into it. In the meantime here are some updates on the cityscape I was working on with some nice big renders 1600*1200.
Still a lot to do and lots of empty space to file lets hope I get that 8 core in the new year!

dolphus · 17 Dec 2009, 03:51

Looks spectacular in the blue atmosphere ...so far

liam887 · 19 Dec 2009, 02:07

Would post the raw render but the file size exceeds the limits of this site.
Anyway had a big problem with layers but its sorted now so its going pretty fast now. Added a larger ship but it didn't cast a shadow like I had anticipated so looks a bit odd as there is nothing to get a scale perspective from. Its not as big as it seems just its proximity and angle to the camera.

Layers are great though, if nothing else bugs up I should be able to push this model as far as I want! Plus having lots and lots of layers makes texturing a less daunting prospect!!! Thinking of getting around that by applying materials and shaders and having it as a night scene lit up with a hundred little lights so it looks like a factory or refinery.

dolphus · 19 Dec 2009, 04:15

Smoking....ship looks great ..cant wait to see the "night lights" great work

liam887 · 20 Dec 2009, 01:58

yeah thats still a long way off!

On another note here is some concept art for some game for the xbox live arcade that ive been working on with some people across the pond!
Made in sketchup then exported to max10 for somebody else to texture etc.

dolphus · 13 Jan 2010, 05:28

Great as usual

liam887 · 13 Jan 2010, 15:44

havent really done anything for a month while on holidays but started this for my animation in Uni today, its just making an lld model from scratch again and much better: