Model 3: Texturising Spacetank

           On this model, I used both techniques from my previous texturising. First, I test some images that will not look distorted (Figure 1) on a particular polygon if I just put it right away. Though other part are okay, others still look distorted so I decided to use the unwrap uvw.

Figure 1. Distorted images on some polygons

           I did some tricks on this part (Figure 2), I just selected the upper polygons because the side of it will blend with the design that I want.

Figure 2. Chose the upper polygons

          Because I was a bit afraid that the small details will become big if I put it on the model, I decided to just do some magic. The magic that I'm talking about is that, copying the images and just manipulate it to cover up everything. As you can see in Figure 3, I carefully attached very images so that it will look goo and doesn't look like a collage.

Figure 3. Manipulate image in Adobe photoshop

          Moreover, some of the texture I made didn't work well on the model like in Figure 4. Did you noticed it? The line of the texture is against the horizontal line of the design model. So I went back to photoshop again and fixed it by just rotating until it looks okay.

Figure 4. Not aligned properly

          I will be using the rockets on my animation, I decided to group the rockets (Figure 5) so that I can use it properly, not cluttered the time I'll import it to my spacetank to my animation.

Figure 5. Grouping the rockets

           So here is my final texture for my spacetank (Figure 6).

Figure 7. Final texture

       
          If you noticed again something, I didn't add textures on some parts of the model. Why? Because the more I added a texture, the more it looks bad. Maybe because I can't find a better images to blend with the images that I already added.


References:
AaronDesign, 2009. Scratched Steel Texture. [online] Available at: <http://aarondesign.deviantart.com/art/Scratched-Steel-Texture-137545405?q=boost%3Apopular%20steel%20texture&qo=1> [Accessed 3 December 2012 ].

Limited-Vision-Stock, 2011. Metal Texture 3. [online] Available at: <http://limited-vision-stock.deviantart.com/art/Metal-Texture-03-214730347> [Accessed 3 December 2012 ].

enframed, 2005. ulv Metal Plate Texture. [online] Available at: <http://enframed.deviantart.com/art/ulv-Metal-plate-texture-19698128> [Accessed 3 December 2012 ]. 

webtreats, 2009. Webtreats 8 Free Fabulous Seamless Metal Textures 5-1024px. [online] Available at: <http://www.flickr.com/photos/webtreatsetc/4682148161/in/photostream/> [Accessed 3 December 2012 ]. 

Model 3: Space Tank Part 3 of 3

          This time, I added another object and I called this as the armour stand. At first, I made used of a single box and added new edges with QuickSlice then move some vertices. Unfortunately, I did not get the design that I want. If you take a look at my previous post where my base model is, the armour stand's edges (the top armour) are visible unlike what I made (it looks kinda flat in Realistic mode). So I decided to used Pyramid and manipulate the pyramid's vertices such us moving the vertices and Weld two or more vertices to somehow looks like my base model. Thus, the result is much better than the first method I used (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Armour stand

          One of the importing thing in making the tank is moving and aligning the objects. From the box to the Pyramid along side with another box and checking every angle if there are unwanted part. Figure 2 looks easy but I carefully move the vertices and the element even used X-ray mode to see if it is in the right position.

Figure 2. Aligning the elements

     
          My front big armour (Figure 3) is not as good as my base model but somehow I managed to make it look neat.

Figure 3. Front big armour

     
          I named Figure 4 as my rocket stand.  The technique I used here is the Reference option from the Mirror tool. So that if ever I will do some modification, the other one will automatically modified. Therefore, it will save time. However, I used the Copy option in the middle element. The reason behind this is that, when I first duplicate the image by Reference then deleted some polygons from it, I realised that the other element's polygons are gone too. Good thing there is undo option and I was able to redo the step but with different approached.

Figure 4. Rocket stand

         Because I always accidentally moved the tank's body, the alignment between the body A and body B (from my previous post, I duplicate the half of the body) is a disaster. To end this problem, I attached both of them and combine the vertices (Figure 5) so that it will become as one element.

Figure 5.  Attach and Weld

          In making the rockets (Figure 6), I just made one then duplicated it. The red circle in the middle of the rocket, I did not add another element but made used of the polygon of the cylinder. I detached the polygon, changed the colour and then attached it back to the cylinder. Moreover, I did not extend the box up to the front rather I aligned it from edge inside the rocket box. This is because it covered the rockets. I did try using the Boolean but I failed. But if I'm going to do the same step, I thought of using the slice then make a rectangle and use Boolean option. Another method would be after slicing,  delete the unwanted polygon then just create polygons to cover the hole.

Figure 6. Rockets

          Figure 7 shows some details I added to the rocket holder. I felt like I should put something on that place because the cylinder holder is too small for the rocket box. If this is true, the rocket box might collapse because it is too heavy with loads of rockets inside and nothing supports it.

Figure 7. Added details on the rocket holder

          I created so many elements. By grouping them as shown in Figure 8, it will be much easier to locate each elements and it looks neat and in order.

Figure 8. Grouping

          After so many hours I spent in doing this and errors encountered, I finally finished my space tank as seen in Figure 9.

Figure 9. Space tank in Realistic view

Figure 10. Space tank in Wireframe view

Total Polys: 14, 933
Total Verts: 10, 314

          There is a huge amount of polygons in this model, it is because of the details I put and some of the errors I made. For those people who are making models for gaming, it is better for the model to have a small amount of polygons so that it will be rendered easily and not too heavy for the program. But for us, Media and Internet students, this is okay.

Model 3: Space Tank Part 2 of 3

          For my front design, I used box to make it. As you can see (Figure 1), I added more height to my box. This is because I wan to cover the flaws of the tank. When I put this object with Autogrid, it was not placed properly, maybe because the body of the tank was not flat. So I rotate and move the object.

Figure 1. Front design

Figure 2. Side design

          The side design took me a long time to make it. It is because of the angle of that part so I did a lot of rotating and moving the object. As shown in Figure 2, I added a rectangular shape object and made it into X-ray mode so that I could see the shape of the tank's body. With this method, it is easier for me to add edges using QuickSlice patterned to the body of the tank. I added more details on this design by slicing and extruding it (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Add details and Extrude polygon

           Unfortunately, there was a problem with this method. As you can see in Figure 3, the lower part of the side design is so messy. It is the outcome of extruding the polygon. In addition to that, there are gaps between polygons. To overcome this problem, I decided to move the vertices and cover the gap and I even deleted unwated polygons (Figure 4).

Figure 4. Moving the vertex to cover the gap

          I just realised that it would be much easier to delete the side polygons and then create new polygons using the Create option. This method might give me a neat outcome compared to what I have done. Anyway, I did not do it because of the effort I put when doing the messy method.
         

Model 3: Space Tank Part 1 of 3

          Based from the tutorial from my previous model, I carry on the techniques I have learned like deleting half of the model and then copying the other half using Mirror with Reference option.

          I found this photo and became my base model.

Figure 1. My base Model (Pheylan, 2008)

 
          While doing the body of my space tank, I realised that I need more edge near the front of my tank in order for me to get the shape that I need. After deleting the half of the rectangle, I used QuickSlice to add another edges (Figure 2).

Figure 2. QuickSlice

  
          Shaping the body of the tank is challenging because you should be very keen of what vertex, edge or polygon to use in order to get the shape of the body. One of the things I did here was to connect the vertex that is near to another vertex (Figure 3). With this, two or more vertices will became one and it is easier to manipulate the shape.

Figure 3. Weld Vertices

           I added an engine underneath the tank. Though my engine looks like a cupcake tray commented by my classmate, I am happy of what I have done. In this, I used box, cylinder, and tube with Bevel effect (Figure 4). I added the colour red because most of the engine I searched is coloured with red and it is also act as the "heat" coming out from the engine so might as well used it.

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Figure 4. The engine underneath my space tank

References:

Pheylan, 2008. SciFi-Vespasian Light Grav Tank. [online] Available at: <http://www.foundation3d.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3186> [Accessed 30 October 2012]