CP ArtPass_Treythepunkid

[E.B.]

Acumen's stuff looks pretty sweet and is more like what I was thinking of than the things you'd find on my link (which are usually busted up and rusty).

Also, check out the color of the molten metal in Acumen's first and third photos. Your current choice of color really just reminds me of the acid in Metroid games; think about making it more orange/red.

 

[treythepunkid]

i think the model is way to complex to be in the tf2-world and doesn't look like it would fit in the timeline either
i think you got carried away quite a bit within your progress. it doesn't look functional or realistically usable in any way.
tried to google some pictures of what i think might be good references for your goal:

http://wwwdelivery.superstock.com/WI/223/1569/PreviewComp/SuperStock_1569R-39098.jpg

http://image.shutterstock.com/displ...996,17/stock-photo-melting-ladle-17037565.jpg

http://www.siteselection.com/ssinsider/images/pw090115a.jpg

these look massive and much more like the thing you try to create - from your descriptions at least. i would highly suggest you to get some more reference pics and try to start a new to make the best out of your desired theme.

How would you say they are too complex?

Thanks for the references btw! I could not figure out what the names of these things where called, thus i couldn't really get any reference pictures. I was just modeling what i thought they should look like. I like how they look, but if you think they are too complex i don't mind making a alternate version to see if it looks better.

 

[Equinoxo]

With regards to the illumination, you could either apply two material two it, VertexLit for the main body and UnlitGeneric for the pot. OR use a self illuminating texture with a mask, that way you could get falloff of the molten metal glow on the inside of the pot but still keep it as one material.
Off of the top of my head, the only example I can think of this right now is the monitors in Kleiner's lab in HL2, where the glow on the tables from the screens above them is a very subdued self illuminated texture.

 

[treythepunkid]

Hey guys, just a quick update. Felt pretty tired from staying up late that last night so didn't get much done.

Basically i got this silly little detail model made textured and animated. Didnt know where to put it so i stuck it under the ground.

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zocqk8i6IAI

Please ignore that wrong moving gear. I dun goofed up on that last gear, it spins in the wrong direction. I have already fixed it!

And i have also done the smallest amount of detailing not involving my models!

Just some simple barrels.

@Equinoxo

I tried again with the self illuminating textures and failed once again. Are we sure that this type of effect can be applied to animated models? I will try and find the models you are talking about in Kleiners lab.

Also on with the molten metal pots. I have tried to make another but haven't felt inspired enough to really make a different one. I feel the one i have now is fine, if it is really a problem later on i will change it but for now it stays.

 

[traumastaple]

And here is a wip of the final point. Playing around with displacements to give it that "Eatten away by molten metal" effect.

[/QUOTE]

hmy: your final pit looks WAY fancier than mine oh well

 

[Equinoxo]

I tried again with the self illuminating textures and failed once again. Are we sure that this type of effect can be applied to animated models? I will try and find the models you are talking about in Kleiners lab.

It works on animated models (Combine soldiers eyes, sights on most of the weapons in HL2...)

 

[Infi^]

I'm loving those cogs and gears. I know they're going to prove useful for you, especially when creating those little spots that players sometimes stand motionless, looking into the background details in order to see what's really going on.

 

[Mexican Apple Thief]

@Equinoxo

I tried again with the self illuminating textures and failed once again. Are we sure that this type of effect can be applied to animated models?

You need an alpha channel to use selfillum. If the entire thing is glowing you can just use UnlitGeneric

 

[Acumen]

well too complex in you said the ends were inspired by "a minigun". that just says that you didn't really look at too many reference pictures that you already confirmed ^^

i think what works really well is just randomly browse valves model and look out for models that kinda have a similar theme/look/scale to what you want to achieve. for that "melting pot" or however it's called, i'd say in "props_spytech" there's the rocket_clamp.mdl or rocket_tower.mdl. or in "props_hydro there's hydraulic_door.mdl
or lots and lots of the silo, pipes, tanks or chimney models.

they all are rather "simple models" with a quirk here and there - maybe it be texture or model-wise. anyways, if you just search the right words (which i often don't know either, since i'm no native speaker) you'll stumble upon real objects in google that would fit right into tf2.
i would really try to search a proper reference picture of the approximate time era and then just try to model this and incorporate some of the tf2-style. because what most of the tf2-objects have in common is that they all look kinda believable and functional in their world. no object says "hey my front was inspired by a machinegun", you know what i mean ?

but that's a lot of blabla, i'm sry

 

[treythepunkid]

I understand completely what you mean and will be changing it as soon as i have enough time! Before I thought you where talking about the entire pot setup, not just the swinging mechanism!

Anyway..

I was able to pull myself from Alien Swarm for enough time to make this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoKv8DQ5GMg

Its mesh is pretty un-detailed, and its texture is no where near done, but its getting there. Slowly.

 

[RustySpannerz]

That is just so amazing!

 

[A Boojum Snark]

I'm inclined to say that pilot should be fired for having such an unsteady hover in confined space Might wanna make it only wiggle within say 16-32 units.

 

[RustySpannerz]

I think it looks much more artistic with that huge amount of wiggling. But then again, I suppose I imagined a lot of wind when I watched it.

 

[treythepunkid]

Hey guys, little update.

First off PISTONS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Cn0x88N-r4
(Sorry for stuttering)

They come with 3 different speeds, slow, normal and fast.

Also here are some changes to the last point in terms of layout/detail.

As you can see...

I have added railings and consoles here

and here. I have also changed the big box on the left side of the point..

into scaffolding.

Also be amazed at my crappy placement of the Mann Co logo overlay i made.

 

[Goombac]

Those pistons are pretty sexy.

 

[Mr. P. Kiwi]

Looks great, and keep up your brilliant work!
P.S - that MANN CO. oerlay isn't that bad, actually it looks really nice

 

[Exist]

Few things.

-I don't think having tile on that slant is realistic. Maybe change out the texture.

-Having the Mann.co logo so prominent looks strange and dosn't work well with the whole lava/australiam around the point. In short; make your on company.

-I hope those pistons are all the same model with diffrent animation sequences. If they are diffrent, look into sequences, it would save on file size and directory clutter.

-Railings normally cause changes in flow more often then not... be careful,

-Removing the block might cause a new sentry spot to be born. I remember once Seba/Aly as engineers got up ontop of the block by dispenser jumping/getting air blasted causing a choke on the last point.

ANYWAY, I like your detail work. Keep it up!

 

[Acumen]

i think you're taking step 3 before step 2.
you're making all these gorgeous assets, yet only started with developing your sense of the style, atmosphere and theme of the map. the models stick our very prominently and the rest of the map kinda dies in "undetailledness". the pistons looks really nice and all, yet they don't seem to have any visible function. they are animated and work, but i cannot make any connection to their actual use in that scene. i really think it could help if you take the time and think about that very phrase in your opening post:

I'm not totally sure what my theme will be

if you work that out, i'm sure you'll have it a lot easier to progress and can concentrate on the models better, because you know how they're used.
it's just what comes across from your postings so far. i'm gonna be a quiet little bird from now on and watch you progress
promised :blushing:

 

[Grim Tuesday]

Those pistons are orgasmic.

PS: Acumen, congrats on veteran now!

 

[Pocket]

So I just realized we never made an overlay texture of the official Mann Co. logo! I must see to that.