Hard Light Productions Forums
Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: Jadehawk on March 13, 2016, 09:13:25 pm
-
So while taking a break from trying to learn how to UV map(don't ask it's depressing), I did this from an idea I had.
I wanted to do a Gauss Rifle type of weapon and here is my first attempt. This is a Crew rated Turret with a crew of two. It can also be Auto-controlled by the ship or installation's CIC or Combat Information Center. The Gauss Rifle turret was designed to be interchangeable in each position as they are identical. The Rifle it's self has the linear magnetic rails and the magnetic field containment accelerator rings shown.
As to what size this thing is, you can see the Crew station with windows on the front central part of the turret. Yeah, it's about 2 to 3 stories high. :)
This was a nice change and will do more turrets.
https://p3d.in/gE8gb
All the best,
Jadehawk
-
Looks like quite the devastating contraption.
Though the smoothing seems to be rather, uh, too smooth. And that's a ton of polies for a single turret, unless I'm mistaken.
-
Yes...I applied Edge split to it and well, maybe not a good idea for this. :) No biggie, I can re-do that aspect easy peasy.
After this, I just realized something, Do we have anything like a Gauss effect in FS2? I'm thinking along the lines of Mech Warrior's Gauss effect for this which is something like mini-shock waves in a circle if you ask me? Opinions?
All the best,
Jadehawk
-
We do have framebuffer shockwaves, I bet they could be repurposed for a similar effect.
The poly count on that turret needs to be greatly reduced. I wouldnt go over 5k at most and even then I'd recommend reducing it back to under 2k.
-
Yes true I agree it's wayyyy too much poly wise. It mainly was an exercise in getting this idea down in 3D and out of my head. :) If there is a need for this Turret, I could re-work some aspects of the gun to reduce the poly counts. Failing that, I could make a twin turreted version, again with Poly count reduced on the barrels.
All the best,
Jadehawk
-
Try to avoid some bad modeller habit of making turrets well detailed, on the fllat and plain surfaces. That's the thing that I hate the most in Erebus and NuTitan for example. What details do you see on them from 2-3 clicks, but shiny engines :P?
I quite like it's design, and it's cool for planetary defense I think :). Want to optimize this? Rid off all the circular element around the barrels. Yup. All of them!
And redo them with no bevel, no insert faces no nothing. Just simple, extuded circles. Believe me, addonital details you added to the circles are so small, that are not gonna be visible ingame at all.
And one single, and very important Pr0tip - armor plating.
Don't just random click Insert Face, grab the face and move it under old baseline. Give your armor plating some space, or a "breath" as I used to call it :P. Make them multi-layered. Maybe bigger?
(http://i68.tinypic.com/2nsb787.jpg)
1. Baaaad....
2. With a "breath". Not that bad, huh :P?
3. Two more tools and it's cool!
-
Try modeling a low-poly turret on this, UV-unwrapping it, then projecting the high-poly model onto a low-poly normal map. The rings and ribs look cool, but for a turret it's nothing you can't do with normal maps.
-
Hi Guys, thanks for the feedback :) The rings are actually a torus almost flattened. But yes, a flat disc or circle would have been better. Since there is interest in this, I'll do your suggestions and try to optimize the poly count to a reasonable level. Believe it or not, I was going to mount these onto a Space station I have. I do like your approach to greebling the armor Yes I know the armor was simple and basic and yes again, repetitive as well. I'm getting the hang of this and I must stress my profound thanks for you guys taking the time to respond impart your experiences. SO much thanks!
Galemp, that technique I never heard of before...I'll give it a shot :)
All the best,
Jadehawk
-
Galemp, that technique I never heard of before...I'll give it a shot :)
Here is an overview of the theory and execution in 3DS Max (http://www.chrisalbeluhn.com/Normal_Map_Tutorial.html) but techniques vary between programs. Just Google "Normal Map Projection" and your software.
-
Galemp, thanks again! Was some nice reading up during my lunch break :) Now to take this and put it to good use!
All the best,
Jadehawk
-
This device, looks like it could do some serious damage. Are you selling them? I could use one for my front lawn to scare off prankster teenagers. But on a more serious note:
I like what you've done with it, a multi-barrel tool of destruction with excellent detail on the gauss barrels that, from what I could assume is as large as the Orion's deck guns? I can't say much in regards to optimization and performance, but in regards to aesthetics I feel the radar dome is too out of place, perhaps take a more spherical approach to it or maybe take design tidbits from the Russians and have a radar dish smack dab in the middle of the turret, although doing that would probably remove the crew compartment windows...so eh...
Beyond that, the turret is an excellent piece of artwork so far, keep up with the good work.
-
Thanks BTA :)
Now I have a family of Gauss Rifle turrets. A six gun you seen. Now have a 4 gun, a twin gun and now this one here:
A single turreted Gauss Rifle gun.
https://p3d.in/YPw6t
Still working on them but it's very late here and of to bed.
All the best,
Jadehawk
-
I can definitly recognise when someone made a progress. Your new panelling is much better :yes:
-
Thanks, It's still a WIP, but I'm always questioning my work with what I have learned here. Still a long way to go, but I'm already down the road :)
All the best,
Jadehawk
-
Fusion Torpedo Turret is next:
https://p3d.in/HpDsw
Six shot before reload. Same turret used for single Gauss Rifle.
All the best,
Jadehawk