[Col. Fishguts]

So *cough*... during play-testing the HTL Zephyr against an Omega, I couldn't stand looking at those 5-sided engines and gun barrels any more. I decided I would just import the original model in 3dsmax and redo the engines and turrets and call it a day. But there were also some nasty UV errors on the head portion, smoothing glitches everywhere and some areas which desperately needed a bit modeling love. And since it was a rainy weekend, I just kept adding stuff here and there... and well, a few thousand polys later, we're here:




Note: This isn't a "real" HTL model... it's the old model touched up a bit while cannibalizing the old maps for a quick&dirty texturing job. But nevertheless, I'm quite happy how it turned out and it is even a tad more efficient, since it only uses 2 maps now (instead of 4 before). Also, the map of the head (with the nameplate) is made from scratch with increased resolution, so it looks quite sharper ingame than the old one.

Next steps:
- Finalize the diffuse map (the rotating section needs some touching-up)
- Normal maps for all the greeblies not modelled in (that's gonna be fun)
- Make "destroyed" versions of all subsystems/turrets
- Proper LODs

[Black Wolf]

Having just gotten through the first 4 seasons of B5 over the last couple of months, I'm absolutely loving this! Good stuff.

[Dragon]

This looks great, far better than the old one.
Are you going to do a Nova in the future?

[Trivial Psychic]

How about Omega-X? 

[Slasher]

Holy moly that looks awesome.  Not that tomcat's old model was bad, but it served its purpose in a day when dual core processors had yet to hit the market.  This is one of the show's most iconic ships so it's great that we have a model that can does it justice!  One question: is there going to be a blank template texture for the bow section of the ship so new nameplates can be used?

[Col. Fishguts]

Are you going to do a Nova in the future?

Eventually yes, unless den5 beats me to it. There's a high-poly LOD0 of the Nova on the FTP, but I don't know if he's still working on it.

How about Omega-X? 

That's a rather trivial change, once the basic version is done... I'll just have to add the shadow map to everything and sprinkle in some spiky bits

One question: is there going to be a blank template texture for the bow section of the ship so new nameplates can be used?

Yes, the map for the bow section is still called eaomega01a, so once I remake the different nameplate versions, it should work with existing missions

[Vidmaster]

oh yeah

[0rph3u5]

Nice work ...

any more progress?

[Col. Fishguts]

Yup, but not ready to show off yet... and RL is very busy at the moment.

[technopredator]

Are these improvements already in the TBP? or we have to download them separately.

[0rph3u5]

The improved model file isn't even released yet ...

... and even if they were, they would be a seperate download just like the improvements over there

[technopredator]

I see, thx, 1 more thing: the original model would be available for download too? I'd like to experiment with it, I'm not a pro 3D modeller but I'd like to try it Moray (Modeller for POV-Ray). What was the original model file format? I can import .3ds files, no problem but I was curious.

By the way, great work!

[Col. Fishguts]

On patrol near Jupiter


Weapons testing above Mars


Showing the raiders who's boss

[emi_100]

Impresive!

[Slasher]

That truly looks epic.  And the turret barrels actually look round.  It even looks like you got the firing points lined up with the gun points, something the old model has been without for...nine years.

ps. not to detract from the awesome Omega, but are those backgrounds included in TBP? 

[Col. Fishguts]

Some close-up turret action for Slasher Maybe I need to move the firing point a bit further out, so it intersects less with the barrel.



The backgrounds are actually skyboxes, and yes they are in TBP: jupiter_skybox1.pof, mars_skybox.pof

[emi_100]

wow! that picture will look great with the new Slasher's normal map for the omega texture.
the model could be just percfect combined with those normals, excelent work Col. Fishguts! Still WIP? do you use the original texture map?

Edit: one thing, is not about the model, just a quick fix texture issue. The fighter bay here is red, and in almost all the render image I have. But in the show is more like orange.
And the nova have not color on it. Just a detail.

[0rph3u5]

"Wanna have"-inspiring

[Woolie Wool]

Those X-ray laser effects really need updating.

Perhaps a variation of this?

[Slasher]

Those X-ray laser effects really need updating.

YESSSSSS.  That's been on the agenda, but I've been meaning to round out some of the other species' weapons first. 

I definitely do think the EA laser effect we've got could look more like it does in the show though. 

wow! that picture will look great with the new Slasher's normal map for the omega texture.

Thanks!  It should be noted Col. Fishguts knows way more about texturing than I do.  He is one of TBP's original ship makers and his textures are superior to anything I can do. 

Those turrets look awesome by the way.  It's weird seeing things rendered in geometry that were formerly just painted on to the model.