Skiff / Landspeeder 3d model WIP

-- Sept 30th --

Heya all, (and Happy 10th Anniv Swag!)

I know I've been quite busy with life. Not a whole lot of spare time to get new renders finished and posted. Especially the past few months in which I've been juggling some home renovations inbetween my full time work schedule (40hrs a week, 6 days on, 1 day off... ouch eh?)

Anywhoo, with my rendering rig unplugged and buried in a corner while the house still isn't done yet, I've been making due with this awesome little netbook I picked up recently. And yes, I can actually run my rendering and modeling software on it. I can't do much in the way of 3d renders that's typical in my gallery however; I've been taking the opportunity to learn and self teach myself modeling skills to make my own models. Which brings us to this blog entry; which also in part is due to one of the fellow artists here telling me some distant time ago to start posting my work in progress the next time I do a new 3d render or whatever I choose to do.

As I once talked about (in my last few posted renders) about getting into making my own models, I thought initially maybe try doing some buildings, easy structures. My interests decided to steer slightly in a different direction: Vehicles. This is Star Wars right? So why not. Good as any task to start tackling.

Now originally, I had some older vector art drawings from many years ago of some vehicles I came up with. One being a relatively boxy Cargo Skiff. Basically, a rectangular slab for a base, a bench seat, an open deck with railings for cargo at the back and a modest windscreen and steering stick at the front.

So, the last few nights I've been eagerly started working up the original drawing into a 3d model. Sofar so good I thought. Well, as I keep on tinkering away and learning the tools (slow, tediously, lots of trial and error and levels of undo i assure you...) I begin to start thinking this is looking kinda bland, little too simplistic. What if I kick it up a notch? change up the design and see where it takes me?

Lets start first, with my very original Soro-Suub Cargo Skiff 500 from 2003-2005, from my very short lived "Darkness Ascending" campaign -
Link: Soro-Suub Cargo Skiff 500

So, here you go... Have a look, tell me what you think; be it good, bad, constructive...

01. Initial body chassis aka rectangular slab

02. Decided to add a bit of extra body siding, not original to the plan. Also decided to make the body front a little more shapelier.

03. Added the bench, and got it to roughly match the new front angle

04. Then came the rails. Very tricky fun to do. Quite a few trials and errors here until I got it right. Once done, duplicated precisely to the other side of the chassis.

05. Then comes the outboard engine(s). This is my next little deviation. Final design yet to be determined as I might change or tweak them further yet. Original drawing had little repulsor plates underneath.

06. Hmm, lets lengthen the whole chassis to see what it looks like. Little bit more 'boat-like' but I like the possibilities I can further take it. What do you think?

07. Now a quick preview of the extended chassis with the rest of the pieces sofar.

08. A sort of wing / foil. Hmm, and its also where the engine is. Just where am I going with this? Hard to say, and I don\t want to say much right now, but I do have a few ideas.

So, that's it for the moment. I'm using a free Wi-Fi at one of the fast food restaurants to upload what have sofar. Maybe more tonight or in a few days.

I'd be curious as to what your opinions and thoughts are.
Stay tuned!

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Oct 5th

09 - 17

More development and refinment on the body and styling. In no particular order:
Added a windshield, tweaked the air fpoiler / wing foil to be slopped back a bit. Also added the repulsor air intake vanes in the lower from of the chassis, as well as added boxes under the hood for headlights.

Comments

TNJadeonar

Thanks Asok!

I'm quite happy where this little project is shaping up to be. :)

3D modeling more than simple props is something I've been wanting to get into, not just buying other vendors products to use in my renders.

________________________
Core to the Quad baby!!!

If your going to complement me, don't tell me my work is neat, cool or awesome. If you really like it, tell me why you like it and what you like about it. Only then I'll take it as a complement.