Darkstryder Artifacts WIP [for Jace Terrik]

============ Initial Blog Entry ============

As requested by Jace Terrik, the first of 3 D.S artifacts being modeled in 3D.

While I've been rendering for a few years now, this is a pretty new venture, into actual modeling.

Part 1a:
The initial cylindrical shape.
- A inner cylinder for the glowing "fire" like energy with my own custom made procedural material effect.
- A cylinder with vertical indentation for a container cap
- some sort of end spars that perhaps help channel the energy when used.
- and some sort of domed cap in which the energy can be released from.

Part 1b:
I mirrored the top half to make a bottom half. Then I also added an elongated capsule to perhaps be like a barrier or maglock type energy containment shield. I have yet to connect the re-inforcement spars around the containment shield.

I might add more color to the entire various parts.

============ Update: November 3rd ============

No actual modeling updates at the current moment... I'm rather now waiting on Jace Terrik's feedback before I continue onwards.

If this design current design is acceptable, only then I'll proceed ahead, polish it up a bit, and start the next of design, as there's a request for a total of 3 individual artifacts. I won't spend another 7 hrs to only hear that the design's all wrong or should be different (and likely require deleting and re-modeling portions of the 3d mesh from scratch).

Jace: what I need from you-
- Your feedback, thoughts, and opinions. Do you like this design sofar or what?

- Coloration - right now its a semi-shiny metal for the main housing (yeah there's a reddish glow effect happening also). I can add some extra metalic colors to it, on certain parts of the model (Just don't expect fancy engraving as that requires UV-Mapping the model, which is intermediate to skilled modeling level. I'm still at beginner stage right now.)

- How big/small do you want these to be scaled to? Palm size? arm's length?

Anyone else wanting to toss a few opinions or comments, feel free to ;)

============ Update: November 8th ============

Having chatted back and forth via P.M with Jace, some ideas and suggestions were brought about.

Changelog:

- Devices should be more organic in design and appearance, including surface textures instead of hand made and metalic.
I hadn't done much to alter the initial cylindrical shape yet. I did however, "smoothed" all the hard edges, which has an interesting effect, gives the item more defined definition.

- for fire projection relics, should be possibly red in color
A leather like surface texture has been swapped in place of the metal for the cylinder body, tinted red, with the addition of darker blotchy patches. Like an alien reptile skin.

Also, tried a similar style on some of the arms, a lighter shade of red, although the texture is too fine to really show up. Will work on it, or could try some other type of material.

- Suggestion of twisting of end-claws
I tried 2 different things.
1. Smoothing of hard edges. This is apparent on all 4 light red "claws" . When comparing them to the previous versions, you'll possibly see the slight difference it makes.

2. The top right claw, I had to tesselate to center a few times to increase the number of polygons, which i then twisted in sections slightly, a partial turn each. Personally I'm not too convinced of it looking more organic. Just bent out of shape.

I might have to go back to the drawing board and model new claws, something that looks more tendril like.

Files added:
Doc1d-0.JPG
Doc1d-1.JPG (cropped close-up)

============ Update: November 22nd ============

Ok, Couple new updates...

I tried a new / different approach to making some new end cap spars and mid-center spars... Hopefully they look more organic than machine.

Also adjusted the texture, so its more red with black mottling.

Opinions?

Files added:
Doc1e.JPG
Doc1f.JPG