Protofriday - Cold Feet

Since finishing the alt mode (though there are a few pieces I think I might go back and add on sometime), I've been working on cutting it apart and adding in the robot bits.  I started with the feet first since it quickly became apparent that my original idea for them wouldn't work.  And then the second idea wouldn't work.  And now the idea I'm going with kinda works, but still has it's problems.

As you might be able to see from this horrendous screen-grab, the section behind the front wheel folds down along the cockpit, the wheel folds back, the bump rotates and folds up and the foot assembly rotates out of the first section.... man, I'm having trouble keeping up with it and I made it myself.

The biggest problem that shows up is how absurdly small the foot will be.  For it to fit within the section behind the front wheel it needs to be very small and flat.  I've made toes and a heel that fold out but it's still so small I'm afraid it wouldn't be able to hold him up if it were a figure.  I don't like the joint system I'm using either, with the giant cog-thingees creating the ankle joint, and the huge pivot on the foot itself.

I'm thinking I'll revamp most of it, replacing the ankle system here with a normal ball-and-socket and extending the back of the foot out to allow for a bigger toe and heel.  Right now both of them rotate out, but I'll probably change them to sliding out so I can make them wider as well.

In all though, the feet are going to be damn small.  And unfortunately, I'm still learning with Lightwave and every change I make takes way too long.  I'm getting more comfortable with it though and hopefully more revamps will come about quicker.

Protosaturday - This Is It!

I'm done!  Honestly, it's a cross between "I've done as much as I can" with "I don't think I really care anymore".  I've done what I wanted to do though - create a very low-poly model vehicle that will be easy to convert to a robot model.  I'm not aiming for those highly-detailed Unicron Trilogy 3D and definitely not the hyder-detailed movie styles - I'm trying to stick with a Generation 1 asthetic.  I think this model fits pretty well within that criteria. 

Now from here, I've got two different directions I need to go with this model.  Everything else I model will go through both of these steps.

1. Texture this model with realistic colors.  Once it's all brown and green camo, I'll post it online as is for sale to other people wanting a very low poly model. 
2. Cut this guy up for transformation.

I'm not going to be posting step 1 on the blog though, instead focusing solely on step 2 here.  So next time you see this model, expect to see it in pieces!

Prototuesday - Almost Done

.... with the alt mode.  What, did you think this was just a regular vehicle?  Of course it's a Transformer!

So anyway, I'm almost done with vehicle mode here - with just a few changes to the turret and barrel.  Once that's done, I'll start cutting it apart and building the robot mode with the pieces!  

Protomonday - Closing In

Added a few more details to the front and messed with the turret.  Still need to do some more work on the body, then I'll finish up the turret, barrel, and add some tires.  I've actually taking this week off, so I'm hoping I'll make a lot of progress.  Of course, I've got a bunch of homework too, so we'll see how much that takes.

Protomonday - Another step or two

Took me a while, but I got back into Lightwave this week and made a few more things to the Rhino here.  Cut out the wheel wells, added some windows to the cockpit and a panel in front of it, and put the vents on the sides in front of the wheels.  Also corrected the rear of the turret and cut out the pivot for the barrel.  I would have done more, but Lightwave died on me after I did most of it but not before I could save it.  Of course.

Next step will be adding the lights/speakers/whatevers on the front section, then modding the turret on the sides of the barrel, which needs to be lower and have a few rounded covers added.  Hopefully, I can get that done tomorrow or Wednesday.

Protosunday - Getting There

Okay, so last I posted here, I was really pissed off at myself for going absolutely nowhere with the project.  I had hoped that in the new year I'd turn it around and really get stuff going.  It's almost a month later and I thought I'd get an update for you.

Shortly after the first of the year, I ordered a Lightwave training book and I've got through the first chapters and the more basic tutorials.  I'm only dealing with modeling for the time being.  I ditched the moonbase idea (thought the rocket I modeled earlier will still be useful to me) and have started on a different model.

It's coming along.  This is about 10 hours of modeling so far, what with fideling with all the controls and all.  It's a G6 Rhino self-propelled Howitzer.  Missing the wheels, of course.  I mainly picked it out because of all the sharp corners and flat surfaces.  There's a lot of work to be done on it before I'm ready to even surface it, which will take another couple of tutorials.

I'm slowly getting the hang of Lightwave.  I still forget to to deselect the modify tools before I try to select a different poly and I've accidentally moved way too much stuff and had to start over because I couldn't fix it.  But it's getting there.

Protofriday - New Years Eve

Earlier this year, I laid out some pretty ambitious plans for the next few years, with the first step being learning Lightwave.  With today being the last day of my training period, it's time to look back on exactly how much I've accomplished so far....

Nothing.  This holiday season has totally kicked my ass, with all the shopping for presents and getting ready for company, I haven't had time to devote to the Prototytan Project at all.  Well, I did do one sketch of a Prototytan-designed Shockwave, which is unnecessary since he isn't even slated to show up in the comic.  Anyway, here have a looksy.

So where does all this slackery leave me?  Frustrated, disappointed, and even a bit disgusted.  There's no reason for me to be so behind.  Frankly, I'm having way more trouble adjusting to Lightwave than I should.  It's supposed to be a lot easier to learn since I knew how to work 3DSMax, but I find it's made learning Lightwave even harder.  Max had some great controls and tools that I can't even find substitutes for in Lightwave.  I'm not saying it'll be impossible to learn the new system, but it's going to take a lot longer than I previously thought.  And even after I think I've learned everything, I'm sure many more problems will crop up.  For the time being though, I'm going to keep the 2013 timetable and the 11-day modeling schedule.  We'll just have to see how well I can stick with it.

Protofriday - Shadowcaster

Shadowcaster

Function: Aerial Surveillance

Motto: “Watch your step and you miss the view.”

Is usually so obsessed with flying that she spends all her time watching the skies and missing the targets on the ground she is supposed to track. Very arrogant because she is the only Prototytan that can fly in both modes. Often ignores orders for cooperation if she feels she can do better on her own. In jet mode, has a top speed of Mach 1.3. Engines can create thick seeded clouds that can cover her movements. Can release a charge into the clouds causing massive lightning bolts. In robot mode, arm mounted engines allow her to fly, but maneuverability is low. Carries a liquid-nitrogen gun.

Vehicle Mode: Cessna Citation III

Strength: 7

Intelligence: 9

Speed: 9

Endurance: 6

Rank: 8

Courage: 7

Firepower: 5

Skill: 9

I posted this picture of Shadowcaster a while ago, but I never really introduced her, so here's my chance. Yes, you read right there - this is another female Transformer. See, I've got no problem with female TFs, I prefer their inclusion in the stories. I know that opens up the whole idea of TF relationships, but that's easy enough to ignore. I will admit here though that I gave her a really sexist robot mode. Thigh high boots, a mini-skirt, and a tube top. It's hard to believe you can design a Transformer to incorporate all that, but I think I got it down right.

Originally she only had the boots and the top was a complete mystery to me. I was so afraid her torso would be just one boring white.... tube. I tried to figure out how to fold something up to cover her top and give it some actually geometry, but nothing would have looked good. Along with that, her crotch was exposed, which would be inappropriate for a lady. I thought the tops of her boots may cover it, but to give her long enough legs, they'd be too short. I did figure out to have half the top slide down to become the skirt though, and would give her a bare midrif. That's not just for the look; I'm hoping to get some waist pivot articulation there, and hopefully a swivel.

I was also working on the arms which are to the right. I had to figure out how to fit the forearms into the shoulder pieces, which are the ends of the plane. She's going to have huge shoulders, with half of the t-tail and an engine on each of them. I think I have the forearms will fit pretty well up there. The chest will flip open and her head will come out.

The legs are pretty basic; split apart the front, extend legs down, split the nose from front and back to get her high heels. Yup, she's even got high heels. Wings fold in half and an extra panel on her butt folds up to uncover the back of ther legs. For articulation, you know.

Protofriday - Training

When I was in my first 3D modeling class in school, the final project I had to do was build a moonbase.  It included about 37 distinct structures and vehicles; a power plant, a med bay, a shuttle, etc.  It tested everything I had learned in the class up to that point; polygons, geometry, splines, bevels, again etc.  I got a B- on it. 


So now that I'm learning Lightwave, I've decided I'm going to do the same final project to learn everything I need to.  I don't remember everything that the first project required, but I'm making up a new list that will again have 37 different objects.  I've got a lot longer to finish it than my class offered, but I have to figure it all out, model and surface it by the end of the year.  So far I've made this rocket.

It's not much, but it was quick and helpful,  And I think it was a great starting point.  From now on, 3D updates like this will be posted on W3Dnesdays, and Protofriday will stick specifically with the Prototytan sketches, designs, and profiles.  Megatron Monday is on hiatus this week because of a vacation, but will be back next week as well.  So come back often and see how this is going.

Protofriday - Timeline

I think I've got a plan!  There's a lot of stuff for me to do and, luckily for me, there's not a little time to do it in.  I posted earlier about my asset list and everything I'll have to make up for the Prototytan Project; fourty-six robots, a half-dozen humans, a few sets, and a lot of props - and that's just for the first season.  But before I do all that, I still have to learn Lightwave.  It's not completely new since I'm transitioning from 3DS Max, but it's still taking some time before I get comfortable with it.  It's an uphill battle, though, because I'm stubborn and hate having to adjust to new things. 

I've looked at all the assets and I've figured out a timeline that I think will give me enough time to get everything modeled.  The timeline has a few steps; the first is the learning phase.  I'm giving myself til the end of the year to learn as much as I have to about Lightwave.  I'll go through a ton of tutorials, I'll model a bunch of junk, I'll mess with the materials, everything I can do to learn without feeling pressured to make a Prototytan just yet.  I don't want to start out trying to model Huffer or Reaper and just get frustrated when nothing's turning out right.  So I'll start out with toasters or rockets or whatever else I can think of.  Also during this time, I'll finalize the alt mode and design for all the robots.  There'll be lots of sketches here so hopefully I'll have a lot to post here.

The second step is the asset production.  As soon as it turns to 2011, I'm going to start modeling with a purpose.  I'm giving myself a long time - two years - to model everything I need.  I'll start with the robots and give myself 11 days to model and surface each one.  By the time that 11th day hits, I'll have a model of the alt mode ready to sell online, and have a fully transformable robot.  I measured this out and all together, it should take me 18 months.  That'll give me 6 months to model out everything else; the people, sets and props.  During this time, the Prototytan Project will have daily updates to keep me going.

The final thing I'll have to do before the deadline is get the first update ready to post online.  It's not a long one, I think just a few pages, but it has to be ready to go by January 1st, 2013.  That Tuesday is officially... Prototuesday!  Watch for it!

Protofriday - Doodles

I'm an compulsive doodler. I have a blank sheet of paper in front of me - or even paper with big blank spots on it - and I'll doodle anything. I try to stick with stuff that needs doodling, like this comic, but sometimes it'll end up as just a bunch of squiggles. Because of that, most of my drawings for the Prototytans end up being really tiny and sometimes, unfortunately, indistinguishable. I've got designs for new characters that are smaller than a dime! Good thing I've got a zoom on my scanner, right?

Anyway, here's a few tiny sketches blown up a bit. The first doodle is fleshing out of the original sketch of a character called Feedback. She's a SmartCar emergency vehicle and transforms into a somewhat stereotypical nurse. Think Animated First Aid. She's got a bit of a Lockdown transformation with her legs as well.

Got some redesigned Insecticons as well. I never liked their origin in the cartoon, how they got insect robot modes by scanning the local area. How did it work for them, but not anyone else? Why didn't they end up scanning motorboats or farm vehicles or even bicycles? So anyway, they'll be keeping their Cybertron modes for the time being. I'll just need to rethink their name. Bombshell transforms into an H-tank like Animated Shockwave and Kickback's alt mode is a motocycle. Shrapnel (not pictured) will be a drill jet. Because jets with drill bits are awesome!

Protofriday - Plans

With Megatron taking over the blog here, I think it's a good time to reestablish what exactly the Prototytan Project, and specifically what I'm going to do with it.  The Prototytans are a new faction of Transformer created solely by me.  At first, I was just planning to make a comic featuring them with our regular Autobots and Decepticons, but as their designs became more technical and their numbers grew, I thought how I'd like to see more of these guys.  I put an awful lot of work into them (or at least I will), and I wanted to make something of it.  So I planned to model out the Prototytans alt modes as detailed as possible and sell those models on Renderosity or Turbosquid, and hopefully be able to sell them from my own site.  I thought it was a pretty ambitious plan that would hopefully get me some decent returns.

And then I found Shapeways.  I had originally hoped to do some kitbashes of my characters, but having tried one, I gave up.  Not totally!  But after seeing some of the stuff created on Shapeways, like Venksta's WSTs and his Skyfall upgrade kit.  I had no idea you could make anything so intricate from 3D models.  I know it's pretty cost prohibited, but I feel pretty strongly about the viability of my Prototytan designs, so I think it's worth trying.

Now I'm not a total fool here and I'm not going to spend a ton of money on a model without some small-scale trials.  That's what the Legends scale is for, right?  Something I'm a huge collector of already.  So before I try doing any full-scale Deluxes or Voyagers, or whatever size they'll end up, I'm going to make some simplifications and pump out some Legends.

Crap, now it's Saturday.  Anyway, as I was saying I'll be making some Legends to go along with my collection.  I'm not sure now if I'd try to mass-produce these Legends figures, but I'm pretty sure the bigger ones will never be made for distribution.  Those things are going to be expensive!  I'd be lucky if the sale of 3D models would cover the cost of just making the originals. 

Everything's still a while away, and the comic itself is still my top priority.  One day though, I intend to hold my Prototytans in my hand and hopefully not break them somehow.

Protofriday

So, in an effort to keep me focused on the Prototytan Project, I've decided I need to start weekly updates on my progress. I don't care if it's an updated profile, a character sketch, or a doodle of Terramax pooping on Optimus - it's getting posted! So to begin, here's my first profile.



Reaper

Function: Psychological Warfare

Motto: “One robot’s music is another’s misery.”

Has an extremely morose outlook on life and tends to force that on everyone around him. Enjoys seeing those around him becoming solemn and depressed due to his jokes and comments. Can sometimes be shunned by the others because of his mood. In vehicle mode, has a top speed of 120 mph. In robot mode, creates subliminal messages with speakers on his arms that can cause violence, paranoia, or depression in anyone hearing it. Carries a laser scythe. Sometimes becomes the target of the victim’s reaction due to uncontrollable reaction to broadcast.

Strength: 6

Intelligence: 8

Speed: 7

Endurance: 6

Rank: 8

Courage: 7

Firepower: 7

Skill: 7

Guess what his alt mode is! It's a 1970's Hearse! Don't ask me why a Cybertronian robot would have a robot mode that looks like the Grim Reaper, but I thought it was a cool (though probably cliched) idea. I really like how this guy came together in a very thin robot mode that gives off a lot of the Grim Reaper vibe.

Transformation is pretty simple. The middle of the hood folds under to become the chest and the head pops out. The wheels all rotate forward to become speakers. This legs extend out while the sides and top of the rear fold outward and seperate. The back of the alt mode unfolds and expands into a sort of cloak. His arms pull out to the sides and the fists slide out. The window sides on his arms look like lose sleeves and each contains half of his scythe, which eject and are assembled together. Easy!