[WIP] Talon Hawk

[kjc733]

Yes, I'm at it again. I blame Hellkite for drawing such a challenging design .



Now when I see a challenge I just have to give it a go (a serious character flaw I know). The flak and nukes in HRM 2.0 - just because people said it couldn't be done. The Serephim - because I knew it would be pushing the boundaries of my modelling ability. Same for Peridhil, and the same goes for this. The Talon Hawk is also the first time I've ever tried to do a Romulan design...

So, four hours later...


Obviously there's a ton of work still to do. There's no side shot because quite frankly I'd be embarrised to do so - by no means does it yet do Hellkites drawing justice. But watch this space.

 

[Hellkite]

"Nothing worth doing ever comes easy "


Blaming me LOL ... ah it's what I do.

Anyway it's a good start Kjc

 

[Straxus]

Definitely tricky design but looks like a very good start! Eager to see the end result of this beast finished and textured!

 

[Styer_Crisis]

Prety soon, MSFC will have an entire Fleet of exclusive ships drawn by Hellkite and modeled by a bunch of us here, Awesome start, can't wait for the results

 

[kjc733]

This is by far the most complex design I have ever attempted. There's just so much going on in that tail section that I'm struggling to get it all straight in my head (let alone on paper... ehm, screen). So there may be a bit of "artistic license" to make it all work.

 

[Hellkite]

here is the tail view

 

[kjc733]

I'm so glad that (sorta) matches what I've already done

 

[Hellkite]

(sorta) good to know

 

[kjc733]

Last updates before calling it a night.




Current poly count is around 1300, but as I haven't even started the nacelles (and the hull needs better shaping) that will certainly be going up.

 

[CABAL]

That looks like a pretty good recreation so far. I'll definitely be getting this.

 

[Adm_Z]

Awesome man, looking great.

 

[Majestic]

Awesome work KJC, I may snag the model off you when it's done to make my own version for my mod. This is a really nice surprise and a beautiful design. It's looking fantastic in 3D.

 

[kjc733]

Thanks, but be warned this is a real headache of a design to understand. It's like a cross between a D'deridex, a Whitestar and a Glorious Heritage - it's been driving me nuts trying to build this as I built the main hull first and consequently have been struggling to find good views to do the fiddly bits.

Kudos to Hellkite for actually having the imagination to visualise this in the first place - it's hard enough having reference pictures!

I actually did a few minor tweaks after posting this which actually made a huge difference to the overall flow of the design. As it looks like it's going to hammer it down today I suspect I'll try and get a bit more done.

 

[Knight]

its looking great

 

[kjc733]

Getting close now




EDIT - Holy Mother of God! I just tried smoothing the mesh!

 

[kjc733]

Ok, comments and critiques requested.

 

[Majestic]

I've only got good things to say, it's a great design and you've done a really good job on the model.

I personally would've done her in a higher poly count. But that's just me. Top work all round.

 

[kjc733]

I've only got good things to say, it's a great design and you've done a really good job on the model.

I personally would've done her in a higher poly count. But that's just me. Top work all round.

To be perfectly honest, I'm shocked it has come out so low (will be approx after conversion), which is why I was being frugal with the polygons. Do you have any suggestions where it may benefit from more detailing?

 

[Majestic]

I would say at the front of the saucer/hull and the nacelles. I know Maya does things differently to MS3D. Having worked with a few of your and one of Crisis's models I know that is doesn't do separate groups like MS3D and you can't layer nacelles on pylons, they are attacked.

So if it's rather low in poly's them I say if you can smooth some areas out I would go for it.

 

[kjc733]

Actually in maya they can be built as seperate objects, either seperately in the same scene or constructed in seperate scenes then imported. I took this approach with the Righteous as it was a very modular design (this was part of the problem when it came to poly reduction). I also use this for boolean work when adding detailing to my boats. Perhaps this doesn't pass over in the conversion process.
For more "organic" and fluid designs I prefer to build as a single object.

 

[kjc733]

The very rare greater polied Hawk.
The A2 version, standing at around 1900 polys


And the smoothed version, standing at around 15000 maya polys (30k in milkshape)

 

[Styer_Crisis]

Kjc, my master, that. is. incredible. , The 15K varreint would make for some amazing Screens though..... Amazing indeed. How many Mesh Groups does the 15ker have?

 

[Adm_Z]

You have proven yourself one of the master a2 modelers kjc, yet again. Beautiful work.

 

[kjc733]

Kjc, my master, that. is. incredible. , The 15K varreint would make for some amazing Screens though..... Amazing indeed. How many Mesh Groups does the 15ker have?

Maybe, but someone would have to texture it though

It was built as a single mesh, no seperate bits spliced in at any point, started off as a humble cube. Don't worry, give it time and you'll be able to do it too.

As for a master, I be but a humble mesh builder. There are others far more deserving of the title (those that can do the whole thing from end to end).

 

[Styer_Crisis]

Maybe, but someone would have to texture it though

It was built as a single mesh, no seperate bits spliced in at any point, started off as a humble cube. Don't worry, give it time and you'll be able to do it too.

As for a master, I be but a humble mesh builder. There are others far more deserving of the title (those that can do the whole thing from end to end).

lol,
And Master,

I was asking about the mesh groups becuz fleet ops can support really high poly models as long as its has few mesh groups. The borg cube there is like 20K+ polys i think.

P.S. the Tal Lorrex was 2 Cubes lololol

 

[Adm_Z]

Maybe, but someone would have to texture it though
le to do it too.

If it wasn't for the fact that I have never done romulan textures before and the end produce wouldn't match anything, I would volunteer to do it.

 

[kjc733]

I've never understood why the FlOps borg cubes are so high poly - its a cube! Sounds very wasteful to me. I've done detailed fighters with fins aplenty, inlets, canopy ridges etc for that sort of count. I think my current battlestar including turrets is around 28k (granted, maya polys not ms3d polys).

The thing to remember is that "extrude face" is your friend. You can make a pylon, then just extrude out exstra blocks from the end of it until you have enough to build a rough nacelle. All the extra pylons in the Talon Hawk are built in exactly the same way, except once the pylon is long enough I delete the face from the pylon end (making a hollow tube) and delete the destination face (punching a hole in the hull). Then its a case of moving the individual pylon end vertices to occupy the same place as the vertices around the hull hole, and when they're close enough merging the vertices.

 

[Styer_Crisis]

The thing to remember is that "extrude face" is your friend. You can make a pylon, then just extrude out exstra blocks from the end of it until you have enough to build a rough nacelle. All the extra pylons in the Talon Hawk are built in exactly the same way, except once the pylon is long enough I delete the face from the pylon end (making a hollow tube) and delete the destination face (punching a hole in the hull). Then its a case of moving the individual pylon end vertices to occupy the same place as the vertices around the hull hole, and when they're close enough merging the vertices.

Yep, i use the Extude Face and Cut Face tools the most, that and plain manipulation is basicly what i built the Tal Lorrex with. I just have the hardest time dealing with Welding errors, Such as Quadrangle shaped faces, they show up in milk shape as an overlapping vertice...... and it annoys the heck outta me to have to go back and forth from both programs to cut the faces to the right angles so it doesn't overlap.

Edit: and the borg cubes are so high becuz it has two layers, and 3 for the tac. One for the glowing green stuff, one for hull itself, and one for the tactical armor. plus a lot goes into the detail of the outer layers, so it has a real 3D armor look like in First Contact.

 

[Hellkite]

you have out done your self kjc

 

[kjc733]

Thank you.
But please consider us poor tired ol' mesh builders next time you draw something. This one was driving me insane (er)