Tremulous Forum

Media => Modeling Center => Topic started by: Conzul on May 05, 2010, 02:42:23 am

Title: The Swarmer
Post by: Conzul on May 05, 2010, 02:42:23 am
Creature concept by Caffeine, here's the thread in "feedback":http://tremulous.net/forum/index.php?topic=12731.0 (http://tremulous.net/forum/index.php?topic=12731.0)

Edit: I have pretty much finished the mesh. The thumbnails below are the originals, and below the full-sized images are the final mesh. I will now rig it and animate it, then add several shrunken and modified hive models to the hive pod (the big thing on its butt), then make a very small insect model, and finally some visual effects. Keep the feedback coming.

Alien should have a low movement speed, be able to wallwalk and wallgrip, and have a lengthy deploy for balance reasons. Though you can't tell from the pics, it it roughly the same size as a dragoon (hive pod included).

(http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/844/swarmertop.th.png) (http://img13.imageshack.us/i/swarmertop.png/)

(http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/1686/swarmerside.th.png) (http://img297.imageshack.us/i/swarmerside.png/)

(http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/1616/swarmerhives.th.png) (http://img442.imageshack.us/i/swarmerhives.png/)




(http://img576.imageshack.us/img576/9647/swarmer2hives.png) (http://img576.imageshack.us/i/swarmer2hives.png/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

(http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/7677/swarmer2side.png) (http://img30.imageshack.us/i/swarmer2side.png/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

(http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/3618/swarmer2top.png) (http://img163.imageshack.us/i/swarmer2top.png/)

401 Vertices

Just finished the armature (the skeleton that makes it go). Here's a pic. Still working on it.

(http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/2519/blender2010051312405350.png) (http://img695.imageshack.us/i/blender2010051312405350.png/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: Firstinaction on May 05, 2010, 03:05:01 am
Nice. Try fattening the hive area. it would look better. But just a little. But Just an idea. Are you even apart of the dev team Conzul????
O and If you want I can edit this model and send it back too you still with low poly verts if you want more help. Just saying. And how do you make your images so big on hear??
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: Conzul on May 05, 2010, 03:20:32 am
Nice. Try fattening the hive area. it would look better. But just a little. But Just an idea. Are you even apart of the dev team Conzul????
O and If you want I can edit this model and send it back too you still with low poly verts if you want more help. Just saying. And how do you make your images so big on hear??

Sure I'm on the dev team. There's a glitch though where my "developer badge" doesn't show up. They told me they'd fix it ages ago but they never get round to it.
Yeah I am gonna round off the end a bit.
I use imageshack, idk if that makes a diff.
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: your face on May 05, 2010, 04:29:10 am
Hah, I like it.  Mouth does looks a bit odd, and it needs eyes.
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: Firstinaction on May 05, 2010, 08:55:34 am
Nice. Try fattening the hive area. it would look better. But just a little. But Just an idea. Are you even apart of the dev team Conzul????
O and If you want I can edit this model and send it back too you still with low poly verts if you want more help. Just saying. And how do you make your images so big on hear??

Sure I'm on the dev team. There's a glitch though where my "developer badge" doesn't show up. They told me they'd fix it ages ago but they never get round to it.
Yeah I am gonna round off the end a bit.
I use imageshack, idk if that makes a diff.
Ahahah they are lazy.
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: Conzul on May 05, 2010, 03:29:03 pm
Hah, I like it.  Mouth does looks a bit odd, and it needs eyes.

Prolly work on those last, as heads are easily interchangeable.
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: Demolution on May 05, 2010, 03:46:04 pm
Reminded me of this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWY6ANvJRRU).
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: Conzul on May 05, 2010, 05:11:58 pm
Reminded me of this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWY6ANvJRRU).

Yeah the armor plates will slide in the same way as the purpley-cover-thingeys do, but otherwise it's quite different.
My brother is infatuated with that game, I've never played it.
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: Demolution on May 06, 2010, 02:45:34 am
Yeah the armor plates will slide in the same way as the purpley-cover-thingeys do, but otherwise it's quite different.
My brother is infatuated with that game, I've never played it.

That's because it's not out yet. :P It'll be out in July.
But the swarm concept for the back was what immediately made me think about your model.
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: Conzul on May 06, 2010, 04:23:04 pm
My brother is infatuated with that game, I've never played it.

That's because it's not out yet. :P It'll be out in July.

Starcraft in general, bozo.
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: Demolution on May 06, 2010, 09:51:20 pm
Starcraft in general, bozo.

The model I linked to is 3D. StarCraft one is a sprite only game. >.>

Anyways... When will we see an update to the model?
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: Conzul on May 07, 2010, 01:24:57 am
Starcraft in general, bozo.

The model I linked to is 3D. StarCraft one is a sprite only game. >.>

Anyways... When will we see an update to the model?

48 hrs or so.
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: Conzul on May 09, 2010, 05:40:37 am
Bump, I've updated the original post with new pics.
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: Laencii on May 10, 2010, 10:39:17 pm
It looks good, but new images wouldn't be bad
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: Conzul on May 11, 2010, 06:04:19 pm
It looks good, but new images wouldn't be bad

I'll post em as I make em. Probably a video though, cus I'm moving on to animation.
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: Wyvrn on May 11, 2010, 10:22:25 pm
Nice
reminds me of a  :granger:
Looks like a skinny one though lol
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: Conzul on May 13, 2010, 05:55:07 pm
Updated original post.
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: freecd on May 17, 2010, 11:01:25 pm
That is what happens when you forget to feed your granger.
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: Conzul on May 19, 2010, 04:00:03 pm
That is what happens when you forget to feed your granger.

LoL
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: Wyvrn on May 20, 2010, 02:00:55 am
That is what happens when you forget to feed your granger.
rofl
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: Conzul on May 20, 2010, 05:28:47 pm
Mkay I have rigged it, but now I need to animate and this is where I have the least experience. Help me out by telling me if I missed one:

Alien Generic Animations     Swarmer Specific Animations

Idle                                                 Deploy
Jump                                               Pack_up
Taunt                                              Die_from_deploy
Die                                                  Swarmer_slash
Slash (or some form of...)
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: UniqPhoeniX on May 20, 2010, 05:37:50 pm
Take a look at the animation.cfg files of various aliens (data-1.1.0.pk3/models/players/*/animation.cfg).
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: Conzul on May 20, 2010, 06:52:49 pm
Take a look at the animation.cfg files of various aliens (data-1.1.0.pk3/models/players/*/animation.cfg).
Looked at some of those, there are four columns of numbers, which I'm guessing are frame references.
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: UniqPhoeniX on May 20, 2010, 07:49:09 pm
Well there is a comment saying what those numbers are, but that's not what you were spsed to look at. The list includes frame numbers for animations of:
stand
gesture
walk/run/run back
charge
walk/run (left/right)
swim
jump/land/jump back/land back
turn
attack 1-3
pain 1-2
death/dead 1-3
Many of those are not separate animations tho, for example walk/run/swim are the same, only goon and rant have 2 attack animations, and none has more then 1 death anim.
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: Conzul on May 21, 2010, 05:03:03 pm
I Imported (into blender) most of the alien md3 models, and I noticed that only the buildables have a taking pain animation. I don't suppose the source models are available anywhere....Or were they done with blender at all?
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: jez on June 21, 2010, 03:07:03 am
Bump for lolz.

I just started using wings3d, and as I had imagined the swarmer a bit differently, I thought that would be as good a place as any to have a first bash at modelling. I tried to stick fairly low poly (162 verts), though I went a bit vertex crazy around the eyes. I have no idea about how to go about skinning or animating stuff. Perhaps I'll tackle that later, but perhaps not; this was mostly just to have a play.

I envisaged the swarmer as less of a big deal - 3 or 4 evos tops, 100hp, a weakish swipe attack, no bigger than a mara, and with basi like movement. I had imagined the hives behaving as autonomous homing entities you charge up and fire off, rather than directly control. This affected how I designed it: I gave it a fairly generic mara like body, a hivesque thing on top, fairly non threatening grangerish facial features and the goon/granger head spikes.

(http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/trumpetmanjez/swarmer1.png)

(http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/trumpetmanjez/swarmer2.png)

(http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/trumpetmanjez/swarmer3.png)

(http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/trumpetmanjez/swarmer4.png)

(http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/trumpetmanjez/swarmer5.png)

Feedback and constructive criticism is very welcome. There are bits I'm not particularly wild about and where I'm not entirely sure how to make it look "right" (the legs and sides of the body), but I'm fairly pleased with it as a first attempt.


As another random question, what's the best way to get an md3 from the game into wings?
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: Conzul on June 21, 2010, 05:12:14 am
Like a mara with a hive stuck on it. Looks good from the side. I haven't worked on mine in a few weeks, still learning to animate. We don't all have as much time as Firstinaction :P
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: swamp-cecil on June 28, 2010, 02:10:30 am
the hive is really small, and remember what you are making. something that does stuff with hivelettes. try making it look more royal. im not negative, i find others mistakes and fix them
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: CreatureofHell on June 28, 2010, 10:12:58 pm
I like the idea of Jez's model but I feel the quality and style are lacking. Jez's model looks like a middle blob with some legs attached (no offense meant) whereas the previous model actually had more of a form. With the right modifications though it would certainly be an interesting addition.
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: Circle on June 28, 2010, 10:41:45 pm
Just curious, but did you design the model from scratch or modify the dragoon? If they are copies of the dragoon's legs, i suggest you modify them to look unique.

Jez's, modified a bit would be a wicked addition to the human defenses.
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: Conzul on June 29, 2010, 12:50:56 am
I started with a goon, and pulled it out of shape and added stuff. There will be half-sized hives with that alien webbing stuff you see on structures, inside it's rear end, which will raise like a scorpion tail during deployment. I have the animation concepts all done, now I actually gotta do da stuff.
Title: Re: The Swarmer
Post by: jez on June 29, 2010, 09:46:33 am
Thanks for the feedback, I'm glad the general idea has found some acceptance. Yes, I'm aware it looks a bit blob-with-legsish. If I get round to cleaning it up a bit I'll post some results. Also if anyone would like the wings file you're welcome to it.

I think the goonish legs are my favorite part of conzul's model. I think its good to have consistency between models on the alien team.