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Artwork => Finished Works and Works in Progress => Topic started by: Arik_the_Red on October 24, 2010, 01:43:41 pm

Title: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on October 24, 2010, 01:43:41 pm

This message has been fully reworked to serve as the summary of this project, and will be updated accordingly as people contribute.

Since a few folks have expressed interest in this project, I'm beginning with a storyline below, and then will have separate messages for each element or idea of the project as they come up.

Thanks to all that want to have a go at this. I do hope this can be a fun project for all. This could work well in some sort of movie format, or as a video game.3D comic, or as a video game.

For now, though, I think its enough to just create the immediate neighborhood/street on which the story would begin.

CURRENT LIST OF CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE WORKS:


Buildings
 - Metalsmith Shop / Office and Attic Dwelling (Arik_the_Red)
 - Mechanic Shop ($imon)
 - Urban Housing Ideas ($imon)
 - Factory/ies (kreator)

Vehicles
 - Small dirigible 1 man craft (Arik_the_Red)
 - Steam-powered bike (Raxx)
 - Steam Limousine (Ensoniq5)

Characters
 - Metalsmith's Apprentice - Male character (Arik_the_Red)
 - Mechanic - Female character (Raxx)

HISTORY:

It was the beginning of Mankind's era of Industrial Revolution. The invention of the steam engine brought new wonders to the world. Locomotives chased long, gleaming rails over vast expanses of land, carrying people and wares tirelessly across continents. Ships of steam chugged over lakes, winding rivers and even across seas, connecting nations, cities, and families as never before.

And a piece of Heaven's foundations fell, shaking the world. The skies burned... Storms of fire swept over the lands... A shroud of darkness blotted out the sun, and then came the Long Winter. In the Dark, death and famine prevailed... Green turned to brown and black, and the survivors of wondered if the sun would ever shine again, or would the sky be an eternal, dismal gray.

But, in time the sun did return, the blue skies did return, and the world was reborn from the ashes. And the very cause of Man's - the Earth's - misery was discovered. In the heart of a massive, ragged hole in the world glowed a mountainous rock from Space... radiating, pulsing of orange light, hot to the touch, hard as a diamond. The cause of the world's grief, however, brought with it a wonder as well. When the rains fell, the waters burst into steam on touch... And Man found a gift in the heart of the world's destruction...

People found a way to mine the massive meteor, slowly removing small portions, and constructing great machines powered by the strange element's means of producing steam. And the Age of Steam was reborn, fueled by the scrapings from the massive, glowing rock. New machines provided new wonders, and crafts of land, sea, and air... and thus was that, with the dawning of a new century, the Age of Steampunk was born, and blossomed.

CURRENT SETTING & STORYLINE:

The time frame of the storyline is roughly the 1900s, in the area of the 1920s-early 1930s. Thus, the technology would best be reflected as Steampunk-version of anything from the late 1800s to the mid-1930s. Of course, in place of technology formed of the petroleum industry, is the development of anything steam-powered. After all, with the Long Winter and the need for Mankind to rebuild after what is essentially something akin to nuclear winter, the discovery of an element that is in relative abundance and able to create high levels of steam in small quantities would intrigue scientists and engineers deeply enough to delay, possibly even completely halt, the pursuits of petroleum fuels.

The city could be a city in partial ruin from the time of the Long Winter, and the styles of the buildings and such would be heavily influenced by the Victorian Era. As is, the new/rebuilt city is formed around a massive steam power plant that maintains vast boilers and equipment for the production of electricity and also extreme pressure steam pipes to areas somewhat closer to the plant as sources of heat, steam and hot water for businesses and residences.

Vehicles and equipment are powered by a boiler system that takes a mere grain of the meteor for smaller engines, and water tanks that provide the steam on contact with the meteor fragment in question.

The story begins with the main character being a metalsmith's apprentice who lives in the attic of the smith-shop of his employer/master. He awakes late in the morning, far later than "Master" would have him... to find that no one is about... that there are no people in his neighborhood. The plot is for the main character to discover what has become of the people.

The fact of the matter is that the main character had been out too late the night before, and drinking/carousing heavily, and slept in well past noon, completely oblivious to the world. During that time, all people that were easily found were rounded up by an alien invasion, the aliens having come to Earth in pursuit of the element of the and the meteor that fuels Man's Steampunk Revolution.

A few scattered humans, holed up like the main character was - in attics, sewers, or other difficult-to-find areas, can be found. But, by and large, the aliens took almost everyone, and it is for the remaining few to determine what happened, and ultimately how to put an end to the aliens' occupation, and free the humans that were captured.

DESIGN GUIDELINES:

I'm a closed-minded American, designing things in the American measurements... So, I have been working with the idea that:
 - 10pts = 1 foot, and the average height of a human being 60pts
 - 60pts = the height of an average human (6 ft, or a bit shy of 2 meters/metres)

The style I'm aiming for is roughly realistic in proportioning, though I think I will have some slight exaggerations in the making of characters. The heads, hands and feet may be somewhat pronounced and enlarged as is appropriate to create more interesting style and such. As I get the main character in order soon, I hope it shows well enough what I have in mind.

Anim8or Materials: I am attaching a version of Kubajz (sp?) Material DB because I like the metals, and have been working from that file to create my own materials as well. My dirigible (incomplete) is also attached so that some of my own materials are included. I'd encourage people to likewise use the attached file as the basis for materials to provide some continuity to things.

NOW WHAT:

Well, anyone with any ideas on how to further develop what is shown above, please do! I will be glad to consider and implement any contributions to the best of my closed-minded, egotistical brain's ability ;)... Just speak up, and I'll try and figure out the best way to make any new ideas work out, so long as it sticks to the general theme described above.

PROPER CREDIT:

It's only appropriate that credit be given where credit is due, therefore I will hold rights to the initial storyline and anything that I create. Likewise, anyone who contributes to the project will maintain ownership of their respective ideas and contributions.

On the outside chance that this project does move on to any wondrous chances of fame, glory, and endless riches, it should only be on the conditions that all contributors can agree to. No one should profit from this project except in the sense that all can agree upon how they should share in the benefits.

That being said, lets forget all that for now, and just have some fun!

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on October 24, 2010, 02:51:36 pm

Hey Aric, nice to see you starting on something fresh again, its a shame that your last project got lost though!

I really like Steam Punk it is always very inspiring to see, a zeppelin is a very interesting object as well. Can't wait to see what the combination will come out as!

Good luck on this project! Hope you will be able to finish it :)

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on October 24, 2010, 02:57:44 pm

Quote from: $imon on October 24, 2010, 02:51:36 pm

...Good luck on this project! Hope you will be able to finish it :)

DON'T JINX ME! :P

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: ENSONIQ5 on October 24, 2010, 09:59:07 pm

Always great to see your imaginative, original, inspiring work Arik, finished or not.  Good luck with the project.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on October 24, 2010, 10:09:39 pm

Thanks, old friend... Here, I have reworked the gondola... decided not to do the windshield thing... Building the boiler as can be seen, will have more details - pipes, gauges, etc... will do some detailed hooks and such for the suspension ropes... Then deciding still whether to have a ship-s wheel control, or levers, etc... Need a seat for the pilot of course, and propeller, and still a few fin/flap things for rudder/steering... etc. etc.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: headwax on October 24, 2010, 11:18:33 pm

ho great work arik especially the engine looking grande

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Josmic8or on October 25, 2010, 01:56:48 pm

Coool!Very creative!!

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: blazecon0 on October 25, 2010, 09:32:36 pm

so thaaats why...o well, i got some good experience and models from it :)

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: blazecon0 on October 25, 2010, 09:33:44 pm

and once again, ill be happy to help with this 1 as well ^^

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on October 25, 2010, 11:49:28 pm

Thanks for the comments, guys!

Actually, this project might be a lot more fun to work on as a group thing... has more leeway for creativity... Soooo... Maybe I ought to put together the the storyline and such, so there's some idea of the general way of things? It could definitely be a fun group project of sorts, sure!

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: 3D Joe Wiltshire on October 26, 2010, 12:42:33 am

Ooh agree on that, And I do find steampunk much more appealing than whaling stations :D

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: 3Dgeek11 on October 26, 2010, 01:01:21 am

Nice to see something fresh, Arik. Shame the other one fell through. You had some awesome ideas and it was very deep.

This one's looking great so far, though! :D

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on October 26, 2010, 02:14:57 pm

Since a few folks have expressed interest in this project, I'm beginning with a storyline below, and then will have separate messages for each element or idea of the project as they come up.

Thanks to all that want to have a go at this. I do hope this can be a fun project for all. This could work well in some sort of movie format, or as a video game.3D comic, or as a video game.

For now, though, I think its enough to just create the immediate neighborhood/street on which the story would begin.

(details of project outline moved to Message 1 to save space)

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on October 26, 2010, 02:21:01 pm

I have some artwork here for inspiration... Of course, I'm showing these things for the technology and architecture, not so much for the exact scene. But, heck, aren't these just plain cool?

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: 3Dgeek11 on October 26, 2010, 03:21:27 pm

Wow, that's a very deep storyline there. I like it. :)

And those images are awesome!

If this can get a bit organized I'll be sure to help out. :)

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Raxx on October 26, 2010, 04:15:08 pm

Count me in.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: davdud101 on October 26, 2010, 04:42:16 pm

I wanna join up.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on October 26, 2010, 06:16:00 pm

Sounds cool mate :) I'll be willing to contribute as well, get my Anim8or from under the dust (it's been sitting there for waaay too long..)

I like the idea so far & lets see where this can go :)

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: ENSONIQ5 on October 26, 2010, 09:47:53 pm

I would like to tentatively contribute - I love Steampunk and your storyline is excellent, but have a habit of under-delivering on group projects and am therefore reluctant to commit too heavily (too many projects on the go at any one time). 

Minor point of order on measurements: 60pt = 6 feet = approx 2 metres (or meters), not 1.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on October 26, 2010, 10:07:54 pm

Wow! Thanks for all the chip-ins! And yes, I cocked up on that meter/metre thing... I did mean to say 2, but I was rushing to get that message wrapped as I was having signal problems at Starbucks... Fixing it.

I'm glad you all like the story line. I was trying to come up with a rationale for why we would have an alternate Steampunk-type world...

So, my immediate goal is to develop a sort of tight-quarters street of block or two, possibly cobble-stone, with all the decor that would go with such. Preference is to the sort you would see in European cities, where it's practically wall-to-wall buildings and the like, with a few tight alleys, but otherwise pretty well packed.

Thoughts?


Oh, and here we go... just getting the main character in shape... a lot to do, costume, a fair amount proportion adjustment for further stylizing, etc. Not sure about the derby hat...

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on October 27, 2010, 03:55:20 am

Hey arik, nice start on the main character - just a question - are the humans going to be realistic of sylized ? (the latter I hope for all our sakes) , in that case I wont remark on proportions.. Oh wait, I will, I like the proportionately big head, always a good thing with stylized characters, so is a small torso & big hands.

As for the street-block, there are so many styles in Europe its not even funny so we'll have to pick one I guess and stick to that - I'm in a very old town in the Netherlands so I can make some pics of center city (close together old houses with cobblestones!)  that we can use to recreate (of course with changing modern things into 1900's elements)
But in that case all the buildings will have to be Dutch-styled. If you prefer German, British or French, then we can of course use google to match up styles.

I'm just rambling now, anyway, I'll come up with some pics and see if theyre useful.

Keep working on the character arik, it will need a bit more refining & maybe something character-specific feature since it will be the main character in the story?

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Raxx on October 27, 2010, 05:01:33 am

Weeelllll, just wondering what kind of flexibility the rest of us volunteers have? We assume you're the leader but do we just go ahead and make stuff and hope it all goes together fine, or should we seek your permission or suggestions on what's left to make?

Myself I want to make a steampunk girl mechanic and a steam-powered bicycle that she can ride to get around town.

Also, regarding the storyline...

First of all the meteor element needs a name, and the technology that uses it named after the meteor element. And then there's always someone who leads the pack in technology, how about adding a major corporation that took over the meteor and is the primary provider for this new technology? By the time of the alien invasion, they're probably pretty powerful in the politcal world and have done plenty of criminal, scandalous activities in secret to shut out the competition, hence making them untouchable by any government or person. Just some input ;)

Good job so far with the main character, looking forward to the infusion of details and "character"

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on October 27, 2010, 11:33:15 am

General comments:
I think that a project like this cool because it provides a theme that I know appeals to many people, and the general nature of the Steampunk genre seems to encourage individual creativity to the extreme. I had a story idea that is meant to merely provide a backdrop, and that at this point the real challenge is not the story itself, but the creation of a "piece of the world", the "neighborhood," and in that we would provide something that everyone could take for themselves and make more of, put their own little scenes and stories in. In essence, we would be making a world where many (in this case "we") live, so to speak, as a common environment, but where "we" would be able to make our own stories, just as every person on Earth has his or her own "story" in life.

I did throw some basic parameters as noted above, because it gives something with which to focus, and often people do like to build on each others' ideas. so that there would be a common thread on which we could all base things, and still allow for a lot of self-expression and development. Just as we all live on one "Earth", but still have a vast variety of individual contributions by the development of our own "world within", a city has common grounds, but involves many individuals who bring their own pieces to the city to make it what it is.

So, yes, as I have tried to say in my previous posts, individual contributions, ideas, thoughts, are what are most important. I put myself as the "leader of sorts," simply because it did start as my own personal brain-fart, but I do believe strongly that pooling ideas and all make such things much more fun, and in so doing it is much like building a world of individuality, within the confines of a common theme.

I think Raxx, $imon, and others comment and ideas are really great, and I wholeheartedly want to see them incorporated. In fact, I was quite hoping that such things would be exactly what would surface, as they fit perfectly with what is "being born" here. 

$imon:
Character Design: The humans are always better off "stylized," as, well, in my case, quite frankly I seldom get "purely realistic" down right. Besides, the stylization allows for a lot more personality development. The character I'm making is initially very low poly, and what you see in the image is a shows after a "subdivide faces" of 0.0 . And as yet, he hasn't really been "personalized." I do want to work a bit more on hands and feet exaggeration, of course. And then obviously, he's still needing wardrobe ;)

City Design: I understand we have quite a variety of "cultural experience" in this project. I really don't have a good answer for the building style quandary. If there's any way to make things simply "old and generic", I would have to say try to stick with that. Buildings of brick and stone and wood.... I know that's no help, but maybe we can come to a consensus somehow? I put the sample pics up as they seemed to be somewhat generic in style, yet still showed a look of being born out of the past. One thing I do believe the storyline/history does allow, and is spelled out, is that the new birth of technology and travel bringing many parts of the world together, and in so doing, I think such a city would carry elements of various cultures... Just as a real city would.... Of course, being American, maybe I am limited to the American experience... where many ethnic groups form a city and provide their own influences in their parts of the community.

Raxx:
The Meteor Element: Yeah, as you can see, I didn't name the rock... mainly because I didn't really want to pull up some fictitious name already in use. Anyone who comes up with an element name, could probably do better than Ariktheredium, right ;) ? Since the "event" occurred prior to the proper development of elemental charts, the mineral would likely not even have to get a proper name that follows such things...

Characters:
The steampunk girl mechanic with her bike sounds awesome! I think that small, personal conveyance vehicles would be very popular in such a world. The dirigible I am making is intended for such things.

Corporate Development: That's a thought I had in my head, yes. Of course, part of the reason for the idea of the "Long Winter" was that such an event would tear apart most economic influences of the world, and with the clearing of the winter would, literally come a new birth, a new era, that would open up opportunities for new forms of both good and evil/bad things to rise.
 
Flexibility and Volunteers: I remember once being of the opinion that "you can't fire a volunteer," but then I worked for a private-non-profit agency where I found out you CAN fire volunteers :P.. (bad joke, meant to laugh here).... Heck, I think it's great for flexibility... I hope that my outline and samplings provide a rough framework in which to design things and still allow a lot of room for creative license. As I've put in previous messages, I look forward to suggestions and all, and want more to see "cool results" than have someone worry to death over "not getting it right." From experience and knowing some of you well enough here in the forum, I know we (present company - self - excepted) are all intelligent, able to think and design and grasp ideas, likely quite good at adapting to concepts and still being able to express freely within the general outline of things.

I don't claim to be an expert on Steampunk. I know only what I've seen with imagery online, and a bit of other things, and get the impression that the genre allows for a huge area of individual interpretation. That's why I threw together the outline above, to lay a loose framework of explaining how the storyline I have in mind makes sense and gets to where it is.

All in all, I think this is really exciting. The ideas popping up so far are awesome!

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: kreator on October 27, 2010, 01:16:15 pm

couple of anims from animanons steampunk animation challenge last year...

may give u some ideas?  

chat with EricAug for his character in animation below, I know you like doing that.

Ensoniq5`s Flying steam Carriage

From UK Museum of the History of Science, University of Oxford.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on October 27, 2010, 01:42:13 pm

Nice speech arik haha,

I like your ideas on where you want to take this. Raxx, I like your idea of the girl on the bike... sounds great!!

I guess I will be mainly involved with environment design if that is alright. As your idea on a mixed-culture city, that sounds very good.. I like pulling it a bit more into the sci-fi than just having a 1900s European city.. (You are right though, not much of a mixed culture here like in the US, but that would be fun to combine!) So I was thinking to stay with the steampunk-theme also in designing the buildings and the streets. (lots of smoke out of chimneys of course)

Raxx - your girl mechanic will need a garage to work out, right! If you have any ideas on what she works on besides the bike it can be designed a bit more with that in mind.
Next to that we'll need a house for the main character. Arik, what is his profession? if he has a particular profession the house can be designed with his job on the ground floor - living upstairs, where we see him wake up.
Also, to get some mixed cultures in that, some houses/workshops that resemble different cultures.

Arik - I don't know what you had in mind as far as sci-fi elements go, the images youve shown show a multi-level city, which would be pretty cool, using balloons to get around. Point is though if the girl has a bicycle everything will have to be accessable by road as well - will be a nice challenge :D

I'm getting excited about the idea haha sorry I'm rambling


An extra here to get some inspiration:

http://stephanehalleux.com/

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Raxx on October 27, 2010, 02:24:49 pm

Yeah the girl will need a garage, was thinking about it but the girl and bike was more than enough for me to worry about for now. So if you want to work on it then it's fine with me.

She's a steam engine (engine as in the steam-powered device that powers most machines) specialist but mostly works on personal transport machines like steambikes, small dirigibles, small steam waterboats, steam cars, etc.

Considering that this is a "steam" technology, most cities would thrive next to large bodies of water due to the need for a massive amount of water to combine with the steamrock to generate power. Recycling's easy enough (steam goes in air, poof more clouds)

But steam technology also has its own form of pollution: the water itself. There'll be a lot of puddles, damp areas, drips, leaks, etc. Health hazard-wise there'd probably be a lot more cases of pneumonia-like sicknesses where breathing in the damp steamy air all the time results in fungal/bacterial infection or just lung failure from too much water. Plenty of burn victims since, well, steam is hot and I don't see how steamrock could make heatless steam. This stuff doesn't have to be explained in detail whatever kind of project we're doing, but if it's there in the background (people coughing, friends getting sick from being too close to the central plant which produces a lot of pollution, drips and puddles everywhere, steam pipes bursting occasionally, etc) then it'd give a lot to the atmosphere of what a steampunk world would be like.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: 3D Joe Wiltshire on October 27, 2010, 04:23:32 pm

All of these ideas are awesome! :D

One other thought though, will the gadgetry and styling of the world be detailed and extravagant [image 1] or will it be more of a simplified style [image 2]?

(those were the best pictures I could find to show what im talking about :P)

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: davdud101 on October 27, 2010, 06:05:00 pm

i woudl've thought pic 2... more pipes and gears showing then design, more about functionality than style.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on October 28, 2010, 12:09:01 am

$imon:
Rambling? hawhawhaw! You have a long way to go to outdo me! You ask about sci-fi, and I don't have any real answers there, except that when you start incorporating sci-fi, you open a lot of questions about just what the limits should be... which is why I felt it might be good to set a time-frame/technology limit to things, so as to somehow see that there is some common ground to things.

City Design (Raxx and $imon): The images I shared, mainly the 2nd and 3rd, were intended to show something of the technology ideas, not to show the actual city layout in mind. As Raxx pointed out, the city would be best located on a large body of water, and it was fun to see that Raxx has a lot of the same thoughts as I do in regards to a number of things. Kinda freaky, Raxx... ;)  One element of the two city images I refer to, is that they do seem centered on an industrial complex that could well be the power generation complex for the city, and I like that this shows such as being the geographical center of the city, and that everything else is spreading outward from that center. Other than that, I think the city should easily allow for both ground and air transport... For that matter, there could be waterways-canals running here and there to provide water for the steam-plant complex and also as means of boat-transport. There were some intriguing steam-powered watercraft in the 1800s, some being like rowboats with steam engine propulsion.

Raxx: Regarding your steam-girl.... I'm amused by the fact that it parallels my own character so closely. The shop that my character works in and lives in the attic of is a metalsmith shop that I intended to be for the fabrication and repair of parts for small vehicles and other items. Another case of you and I being a bit much on the same track... I hope that doesn't spook ya ;)

I've attached an image I found while researching inspiration art... I always go digging up loads of images when I want to work on a project. The vehicle is a one-person contraption that is similar to something I had in mind for having in the metal shop, partly dismantled and in a state of repair.

Joe Wiltshire and Davdud:
As to style of technology, I would say that function developed first, and that stylization and artistic decor would have come a bit later, and show to be a sign of luxury and elegance. Therefore, the common tech would be largely functional and engineered in appearance, and anything that shows a fair level of artistic imagery would be an item born wealth and excess, so that both styles could occur, just within their own respective purposes in the society.

Kreator:
I'm glad you pulled up the old Steampunk entries from AnimAnon. Those were some great creations and it would be a shame to ever lose them. I still look at them on occasion.

In refering to EricAug, I have always been a big fan of Eric's work, mostly because, when I first met him in this forum he was only 14 or so in age, and created things that were so well-developed that I could only hope to encourage him to go beyond the limits. Eric's "The Gateway" video for Steampunk was a personal favorite of mine because he designed every aspect of that video himself, including the musical score.  

Those who remember Eric may be interested in knowing that he went from using Anim8or to trying and mastering just about every free 3DG software available, to creating in Carrara - as was the case with "The Gateway", and has recently settled into mastering Blender as his prime choice of software.  Too, Eric has finished his high school time (home schooled), and is now attending a video game design school in Florida.

Back to the project at hand... I was thinking, this city should have a name... and if anyone wants to submit a name idea, we can collect a few and then vote on them.

The only name I get in my head right now is "Steamtopia".... Cheesey, I know...

Right now, I'm focusing on the development of my metalsmith shop, and the character I have begun.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: kreator on October 28, 2010, 01:34:44 am

arik: I don`t know which way you are going with this Project ( I DO hope that it gets completed as with nearly all projects in the anim8or community wain, though the enthusiasm and support initially is to be commended it nearly always falls for one reason or another usually.

Do you propose an animation or a game? you do not clearly state that, do you just want models, or animation clips? should they just be anim8or driven ?  who will finalise everything ?

We experimented quite a bit with Cities using the "greeble effect" using displacement maps and it is easily acheivable in Anim8or ( if you intend to use that , hopefully NOT rendering with A.R.T!!)

I attach some points from that experimentation

Quote

Roygee: Sorry, Tony - started hijacking your thread, so I'll start my own from your inspiration - this took like an hour in Sketchup - rendered in Carrara.  Think I'm going to take this further and make one of those distant planet colonies type things


(http://www.animanon.com/Forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1077.0;attach=788;image)




Kreator: That could look cool roy... are u just using a displacement map?.... could that be done by editing a terrain in Carrara?


Made a Disp map in Photoshop CS3 very quickly then imported into Carrara Terrain Editor, and used surface replicator. Just added a brick shader to the whole map.... and this is the result..


Now If I can find some window maps etc I think it would look really cool 


(http://www.animanon.com/Forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1077.0;attach=790;image)
 


Roygee: Yours looks really good - when I tried using a height map on a terrain, all the tops and bottoms came out pointy.  The first one I did was a displacement on a grid - that worked pretty good.  The one in the pic above was done in Sketchup, then smoothed in Carrara.


EnsoniQ5: That's some nice work there guys, inspirational stuff.  I love the displacement map/greeble concept, the only thing that could be a royal pain in the ass is matching the disp. map to a texture map.  Any buildings with anything like straight sides would suffer from intolerable texture stretching.  Does the displacement map actually generate an exportable wireframe, or is it a purely calculated/parametric thing within Carrara?  If a wireframe is generated it could be exported into Anim8or, for more detailed (and sensible) UV mapping, or potentially UV unwrapped and processed in a 2D editor.


Kreator:
here is another go with this greeble effect... added some sci-Fi textures this time rather than bricks!!..... I don`t know about Cities but it could prove useful of you were applying some sort of detail to say a space-craft ... But I`ll have a look at wires.


Oh yeah the file...


http://www.animanon.com/FILES/Sci-Fi_city.divx (http://www.animanon.com/FILES/Sci-Fi_city.divx)




Admendment: Just tried an export of the terrain and it is possible exporting as an .obj File... so yes it can be textured, I`ll make another one up and see what I can come up with .


Yep Import the terrain as an Object file, Bung in anim8or and start texturing!


I didn`t realize that I had feather set at 2 when I started the disp map with CS3 so everthing has curvy edges But I overcame the HighRise one by extruding up the faces to give more height.


( the grey Blobby bits are The disp map untextured!!)


With a bit of planning, roads and pavements(sidewalks) can be added to the map


All in all this greeble effect can save some time constructing cities!!


 (http://www.animanon.com/Forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1077.0;attach=793;image)


Roygee: Looking better and better - I redid the greeble effect on a terrain and it worked out fantastic - haven't tried exporting as .obj, but converting to "other modeler - facets" in Carrara makes a right proper mess of it - would hate to try to texture that lot!


EnsoniQ5: Cool!  Once I have completed the various projects keeping my computer working overtime I will have a crack as this.  As you say Kevin, it could be a really good way of adding detail to space-type structures, rather than bump mapping, especially if the camera is to get close to the surface.  I have visions of X-Wings and Death Star canyons running through my head (not for the first time...)


Roygee: Sadly, it exports as .obj OK, but Anim8or freaks out when I try to import - bringing it back into Carrara as an .obj makes it all pointy.  On the track of a method to texture it in it's terrain form.


You guys should take a look at Dystopia City Blocks - currently free at Daz3D.  The detail is absolutely astounding - can't believe it's made by generating greebles.


Kreator: Roy, You need to downscale the terrain when you export the Obj file from Carrara, otherwise you need to zoom right out in Anim8or then adjust its overall size before zooming back in .


I could`nt see the Dystopia pack free for Carrara only Lwo


Headwax: beautiful work gents


I see you have asked the question on daz Roygee and the answer may be in the altitude parameter in the shader room (make sure not to tick global)
Kevin this might be of interest
http://forum.daz3d.com/viewtopic.php?t=110249&sid=6917f10418497c6f48eb3fb0c7066e8d (http://forum.daz3d.com/viewtopic.php?t=110249&sid=6917f10418497c6f48eb3fb0c7066e8d)


I've recently re-read my c5 manual on shaders and its amazing what there is in that is not apparent at first


Roygee: Hi guys - this subject is generating a LOT of interest and good advice - the best is to look for Gary Millers tut at Geekatplay - really good and it translates pretty well into Anim8or - thogh it's more work because of the less sophisticated selection and extrusion.


Kevin - go to the Daz3D site, in the small search panel put in "Dystopia" - and select the Poser - it's only free for a few more days.


After seeing Gary's tut, won't be using terrain anymore!


Here's a quick one I made in Hex and another in Anim8or - guess which is which - in the second pic - see the ringed circle?  That's where I live


 (http://www.animanon.com/Forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1077.0;attach=796;image)
 (http://www.animanon.com/Forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1077.0;attach=797;image)


 OK - this is getting closer to what I'm looking for - needs more randomness and will get it as I learn to better control the extrusions


This sort of thing will only be used for flyover - for closeup I'll use Sketchup for the basics and Hex for detail


 (http://www.animanon.com/Forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1077.0;attach=799;image)


Kreator:   

Quote

Kevin - go to the Daz3D site, in the small search panel put in "Dystopia" - and select the Poser - it's only free for a few more days.

   
     


Yep got it now....... See its only block plugins for import so can`t really do anything with them, I thought it might be an editor of some kind.


anyway here`s the render I did in Carrara 2x2 block, the 6x6 one crashed my machine!


(http://www.animanon.com/Forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1077.0;attach=801;image)


Roygee: Hi Kevin - reallt well made, aren't they?  Haven't had a good look at the "instructions" - but from what I infer from what I've seen and what's been said on the Carrara forum, it seems that it is also a generator in Poser?


Kreator: hmm, then it is hiding somewhere in Poser`s obnoxious runtimes!!.. I`ll have another search about


Drewi: I downloaded the .lwo and poser versions to see.haven't got poser though,will they work in anything else?
There are about 20 .lwo  files of city block arrangements.
They don't open into anim8or directly.At present i load .lwo into blender and export as an .obj file,which then opens in anim8or
Although there are some textures pre allocated they dont load into the object. but neither do the easily fit if i try to apply them manually.[names dont correspond etc so consequently make little architectural sense]
Having said that they do have grey materials assigned to them which i can colour or apply new materials to manually.
downloaded loads of pics of city building textures [day and night] thanks to kreators link.
experiment see pic excuse the rambling ... all good fun....


i am interested in this city creation malarkey.posted this on 'other 3d software' thread.
just in case interested parties missed it.


http://jerome.le.chat.free.fr/3d/cityengine/ (http://jerome.le.chat.free.fr/3d/cityengine/)


(http://www.animanon.com/Forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1077.0;attach=805;image)


Roygee: Sorry, my mistake - they are just .obj blocks with some fancy methods for sizing, distributing and lighting. Seems that only 3DS and Blender have plugins for generating. city blocks.I'll do some experimenting
to see how to get other textures

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on October 28, 2010, 05:08:38 am

Here is a quick mockup of what style I had in mind for the houses. This would be a garage obviously but it's a mix of german-style beams and a bit of sci-fi on the proportions and the roof.

Posting it here to see if thats what we're aiming for or if I should be thinking in a different direction haha

to reply to kreators question; I don't know what Ariks plan is, but if I speak for myself it doesnt even have to be an animation, just making the models and putting it together will be fun - if we can get some awesome still shots out of it that would be great already, but an animation would be even better of course.
I think a game is out of the question though ;)

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: ENSONIQ5 on October 28, 2010, 05:25:17 am

Like $imon, just need a bit of confirmation re styles.  This sketch is a quick idea for a sort of limousine, perhaps the vehicle of choice for one of the executives in the big central power conglomerate.  For practicality (and steerability!) reasons I would ditch the valve gear and outboard linkages etc in favour of inboard motivation, and considering the overall length it might need to be articulated in the middle so it can navigate the tight Steamtopia alleys and viaducts.  Stylistically, the intention is a sort of lovechild of a steam locomotive and a 30's automobile.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on October 28, 2010, 07:55:23 am

Thats a great sketch ensoniq! I would love to see that one in 3d, especially coming from you ;)
As far as I'm concerned you should go ahead - it's steampunk and awesome, so I don't think anyone would object!

You can actually use the valve gear as a stearing system - pivoting the whole set of 4 wheels around, but I agree that its far from practical ;)

Looking at your sketch i really like the metal in it , maybe I can incorporate that in my building design.. It really is a big choice to have a metal-city or a more historically accurate, yet with some steampunk-city

---

As for a name for the city - steamtopia sounds good, but it implies the city is some sort of utopia, quite the opposite from what the story tries to convey I thnk. Not sure what you guys think about it though!
Some other ideas could be maybe something with 'enclave' in it (always sounds cool :P), steampire, .. lets think about some more

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: kreator on October 28, 2010, 11:23:24 am

Just my thoughts on houses/factories ... this is a ready made Carrara/Poser Steampunk factory but obviously I don`t want to spend $14.95 for it when we can make it ourselves, but it looks the part!  there is also an interior which costs extra  but again this can very easily be made.



(http://www.animanon.com/steampunk.jpg)

interiors...
(http://www.animanon.com/SteamPunk_Int1.jpg)
(http://www.animanon.com/SteamPunk_Int2.jpg)
Any thoughts on steam.... PI??  Thats what I would use!!


 

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on October 28, 2010, 11:32:02 am

$imon:  
City name... I thought of Steamtopia as a sort of irony... because it reflects the high desires of a world reborn, but with the harsh realities of what is bound to become of it due to the dark side of human nature.  I think your building is a great design! It fits perfectly with the idea of a tightly packed urban setting.

ENSONIQ5:
Wow, that car looks a lot like the car that Nemo had in "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen"... In fact, that movie, I think, has some fine Steampunk elements to it. As inspiration goes, I would list it as something worth watching for dress style, technology, etc.

I attached the car here as it was just too much to pass up!

Kreator:
I started this idea just saying I had a new idea I was working on personally, and spelled out what I myself would like to do.

As for this becoming a group project, even as an individual project the idea I had is very big and time-consuming... So I could hardly expect to push a full game, movie or whatever out of this all in one fell swoop either way.

I thought it might be quite fun, quite enough, just to do things in stages... Thus, at this point, to create a Steampunk city scene, and then let the group decide as a whole what they would like to do with it.

As to that building design... DAY-UM!  That pretty much hits right on the head exactly what would fit well in this mishmash of light industrial, commercial and residential city block! Are you going to build it? It is a bit like my own structure in the works.

RE-CAP of CREATIONS in the Works:
Lets form a list of what people want to build for the immediate moment. That way we can see what is in the works, and think about what else can be made to fill in the gaps....

I am reverting to the first message to outline the project, develop things to reflect what is being made. As people post what they are working on, I will list these items in the first message.

I think at this stage, simply creating an immediate, attainable goal, would be a good for a team focus. Assume we'll be constructing a city block, very tightly packed building style... As such, there are many things that can be made to create a very involved, exciting, in-depth scene.

For the purpose of this city block scene, who is working on what? Listing proposed contributions at the first message on this thread....

Therefore, making a sampling of buildings, characters, vehicles, etc., that would form a block or two of a city street, and then we would have elements created and able to be used, recycled, rearranged, etc., for expanding from that.

One thing Raxx mentioned about the city's atmosphere due to the use of steam, is that we would have a definite come-and-go of fog and rain, and so we would not really have to worry about a background, but would simply be able to make the scene go "to the edge of the fog," right? And then go from there as the street develops....

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on October 28, 2010, 11:50:39 am

I guess I'll commit myself to making a garage for Raxx' character, and maybe a few houses around it at first.

I like that style of building kreator; I'll use a bit more brick and concrete in my design to match that style, I think it would be cool.. It will also look a lot more 'dirty' which is always good in Steamtopia.
So as far as building style I guess this could be a general guideline:

- materials:  bricks, concrete, some wood, metal , roof tiles
- style: rigid, dirty.. lot's of steam-pipes on the outside > chimneys
(- 10 anim8or units = 1 foot)

I was thinking of maybe having water flow through the city in canal-form (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kiLQvHY3ups/TJy1s3OmDEI/AAAAAAAAAPA/_h3ZCP_bQxA/s1600/Hamburg+Canal.jpg this but on a smaller scale, like this http://jkaiserphotography.com/images/Venice_Canal_color.jpg)

I like the fog-idea, of course a thick fog is not much fun, but the rest of the city can be covered in fog a bit so we don't have to go much into detail - but thats of later concern if we only get the block or two done first :)


I loved the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen ! it was awesome!  When everyone is watching movies anyway - I liked Howl's moving castle too , it also has a bit of a steampunk-theme going on!

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: kreator on October 28, 2010, 11:59:32 am

Likewise I`ll "commit" to the factories and other bits, I feel that I owe it to you Arik.



I take it as read that it should all be in anim8or.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on October 28, 2010, 12:04:31 pm

kreator, you can model in another program if you want to, I just think the final render(s) will have to be done in Anim8or so just keep in mind the file extension, polycount & types of textures I guess!

---

Ive made a first city plan on the possible block we could do - it will be a lot of work but if everyone can do some it would be great of course.
Dimensions will have to be added to have everyone make their buildings proportionate of course.

The blocks in the picture only show the ground the building will be on, not the outlines of the buildings themselves - maybe in some cases where the houses are close together the square will represent the whole building..

Ive blocked out a few parts , the top half is the more industrial part , with kreator's factory in the top left, i thought it would be cool to have a government-style building in the top right (office-like with decorations). In between something else industrial can be added, my girlfriend came up with a shipyard which is pretty cool - maybe a balloon yard or something can even be made.

In between the sections there is water flowing in small canals for the power supply, and for houses to drain their warmed up waste water into.

The bottom left section is a more residential area for regular houses to live in, shops, stores, workshops, hotels etc. The main characters' workshops are here, along with a shopping street and an airship docking station that goes across the street with an airbridge, where customers and residents can dock their balloon.

A pedestrian bridge takes us to an area that I couldn't think of too much to put yet.. A power station of course would be interesting, I also thought maybe a boat docking place and a park.
At the bottom are some richer houses where Ensoniq's car will be coming from ;)

The block is surrounded by roads, having bridges where the canal flows under it.



This is just a first block-out, suggestions are welcome and we can improve it to become the ultimate steampunk-block.
Preferably every house has a bit more information, if its a store-what type of store etc. And maybe adding buildings that I couldn't think of that would fit well in a steampunk environment.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: 3Dgeek11 on October 28, 2010, 01:43:19 pm

Okay, I'm in. :P

This seems like it will be a lot of fun. :)

I'll catch up on it all and help out later. ;)

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: kreator on October 28, 2010, 02:25:00 pm

Thanks $imon for the floor plan looks good to go!, there is a lot to develop here, from past experience in the projects department, it will need a bit of commitment to see it fully established.

No Locomotives though!!

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on October 28, 2010, 02:47:59 pm

3Dgeek: would be great if you want to pick something up and start having fun with it :) I imagine besides buildings anything else that one would see outside in steamtopia would be great to add.

kreator: Trains! of course! how could i forget haha.. lets see how we can get that in there..

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on October 28, 2010, 03:04:37 pm

The map idea is great, Simon! Perhaps rearrange it a bit so there is a main street that can have buildings on either side? Maybe run the "Market Street" as a main drag that crosses the river and goes between your factory and shipyard sites? Then we could focus on developing that as the beginning block area of the project area, and not worry on the outlying map areas until later?

We can then put the steam girl's shop and  the metalsmith shop along the same street, and fill in gaps more quickly. They are similar in business style, and would thus work well being in the same sort of "light industrial" sort of block. Perhaps have these sorts of workshops on one side of the street, and market-shops and upstair dwelling areas on the opposite?

Kreator: I won't try and guess about any "owing" of anything... This is just a fun project that could make for a really cool result for everyone involved to show off.

ALL: If you put forth the rough dimensions of your property plot, it would make it easier to try and visualize how they can work together to make the neighborhood. It looks like Simon has become "Zoning Commissioner", so the map would work best if he knows the size of the property you are building ;)

My metalshop/office/upstairs attic apartment plot will be on a plot 400 pts wide by 400 deep. That's 40ft wide and deep, or 12.2 metres/meters by 12.2 metres/meters

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on October 28, 2010, 04:12:57 pm

Hey Arik, Sounds great..

Here an update on the map, Ive incorporated both your suggestions, I think its a lot better already, any more ideas are (of course!) welcome.
As you can see the Balloon-shipyard has gotten a bit bigger but that should be a very interesting site to model so I don't think thats a bad thing :)

Dimensions would be nice. Ive put a scale in ft with it, I hope that will be a bit true to life, I'm very bad at guessing..
If a plot is too big it's no problem but if someone needs more space for their building(s) we'll have to make room !

Now Ill work a bit on my workshop haha .. finally! :P

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: 3Dgeek11 on October 28, 2010, 05:58:27 pm

I think the buildings need to be separated a bit more from the road and the other buildings. Just me, though.

Yeah, I will probably model some cool little gadgets while you guys get the plans all straightened out.

And by the way, how are we supposed to keep the measurements? Anim8or doesn't have a measuring tool.
And what does Arik mean by "pts"? :P

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Raxx on October 28, 2010, 07:07:56 pm

3Dgeek11, go to Options->Grid. Set Spacing to Fixed, Objects:10 and Scene:10

Make sure Show Grid is enabled (black lines if you want to see it better).

Voila, each grid block is one square foot.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: ENSONIQ5 on October 28, 2010, 10:17:29 pm

I have started constructing the bodywork for the limousine thing, so I am happy for that to go on the list of contributions.  After that I plan to build a sort of radial (or rotary) steam engine, the sort of thing that might power a Zeppelin. I figure that steam engines would have advanced beyond the sort of thing we know if internal combustion had never been invented, with far greater power and efficiency from smaller, lighter mechanisms (though the weight of the boiler and water would make heavier-than-air flight impossible, balloons and dirigibles would definitely be the go).  The engine might be installed in an actual flying machine model or maybe partially stripped-down in a corner of the workshop.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: 3D Joe Wiltshire on October 28, 2010, 10:34:21 pm

even more awesome ideas coming through! really liking the interest in this project. :D
Untill a proper plan of develpment can be sketched out i'll start 3-Doodling some steampunkian gadgetry to fill some world space hopefully at one point :P

And on the name along the same lines as previous Posts how about something along the lines of "New eden" <-- not that though, too cheesy. something along the lines of it was meant to be the birth of a golden age but got corrupted along the way...

And on another note is there a general area / part of the world where this will be set? Hard to explain what I mean but the name would most likely change depending on which culture mainly developed the city. (or it could be just in the middle of an ocean? where else has more water available)

So much to think about!!

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on October 28, 2010, 11:46:40 pm

Well, I've made a list on the first message of this thread, containing "modeling commitments" to date.

A lot of ideas are out for contemplation, and I personally think there's enough to work on without going much further into things.

For the purpose of overall city work, I'm personally not concerned about its exact location in the world... And I think it likely that where ever this city is, it would draw people from many places due to its technological and economic recovery from the "Long Winter." Therefore, it would show possible variety in building styles throughout.

The Language of the People:
I suppose the only immediate concern is that anything with writing be portrayed in English since, like this forum, English seems to be the common language we all share.  As to the proper form of English, though I am American, I would suggest using "Queen's English" because, at the time of the "Meteor Catastrophe," Queen's/British English was much more dominant than "American English," so that it would be more likely to have held a strong influence. American English, after all, did not really set as a strong literary force until well into the 1900s. 

Rough Calendar Time of the City Scene:
I originally visualized the timeframe of the city being somewhere in the 1930sa-40s, with the technology being somewhat reminiscent of anything from the late 1800s through the 1920s... but in the alternate, Steampunk sense. That would allow for the "Long Winter" to take place sometime around 1900-1910, lasting a few years, and then a time of rebuilding with the discovery of the mountainous meteor and the subsequent rebuilding of society and technology.  It could well be that, during the "Long Winter" that entire nations/governments fell, and that completely new ones rose from the ashes, so that we would have alternate nations as opposed to those that really did develop.

Clarification of "Points" for Measurement:
As for measurements in points/pts as I originally referred, if you create an object in anim8or it's dimensions are what I mean... When I use anim8or and create a cylinder, as seen in my character (incomplete) render, I made a cylinder that is:

- Diameter:
----Start = 10 (1 feet)
----End = 10 (1 feet)
- Divisions:
----Lon = 8
----Lat = 6
Length = 60 (6 feet)

Thus, the cylinder would display as 6 feet long (approx 2 meters),  1 ft. diameter, and be divided into 6 evenly distributed 1 foot sections...

I like to make an object like this when designing to serve as a measurement in terms of average human height for comparison.

Anyway, I'm stepping back a bit, so that I can try and finish some of my modeling, and be able to move forward from there.

I'm not putting a damper on the brainstorming, just a bit of a damper on my own... because I have a habit of wasting a lot of time that way when I should be working on my models. I am not an extremely fast model-maker, so need to better focus on that or I will never get anything finished (yes yes, I know... Arik and his infamously unfinished projects... The joke does not go unthought... I am very good at laughing at my own sillinesses).

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on October 29, 2010, 03:50:53 am

3Dgeek:
The original idea was to have a bit of a European-style layout of the city, which means houses packed together close on the street! (see this picture from my town: http://www.nlstreets.nl/images/SHARED/3ximage/street/img_7_2.jpg ) A century ago the streets were probably even more intimite.
Also, having things on a small scale makes it easier to get great pictures with everything in the render :)

3DJoe:
Anything you can come up with would be awesome & welcome, gadgets is what its all about. Everything will have to be steam-powered (street lights, bridges, doors?, as far as we want to take it.. so anything steam powered is great :)

Good luck Arik with your modeling.. and everyone else! I'll get some done as well..

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: floyd86 on October 29, 2010, 07:24:02 am

@simon: Groningen de gekste!  :P

This is a nice project coming along. I can't wait to see some first renders. good luck! ;)

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on October 29, 2010, 10:16:34 am

Grunn!  ;D

Anyway, here is a start on .. something..
its the sign thats going to hang outside either the workshop or some store, basically a steampunk store-sign! yay

materials etc. still have to be done of course, but I'm not sure what style the whole thing will be in so we'll leave that open for now

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Raxx on October 29, 2010, 12:21:34 pm

Looks good, just some crits...

Pipe systems need valves to control the direction and pressure of the contents of the pipes. So you should place two valves at the locations marked in the image below. The one on the left would be closed, so that the steam will pass through the pressure meter without most of the pressure being re-routed through the bottom pipe. The one on the right would be open to allow the steam to escape after going through the meter.

In reality you would also have a valve right before the meter so that if the meter breaks, you can isolate it and re-route the pressure through the bottom pipe.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on October 29, 2010, 10:25:50 pm

Getting clothes lined up for the guy... Yes, he needs a shirt :P

I think I'll be making one of those leather aviator hoods and goggles for him...

Kind of a skinny geek, I guess... need to work on that...

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: ENSONIQ5 on October 30, 2010, 08:03:30 am

Have made a start on the limo, bodywork pretty much sorted, working on the chassis and running gear next.  More details to come, like pipework junctions, lights, bumpers, various steam-based greebles, but keeping an eye on the poly count.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on October 30, 2010, 08:35:17 am

Thanks raxx, even though its a decorative item (no actual steam would go through it) its always nice to add some details so I'll get on that!
I'm thinking maybe you don't see these type of signs in america too much nowadays so heres what I'm after in a steampunk style: http://www.kruiter-wilzing.nl/files/uithangbord%20groot%20recht.jpg
Maybe you can help me a bit with a little character sketch on the girl with the bike; what kindof workshop is she running (size, what products does she make, what equipment would be in it, is she clean or does she never clean up); just to get a sense of what her house would be like!

Good progress on the character Arik - just curious, does he have a name?
The skinnyness actually suits him I think, but that all depends on his character I guess.

Ensoniq; great start on the car there, I do feel a lot of lines coulds be accentuated a bit more though, refined corners really make the shape of a car; it looks a bit 'organic' at the moment.
I also feel the windows on the side could be arranged a bit differently (maybe elongate them a bit?)
There are a few smoothing issues you might want to address as well; under the side of the front windows and the nose grill  look like problem areas.
The hood seems a bit wider in the reference image you posted, maybe you can move the steam barrels to the outside a bit and widen up the whole top part of the nose?
Sorry to be a bit picky but I just love the concept and style of car so it would be awesome to see it at its full potential, and I know you can do that ;)

Its a good start everyone lets keep that up xD

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Raxx on October 30, 2010, 09:27:05 am

Arik_the_Red: Looks pretty good so far. The hands perhaps might need a bit of extra work to them. I think the skinny geek thing might work out since it could supplement the design of my steampunk girl (details below). He could be a genius-type that's far smarter than the rest of the bunch, but too lazy and carefree to show it, most times.

Ensoniq5: I agree with $imon regarding the addition of more hard lines in the body. Otherwise it's a good start and I can imagine it being used by some high-and-mighty corporation executive.

$imon: Ok, here's what I figure would be a good sidekick to the main character...

The main character seems to be a very carefree unresponsible person. So naturally he needs someone to keep him in line.

Liddy is a very tall, overly serious mechanic girl in her mid-20s. She's so serious and takes things so literally that it's comical, and often checks up on the main character to make sure he's not dead in a ditch somewhere. I'd say she's about 8' tall. In contrast her garage and home is slightly below average in size, so she has to stoop everywhere. Considering her height she's also got a bit of brute strength and often saves the main character from different scrapes and tough situations. Smarts-wise she's average, and therefore refers to the main character when tough tasks come up; she's also one of the only ones that realizes the main character's true potential. She's a bit clumsy in that she acts like she's the size of a regular girl, so she knocks into things or tries to get into impossibly small places (for her).

There'd need to be drums of lubricant grease, an indoor crane/pulley system to lift heavy objects, and the tools need to be organized on pegs on the walls. The tools would be an assortment of wrenches, hammers, screwdrivers, bolt cutters, crowbars, clamps, a big steam-powered hand drill, etc. She'd probably have an assortment of pipes in a barrel and other valves and doodads on shelves. She's so big that she'd knock into any desks laying around, so there's only one tiny workdesk in the back with a stool. Add in steam technology and that's about it.

Cleanliness-wise she keeps things organized and clean all the time (attributed to her serious personality), but since she knocks things down and around she has to keep rearranging and cleaning up messes. So the garage needs to be made clean from the start.

Not sure if there's any action scenes that we'd be doing, but she carries a massive wrench with her almost all the time and can swing it around like it was a twig. Something like this:
(http://www.davistownmuseum.org/BioPics/CoesKeyWrench.jpg)

If you want to make the wrench like that, feel free to ;)

Attached is a quick sketch of what she might look like in the end. Definitely will have the long braided ponytail, short-sleeve shirt, work pants, and boots. Blonde hair, green eyes. Other accessories like a back harness for the huge wrench are possible.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on October 30, 2010, 11:07:37 am

$imon: The steam-pipe sign hanger is pretty cool, and I could actually see piping like that on business fronts, and some proprietor saying, "Hey, that's a great place to hang my sign!" So I don't see why the sign-pipes wouldn't run somewhere and serve some unknown purpose... As for saying "you don't see these type of signs in america too much nowadays," the only thing my brain says to me is, "This isn't a city of 'nowadays America,' so it doesn't matter." Signs of that nature were quite common well into the 20th century, and can still be found in many places in the USA.

Ensoniq5: You always do produce stunning, top-notch ideas for your projects... That car is definitely no exception!

Raxx: EIGHT FEET TALL???? yeegawds man, I would think that SEVEN would be quite enough to make her awkwardly overbearing in altitude ;)  If she's eight feet tall, those gloves make her all the more ... well, can't even bring a word to mind... But I love the look! The sketch is great! I sorta like the idea of how she's a neat-organization freak... and the whole "checking on the other guy" thing... because what you describe fits well with my character's persona... living in the attic of a shop and not having a place of his own, per se... and being something less than "detail oriented"  ;)  Oh, and was that "green EYES?" I only see "one" eye... unless she does that thing where you keep one eye under a patch for quick "in the dark" vision needs... ;) like Mythbusters' theory about why pirates really wore an eye-patch.
 
As for my character, yes, he needs a name (which gives me a headache to think on right now... though I might call him "Stanley"... because he's such a tool! http://www.stanleytools.com) and  the hands need work... Once I get his gear more in order, I'll be re-working that.  As is, the renders I show are of how he looks when changed over from a rather low-poly figure via variable face-subdivides... Mainly by setting the body and clothing to 0.00, and the boots to 0.5 or thereabouts. In fact, yes, I think I WILL call him Stanley from now on :P

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: kreator on October 31, 2010, 04:57:44 am

bit of progress with the factory..

(http://www.anim8orworld.com/Images/Progress1.bmp)

Working on the textures etc


update:

(http://www.anim8orworld.com/Images/SteamPunk_Factory1.jpg)

(http://www.anim8orworld.com/Images/SteamPunk_Factory3.jpg)

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: davdud101 on October 31, 2010, 07:34:50 pm

So, what should/ could I do??? how bout i make a pair of goggles or some flight apparel or something like that?

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on October 31, 2010, 07:47:57 pm

Raxx: 8 feet , wow haha, thats going to be very funny looking! Especially in combination with the humongous wrench she'll make quite the character..
Your description gives a lot to work with at least thats good :) I am thinking to hint a bit towards hobbit-style windows on a european style house, since it made me think of gandalf in the hobbit house.

Arik: yea thanks, i was only referring to america as in: i'm not sure if you guys even knew what I was modeling since you probably don't see those kindof signs too often. Its a good idea to actually attach the pipes to something though but I'll have to think about that (what sortof elaborate piping would there be on a store facade?)

kreator: great stuff man! I like your factory a lot better than the one that was for sale ! :) Can't wait to see the finished project.

davdud: you can make whatever you want! Just think of a steampunk-street and what you would see in such a sort of environment. Depending on if you want to make something organic or inorganic you can make a character, steampunk-pets?, or vehicles, houses, bridges, factories.. whatever you fancy, as long as it is in steampunk (or era-related) style!
IF you really can't decide; we will need streetlights at some point, should be interesting to make them steam-powered!

---

Ive been working on the garage a bit and its starting to take a general shape, maybe ill post a pic when the whole 'body' of the house is done!

I was watching Howl's moving castle for some inspiration, and I saw they had a steampowered tram driving through the shopping street! maybe an idea if we Ever get bored (or a trollybus)

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: davdud101 on October 31, 2010, 08:30:22 pm

woah! $imon!!!! whats reaaaaalllyy wierd is that is the exact thing I was making right before I read that post!!!! (Streetlights, that is)
The texture I tried for the clock that didn't fit for some is reason is also here.

Detail
(http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac285/davdud101/steampunk_lamp_print.png)

Quick Render
(http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac285/davdud101/steampunk_lamp.jpg)

Texture for the clock
(http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac285/davdud101/clock.jpg)

EDIT:
I also started this head a couple days ago, but I wasn't planning on using it. Just needed prctice for modelling heads+characters with physical characteristics.
(http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac285/davdud101/goodhead1.jpg)
(http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac285/davdud101/goodhead2.jpg)

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: ENSONIQ5 on November 01, 2010, 07:23:44 pm

Nice work everyone.  Kreator, love the factory, it has the right mix of Victorian era decoration and functional design, with a decent layer of grunge over everything.  If anything it could use even more external pipework, and perhaps evidence of the factory being retrofitted with steam power (ie pipes punched through roughly-patched brickwork).

$imon, I'm not sure I agree that the sign needs to 'function'.  It's possible that the global obsession with steam power has led to a design movement where pipework is the 'in thing', much like how functional streamlining in aeroplanes and cars fed the Art Deco movement.  It could also be that junkyards are full of pipework from busted boilers so it's a handy material to build from, and somebody with an artistic flair welded the sign together.  In any case, it certainly looks the part.

Davdud101, looks great, I like the pipework on the signal, if anything I would perhaps make the post less modern, less organic.  Perhaps the upright and horizontal sections could be separate trussed beams with visible bolt heads etc.  Also not sure if Steamtopia has electricity, the lamp might need to be gas powered.  Arik?

I have almost completed work on the limousine, as below.  Thanks for the comments on the first images, I have considered them all and implemented most of them.  I have sharpened the bodywork around the bottom edge, redesigned the 'nostrils' with cleaner loops, and remodelled the hindquarters to balance the engine housing and make it look less protruberant.  I haven't widened the nose, I think the angle of the earlier clay renders made it look narrower than it actually was, and I have left the windows alone as well to avoid making them look too streamlined and 'modern'.  For the same reason I have made it taller, standing higher off the ground, to give it more of a 'locomotive' feel than a 1940's gangster car.  There is a final layer of detail to come, like gas-powered running lamps, door handles, badging etc., and there are a few areas of texture stretching that need to be addressed, otherwise it's pretty much done.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: kreator on November 01, 2010, 07:30:22 pm

Thanks Tony< for your comments, yes I had thought of more pipework , I`m slowly working my way around the building, But I`ve thought about your car and perhaps you might need to fill it up with a "Steamtopia" Power capsule  which you can fill up at appropriate points using this... The "Steamtopia_Dispenser"

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: ENSONIQ5 on November 01, 2010, 07:33:01 pm

Ahh, good idea.  I will ensure a filler cap is installed somewhere.  Love the leaky hose by the way!

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: davdud101 on November 01, 2010, 08:24:38 pm

(http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac285/davdud101/steampunk_lamp2.png)
A different style, better than the one before. ENSONIQ, I took what you said into consideration. I know it's terrible, however.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: 3D Joe Wiltshire on November 02, 2010, 01:25:38 am

Woah ensoniq that's awesome! I'd buy that car if It was produced and I was a millionaire :D
I'm loving the way it looks like the outer shell looks like a sheet of metal bolted down, Don't know if that was the intended effect but I think it works well for steampunk!

@Davdud: I'd try it in a generic scene like the other one if I were you, at the moment it looks washed out and bright but thats the effect the object editor gives to anything, and materials can always be tinkered, parts added / edited. :)

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: davdud101 on November 02, 2010, 11:47:12 am

K 3DJW, Here's my generic scene:
(http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac285/davdud101/steampunk-lamp_2.jpg)

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on November 02, 2010, 12:00:47 pm

Steam-powered clock.... Hard to wrap my head around that technology ;)

Anyway, everything's really looking cool here!

Davdud: I was wondering if we'd get a lamp post, and was thinking of doing things like that after catching up with my building and character (Stanley)... Now the need's filled! I like the original lamp design, though I wonder if maybe the lamp would look good with a more pronounced/protruding glass dome? What might give your lamp a really distinctive style would be to make the lower half or so of the pole look like a Greek/Roman column design, thicker, tapering, with the indentations? Just an idea for giving a bit of artistic-meets-functional that seems to be the way of a lot of Steampunk... And since you ARE using Roman numerals for the face... :D

As for the new one, I need more time to take it in as it really is a completely different look.

Kreator: That's one FINE factory! You always to put your all into your stuff, and I like to see what comes of it! Question, that angled-roof set-up... is that a wall to serve as front for some sort of attic/room? Or is it just a false-front formation?

Ensoniq5: That car is just jaw-dropping! It's really taken on its own character since the initial sketch... I originally visualized the "LoEG" Nemo car, but now you've taken it right to its own place and "league"! Though I can't help but wonder if a Steampunk Batman might be in order after a few modifications ;).  Seriously, though... I love how it seems to speak out with "locomotive meets limo!"


I didn't get much chance to work this weekend, but am back at it. I decided I'll finish up Stanley's face and start into a few wardrobe items. So far I've made a work apron for him, along with his basic boots, pants, and t-shirt.

I attached Stanley's base body in case anyone wants to use it to modify and make their own fella.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on November 03, 2010, 07:28:37 am

Davdud: nice  to see you working on the streetlights, I have to agree with arik though, the first version does seem to fit more into the timeframe; the second design looks more futuristic in some way. So maybe you can improve your first design a bit and make it look awesome  :D

Ensoniq: love it! great car youve got there! The black and gold is very particular and fits very well! If you were to improve something I think the rims could use a bit of work. They seem like simple subdivided meshes and are hardly visible. A rim can be an eyecatcher on a car like that!
Great stuff!

kreator, nice job on the factory again, I like the warehouse-feel from the side and the factory feel from the front.

---

Here is a first update on the house I'm making. Inspired by kreators style I thought this would fit the city well. Fully Uvmapped so far. It's on the facade yet - I guess I'll be working on the roof next and then the inside.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on November 03, 2010, 11:09:39 am

Very nice, $imon!  I think the buildings $imon and Kreator have worked up do well to set a theme for the city's look, at least for the district we're building. I'm getting back to working on my structure as well.

If you fellas could provide at least some sort of "footprint" of your building, and we locate them in proximity to each other, maybe I could start piecing together a cobblestone street and sidewalks?

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Raxx on November 03, 2010, 12:24:17 pm

Looks like everyone's off to a great start. I'm a bit busy but I managed to squeeze out a decapitated head so far...

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: davdud101 on November 03, 2010, 03:11:24 pm

Raxx: WOW. That's awesome, but just a side note: Poly count. it doesn't look super-high, but considerably high.
$imon: Awesome building!!! Nice textures. I'll try to make the previous streetlight look more steampunk, I realize the new one looks futuristic, for somereason I wanted to focus more on the architectual aspect than time frame.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: MeepII on November 03, 2010, 03:28:27 pm

Can I possibly join in?

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on November 04, 2010, 09:10:43 am

If you have to ask, you don't have a choice!  ;)

Whatcha thinking of making, Meep?

Raxx: That character is really sticking well to the sketch! Looking great!

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: kreator on November 04, 2010, 11:22:37 am

Quote from: $imon on November 03, 2010, 07:28:37 am

kreator, nice job on the factory again, I like the warehouse-feel from the side and the factory feel from the front.

---

I thought how does the steam get made? you need coal so hence the warehouse bit on one side to get the coal in and other bits

Starting some work on the inside now. I thought I`d make a seperate scene for the inside, rather than physically doing it all inside the factory.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on November 04, 2010, 09:53:08 pm

awww Kreator... you didn't read the drivel that explains that steam-stuff? Now I'm hurt to the core...

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: kreator on November 05, 2010, 04:24:57 am

Quote from: Arik_the_Red on November 04, 2010, 09:53:08 pm

awww Kreator... you didn't read the drivel that explains that steam-stuff? Now I'm hurt to the core...

wot? what am I reading ?

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: kreator on November 05, 2010, 04:27:47 am

Quote from: Arik_the_Red on October 27, 2010, 11:33:15 am

General comments:
I think that a project like this cool because it provides a theme that I know appeals to many people, and the general nature of the Steampunk genre seems to encourage individual creativity to the extreme. I had a story idea that is meant to merely provide a backdrop, and that at this point the real challenge is not the story itself, but the creation of a "piece of the world", the "neighborhood," and in that we would provide something that everyone could take for themselves and make more of, put their own little scenes and stories in. In essence, we would be making a world where many (in this case "we") live, so to speak, as a common environment, but where "we" would be able to make our own stories, just as every person on Earth has his or her own "story" in life.

I did throw some basic parameters as noted above, because it gives something with which to focus, and often people do like to build on each others' ideas. so that there would be a common thread on which we could all base things, and still allow for a lot of self-expression and development. Just as we all live on one "Earth", but still have a vast variety of individual contributions by the development of our own "world within", a city has common grounds, but involves many individuals who bring their own pieces to the city to make it what it is.

is this it?

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on November 05, 2010, 04:46:37 am

Quote from: Arik_the_Red on October 24, 2010, 01:43:41 pm

But, in time the sun did return, the blue skies did return, and the world was reborn from the ashes. And the very cause of Man's - the Earth's - misery was discovered. In the heart of a massive, ragged hole in the world glowed a mountainous rock from Space... radiating, pulsing of orange light, hot to the touch, hard as a diamond. The cause of the world's grief, however, brought with it a wonder as well. When the rains fell, the waters burst into steam on touch... And Man found a gift in the heart of the world's destruction...

People found a way to mine the massive meteor, slowly removing small portions, and constructing great machines powered by the strange element's means of producing steam. And the Age of Steam was reborn, fueled by the scrapings from the massive, glowing rock. New machines provided new wonders, and crafts of land, sea, and air... and thus was that, with the dawning of a new century, the Age of Steampunk was born, and blossomed.

Read that kreator, its in the very first post of the thread.
Even so, it doesnt influence your factory design - the pieces of meteor have to be packaged in huge containers probably to keep it safe - those have to be hauled into the factory so the system is used for that instead of coal..

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: MeepII on November 05, 2010, 07:50:23 am

I could make  anything (well... not so good with characters), but I'd really like to make a walking machine/mech type thing.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on November 05, 2010, 08:52:27 am

Sounds good Meep! There is always room for crazy things to walk around!

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: kreator on November 05, 2010, 09:31:16 am

ah! gotcha.... meteors, well its as good as coal so I`ll not need a furnace now then. Makes the factories chimney a bit redundant!

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on November 05, 2010, 10:03:50 am

The chimney is cool though so I say just keep it!

By the way - I was just thinking - it's not a meteor, technically it's a meteorite (a meteor 'surviving' impact with earth). but that's just on a side-note.

I'm working quite a bit on getting my house exterior done - I'm so rusty it's taking me ages!
While texturing I'm using 3ds max to bake GI to the texture itself - this is very useful and makes things look a lot better (IMO) . I was thinking this could save some time in the final render (whenever that will be) , to bake part of the shadows already onto the textures. This will require every object to be properly UV-mapped etc. though, so we'll see!

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on November 05, 2010, 11:09:03 am

Hey, no reason to do away with chimneys... I'm sure there can be some use of smokestacks - to release some sort of greenhouse gas!  ;) Methinks Kreator might not like History books ;)  Me, either!

Meep, always wide open ideas for steam-powered vehicles... bicycles, tricycles, unicycle?

or maybe...

(http://www.weaponeer.net/forum/uploads/Weaponeer/images/2008-07-19_201618_wrong_trousers.jpg)

"The wrong trousers, Gromit!"   joking.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: ENSONIQ5 on November 05, 2010, 05:21:10 pm

The original idea for the side pipes on the limousine was fan-forced chimneys... then I remembered the smokeless heat source!  So now they are used to return spent, low pressure steam from the engine back to the boiler, the external pipes helping to cool and condense some of it back into water for improved efficiency and distance per tank of water.  Or something...!  The chimney on the factory could be a similar device, like a primitive version of a cooling tower on a nuclear power station.

Re the meteor/meteorite argument, actually it should be called a meteoroid.  Meteorite is the substance a meteoroid is made out of (no matter what the actual elements and compounds are), and a Meteor is the bright phenomenon caused when a meteoroid burns on passing through the atmosphere.  Not that this matters, just being pedantic!

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on November 05, 2010, 07:08:57 pm

Haha this is getting a nonsense argument, I'll give one more quote from Wikipedia, the most reliable source ever: after that we'll probably let it go since we're no geologists haha

Quote

A meteoroid is a sand- to boulder-sized particle of debris in the Solar System. The visible path of a meteoroid that enters Earth's (or another body's) atmosphere is called a meteor, or colloquially a shooting star or falling star. If a meteoroid reaches the ground and survives impact, then it is called a meteorite.

Anyway, the pipe-thing really is a bit of a shame yea, pipes are cool! no doubt about it.. so the fact that there won't be any waste smoke to be dealt with is quite a shame.. I say we just make pipes, chimneys, whatever anyway! Just because they look cool! It will only add to the effect that was thrown up of having the city covered in a fog or smog, which not only helps to model less, but also improves the overall coolness.

Nice trousers by the way Arik! I love Wallace and Gromit!

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on November 05, 2010, 09:24:43 pm

Plenty of use for pipes, chimneys and such... For no other reason than they look cool!

As for meteoronions and such... Any rock from space that could be the size of a city blocK?

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: kreator on November 06, 2010, 03:36:21 am

Interior so far .... working on the blue contraption at the moment, an experimental Steam turbine, of some sort , could be
electric ?

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: kreator on November 06, 2010, 08:29:50 pm

new update for interior, plus a demo animation for the steam.

 

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: 3D Joe Wiltshire on November 06, 2010, 09:19:47 pm

I'm really liking the shadows and darkness in that image :D

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: kreator on November 07, 2010, 10:17:37 am

Thanks 3dJoe

Here is another demo anim transferred the whole lot into Carrara  has animated firebox< ExtractorFan plus more Steam and smoke!

&hd=1

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: blazecon0 on November 07, 2010, 07:19:11 pm

i really cant think of anything to add :( you guys seem to be doin pretty good tho

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: blazecon0 on November 07, 2010, 07:43:35 pm

i lied
weaponry. obviously no society is perfect, and weapons will be needed in one form or another in order to keep peace, so heres my ideas thus far
firearms: these could be rifles and pistols that store water in there stalks and keep a grain of the rock separate. pull back the hammer, and a drop of water is added to the grain, and it builds pressure. pull the trigger and the steam is released, the grain is attached to the metal so it dosnt fly off with it, and the steam pushes a steel ball out at high speeds
small explosives:
a grenade could be a sphere filled with water and a grain of steamrock inside a sealed cylinder attached to a knob on the top which, when turned, opens the cylinder exposing the grain to the water. in a few seconds, BOOM. hot steam and shrapnel result.
rocketry: a grain is exposed to a water tank, and the only place for the steam to go is through a very small hole in the back. the small hole would allow the rocket to generate enough pressure and sustain for long enough to launch a small rocket a good distance. but that would probably be fairly inaccurate so these would be launched as a 30 rocket battery or something like that.

also i was thinking about typical personal belongings. i was thinking that everyone owns there own piece of the rock, and it is used to power things. example, you use your rock to power your car to get to work, get out and pull your rock out, go inside and put it into your work machine (whatever it may be). everyone owns ONE rock that can be used for anything.
maybe make it so the rock can be put into a little nest on the machine and the steam creating energies are directed at the water source? in this case a marble size peice could be used for practically anything

aand my storyline idea :)
if this rock doesn't intake anything before outputting, that literally creates a kind of glitch in the universe. i was thinking, as a storyline element, that these rocks need to be in the sun for a little while before being used, but at first ppl didn't know this. the rock had been flying around in space for god knows how long before coming to earth, and that energy lasted a long time. ppl thought the energy source was infinite/self sustaining and built things around it in a way that the rocks couldn't be removed without destroying the machine that uses it, causing a huge amount of problems just before the aliens invaded, making much infrastructure collapse just before the invasion. also (if it were a game) we could use this to make puzzle elements centered around retrofitting things or refilling them with energy before use

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on November 07, 2010, 08:42:29 pm

Kreator: Your work's awesome! I suppose it just figures that I would kick off something with anim8or, that uses something as complicated as steam as a mainstay feature... :S

blazecon0: Your brain's really wrapped around the whole concept well! I like your thinking in all your ideas there.

One thing I believe is important to consider in all the "steam tech," not EVERYTHING has to be steam... I mean, steam does not have to power a lightbulb directly - I don't believe it's really do-able... rather, steam would be the prime means of powering generators that in turn power lightbulbs... etc.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: blazecon0 on November 07, 2010, 08:55:03 pm

dosnt the rock glow? put it in a clear bulb, instant streetlight
win!

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on November 07, 2010, 08:58:03 pm

well yes... but could be argued as being a waste of a precious resource... a lot of lamps to fill

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: blazecon0 on November 07, 2010, 09:03:55 pm

i know i was just bein smart ;)

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: kreator on November 08, 2010, 01:48:40 am

  (Carrara Rendered with Steam/Smoke Particle emitters)

I know this is old but was "Falloffalots" steampunk airship thingy

thought you guys might appreciate it! never did get finished

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on November 08, 2010, 02:02:51 am

It was such a cool vehicle, too! What happened to falloffalot?

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: ENSONIQ5 on November 08, 2010, 04:16:07 am

Quote from: blazecon0 on November 07, 2010, 07:43:35 pm

if this rock doesn't intake anything before outputting, that literally creates a kind of glitch in the universe.

Not sure that this needs to be true, though I like the idea.  If the meteorite was radioactive, but radiated purely in the low energy infra red end of the spectrum (ie. heat) then very small amounts could yield huge amounts of energy, using E=MC^2.  I calculate that a single gram of matter (0.001kg) would yield almost 25 million kilowatt hours of energy if it could all be harnessed.  Piston-style steam engines are, at best, around 8% efficient, which is to say that 8% of the energy inputted into the firebox is outputted as kinetic energy, with 92% lost through thermal radiation, friction, etc..  Further, modern electric generators reach about 35% efficiency so I think it would be fairer to assume a 25% efficiency for the generators in Steamtopia.  This leaves around 500,000Kwh available for use.  With the average modern household using around 10,000Kwh per year, that means that a single gram of Ariktheredium could power a household for up to 50 years.

Ok, so the physics is a bit wobbly but basically this is nuclear power in the early industrial age, without the nasty side effects or toxic by-products.  Cool!

On the whole Meteor/meteoroid/meteorite terminology thing, I stand corrected.  It looks like a case of common (mis)use becoming the accepted norm.

Kreator, excellent stuff as always!

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: blazecon0 on November 08, 2010, 09:58:57 am

true, but you also need to look at the rate in which it is released. it has the POTENTIAL to power a home for 50 years. but if it released all its energy over thousands of years, as most radioactive things do...
anyway you see my point, i think it would be more realistic to assume it intakes a lot and then emits rapidly

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on November 08, 2010, 10:50:06 am

Oh my Dawg! Ariktheredium! And getting scientifically analyzed!  I fell off the toilet reading this!!!!

(wondering just how that jibes with the anim8or community.... :D)

I just KNEW I was onto something... (until I fell)

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on November 08, 2010, 01:00:08 pm

You have internet in your toilet? woweee haha.. ill have to start saving up for that

Great calculations there Ensoniq - not sure how accurate it is.. but it all doesn't matter, thats the great thing about sci-fi haha, the material could have an infinite energy source even if we make it like that. It's nice to have some background-information along with the main storyline!

kreator: nice stuff, I like your smoke effects!

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: blazecon0 on November 08, 2010, 02:13:26 pm

i got a gun in the works, will be in beta by tomorrow which means you will see it then ^^

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: kreator on November 08, 2010, 04:14:14 pm

quick update to the interior, workman now moving in a fashion most probably add some more still need to get that furnace/generator thing sorted .....

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: davdud101 on November 08, 2010, 04:39:00 pm

I think I'll switch what I'm modelling to something more domestic such as... who knows what. Idk, I can't really get the hang of the details of steampunk.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on November 08, 2010, 06:29:43 pm

Quote from: davdud101 on November 08, 2010, 04:39:00 pm

I think I'll switch what I'm modelling to something more domestic such as... who knows what. Idk, I can't really get the hang of the details of steampunk.

Domestic... such as these?

(now you see where I fell off my seat :P)

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: blazecon0 on November 08, 2010, 06:30:18 pm

this is the gun so far. the barrel and the stock aren't filly connected, tho you cant tell here. this model is built pretty simple so you can have a good many of them on screen w/o seriously hurting render time. next to be added is the trigger and a little lever close to it that allows for the water to be set for use.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: 3Dgeek11 on November 08, 2010, 08:10:20 pm

Hmm, the gun gives me an idea.

How about in one of the [renders] we make, or part of the city there will be a memorial park or something? And there could be a bunch of military men with guns? I dk. :P

I'm REALLY going to open Anim8or tonight and see what ideas I come up with.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: blazecon0 on November 08, 2010, 10:52:37 pm

i was thinking it would just be for fighting the aliens. besides, isnt this post apocalyptic anyway? not a lot of standing around in the open occurring ;)

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: kreator on November 09, 2010, 01:13:03 am

Guns? looks like an ordinary shotgun to me...

think it could be a wee more steampunky Blazecon0

see my renders

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: blazecon0 on November 09, 2010, 09:50:31 am

well for now im just making it functional, ill make it all pretty later using textures ;) also its a gun based off of the era more than the theme, i realy cant see a ray gun like that being used in a practical manner here :p

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: rellik420 on November 09, 2010, 12:30:47 pm

great job everyone. i hope to see this finished. i would love to contribute but due to my current situation i dont think thats possible. i just want to wish you guys luck. have fun

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: MeepII on November 09, 2010, 03:02:33 pm

@blaze

you could add a little 'boiler' sphere on top to house the steam generating element.

@everyone

I have plans for my machine almost done. The mechanism actually works.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on November 09, 2010, 04:25:02 pm

Sorry it took a while to get an update out here, I've been busy though! it doesnt show..

- Made a whole bumpmap which was quite some work
- added drain pipe, rain gutter and roof
- sat around watching Dexter


I could use some help though. I'm almost done the outside as you can see, then i will go on with the workshop inside, but before that i want to make the outside more like a steampunk-inventor's workshop would look like (inventions around the house?) yet my imagination is failing as usual.. any ideas would be welcome!

ps. Anim8or is being nice as usual with the rendering; when rendering with Art part of the shadows are missing, this is rendered with scanline, but half the faces I had to invert because the bumpmap wasnt showing up correctly.. see the second attachment, interesting isnt it?

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: blazecon0 on November 09, 2010, 06:25:04 pm

that happens to me all the time. i actualy had 1 model turn its self infide out once. very strange..

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: rellik420 on November 10, 2010, 09:05:01 am

i think what you could do simon is have a junk yard type deal outside of the building. it could have a bunch of half finished and failed inventions.

its very annoying when ur faces flip. u have to manually flip them. i usually do organic models and that building looks really symetrical so it shouldnt take long to fix. from what i remember though you have to delete the points then use your add edge tool to make it again so that will fix it.

good job so far i know your like a "render king" and the final will be amazing as usual.

i would still really like to join this project. i just started working on something else but right now i have very limited internet access and my main machine is broken. i have an old comp that runs windows 98 which works but i dont have a good art program so i can mess about with textures. ill be technically homeless at the end of the month but i plan on living in a motel and my van for a bit untill i find something in my price range. luckily i still have a job (even though i get paid literally peanuts and i dont get enough hours) but once i get back on my feet again (hopefully soon) i would definetly like to contribute.

sorry for the rant. sometimes it just feels good to get things off your chest.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on November 10, 2010, 09:30:46 am

Rellik: I actually flipped them myself, because the bumpmap was not showing up properly..

Here are some pictures with the two different renders
All faces are now facing the right way - you can see how the bumpmap messes up in the scanline renderer

The shadows messing up in ART are probably because the models are only 1 poly thick, but that's just the way I model , otherwise it would be a lot harder to UV map everything properly. It will be interesting to see what the final renders will have to be rendered in.


EDIT: I came around this site that might help some people with their steam-engine design  http://www.crabfu.com/steamtoys/diy_steampunk/

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Mills on November 10, 2010, 10:30:56 am

I hate to say it $imon, but I find the inverted bumps on some faces actually adds something to the render, helps the building look a bit more jaded, which is in keeping with the all-but-gone plasterwork (?) you have down the far side.

I've encountered the shadow issue with these sorts of renders, though in scanline not ART;- I found it was caused by insufficient lateral polys in the model, but that clearly isn't your problem here.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Janro on November 11, 2010, 05:00:31 am

This is a very interesting project. Was a bit shy to speak up hence why I didn't post earlier.

I'd like to try and join. However I'm still thinking what exactly I can contribute.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on November 11, 2010, 10:49:12 am

This project is so wide open, being a sort of urban street scene, that there's plenty of room for work. I've fallen behind some since I got slammed with job-related things, but I'm still working my stuff.

My big hang-up is in the area of texturing... though I am determined to accomplish things there.

rellik420: I've found that one of the advantages of getting paid in peanuts is that at least you always have something to eat! But I never cared for boiled peanuts... Seriously though, I hope things sort out for you soon.


IDEA PUT IN MY HEAD! headwax, on his artist blog, was saying I should build a blogsite for this project... so, while this is the "nuts and bolts" work thread, I'm going to create a blog for this, and give the project its own identity of sorts for when it develops finished aspects... Once I have the blog sorted, and in a graphic form that fits the theme, I'll put up the link for all to see...

With that in mind, I'd like to name the blog after the city... We never really got a solid idea for the name... except to throw "steampunk" into it. While the name can always be changed, I think using "steampunk" in the blog name will at least portray the concept for things. So...

Steampunk City
Steampunktopia
Steampunkopolis
Steampunkana
Steampunkton
Steampunksville

I think I blew a pressure valve in my last brain cell...>insert steam-hissing sound here<

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: headwax on November 11, 2010, 10:28:14 pm

hehe be careful with that pressure valve

I like the first three names :)

cheers !

Edit Arik you and the crew are doing an amazing job. Damn wonderful, doing anim8or proud!

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: kreator on November 12, 2010, 01:48:47 am

Steampunktopia

Then I don`t have to alter my signs on the factory
 ;D

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on November 12, 2010, 11:47:43 am

Good enough reason for me! Steampunktopia it is!

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: kreator on November 12, 2010, 04:07:02 pm

If anybody is having trouble with thinking of something to model check out

http://steampunk-pics.com

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Indian8or on November 13, 2010, 02:56:09 am

Good project.  I would have loved to chip in, but I am not a big fan of "victorian era".  I would have loved to contribute if the project would have been something like "Aftermath".  The world trying to rise up after destruction.  With crude, but crazy machines ranging from steam to assembled junk bots.

The victorian era puts a lot of restrictions on imagination.

Just my opinion though.  Give us some renders guys.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: MeepII on November 16, 2010, 10:40:07 am

Seeing as I can't use anim8or currently, I made a detailed planof my design. Here it is.

It even has a little steampunk stickfigure (but only one leg on the original machine).

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: davdud101 on November 17, 2010, 03:33:57 pm

Seems as if progress is slowing down... I so far haven't figured out exaclty what the product of this project is.. A video?

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: ENSONIQ5 on November 17, 2010, 08:47:02 pm

Everyone's working on their bits and pieces, methinks.  Maybe don't worry too much about what the project will ultimately be, once the scene is built it can go in a number of different directions.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: ENSONIQ5 on November 18, 2010, 09:38:27 pm

I have built a steam powered radial engine, the sort of thing that might be used to drive a large airship, here:

.  All the motion is scripted (aside from the camera) and the speed of each rotating or oscillating part is linked to the scale of an invisible sphere (I used scale since it is already a floating point variable).  So, the apparent speed of the engine can be changed by increasing or decreasing the size of the sphere.  In the animation above, the sphere's size is keyframed from 0.01 in frame 1 to 7.00 in the last frame, making the engine appear to accelerate.

Particulars of the engine: Each cylinder is single-sided rather than double action like a standard Walshaerts setup, allowing a horizontal valve setup (which can allow the addition of more cylinders if required by extending the valve rods forward).  The valve gear is fixed and preset to achieve an efficient balance between full boiler pressure drive and in-cylinder expansion.  Reverse is effected by switching the steam input and exhaust pipes using a valve (not shown) rather than using the more traditional mechanical reversing gear arrangement to save weight and reduce moving parts.  Exhausted steam can be utilised to drive low-pressure turbines connected to dynamos for the generation of electrical power, to power navigation lights and the wireless radio, before being channeled through condenser coils positioned to radiate heat away from the vessel and return a large proportion of the spent steam to water.  This allows a minimum amount of 'dead weight' water to be carried by the airship.  The engine design also incorporates a concentric 1:4 up-gearing system to convert the engines high torque output into greater propeller rotation speed without increasing total steam throughput.

In terms of the project:  This has gone off the spec a bit, and kinda became a pet project to see if complex mechanical motion like the action of the conrods could be scripted.  I plan to build a simplified version of this engine within a cowling, without many of the moving parts, which could then be incorporated into a model airship.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on November 19, 2010, 01:44:03 am

1: Yes, I've been squeezing time where able to work on my part in things.

2: The immediate goal is to create the "urban steampunk neighborhood" as outlined early on.

3: Ensoniq5, I wet myself when I saw that machine... :P  Seriously, that is really cool! You must have to do a lot of brainfarting to figure out the timings and such.  One thing, does the machine appear to reverse its prop spin because its rotation speed exceeds the frames per second?

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: ENSONIQ5 on November 19, 2010, 02:30:00 am

Hi Arik.  The only serious brainfarting (heh heh, love the phrase!) involved working out the scripts.  Trying to work our how quaternion coordinates work is totally beyond me... the Wiki page might as well be written in Klingon.  I had to convert to roll/pitch/yaw, which at least makes some sort of rational sense!

As you said, the prop appears to reverse due to the stroboscopic effect caused between the rotation and the frame rate (one full rev per frame and the prop appears to stand still).  Ideally there should be a strong motion blur once the prop builds up speed since even a very fast shutter speed on the imaginary camera couldn't freeze the motion so cleanly.  There are a couple of ways this might be achieved within Anim8or, Kreator had good results ages back, from memory.  The tricky bit will be cleanly transitioning from stationary prop to motion-blurred prop, but I will play around with it a bit... it could be a nice scene seeing an airship 'powering up'.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on November 19, 2010, 02:42:43 am

That is awesome Ensoniq! Just wonderful! I can't stop watching it haha. That is an amazin piece of technology/animation you have made there, in anim8or! I love the functionality of it as well, one can just imagine how this would work. Obviously it would be neat on an airplane but could be used to power just about anything by the looks of it.

I'm working on a big telescope to come out of the inventors house..  but my schoolwork is completely ruining my inspiration.. Ill have to draw out some basic functionalities of a telescope and work from there.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: blazecon0 on November 20, 2010, 11:58:08 pm

srry i havnt been helping, life and other projects slammed me and i have no time left -.-

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: davdud101 on November 21, 2010, 09:19:02 am

Ensoniq, absolutley amazing! Seems you got every single detail!!!

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: DragonSlayer on November 28, 2010, 12:46:38 am

I would like to join in, but anim8or doesn't run on this computer, so I would like to give a few points.

One, in the 1920-30s, we had WWI. The reason I mention is is we are, at this time using the old Vickers and such for weaponry. I understand that steampunk is the thing, but gunpowder was invented around they 800s (at least black powder anyway). Steam probably shouldn't be a way to power guns when the tech for gunpowder conserves the meteor from unnessesary use, when live brass is an effective way to use the native resources.

Two, Planes would also have a chance of being developed earlier with the effective source, assuming that a nuclear winter would take many years to disipate, everyone would have to have greenhouses with lights in them to grow crops. Steam would be very effective if they had the resources to run the boiler with no trees around, and therefore would  hopefully be made more effiecent by necessity. Then the meteor for the new power source after its discovery. Part of the problems with plane developement was having a light, effective power source (like the small engine on the Wright Flyer). You have to carry your fuel... and water is heavy, so using less water for the engine is a good thing.

Three, did you know electricity was at one point a better power source than gas? Until gas engines were made efficient and small enough for use in cars, electricity was used very widely for the purpose. Electricity fell out of use due to the fact someone didn't find a super battery. The meteor could be use in power plants, and energy wired to homes, where the average person would use electricity for their vehicles and appliances. However, the military in the steampunk universe would want to use steam due to the fact refueling is stopping by the lake for two or so minutes instead of plugging in overnight.

Just a few things to think about... Nice work by the way... on what I could see.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Janro on November 29, 2010, 07:46:50 pm

I saw the engine some time ago but only remembered to post my feedback now.

Seriously that was some sorcery right there(not as much as the fluid simulation but hey that engine would be a pain to keyframe, even with all the copy pasting.)

Several other projects caught my attention, preventing me from having a shot at this. Hopefully I can get some in models soon.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: ENSONIQ5 on November 29, 2010, 09:07:18 pm

DragonSlayer: Steampunk is more a design idea than a realistic alternative history.  The back-story for this project is a basic justification allowing the design of a steam-centric world, where everything has an industrial revolution look and feel.  There is no need for big external steam pipes on buildings, they could be plumbed underground, but having them visible looks more steampunky.  I agree electricity and gunpowder would still feature heavily in such an alternative history, but that isn't really relevant to this project.  A gun with copper steam pipes and pressure gauges sticking out of it is silly, from an engineering viewpoint, but well within the Steampunk design concept.

Janro: The motion of the engine is entirely scripted and uses the scale of an invisible sphere to define the speed.  This means there is no actual keyframing defining the motion of the various parts.  In the animation the sphere's scale is keyframed from small to large making the engine 'accelerate', and obviously the camera motion is keyframed., but everything else is controlled by the scripts.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on December 03, 2010, 12:03:25 pm

Hi all... I have to offer my sincerest apologies for being away. My PC went "whacko" and has been taken to be worked on. After some serious looking over, it seems I've been invaded by the Chinese!

This happened last year with my mini being hacked, whacked, or whatever and loaded with Chinese controlled wares of all sorts.

I not abandoned ship! I just can't work on things until I get my big machine back....

As for gunpowder, electricity, and all... I don't see those as being a problem by any means. SteamPunk is as much a "style" or "fashion" as it is a technological alternative. The big thing to compare would be if the world technology were as said "steam-centered" instead of our current world's base of petroleum-combustion type engines.

Dragonslayer and Ensoniq5 are right on track with that, and the fact that electricity would indeed still be in use, as would gunpowder, etc. And as for the meteor energy source, my main idea there was that it provides that "miraculous source of steam" by permitting very small amounts of the rock to be encased and fed water, which would create the massive steam pressure... which in turn would be used in steam-powered vehicles, etc. Too, larger facilities would utilize such steam-power to operate turbines, etc., for electrical power.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: ENSONIQ5 on December 05, 2010, 06:49:00 am

I have started working on an airship, which will remain in a semi-finished state.  Yet to come are the engines, engine room, boilers etc and control surfaces, and I will have the main shell partially 'skinned'.  I figure it could be part of the airship station, perhaps there is a shipyard attached.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on December 05, 2010, 08:02:26 am

thats really cool ensoniq! and like a lot of fun for you to make as well ;)
That will fit nicely in the airship shipyard of course!

Sorry I havent been updating - im busy busy to get my school semester .. a week still to go, then ill be in the US for three weeks .. I just dont have time to work on it at the moment :(
I'm still enthousiastic though so Ive drawn up some plans but havent been able to turn them into 3d just yet..

Keep it up all!

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: MeepII on December 06, 2010, 01:52:43 pm

Heh, I drew a version of my designs too.

Not sure how to go about 3Difying it

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on December 06, 2010, 10:55:04 pm

Scan and post 'em, Meep! I'm still out of commission PC-wise, but maybe I could give some ideas for how...

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: davdud101 on December 11, 2010, 11:13:33 am

How's progress going here? Seems everyone's taking alittle hiatus... I just got off mine. Bad timing then.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: 3D Joe Wiltshire on December 11, 2010, 07:26:21 pm

I think people are a little preoccupied at the moment what with christmas coming up soon, Im sure there will be more contributions after the new year when people are less pulled in other directions :D

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: captaindrewi on December 14, 2010, 11:40:12 am

kreator asked me to post this old animanon challenge vid on the steampunk theme.
all anim8or except for city. think that was a blender open city script.
http://www.vimeo.com/4856590

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: MeepII on December 16, 2010, 04:27:56 pm

I'll scan my drawing soon.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: davdud101 on December 19, 2010, 11:27:35 am

drewi: nice model, II like the idea of musical instruments serving as... who knows!
ENSONIQ: That is a very nice mdoel, not to forget the amazing render! Can't wait to see the final product!

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: lynn22 on January 19, 2011, 10:47:18 am

What's happening to this project ?

Modeling mechanical "things" is not really my thing but I am interested to see some renders on how it's progressing.

Anyone knows ?

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Raxx on January 19, 2011, 02:25:42 pm

Sorry I've been a bit busy lately. Dunno about everyone else though.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: 3D Joe Wiltshire on January 19, 2011, 07:36:04 pm

I think this project needs a bit of direction, seems to be heading the way of a lot of others, Maybe a basic script should be drawn out? or maybe some scenes could be suggested, sketched, worked on?

I like the way everyones working on the one town but theres only so much that can be done in one scene (they can't enter every building)

Really Reeeeaaalllly hope this doesn't go down the drain, steampunk is like my favourite genre of whatever it is a genre of :P

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: ENSONIQ5 on January 19, 2011, 08:41:23 pm

Personally, like so many other things, Christmas happened to this project!  It tends to be rather a disruptive season.  I do plan to get back into it shortly, too many other things on the go at the moment.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: davdud101 on January 20, 2011, 08:34:18 am

Right now it just seems like everyone's modelling (as lynn said) 'things'. But Arik put that sort of detail description of what happened in the first post. I still don't know what the final product is gonna be, however... a movie involving character interaction? A walkthrough of the city? idk.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on January 21, 2011, 08:23:13 pm

Hey folks, sorry, I had a PC down and out... for a LONG stretch. I got a new one up and going, and am in need of getting caught up again... I won't even go into what took the other one down as my tech-dude really spun a crazy yarn, but it just sort of died without dying... I guess? Everything got chewed up in pixel-byte memory sense... and the whole system became inoperable without any real physical damage done...

THIS PROJECT: My first goal in this project was to simply construct a "set"... a Steampunk city street scene, and it would thus be something that could be used for a number of ideas by anyone who wanted to contribute. Beyond that, I had a story idea that was outlined a bit in my original post.

I was really surprised by how many jumped onto this, and I do want to continue with it...

I did make a few attempts to request some details so that I could at least lay down a street to accommodate the buildings already in the works, but never got the details I thought would be needed for me to work around and lay out the street, sidewalks, etc.

Anyway, I am back on it, but have one sidestep... I have a fellow who begged me to work on a sci-fi clip for his music score "Firestorm"... so I'll be trying to get that wrapped at the same time.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on January 22, 2011, 05:13:16 am

Yea I'm back on as well - have been realllly busy (was visiting the us a month and have (had) tons of schoolwork. Should be done with that in a week though so don't count me out!

I'm halfway through making a telescope attachment for the house at the moment.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on January 23, 2011, 03:50:45 pm

Heres a WIP on that telescope-invention. It hangs from one of the windows

Still need to UV & texture it.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: MeepII on January 24, 2011, 05:05:54 am

How do you do the teeth on the gears and stuff?

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on January 24, 2011, 11:20:59 pm

I'm guessing he has the gear add-on... Right?

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: blazecon0 on January 25, 2011, 12:39:34 am

hey guys :) things are lookin like they are comin along pretty slowly; i wish i could help, but i dont even have time for my own 3D project :/ wish you guys the best ^^

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on January 25, 2011, 03:59:40 am

Haha no I didnt use a gear add-on, for the gear teeth I used 3ds Max - using its Array function you only have to make one tooth and duplicated it around automatically. The rest was modeled in anim8or though.

I hope itll look cooler when textured ;)

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: kreator on January 25, 2011, 08:12:31 am

I was waiting for you to come clean $imon! lol:

If you want to use anim8or for gears just do a N-Gon 100 (Max allowed)
Fill, Merge faces then inset in little way select every alternate face for the insert and extrude up - or - make a tooth and use NickEs mesh to path script round a N-Gon thats been converted to a spline.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on January 25, 2011, 03:18:15 pm

Haha yea I like to cut corners kreator!  :'(

Done UV-mapping & texturing the sign as you can see below.
The text on the sign will be subject to change probably haha - depends on what Raxx has to say about it :P

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: headwax on January 27, 2011, 11:50:42 pm

Ho great texture work $imon. You could get a job doing this :)

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on February 13, 2011, 11:46:39 am

$imon, that work is phenomenal!

Folks, I've still had to keep this project on my backburner... been working day and night on other things and kicking myself for having to start over due to technical difficulties :(  Sometimes life just takes too much precedence I guess ...

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: blazecon0 on February 14, 2011, 10:10:15 am

this seems to happen to you a lot arik, you ever think about making an online backup account?

btw, ive ended all of my projects so i can get back to work on this 1 now ^_^ just tell me what to make and ill get to work!

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on February 21, 2011, 05:04:21 pm

Ha thanks headwax and Arik ;) Here the textured version of the telescope

Progress going slow but still going!

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on March 14, 2011, 01:24:13 pm

Simon, your work is phenomenal as ever! I love the look of the telescope!

As I recently communicated with $imon, I have had to take a serious sidestep from this project, though it is still very much in my mind and thoughts. I have been unable to rebuild everything I had begun on...  but for now I have to put it aside as I am working another project that involves learning MessiahStudio 5.  

I will be keeping folks up on that project because I am using Anim8or for a lot of the object-building. I also promised $imon that I would do that, because he's a great guy and gives such wonderful moral support to all (as do all of our fine anim8or die-hards here).

Therefore, while I am sidetracking, here is the "Rockasaurus" project tracking thread: http://www.anim8or.com/smf/index.php?topic=3949.0

As for Rockasaurus, there are also two other songs being considered for more advanced projects...

1) Rockasaurus:  Dinosaur invents Guitar  ;)
2) Gunslinger:  Western/Cowboy storyline
3) Firestorm:  Sci-Fi space battle

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: davdud101 on April 22, 2011, 03:22:27 am

Now, where were we when we last left off?

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on May 04, 2011, 02:27:18 am

ummmm... still working through a major project long overdue... but will get back here right after that. Short on time, long on commitments :(

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: davdud101 on May 05, 2011, 05:25:35 pm

Not to have to burst a bubble or anything, but maybe everyone gave up in December.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on May 06, 2011, 01:45:14 am

Well, I was really excited by the intent of others to jump in and make this a group project, and I am fully aware that it fell apart mainly due to my having had to take a few lumps, take on some serious offline and other issues to hand.

So, while I'm not happy with myself about failing the team, I am not sure why you pose the question about "where were we?" and then turn around after I make my response, and take it around that bend...

Anyway, yes, I do hold this project amongst one of my "would really like to get back at it" deals, but as I've said as well, between having lost a sizable chunk of work in that PC crash way back, and having had to take on some other time-consuming "life things," I have had to rearrange priorities heavily with what little lack-of-freetime I have.

I feel terrible about what had come of things so far. There has been some beautiful work, and some great ideas in the midst of this endeavor.

I do want to get back to it as soon as I can... alone, or with others, just as I had begun it "alone" but was greatly surprised by the spontaneous desires of others to get involved.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: ENSONIQ5 on May 07, 2011, 08:22:48 pm

Personally I am very much looking forward to finishing some of the things I started with this project, and starting on some of the other ideas.  This was and is one of the coolest and best-received group projects Anim8or has seen.  The problem I have had is that I really can't dedicate myself to more than one (maybe two) things at a time, as it is I have had one machine rendering full time for almost 3 weeks on another project, and I have had to keep my other machine free for work etc.  If only life didn't keep intruding on our anim8ing time, huh!

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on September 01, 2011, 12:12:50 am

Peeking in... trying to regroup and sort out what might still be able to be picked up in this project... Anyone here still kicking about? I keep wondering at the fact that I never really intended this little dream to be picked up by so many. Am trying to decide on how to rebuild the files I lost... and see who still might want to rekindle the fires of the steam boilers.

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: $imon on September 04, 2011, 03:35:19 am

I would like to continue with at least finishing something on this project.. School starts tomorrow though so my time will be limited again..

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: Arik_the_Red on September 05, 2011, 01:25:35 am

I really like how that came out, $imon. The sign and building textures really came out great!

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: davdud101 on September 05, 2011, 12:05:47 pm

WOw, $imon, that's pure gold. Even if schools starting, I think it may be time to renew this project; We don't want another 'anim8or movie project' ending. We should see it to the end!

Title: Re: Steampunk World
Post by: MeepII on October 02, 2011, 07:20:55 am

Even though I probably won't be able to actually do much, I'll at least try to help again.