Possible new craft

[tempsanity]

We'll we're talking about totally different civilization and technique here so I don't compare it to the human ships/helicopters/etc. that much. It was only a suggestion, you're the guy behind the story and game world.

[Winter]

We'll we're talking about totally different civilization and technique here so I don't compare it to the human ships/helicopters/etc. that much.

You should. The aliens follow the same laws of physics as we do, which say that non-wheeled landing gear tends to drag and gets bent when supporting lots of weight -- and just imagine trying to make a crash landing with static struts. There's no antigravity or other sci-fantasy stuff in the UFO:AI setting, so when you discount that and consider the drawbacks of static landing gear, then wheels are the logical option.

Regards,
Winter

[Psawhn]

This is actually a human craft, based off of alien technology. That means we get to put in a pragmatic aspect onto it. (It also means comparisons to existing human ships/helicopters are valid. )

If one or both of the engines go out, then the craft will have to make a conventional landing. It could probably make it home on only one thruster (the things at the back), but it can't land vertically with it.

One of the main goals I had when designing the craft was that it could land vertically. The engines were originally placed right on the center of gravity, but Winter's suggestion of thrusters at the back let me move the engines further behind. This also let me have more room for the main 'fuselage'. (Well, as much of a fuselage as you get with a flying wing.)

The main engines were always able to rotate downward 125 degrees, past vertical, so they can point downwards to hover. Because the engines are behind the center of mass, the two thrusters at the back point upward to balance out the craft.

So, really, we get the best of both worlds.

(Incidentally, because the engines can also point up 90 degrees, the craft can hover upside-down! I don't think that landing upside down will be standard procedure, however. )

I like what you've done with the engines, there, though I too have doubts about the cockpit colour (definitely needs darkening).

If you're doing any further greebling on the body, could you try and get it reminiscent of our Scout/Fighter/Harvester UFOs? That's the feel we're hoping to capture, that this thing is derived from things that are alien, but made to fit the human imagination.

Right-o. I'll make the cockpit darker.

I noticed a lot of the existing alien texture greebles are rather square. I went more with that the alien materials needed to be curved when they form. (Or was that only the kerrblades?)

[Winter]

I noticed a lot of the existing alien texture greebles are rather square. I went more with that the alien materials needed to be curved when they form. (Or was that only the kerrblades?)

That was just the Kerrblade, and Kerrblades are not made from Alien Materials.

The curving is also automatic as part of the Kerrblade heat treatment process, not a deliberate thing.

I know the greebling of the alien craft tends to be quite square, but I'd like to see at least some of the characteristic 'alien green' on your model in some shape. The shape doesn't really matter, as long as it looks right.

Regards,
Winter

[Psawhn]

Here's a new cockpit, and base texture redone to look more like aliens.

I still have to do alien greeblies - I'll make some straight-angled bumpmaps and stuff for that. I also still have to put on paint decals.

[Mattn]

to be honest i would prefer a bull texture to be more in the style of our already existing ufos - see the gallery for some shots.

[Winter]

Here's a new cockpit, and base texture redone to look more like aliens.

I still have to do alien greeblies - I'll make some straight-angled bumpmaps and stuff for that. I also still have to put on paint decals.

I really like the texture, but I have to agree with mattn in this case. It still doesn't look enough like the alien style we already have laid out in the existing UFOs.

The cockpit looks brilliant, though, very nice work on that.

Regards,
Winter

[Psawhn]

The funny thing is that this last one I tried to get it a lot closer to the existing alien texture.



The base texture I have is actually 2048x2048. I'll shrink it down for the release version (the one above is how it looks like shrunk), but here's a clip from the wing at full detail:



I can add some of the glowy green bits, too.


Edit: comparing the two side-by-side, I can see the differences in the overlay. How was the original texture made?

Edit#2: Here's the entire wing at 512x512:

And at 2048x2048: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v388/Psawhn/Blender/stingray_texture_hires_v9.jpg

Edit#3: Got some more alien greeblies. (I know it's "Greebles," but "Greeblies" is fun to say.)






If you guys like the alien-ness, then all that's left are human decals.

(I'm so happy I figured out what GIMP's Hard Light layer setting is for: bump maps! Apply your bump map onto a 50% grey layer with Hard Light on, and it looks just as if you applied the bumpmap onto the actual image!)

[Psawhn]

Release!

After working on the model over IRC with Winter, the textures for the game release were finalized. (I still want to throw on more paint decals for renders and that, but they're likely to be too small to matter in-game.)

All the files can be found here:

https://webdisk.ucalgary.ca/~djetowns/public_html/misc_files/UFO_AI/

The two important files are stingray_lopo_flightmodel.blend and stingray_texture_lores.jpg.
The model is optimised for flight, with everything sealed together.
The polycount is a bit higher than before, at 1752 triangles.

Be careful before downloading the source .xcf file if you're on dialup - it's a whopping 33 Megs! It got this big because it's a 2048x2048 image with 27 layers.

The high-res version of the .blend needs a bit of documentation. Many of the components are on separate layers, and are locked so that the only way to move them is through the armature on layer 2.

What other model types do you need? The high-res version has animatable engines, thrusters, bay doors, landing gear, and weapon hardpoints. (The hardpoint extends down to the bottom of the bay to allow things like cannons and rocket pods to be concealed inside the weapon bay.) It's easy enough to optimize models of any combinations of states.

[Winter]

We have a list of needed models here:

http://ufoai.ninex.info/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1302

If you can animate, maybe you'd consider modelling and animating the alien flying robot? Or the small wheeled human scout drone?

Regards,
Winter

[Psawhn]

I was already planning on blocking out a couple designs for the hovernet. (That's what the flying robot is, right?)

My skills aren't quite up to animating organic thingies, yet, but mechanical stuff I can do.

[Winter]

I was already planning on blocking out a couple designs for the hovernet. (That's what the flying robot is, right?)

My skills aren't quite up to animating organic thingies, yet, but mechanical stuff I can do.

Yes, but under absolutely no circumstances whatsoever -- EVER -- is it going to end up being called 'hovernet'.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid name . . .

Regards,
Winter