So sic! can you post a wire frame <3 and this is B.I? render? or cycles?
Wireframe will have to wait, since I don’t have a quick way of producing one - please enlighten me!
Renderd in Cycles. Having said that, with some faffing around BI could turn out a render like this. Not nearly as quick, though, since this rendered 500 passes in around three minutes.
really complex and interesting work here danifius > your modeling level is very high end
Awesome details,are you making this out of your head or do you have some reference?
Thanks, folks! Most of this is just straight out of the old noodle. What I do have though are some reference photographs to help flesh out ideas for the turkey feathers actuators, and the link DCBloodHound gave me several ideas as well. Bear in mind that this is not about realism - it’s jetpunk, so it only needs to appear to be plausible, and that’s kinda that.
Not a huge amount of progress to report, but it is incredible how much time all the little details take. The routing of all the cables is rapidly becoming a nightmare, which has served to heighten my respect for engineers who design the real thing.
Several hours have gone into the current incremental progress, consequently extrapolating the duration for a complete engine suggests something like another 30 hours at the very least.
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At least you’ll be able to sit back and think “that took a long time but it was worth it” 
How are you modelling the pipes? With NURBS curves?
Excellent stuff. Crazy detailing and jetpunk, like it.
Yeah I try to get around modeling hundreds of wires by - well - not making them. =D I usually substitute them with cubicle low-poly ventilation systems, but that might only work for spaceships.
Thats true creating cables and connecting it nicly etc… is really nighmare. I was doing for whole ship… I create it by curves then change for polygons and give subdivision+smooth.
How are you rendering in cycles? i mean the details are showed really nice like in BI+AO. I tried some lightening in cycles but i have big studio which is for non shadow rendering… So you are using like single plane? or sun? and AO?
Pipes are almost all curves, or arrays on curves. If using curves, then the render resolution is set to double the working resolution usually. Most things that are subdivided have low subdivsions on for most of the time. So at render time there is probbaly twice the amount of geometry or more.
How can one tell how many polygons are being rendered by Cycles at render time?
For rendering I use a very large bowl and one mesh emitter, no AO.
Shocking how long it has been since I last posted any progress.
Greebling on the engine is most of the way there. Even the smallest detail takes absolutely ages! It is becoming a little frustrating that the engine is taking so long. I might just pause on that and start work on something from the rest of the scene, perhaps the engine hoist.
Anyway, if you enjoy drooling over greeble only half as much as I do then get yourself some tissues at this point.
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Yeah I would probably stop modelling all the details and model something else, that way when you return to the details you won’t be thinking “oh not this again…”
On the other hand detailed models are good, just like this one! :RocknRoll:
I’m sorry for asking this here, but you guys seem very good at using Blender, and no one else seems to be able to answer my question. I have no problem modelling things that are cube shaped or predicated on large, simplified geometry. But how on earth do I cut filigrees out of things like cubes? Or let’s say that I decide I want to add curved fins to a surboard. How do I do this? Do I start with a triangle and then somehow cut a curve out of it? If so, how? And if I start with a curve first, and then extrude it into a fin – how? I mean is there a simplified way to cut perfect geometric curves out of solid cube objects? If I want to cut a curve out of a cube’s corner, how do I do this? I have used the Boolean difference modifier but it seems like there should be an easy and precise method or tool, similar to the knife tool, but more precise. Can any experienced modeller point me in the right direction?
You sir, have significantly more patience than I do when it comes to modelling details and greebles. You inspire me to stretch mine.
That is some nice detail. Very impressive!
Thank you all for your nice comments.
GrandeP, I’m inclined to agree.
Lazerblade, your sig is almost spot on. I spend most of time tweaking minor, almost insignificant, details. And THEN comes all the hanging around.
BuffSlayer22, you need to hunt around for some tutorials on basic modelling, but the simple answer to your question is “subsurf modifier”. This is probably the most important modelling technique to learn in Blender. Use this search to find tutorials. Those for Blender 2.4x are still quite relevant.
Google is your friend, young padawan.
Wow, let me just say that this is the most detailed 3D model I think I have ever seen. Incredible work!
Owldude, this is one of those projects which will consist of loads and loads of details, simply for the joy of making it.
It has been quite a while since I have posted some progress. This is largely down to the fact that I have hardly touched this project for quite a while.
Kindly note that the only the front of the car has been modelled, and that it represents the overall direction I am taking, not the final result (loads of chrome and lights missing, for starters) and the paint job and chrome is just there for eye candy. The final model will be tattier and a bit battered (as in knocked, not fish).
This was rendered simply to provide me with some encouragement to continue at a suitable date in the future.
