Here's the OBJ version. No uvmapping yet- haven't had time.
I'm glad everybody liked that piece. I wasn't trying to steal the show, folks- just demonstrate a few things. I really shouldn't participate in a contest I'm judging, but I wanted to do a tricks/pointers bit about how revision is the mother of really nice low-poly modelling
The tapered cone has a secondary piston, which you will be able to see now that I have put up the wires- it will recoil forwards with the recoil, as a counter to the force of the cannon firing. Sorry I didn't make that clear. And yeah, smoke/fire coming out is definitely par for the course.
Here's where the contest stands:
I'm going to keep this open one more week. I have a lot of work to do for another project this week, so I'm going to give everybody a chance to clean up their drafts, now that you can see the standard I'm aiming for.
I'm hoping to see Erom's entry and perhaps one last revision from the lead models for this show:
Keithus's designs look like win, with just that last bit of revision, greebling, and attention to detail. They are very nice, straightforward mechanical designs, that just need the final touches to give them a properly mechanical feel.
Maelstrom's entry would have been a strong contender, but it has some seam problems, is inefficiently modeled in places, and generally needs to be cleaned up more. If you'd be willing to do another revision, I can always look at it one more time.
Dash's second entry looks like win for replacing the Holder, if it had a more solid-looking tower. I will not edit your work, Dash- I'd lose your elusive style in the process, and I don't want to do that. So, if you lack time to revise it, I will almost certainly do something with FX to suggest some sort of anti-grav support.
Rattle's entry was extremely imaginative, and I am sorely tempted to find a home for it.
Crampage's entries were both extremely interesting, but I'd like to see a revision that was fully cleaned up before making final decisions.
Das Bruce's entries were competing with Mr. D's for sheer originality, mechanical design, and flair. I was very impressed with the concepts and attention to mechanical detail, guys. To secure a win, though, they'd have to meet spec- in Das's case, that would mean adhering to the art standards and zero welding flaws, in Mr. D's, it would mean a much more refined model. As I have seen both of you do top-notch work before, absolutely no disrepect is meant- I was impressed and filled with glee, looking at these delightful designs.
Mildesign and Nemo are tied for sheer originality of concepts. I was very intrigued by the catapult concept, although I admit that I'm probably not able to do it justice on the time-budget I have allotted.
And lastly, Snipa gets a gold star for putting forth the time to try and give it a go. You're more than welcome to try again, Snipa, now that you've had a chance to look at the competition. Unlike most art contests, I believe that being able to see everybody's meshes is very instructive- it not only shows you the finished art, but also shows you a lot about
process and
technique which, along with pure creative skill (which is, imo, overrated) is what separates the good from the bad
In short- modeling, like any serious art form, is about keeping one's nose to the grindstone. Trust me- I don't win any prizes for my hand-drawn techniques, I cannot model anything more complex than a crude bowl with clay, and don't ask me to paint anything that isn't a little metal figurine (I'm quite good at that, but it's not really
painting). I just keep modeling like a reverse Michelangelo- I keep
adding bits until I have the finished work. Preferably small, simple, very low-poly bits, which simulate complexity without actually adding much
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