Scott Vigus - Solar Ice Drilling Machine

[Kiwicanta7]

This is my first challenge and just started modeling a week or two ago. Just started a concept drawing of an orbital/stratospheric station of sorts running off of solar power. Please critique anything you see as I post it

EDIT: WIPS up, please crit! 1 hour in and don't wanna continue without some crits

EDIT: Any crits please? WIPS below. 1 hour spent.

EDIT: 2.5 hours in, WIPS at bottom. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE CRIT!

[hammering3D]

welcome to the forum

We will help U with critics and advices to improve the modeling, is nice seeing here somebody so fresh at modeling, just two weeks nice.

[paulius-st]

welcome. just post wip's and all of us will coment, crit and give advices. good luck.

[ClassicGamer-3DT]

A warm welcome to the forums, looking forward to seeing what you bring into the challenges.

CG.

[Kiwicanta7]

So I've got an hour of work in, how do I go about posting a WIP? I'm using Maya 8 if that changes anything, thanks!

[Kiwicanta7]

Also, how do I go about creating a signature on the forums? I haven't had much luck finding where to do so, thanks for the help!

[hammering3D]

the most upper part of the forum there are some menus, in USER CP click it and u'll have user control panel and there u have Edit Signature and avatar :P

[Kiwicanta7]

Ok so hopefully this works

I'm not done with any of the parts, but I just quickly duplicated the magnifying tower to show my general idea. Granted I'm also still learning about hypershading and such, but I figured an hour in should be a good time to get some feedback so I have time to make corrections as well as input things I still want.

At the bottom of those towers will be drills that are lowered down to begin drilling after the surface has been sufficiently heated by the magnifying rays.
I'm hopefully doing to be showing one of these being partially lowered to show the entirety of the drilling aparatus.

Critiques please, granted it is only an hour in, but any and all are welcome. Thanks!

[Kiwicanta7]

Different angles, still an hour of work. Resisting the urge to do more until I get some crits

[rocneasta]

a warm welcome!

try to include with your wip's time that you spend, c&c are more precise when the time is given, and for reference

[Kiwicanta7]

Ok thanks, did you have any crits on the model?

[rocneasta]

well not knowing the time frame it's looking good. would love to see all those upper parts of the none glowing structure to become joints for the other elements.

[Kiwicanta7]

Update 2.5 hours.
Please crit as I haven't gotten any yet!

[ClassicGamer-3DT]

So far so good, the modelling seems pretty good. You need to work on compositing a little more at the moment it seems like you are screengrabbing the model and placeing it over the top of the space images.....but don't worry this challenge is all about modelling not about texturing.

What you really need is to show off your model a little better with a nice clay render these are the best ways to show off all your hard work and really do bring out the details...clay renders are also compulsory for your final entry.

Dependant on your software a clay render is made by utilising your Global Illumination and sometimes Ambient Occlusion in your render settings, you can also add lights or a skylight to help aswell. Clay renders never have any materials on the models either.

Don't worry about not having many crits or comments it's a monthly challenge and there's plenty of other entries to view.....it doesn't mean your entries isn't any good or valid you all have the same chance in the challenge. Even the more experienced modellers might have a really detailed model but no originality, whilst beginner modellers can have a medium detailed model with lots and lots of creativity.

So my advice so far is to make a few clay renders and show us all different angles and views of your model then we can all crit or comments more for you.

Kind Regards

CG.

[Kiwicanta7]

Ok I'll try to figure out how to do that Still learning some of the basics of the program, especially trying to see animations as they always seems to come out as a .tmp.avi.tmp file that doesn't work

Ohh and the space scene I created for this contest, I think the model is just so un-detailed that it looks that way. I exported it into the space scene... not sure if that's how I'm supposed to do it, but that's what is going on at the moment.