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Post by Dave on Sept 27, 2009 22:15:30 GMT -9
Just finished this model tonight. There are four base textures (blue steel, dark metal, desert, jungle) and a wide selection of layers including armored gun-slits, weathering and other external features you can easily add or remove -- more than 40 layers in all. I'm hoping to release the Observation Tower this week as well as the Outpost model, since they're going to look great together. My next project will probably be a second set of Rustic Cabins, using a different model than the first set. That will probably be my last set of small models for a while, since I have quite a few larger designs that I can start on. And who knows? I might want to take a break from medieval buildings and try something cyberpunky just for fun. The Outpost and Storage Shed model would work great as a base for a little sushi shack or cheaptech shop that would make William Gibson happy. (I follow him on Twitter. Need to find a way to get him to follow me, hah!)
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Post by Rhannon on Sept 28, 2009 2:58:05 GMT -9
Very good work Dave.
It'is not a criticism but textures are a bit, little bit, reiterative on vertical?
Can I hope for any, few, future paper minaitures' sets? Your free sets are wonderfull for me ( a beautiful retro-fallout style ) and the space trucker is still missing ...
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Post by Dave on Sept 28, 2009 7:54:08 GMT -9
I think these images fail to capture some of the color variation and contrast that you'll see on the actual files, but the uniform appearance of these towers is intentional. They're military structures, which would be stamped out of metal thousands of times and each one would look like the next. But if you look closely, you'll see that the panel designs for each floor are different. The sides you're seeing would be facing the enemy. On the back sides, there are some more interesting features, but I like to leave some surprises.
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Post by Rhannon on Sept 28, 2009 10:00:15 GMT -9
tanks. ;D
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Post by Dave on Sept 28, 2009 16:20:25 GMT -9
Just occurred to me that it'd be pretty easy to create something like this with stackable pieces and a removable roof.
I'm not quite ready to commit to modular designs yet, but in my head I'm starting to see how they could work -- where to put the tabs, how to do the interiors.
Oh, the endless possibilities of paper...
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Post by anitangel on Sept 28, 2009 17:33:57 GMT -9
I think it is a good idea, and might be not hard to achieve if your modding only consist of how many storey building one wants to make. The interior design soulds a bit more complicated but Somebody might want to place paper figures in the inside of them... For what reasons I don't know, I like to keep figures in line of sight, and I imagine it would be hard to take out the playing paper minis from the inside of a house.
Anita
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Post by Floyd on Sept 29, 2009 4:50:58 GMT -9
I like these. But (for me) it fails to catch the visual interest your fantasy buildings do .I hesitate to say any of this, but I think your fantasy designs show some really appreciable talent. So I hope you don't mind my critical comments. I don't think these are up to your same visual standards. It could be that the photograph is not doing it justice and that built in conjunction with other models and set in some terrain on the table looks really good. Could we see some table setup shots? This may be do to the more symetrical graphic design, repeating gradient, or the monochromatic coloring (most prevalent in the re-colors shown in the photograph). They just feel a little anemic and sterile. And the slanty roof somehow feels feels distinctly fantasy to me.But I do realize it can be difficult to develop a fresh and interesting take on futuristic design as a modular template. Anyway, all of this is not to say it's not good. Quite the opposite. Maybe you set the bar so high with your fantasy offering? Maybe it is simply that my tastes differ. (It took a while for FnT's models to grow on me). I do look forward to seeing how you expand your scifi range. ~F
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Post by Dave on Sept 29, 2009 9:04:59 GMT -9
Thanks for the feedback!
Biased as I am, I think these are pretty sharp-looking, but of course it's one of my first sci-fi skins and I still have lots to learn. The base artwork was completed months ago and was developed entirely from scratch with no photographic elements, which was something I hadn't attempted before. While the end result might not be as pleasing to the eye as my medieval stuff, for me it was a successful project and I learned valuable lessons that I'll be able to apply to other futuristic models.
Military stuff is tricky, because it's supposed to be bland, sterile, innocuous, camouflaged, repetitive. They're just not meant to stand out. They're intentionally ugly.
The slanted roof was a tactical decision -- to help deflect enemy fire. I could just as easily have gone with a flat or peaked roof, but I'd already used the slanted roof on the outpost and was pretty happy with the result, so I continued in that style for uniformity. You could also put two of these towers back-to-back for a peaked roof (or a V, which might be more interesing), or assemble an administrative office with four of these lined up. In that sense, it's a building block. The wall sections could also be converted into corridor walls pretty easily, and that was part of the reason I decided to use the same background gradient on each floor. They'd blend together more smoothly in a long row.
I realize that I've picked the least interesting sides of this model to show off. On the back side, which would be less vulnerable to attack, is the ground-level entry door, control panel and air-recycling equipment that keep this model from looking the same from all sides.
Maybe it's just the image that doesn't do them justice -- or maybe they're not just not as attractive to others as they are to me. That's fine. Every model is an experiment, and there's no formula for success with these things. If they're not your cup of tea, you don't have to worry about seeing lots of these. I don't have a range of models planned in this style -- just this tower and the outpost bunker. Maybe my next designs will be more appealing.
Table setups are possible with my fantasy models, and I plan to do some photo shoots before too long. I have loads of fantasy figures and terrain, such as trees and hedges. I don't have any sci-fi terrain or figures to set up, though. (Well, I suppose I could just use some trees, and Photoshop in a background. I might do that.) Hopefully I'll get some photos sent to me of customer builds and dioramas and I'll be able to show them in context -- and maybe that's when I'll see if the designs work the way I intended or if they fall flat.
I do have an 'ensemble' mindset when it comes to all of my designs. On their own, none of them seem particularly exciting to me. With the proper setup, in groups, or even with some drastic conversions and mash-ups, is where I think they come to life. One of the reasons I'm avoiding complex shapes at the moment is because of the ease of combining the models. But you'll see more variety in the shapes and color schemes in some of my upcoming projects.
Cheers! Dave
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Post by anitangel on Sept 29, 2009 10:18:45 GMT -9
I don't doubt you'll get better with them. I also don't doubt that some people like them as they are now. Simplicity isn't necessarily bad. And it is a good starting point to learn and develop from.
I'm not into military type stuff, for the same reason you've listed. Though this building is shinier than most military building.
Anita
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Post by old squirmydad on Sept 29, 2009 12:56:35 GMT -9
Since you seem to take criticism well... Okay, I do like these. A lot. It's nice to see a more bright and shiny take on SF military hardware. That said, a little more grunge effect around the bullet holes would add nicely to the distressed look of battlefield damage. The shape and the slope of the roof are good, but the overhang detracts from the feeling of mass. The thin-ness of it makes me think of tin roof sheet metal, not armor plate. An easy fix, which I'll be doing on my copy after purchase, is to make the roof the same size as the tower column. Then it's easy to butt multiple copies up against each other to make a complex. All that said, if I didn't like them I wouldn't bother commenting. ;D
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Post by Dave on Sept 29, 2009 13:09:34 GMT -9
Great ideas there.
Whenever possible, I'm going to try to develop my new designs in a more open fashion here, where I can get feedback during the process. I think it'll be fun to take onboard your comments and suggestions before I reach the final stages -- and fun for you to influence the way they turn out. I have such a backlog of designs to get out right now that I've barely taken the time to stop and grab a cup of water as I race by.
And I've just found out that they don't need me at the office until Friday. This might be another really productive papercraft week!
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