FMP Week 5 - 27th October - Anatomy & Skeleton Model

  FMP Week 5 - 25th October

Anatomy and Skeletal Model

William Marshall

Intro

These last two weeks have been a mix of modelling and concepting, as I have reached the stage where physical parts of my Mech can begin being made! I finally made a decision on what Mech I want to take forward from my silhouettes, which was the 'Rotary'. 

The Rotary Silhouette had proportions that I felt were all very equal, as well as quite a striking silhouette with the shoulder-mounted rocket pods. The other silhouettes were quite unclear designs that I wasn't entirely sure on how to bring to life in 3D. The low-slung weaponry on the arms made it look quite efficient - with the leg anatomy being perfect for a mechanical walker of it's size. However, I will need to consider adding full armour to the Rotary frame, as it currently does not fit the profile of a 'Heavy Mech', being more of a scouting vehicle or light mech. 

Once I had decided on the Rotary frame, I began considering the individual components that made it up. When I began looking into the anatomy of legs & feet, I realised that concept sketches would also be quite important, but there was a problem: because the silhouette was black, certain parts of the Rotary frame were unclear as to the shapes involved. In order to fix this issue, I decided to create a 'skeleton' frame of the Mech that I could use to pose into different positions for concept sketches. 

Concept + Mech Selection

Using my silhouette, I was able to define the individual parts of the Mech a lot easier and begin understanding how I'd form it in 3D space. As soon as I was able to identify a light source for the scene, I could break down each piece into the basic forms and build my way upwards, toward the top of the cockpit. 

This concept view was used for the creation of my 'Skeletal' Mech, which I will talk about further down this page. 

Feet Concepts & Model

Using 3dsMax and some sketched concepts, I developed some examples for feet that took balance, shape and terrain grip into account. My aims for creating these concepts were to create a foot that could evenly distribute the weight of the Mech on top of it, which was achieved by making it wide with multiple treads. Additionally, I added small 'wire-cuttters' in the form of teeth connected to the main foot, which aid grip on rough surfaces and allow the foot to bypass small fortifications such as barbed wire, fences and dirt. 

Leg Anatomy Study

When I first began constructing my skeletal model, I had issues with the balance of my Mech. If it began walking, all of the weight would cause it to topple backwards and hardly move. This was due to the improper placement of connecting joints in the leg structure, as well as each piece being placed at too low of an angle to support weight. I analyzed Titanfall2 and my other references to consider how the leg anatomy of each Mech was able to support the weight. 

I learnt that each joint is aligned very vertically, so that each bone acts as a link without creating too much weight on the rear of the vehicle. 

Skeletal Model & Thoughts

This skeletal model was intended for me to test the proportions of the Rotary, as well as create a posable model for concept art & blueprint views, as I could rotate the image to suit any perspective. Using the silhouette as a reference, I created basic blockout shapes for each of the components, but attempted to illustrate how the Mech would function as a animated object by including hinge and ball/socket joints for pieces that would move in an 180 degree arc (such as knees), and parts that needed a full range of movement, like the shoulder areas and feet.

I currently dislike how the cockpit is formed, as it looks blocky and doesn't fit with the rest of the body parts in terms of art style and design. This will be re-designed.

Project Management Update

These last 2 weeks have been quite poor in terms of content, as the majority of the work seen here was completed in Week 4 and then not touched upon for Week 5. All of the planning, research, references and ideas has been completely finished and finalised, with the next few weeks shaping up to be focused on Concept Art and the beginning of modelling my Mech.

At this point in the project, I am also quickly approaching the presentation that will be presented live to tutors and colleagues to explain my ideas so far. This will be a 10-minute segment that presents all the work completed so far, as well as being intended to answer in-depth questions to prove that I understand my project entirely. 

I feel quite confident about this idea, as I enjoy presenting my work and small amounts of public speaking - and I believe I have all of the content required to fill these segments. 

Video Breakdown

Next Blog Post - 10th November

Using my Skeletal Model, I will be able to pose it (much like a wooden figurine) to produce some interesting concept art and examples. Additionally, I can add armour and additional pieces onto the skeleton in order to begin bulking it up for the Front Line role that it is intended to serve in.

• Concept Art
• Armored Body
• Presentation 

FMP Week 3 - 15th October - Mech Concepts & Specification

 FMP Week 3 - 13th October

Mech Concepts & Specification

William Marshall

Anderson, K., 2019. BT Skins For TF2.. [image] Available at: <https://www.artstation.com/artwork/xzvJQ4> [Accessed 6 October 2020].

Intro

Following on from the project idea that I formed last time, I spent some time developing concepts to give me a better visualization of what I was going to create. These were in the form of sketches, kitbashes, silhouettes and digital concept art.

Since my last blog post, I have also had my proposal reviewed and feedback given, which will be detailed in the 'Project Changes' section of this blog. It will outline any new developments with the project that were picked up by my Project Supervisor.

Project Changes

Following on from discussions with my Project Supervisor (Iain Douglas), this project will be upscaled, adding functionality to the Mech in Unity. This will push my ideas from a nice piece of hard-surface artwork into a fully-fledged game asset that could be used for a project - also pushing me into the higher grade boundaries. 

In order for this to work, I will be adding a small 'workshop' environment for my Mech to be viewed in, with buttons and UI elements. These buttons will be able to display different types of animations and demonstrate my technical skills with animating and in-engine work. 

2011. Hawken Concept Art. [image] Available at: <http://conceptartworld.com/news/hawken-concept-art/> [Accessed 6 October 2020].

HAWKEN's Concept Art featuring an early version of their 'loadout menu' is exactly what I have in mind

for this. It shows the Mech in a safe and secure environment where tests would be carried out, making

sense for my animations to be shown there - being narratively presented by performing 'checks' on the

Mech before it goes out into combat.

This is my current working floor plan for the aforementioned garage. When I created this, my aim was to have the Mech as a centerpiece, with background assets serving to help prop up the quality of the mech and provide an environment that it would realistically be presented in. The Player will be able to roam the workshop and observe the Mech in a maintenance state, preparing for repairs. 

The Entry Hatch will be placed at the bottom of a ramp, leading to the raised platform where the Mech itself is going to be placed and tower over everything else. Stairs will lead downward into the workshop floor, where workbenches for the engineers will surround the raised platform, giving them a workspace to take notes and make repairs - whilst being shielded from any backblasts by iron fences that separate them and the Mech. Around the walls of the workshop will be various shelving units and storage for their tools, whilst chains and winches hang from the ceiling to assist with heavy objects.

After creating this piece, I have learnt that it is important to create the environment and the vehicle centerpiece in equal amounts of quality, rather than focusing my attention on one or the other. If my environment is poorly made and half-baked, it will detract from the quality of the Mech and vice versa.  

Project Proposal & Technical Specification

Project Proposal

This is my proposal for the project, which contains a detailed breakdown of what will be included in this project - as well as my justifications for choosing it. 

Project Details - the actual assets involved in the project

Rationale - reasons for creating the project.

In this case, my reasoning behind making this project is that I want to challenge myself in 3D Vehicle Art, but not just by making tanks and cars - but by making something that I struggle with the most, humanoids. I wanted to combine my skills in hard-surface 3D modelling and my interests in vehicles into something that really improves upon my biggest weakness in order to make myself more effective as an Artist.

Technical Specification:

When I began my research into military vehicles for inspiration last week, I kept finding specifications which listed important information about the specific vehicle in question. They were broken down into distinct groups, such as Service History and Production History.

For a bit of immersive roleplay, I made my first-page act like a 'loading screen' for a confidential military document that was so secretive it required a password to access, with bars that acted like a MS DOS command line. I then made up a Service History and Production History as a bit of reasonable background. However, the weapons, armour and specification itself were more important as these were going to be physical assets that are seen on my design, so it is important for me to consider them now, so that I can incorporate them into my design.

Functionality/Game Engine Considerations

Now that my environment is a considered part of this project, I also need to think about the technical side of working in a game engine, such as:

-Movement

-Post Processing

-Sound/Ambient Audio

-Main Menu

Movement:

Moving around the scene with controls. I'd intend to be able to move using WASD rather than fixed camera angles, which means the viewer can view anywhere in the scene.

Post Processing:

This also includes the HDRP that Unity provides, which further increases quality. I would try and take it easy on the post-processing to avoid detracting from the overall value of the Mech if I added too much. Most likely Anti-Aliasing, AO (Shadows) and Bloom

Sound:

Likely to be the sounds of a busy workshop but elsewhere in the scene, as well as the hissing and mechanical whirring coming from the Mech itself.

Main Menu:

Very simplistic start/quit buttons, with a splash screen/credits screen with my details on it. Doesn't need to be more complicated than that.

Mech Silhouettes & Voting

These silhouette designs were made from Kitbashed pieces that were gathered from my various mood boards and other media. When I created these, I wanted to have a wide range of body types, battlefield roles, sizes and weapons in order to give me a larger variety of ideas to choose from. 

Each time I created a new Mech, I would imagine a background role and build them accordingly - as well as their name representing what they're intended to do. For instance, 'Brutus' is large and imposing, with the largest silhouette of any role. The name 'Brutus' sounds like 'Brute', which is an aggressive and strong creature. 

After I was satisfied with my kitbash designs, I opted to use Google Forms to get other students opinions on which design was the most appealing. Out of 18 responses, a lot of people had a preference for the Underbarrled, Scorpius and Haytham designs. I believe the reason that these three were chosen was due to their unique silhouettes compared to the others - especially Scorpius due to being the only 6-legged design on that page. Underbarreled has a unique weapon-holding design and Haytham is very blocky and squat like a dwarf.

My personal favourites are Rotary, Underbarreled and Haytham. Rotary has a very unique silhouette and I like his leg structure, but he simply looks too frail to serve as a Heavy Mech. Underbarreled and Haytham are quite bulky and imposing, making either of them a good candidate. 

Video Breakdown!: https://youtu.be/rPAYdOBw3dA

Next Blog Post - 27th October

Now that I have a rough shape and design to work with (which has been inspired by my Research), I will take one of my designs forward and begin to break it down into the individual components, such as feet, legs, cockpit, weapons and chassis. I will also aim to have a full concept piece that I can show to any interested individuals, possibly in the midst of a battle.

• Concept Art Piece
• Foot Designs
• Foot Basic Models
• Weapon Designs
• Weapon Basic Models

FMP Week 1 - 1st October - Initial Project Idea & Planning

 FMP Week 1 - 1st October

Initial Project Ideas & Planning - The M37 Pegasus!

William Marshall

Intro

The Final Major Project at the University of Northampton is a completely self-managed project, meaning that I am allowed to designate my own time, ideas, designs and demonstrate that I have effective skills in project management, planning and documenting. This blog will serve as a gradual update as to how this project is proceeding, with my own thoughts and feelings explaining the process as it proceeds over time.

My Project Idea

For my Final Major Project, I have decided to create a Heavy Mech akin to Titanfall 2 and MechWarrior. It will be designed, modelled, rigged and animated - ending up being professionally presented via renders through ArtStation and Sketchfab (as these are my preferred platforms).

Whenever you see a military vehicle, weapon or piece of hardware, they are always given a model number and some sort of appropriate codename. The working name for this project is the 'M37 Pegasus'. It was selected due to the Mech being capable of flight, and the Model 37 being a number I produced from a random number generator - as I couldn't decide on a singular number!

My personal goals and interests in terms of Video Game Art involve the creation of vehicles and hard-surface models, both of which are utilised very heavily during this project. I also realise that this is quite ambitious, meaning that I am giving myself a good challenge.

Mood Boards

During the Summer, I used the online mood-board service Milanote to gather references and annotate each one with my thoughts. This provides me with research material and ideas for my own designs.

Concept Art Examples: https://app.milanote.com/1JYmxp17wpED4f?p=ndHO7veznk3

This board comprises multiple examples of concept art so that I can experiment with different conceptual styles, as well as considering shape, form and proportions for the Mech I will be designing. These examples are excellent reference for mechanical objects that I can kitbash together or use when sketching in my sketchbook. 

The variation in style is also useful here, as it helps me understand what level of detail I should be using to develop these concepts.

General Board 1: https://app.milanote.com/1JXXAT1P2De4an?p=emvPwIpa7kX

My General Mood Boards are - as the name suggests - quite general and verstile, focusing on different aspects of each Mech. Normally, this is the feature that sticks out to me the most and makes the design unique. Having a good range of varied proportions and designs has been very effective in helping me consider what my own design will look at, as I can weigh up the strengths and weaknesses of each frame that I see when I collect it into a Mood Board. Some of my favourite examples from this board are ones with unique weapons - such as the large riot shield -, or underslung chainguns, as well as:

• Humanoid Design with Spring-Like Feet for Mobility
• Balance and Weight Distribution to Support Armaments
• Large Riot Shield for Intimidation & Protection
• Bulky Frame with Wide Shoulder Guards
• Missile Pods
• Spider-Like Design and Quadrupedal Legs

General Board 2: https://app.milanote.com/1JYmmr17wpED47?p=O6FkZtJtmqb

My second general mood board has the same purpose as the first one. I use this board to identify unique features and annotate them so that I can keep track of which features I'd want to incorporate into my Mech. Some of my favourite features from this board include:

• Bright Colour Scheme + War Mask
• Bulky Frame to Support Artillery/Pods
• Squat & Flat Design to Minimize Weak Points/Damage Taken
• Imposing & Intimidating Weaponry, commonly dual-wielded
• Claw-Like Feet to Assist Movement/Terrain Grip
• Thin, Sharp Profile to Demonstrate Insectoid Inspiration
• Knee-Joint Protection & Shields

Camouflage & Armour: https://app.milanote.com/1JYmbc17wpED3R?p=jJvXJXBv6Ib

I felt specialized mood boards were needed for more specific insight into certain aspects of the design for this project. This one has completely focused on camouflage and armour that different configurations offer, as this will vary greatly depending on the purpose and location that the Mech serves in. When I annotated the examples, I decided to note down the colours and the themes that those colours produce, so that when my Concept Art is produced, I have some guidance on what sort of colours I should apply to my Mech, based on what themes I'd like my Mech to represent.

My favourite colour schemes from this example are:

• Bone White & Black, embodying death, stealth and shadows.
• Black & Yellow, with technology, vibrance, visibility and sports
• Traditional Camouflage (Desert, Forest, Snow), military, stealth and nostalgia
• Grey, Orange & Brown, industrial, steampunk and old-fashioned
• White & Purple, research, space, laboratory, medical

This mood board has taught me that these Mechs are generally comprised of a primary colour which is quite monochrome (white, grey, black, etc) and 1-2 secondary colours that are more saturated and combine well with the primary colour (red, blue, green, yellow, etc)

Mech Weapons: https://app.milanote.com/1JYmoa17wpED49?p=KMQWadCe6pK

Additional specialized Mood Boards came in the form of deciding what sort of weaponry and armaments I'd like to mount on my Mech. When designing one, I believe it is important to consider the role and purpose that the Mech serves - as this will directly impact what sort of weapons are going to be placed on it. A lightweight 'scout' design would feature smaller caliber weapons and be optimized for speed and stealthiness, preventing it from carrying large artillery pieces.

I gathered a wide range of weapons to give me a broader selection of ideas and concepts for me to experiment with. Some of my favourites are:

• Ballistic Shield (unique)
• Missile Pods (efficient way of carrying high-yield weaponry)
• Chainguns (intimidating, powerful weapon)
• Heavy Shotgun ('brawler', suggests power and strength)
• LMG w/Exposed Clip/Belt (unique and damaging)

'Spider' Mechs: https://app.milanote.com/1K7h6y1qPT293C?p=hOZQZ6BEJvn

Finally, I created a Mood Board to explore the unique concept of a 'Spider' Mech, which features quadrupedal and hexapod designs that are heavily influenced by insects. This style of Mech is very eye-catching, as the overall silhouette of the vehicle is vastly different to what people would expect when they think of Mechs. Due to the larger surface area, more weapons can also be mounted on the chassis for improved combat effectiveness. 

Project Planning - Trello

This project will be organized and managed using Trello (which I have used for previous projects). The aim of this Trello Board will be to provide a clear timeline of events and breakdown of tasks that were completed each month, as well as being used to manage my own time. The work that I completed during Summer Break is listed here in the largest column, with 13 timestamped entries of the work I completed each day. 

Next Blog Post - 14th October

Next time, I will be moving on to Concepts and Kitbashes, taking me straight into the design phase. These Kitbashes and concepts will be traditionally-drawn and also completed in Photoshop. The Kitbashes will be made by taking pieces of reference with the lasso tool and combining them together into new designs and variations. Then, I will decide on some of my favourite designs and begin to break down their individual components - such as arms, legs, weapons, cockpits, chassis, joints, etc.

Additionally, I will be designing a specification document that gives more background on my Mech, as well as the technical specifications such as height, width, speed, weapons and history. 

• Kitbashes & Concepts
• Component Breakdown
• Kitbash Concept Voting (Google Forms)
• Project Specification
• Project Changes & Updates