FMP Week 7 - 10th November - Presentation and Further Work

 FMP Week 7 - 10th October

Presentation, Additional Art, Rotary MKII & Harpoon

William Marshall

Intro

The last two weeks have been very varied and quite hectic. It began with a marked presentation of my project so far, which was done virtually with my fellow students and project supervisor. This went incredibly well, with plenty of useful feedback received - as well as being congratulated for the professionalism I've displayed in it. During the presentation, I broke my project down into seven individual parts, which allowed people to get an in-depth look into the inner workings of my project and why I was doing it.

Secondly, I've created some additional artwork to serve as supporting pieces for the project. The first is a concept view of my Mech in a field, where the Mech is travelling through a barren plane in a greyscale environment in order to demonstrate the scale of the Mech itself. The second piece is a turnaround sheet that doubles as an immersive piece due to the blueprint nature of it.

Thirdly, I've been adapting the Rotary Mech and taking on board the feedback that I've received during the project so far. Using this feedback, I have developed the Rotary MkII - which features heavier armour, reinforced vulnerable areas, more asymmetrical detailing and more varied geometry. 

Project Presentation

A few examples of the slides in my presentation

This week was the first of several presentations that are going to be completed over the course of this year. 10 minutes was given for this piece, with it being presented to roughly 10 people (mix of students and tutors). A breakdown of my presentation was as follows:

• Project Proposal - what I'm making, why I'm making it and what I will publish at the very end
• Inspirations & References - games, series, media, artists
• Mood Boards
• Asset List
• Project Management - Trello
• Project Schedule - Gantt Chart
• Current Work - 2D & 3D

A lot of the feedback I got for my presentation was positive, with people praising it for being well-presented and thought out. However, the feedback that I need to work on and employ to improve my project was:

• On the Asset List, predictions for when the asset is completed need to be written down, as well as their intended tricount
• Mech needs to be more heavily armoured and the vulnerable points are too exposed. 
• The Mech is too clearly symmetrical and needs to be broken up with asymmetrical details and pieces
• Searchlights, Hidden Compartments, Storage Containers and Tools affixed to the hull of the Mech can be used to add some more 'life' to the design

When I create the next version of the Rotary Mech, I will be incorporating these features. 

Additional Concept Artwork

Mech Turnaround

This turnaround was created as modelling reference for the Mech itself - but also as an immersive piece due to the blueprints. To create the linework, I took pictures of the Mech from various angles - and then applied a linework filter with some editing of contrast/brightness to produce the black/white lines. 

I made sure to include a frontal, side and top reference - as these are the most important areas to use as reference. Additionally, I added the weapons and measurements so that there was reference for them as well.

Mech Concept #2

The second piece of concept artwork demonstrates the scale of the Mech as it travels across the landscape.

I completed it by using a similar method that I learned in Visual Studies this week, which was using greyscale paintings and textured brushes to make the scene seem more realistic! However, this piece could be improved by adding some more varied geometry, rather than just hills and grass.

Rotary MkII

Using the feedback that I received on the Mech so far, I decided to upgrade my design and bulk up the Rotary so that the weaker areas were less exposed.

Here's a list of what I improved:

• Ablative Armour was added to the lower and upper legs to protect those vulnerable areas from damage
• Spine joint in the center was reinforced with shields and thickened to add more geometry - which supports the upper cockpit easier
• Searchlights were added to the side of the Mech to make it more usable in dark scenarios, with the missile launcher being placed on the opposite side - to add asymmetrical detailing.
• Legs and Feet were thickened to support more weight and seem more protective
• Circular Arm Sockets were added to serve as stronger positions for the arms to connect to
• A rear hatch was added at the very back of the Mech to serve as a reactor/battery area

Project Management Update

Video Breakdown

Next Blog Post - 24th November

In the next blog post in two weeks time, I will attempt to have completed the rest of the MkII Rotary, including the arms and final details. Once that is completed, I'll begin the high-poly version of the Mech!

• Finish MkII Version & Arms
• Begin High-Poly Version
• Create High-Poly Environmental Assets