Heavy Viper

[Shadowman99]

Not a very exciting update. I went to a baseball game this evening.

Working on cutting in recessed lines. This is very WIP. Still playing with how much to weight them, but I wanted to post an update tonight.

Blender doesn't support n-gons yet, so this requires more time and polys than I would like. I'll have some optimization to do following this step.

[Larsen]

Looking good man

Have you considdered giving this baby less panels... I allways thought I ended up giving it too many... or at least too straight panels. The org intend was that it resemble the F14... but it has way more specialized panels! I never actually finished this, so I'll use that as an excuse

Now that we're at it... Have you considdered that basic proportions of it!?!

Alot of people have said that the pilot can not look much out the front viewscreen... which is true! I allways thought she looks sexy from the side and above... but somewhat fat from the front! The engines are very big compared to their lenght!

Just my thoughts mate!

On the launch thing... i allways thought the launchtupes to be big enough to handle dif types of vipers, they certainly seam very big compared to the Mk2 and 7 we see in the show... I allways thought the tupes big enough to launch bigger fighters/bombers!

Again just trying to feed you some input!

Keep it up!

[Shadowman99]

Originally Posted by Larsen

Looking good man

Thank you. Good source material helps.

Originally Posted by Larsen

Have you considdered giving this baby less panels... I allways thought I ended up giving it too many... or at least too straight panels.

I was considering giving it a few more panels so I could apply some spec along the side of the main fuselage and add some more visual impact there. I was thinking of a post by MVerta where he was dressing up his x-wing with just spec settings to the panels and that stuck with me. Also the vipers usually have some open areas with greebles, and I'm thinking a long narrow one over the cannons and one or two on the engines.

Flight deck crew would need an array of diff. ports and doors down low, and on the spine.

Some speed brake panels for atmo. would be good. The alleron flap could open up as a speed brake, and an additional one or two on the engines and underside

Originally Posted by Larsen

The org intend was that it resemble the F14... but it has way more specialized panels! I never actually finished this, so I'll use that as an excuse

Funny, I see more of a Harrier influence, especially arround the main engine intakes. I had considered having mount points under the wings for some of the load points. I have some cockpit reference to show you what I'm thinking for inside. I'll email that later and get your thoughts.

Originally Posted by Larsen

Now that we're at it... Have you considdered that basic proportions of it!?!

Alot of people have said that the pilot can not look much out the front viewscreen... which is true! I allways thought she looks sexy from the side and above... but somewhat fat from the front! The engines are very big compared to their lenght!

It looks strange from the front in ortho, but the moment you get some perspective going and move the camera off the axis there's no problems. Every sci-fi ship has good and bad angles. (I'm probably opening an off-topic debate with that comment. Yes, I'm sure there's one perfect ship out there to prove me wrong...)

I like the basic lines of it. It's got a big 70's sci-fi look to it. I couldn't change that.

As for the pilot's view... that's worth thinking about. I see the practical side of it, but if I move stuff around too much it will really change the character of the ship. I'll play with a couple of ideas and post them.

Originally Posted by Larsen

On the launch thing... i allways thought the launchtupes to be big enough to handle dif types of vipers, they certainly seam very big compared to the Mk2 and 7 we see in the show... I allways thought the tupes big enough to launch bigger fighters/bombers!

BJ's pic has a pretty considerable size diff. Are we were going with that? Does the launch tube have that much clearance?

Originally Posted by Larsen

Again just trying to feed you some input!

Keep it up!

I dig the feedback. Keep it coming.

[Larsen]

Originally Posted by Shadowman99

Thank you. Good source material helps.



I was considering giving it a few more panels so I could apply some spec along the side of the main fuselage and add some more visual impact there. I was thinking of a post by MVerta where he was dressing up his x-wing with just spec settings to the panels and that stuck with me. Also the vipers usually have some open areas with greebles, and I'm thinking a long narrow one over the cannons and one or two on the engines.

Flight deck crew would need an array of diff. ports and doors down low, and on the spine.

Some speed brake panels for atmo. would be good. The alleron flap could open up as a speed brake, and an additional one or two on the engines and underside



Funny, I see more of a Harrier influence, especially arround the main engine intakes. I had considered having mount points under the wings for some of the load points. I have some cockpit reference to show you what I'm thinking for inside. I'll email that later and get your thoughts.



It looks strange from the front in ortho, but the moment you get some perspective going and move the camera off the axis there's no problems. Every sci-fi ship has good and bad angles. (I'm probably opening an off-topic debate with that comment. Yes, I'm sure there's one perfect ship out there to prove me wrong...)

I like the basic lines of it. It's got a big 70's sci-fi look to it. I couldn't change that.

As for the pilot's view... that's worth thinking about. I see the practical side of it, but if I move stuff around too much it will really change the character of the ship. I'll play with a couple of ideas and post them.



BJ's pic has a pretty considerable size diff. Are we were going with that? Does the launch tube have that much clearance?



I dig the feedback. Keep it coming.

Everything sounds great man... RE the launchtupes take a look at this:
http://www.geekroar.com/film/archive...ter2-thumb.jpg

EDIT: Sorry the above dosn't work they won't let me link directly to the image!

[kaden]

Man your doing a good job, I hope it can get into BtrL its one of my favourite viper designs, always loved the Harrier style engine intakes.

I think the cockpit is ok as it is, most of the time you would be using the instruments and whos to say there isn't a kinda of view screen in there. and i dont think it would take much to flick the nose down and take a peek at whats ahead.

Keep it up tho!!

[Shadowman99]

So today I spent time breaking my mesh into more manageable sections, collasping sub-d levels, optimizing, and reworking those dogsh-- lines from my previous update. Grouped and then parented all of my new objects to a system of empties.

After all that, I had to do something fun, so I worked on the reaction controls. See attached.

Larsen: It might scrape the paint going down the launch tube, but I think it will fit.

kaden: Thanks for the feedback. Stay tuned for the cockpit. Cool stuff planned.

EDIT: More cleanup and a better render.

[Shadowman99]

I've reworked the mid fuselage.

I gotta hand it to you guys who can crank out the updates with crazy amounts of detail. I work in two modes, quick and now, but they are mutually exclusive.

[Larsen]

Looks great man

Looking at this I remember that I had something sexy in mind for that thing protruding just below the tailfin... why not keep it the way it is now and do an inset... that way it'll look like the plating - the piece you have now - would gover some maine fuselage or something... The thing back there never got any loving so it's real rough...

Make it sexy

If you want I'll draw up some concepts for ya!

[Shadowman99]

If you want to throw some designs my way please do.

One idea that would make sense is a countermeasures launcher. I was thinking of how the C-17 launches flares
C-17 Globemaster III Counter Measure Systems

Thanks for the support!

[Safe@2nd]

Originally Posted by Shadowman99

If you want to throw some designs my way please do.

One idea that would make sense is a countermeasures launcher. I was thinking of how the C-17 launches flares
C-17 Globemaster III Counter Measure Systems

Thanks for the support!

Now that's a very good idea!! I Like it alot especially if your are utilizing it in bomber mode. Very versitile ship this is.