Airship

[Armondikov]

This is a relatively old work-in-progress that I'm thinking of going back to at some point. It was initially inspired by Final Fantasy style airships as opposed to the steampunk ones that I've done before. It's slowly taking shape and I really do hope to finish it at some point along with a "baddie" one to attack it - although a full scene is a pipe dream that I'll never do or have the resources to render out.

(This hasn't been posted on deviantART or SFM so this is BCU BCC (dumbass) exclusive, you lucky, lucky people )

[Zephram]

wowee  that look very good

[Kirk]

this is BCU exclusive

lol wut?

Very, very cool. I especially like your attention to details. Which 3d program do you use?

[Armondikov]

this is BCU exclusive

lol wut?

As I said, it hasn't been shown off at any of my other usual haunts, so only BCU BCC (dumbass) has seen it :p

I'm currently using Lightwave 9.0 and torn between upgrading to the latest one, or holding out for LW 10 and risking them merging Layout and Modeler into one program  :'(.

[MarkyD]

hmmmmm  :wtf

Im sure i read you saying you could not model, either way..   you can and it looks great 

[limey BSc.]

As I said, it hasn't been shown off at any of my other usual haunts, so only BCU has seen it :p

How can it be a BCU exclusive if you're posting it here though :roll

I'm loving the level of detail on it though! Awesome work

[Armondikov]

Im sure i read you saying you could not model, either way..   you can and it looks great  

No, I said I'd stopped modeling recently because the sketching was taking over.

As I said, it hasn't been shown off at any of my other usual haunts, so only BCU has seen it :p

How can it be a BCU exclusive if you're posting it here though :roll

I'm loving the level of detail on it though! Awesome work

%?^*@#! BCC. I need to get with the freaking times!!!!!!!!!! :assimilate (anyway, like there's a difference  )

[CyAn1d3]

..... you my friend have inspired me to one day do the highwind...

thats a sexxy beast right thurrrr tho, it makes me go WEE!!!!!!!...... sorry.... too much coffeee.......

[Armondikov]

I tried the Highwind once, it was bizarrely difficult but I think I might be able to do it now.

[CyAn1d3]

I tried the Highwind once, it was bizarrely difficult but I think I might be able to do it now.

its finding the reference pics that im at a loss for

[Armondikov]

Which was my issue too. Google images and the web in general has a few limited screencaps (and the CG in 1997 wasn't particularly good). However, what you want to do is go to deviantART or conceptart.org and search for images there. You'll mostly get fan-generated images but some can be very good and give you some nice pointers. DA has a few, although you'd have to skip passed the ones of Cid himself when searching for it.

It's really just the same way that people build Star Trek ships that are "accurate"; artists with a good eye for detail knock up an impressive looking image, it gets used, and before long, people just accept that this is The One True Way of making that ship. When really, all it originated with was a couple of fan drawn pictures that happened to look good with the details in the right place.

Or, you can try something like this, which is inspired by the Highwind: http://anomonny.deviantart.com/art/Avalanche-s-Avalanche-119349702

[Armondikov]

Working on it again. Trying my hand at some unusual engines, although I'm not sure why the bloom filter didn't put a glow around them, I'll just ramp up the lum next time.

[Trim]

Looks good man!

[Armondikov]

Some more progress. Slow, but I don't have as much time as I used to for pure modeling.

[CyAn1d3]

looks killer man, friggin sweeeeeeeet

[Phaser]

Not bad, but to me it doesn't scream "Final Fantasy" at all.  I'd lose the low-swept wings, or add a long balloon-like structure on top of it (the wings make it look like a small fighter, like the X-302).

I think the long bow and swept "cockpit" windows have the right look.  And the large engine pipes work, but I'm not a fan of the blue glow (at least, not in the front).

Also, the amount of detail on top of the "cockpit" brings up some scaling issues for me.

Just some constructive criticism. 

[Armondikov]

It's much bigger than you think it is. And it's really not the traditional FF airship.

[Glempius]

Are those big long cylinders meant to connect up to anything in the future? At the moment than look a bit on the extraneous side.

[Armondikov]

Are those big long cylinders meant to connect up to anything in the future? At the moment than look a bit on the extraneous side.

Yes, it should go to the nose to make a trimaran type thing. I've got a concept sketch but never seen it in 3D so I'm not 110% sure it'll work.