Memories of an Old Friend  -  Some of you old-timers will remember this bit of film fondly, I think.  If you know it and it brings back the good ol' days, then enjoy.   For those that don't recognize it... well, it's from a wonderful game that no longer exists and is missed very much by many of us.

WWIIOL: The Early Years  -  My first WWIIOL screenshot gallery.  These shots were taken from the game's inception in mid 2001 through sometime in 2003.  The game's graphical look has significantly changed and improved, as has the game's stability, playability and strategic level of play.

WWIIOL: The Battle for Willemstad  -  This screenie album recounts a raging two-day battle for the Dutch coastal town of Willemstad in September of 2003.  The German juggernaut was in full motion.  The British Expeditionary Forces in Europe attempted valiantly to defend the town, but eventually the Axis overwhelmed the town.  This was one of my more memorable battles in WWIIOL.  Newer versions of the game feature much improved hydrodynamic modeling.  These days, the water is reflective (even of the clouds), shows ship and torpedo wakes and spray plumes.  These pics were taking long before the improvements.

WWIIOL: Welcome to the War  -  Streaming WMV movie of various types of ground combat in World War Two Online.  Most of the battles occurred while defending against Axis attacks.

WWIIOL: Aerial Defense of the Dutch Coast  -  Streaming movie (Real Media format, mediocre clarity, sorry) of air defense over the coast of Holland.  The clip shows action against German destroyers bombarding a town and airfield, while Allied bombers attack the ships.  I flew fighter cover, and managed to capture another pilot (IAMEASY) in full spin after his collision with a Bf109.  The 109 exploded, while IAMEASY spun out of control, only to pull out of it right above the water.

WWIIOL: Armored Antics  -  Streaming WMV movie of various scenes of tank versus tank action.  In most of these scenes I managed to kill my opponent or make him "despawn".  Despawning, for you neophytes, is the act of leaving the game arena and returning to the game's user interface.  Under normal conditions, despawning occurs after returning to base (the spawn point), so that mission points can be earned.  Forcing a despawn usually occurs when one player renders an opponent's vehicle useless, either through damage or crew attrition.

WWIIOL: Dunkerque Breakout  -  Streaming WMV movie of the British Expeditionary Forces' (BEF) breakout from their last foothold on the continent, Dunkerque (a.k.a., Dunkirk).  On October 19, 2003, the BEF, along with French Army forces, attacked the small town of Bregues, southeast of Dunkerque.  This film captures the final moments prior to the town's conquest at British hands, which permitted the BEF to establish a desperately needed firmer hold on European soil.

Call of Duty: Strike at Eder Dam  -  Streaming WMV movie of the Eder Dam mission from the game Call of Duty (ver. 1).  I put this one toghether to give folks an idea of how the game looks and feels.  It is a visually stunning game, and the Eder Dam mission is one of the most beautiful in terms of artwork.  The mission is within the heart of Germany, at a hydroelectric plant at the Eder Dam.  The water effects alone are breathtaking.

NX-01 Saves Earth! - My first animation project: A 4 or 5 second streaming video (WMV) of the intrepid NX01 Enterprise, crippled and with warp engines offline, executing a fantastic rolling maneuver while unleashing a photon torpedo on a much larger battle cruiser.  Liam says its a Hirogen ship, but since we made the thing up, who can say?

My young son Liam and I were fooling around with ideas for modeling Star Trek spaceships.  He's a big fan of the newest iteration, Enterprise.  I searched on the Internet and found several freeware 3D/CGI and animation programs.  One, called DOGA-L, is very simple, and within hours of downloading it, we put together the following movie (very, very short), plus 3D models: the Enterprise series' NX-01 ship, and the NCC-1701A ship from the Star Trek movies.  These are not exact, of course, since we didn't have plans to work from, just memory, and the DOGA-L program is intended for beginners, so it's very limited.  Here is our handiwork, the product of 3+ hours of fun.

Welcome to Earth! - A more ambitious animation sequence using DOGA-L created models.  In this one, about 30 seconds long, I've added a music track and includes several scenes.  It definitely tells a story.  It's up to you to decide what is actually occurring.  Is it truly a welcome or something more sinister.

I used scratch-built models for this.  The first was an exploration craft that I've used in subsequent projects.  The second is a huge dreadnaught designed by my son (you can tell because it's got weaponry hanging from every surface, hehe)

The First CGI Album  -  This image album shows some of my early--as in first-- CG projects.  I do this for fun, though it's sometimes brain-boggling.  I love conceiving the models, finishing them in materials and textures, and then developing image renderings of them in staged scenes.  In a way, it reminds me of when, as a kid, I'd try to build all those great models that were so popular.  I never got very good at them as a kid.  I was always too impatient to follow the directions and build them properly.  Still, I remember buying modeling magazines where some guys would produce incredible models and dioramas involving their models.  I guess we just don't grow up.  Boys and their toys and all that.  

The 2nd Album  -  December 2005: Here, at long last, and without popular demand is the second CGI album.  This covers stuff created from late June 2005 through late December 2005.  I believe the quality of these is better.  In fact, I have two prize-winning images in this album that placed Honorable Mentions in a recent contest.  During this period of time, our home was also burglarized and the crooks got away with my computer, which was loaded with my software and tons of models.  Luckily, I had a recent backup, so it was not a complete loss.  I guess that proves the value of regular backups, eh?

I wonder what the THIRD album will be like...