Wraith's First 3D Digital Art Album

bladedxf * BLADE: An early and simple Sketchup model, rendered in FormZ. At the time, I wanted to make a simple sword, but as realistic as I could. I worked hard to get the metal blade sheen to look right (not completely happy with it, but it works). I was also experimenting with FormZ's shaders and lighting with this model.

The best effect here, and one which I've used in a subsequent model, is the

CentauriDXF * CENTAURI PART DEUX: My trusty Centauri Explorer, rendered in FormZ. I love this model, and I really like the effects I achieved after only a relatively short time using FormZ. In this scene, the Centauri ship enters orbit around a frigid moon of a nearby star. The scant light sheens on the ships's dark, mirror-like surfaces. Yet, the ship still shines as bright as a Christmas tree, lit from within its complex geometry and by its running lights and communications array.

CG pros would probably find tons of flaws in this rendering, but I only care about my 11 year old son's opinion, who, when he saw this proclaimed,

CentauriDXF1 * CENTAURI PART DEUX, REDUX: A slightly different rendering angle on the starship. I wanted to get more reflection of the comm array's red glow reflecting off the bridge section's roof. * 1000 x 659 * (137KB)

CentauriDXF2 * CENTAURI (Again?): Yes, again. This was a quick rendering I made of the ship so that I could get it in a white color to use image as an environment map image that would NOT be directly rendered but rather would be be used

Centaurshuttle * CENTAURI SHUTTLE: Two of my trusy, early models. Why do this again? Because... I tried something interesting that I didn't try in earlier scenes with these models. This rendering was done with FormZ.

First, the original Centauri Explorer orbiting the moonlet. Look familiar? Yes; it's the earlier scence. This time, I simply used an JPEG image of that first rendereing as a BACKGROUND image for the shuttle, which is the only actual modeled object in this model. I also used lighting and environmental effects in the model. By the way, please look closely at the crew of the shuttle (hint: trivia and symbolism)...

* 995 x 653 * (174KB)

Centaurshuttle1 * CENTAURI SHUTTLE: A head-on view of the shuttle, departing from the mother ship. (Trivia question: does the crew look familiar to you? Hint: Classic movie.).

* 995 x 653 * (168KB)

Centaurshuttle3 * CENTAURI SHUTTLE: The same scene as the previous one, but without the environment image map reflecting on the hull. In this version, I used a black environment color to darken the scene so that the shuttle is seen a dimly lit object.

For the crew, I inserted a rectangular plane INTO the hull and positioned it so that it would be level and aligned for viewing through the glass windows of the shuttle. I decaled an crew image of all reds and blacks because it is a still photo from a (hint) classic movie where the actors are piloting a ship in a similar red-lit cabin. I retained my original red cabin lights from the previous model, and BACKLIT the front of the cockpit to avoid creating shadows and glare on the image surface. The end effect is a detailed crew inside a red-lighted cabin. Have you figured out where I got the crew image yet? * 995 x 653 * (156KB)

Centaurshuttle4 * CENTAURI SHUTTLE: Again, the shuttle departing the mothership. The crew is again easily seen. The dark environmental shade was used this time. Just a variation on a theme. * 995 x 653 * (161KB)

Centaurshuttle5 * CENTAURI SHUTTLE: The glow and odd reflections on the hull of the shuttle come from an environment map, which is actually a JPEG of a purple and red-tinged nebula taken by the Hubble telescope, as a matter of fact.

Okay, answer: the crew image is a still from the movie 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. I wanted to do a model reminiscent of the early scenes of that movie, where people could be seen inside their spaceships. The image you see in this model is a still from the movie, which I found on the Internet. In the movie still, a female cabin attendant brings food to the pilot and copilot of the Moon Shuttle taking Heywood Floyd to Tycho moonbase. In this image, the pilot on the right of your screen is actually Ed Bishop, later to become lead actor in the 1970's cult classic sci-fi show, UFO. * 995 x 653 * (176KB)

Deltaordnce * JET FIGHTER: An exterior view rendered in Sketchup. I used a simple horizon scene as background. The model was made in DOGA-L and imported to Sketchup, and then rendered to resemble a hand-drawn sketch, with extension and jitter edge lines. It's a cool effect. * 940 x 579 * (155KB)

Centaurshuttle1

Centaurshuttle3

Centaurshuttle4

Centaurshuttle5

exodus * CENTAURI EXPLORER: This is one of the first models I made with DOGA-L. It's supposed to be a

fighter1A * JET FIGHTER REDUX: Yes, my trusty fantasy jet fighter, also seen earlier in this album. Again, I was experimenting with shaders and lighting. I was attempting to create a night or pre-dawn take-off scene. I learned more about FormZ's scenic background on this one too.

The model is mostly finished in chrome-like paneling. Other major materials used are matte black metal for the nose cone and exhaust nozzles, rubber for the tires, and amber-tinged glass for the canopy. I used a variant of the wet glass surface to depict a wet concrete runway (black). I added running lights, cockpit lights, and as seen in this image, the flames jetting out of the engines on full afterburner. There's a spotlight over the model to give some sheen to the metal. * 995 x 654 * (129KB)

fighter1B * JET FIGHTER: Another view of the aircraft, showing more of the wet concrete look, and the nose wheel light, to which I enhanced its glow. Again, what I was trying to achieve was not a realistic model (I've a lot to learn about that yet), but rather to achieve a more realistic environment. * 995 x 654 * (139KB)

fighter1C * JET FIGHTER: Yet another head-on view. Notice the horizon? That was done by blending the wet concrete (actually a large plane going out a far piece in every direction) with a graduated horizon of black and blue, in turn meeting a graduated night sky of black and blue. The effect is reminiscent of a moonlit horizon meeting a silvery night sky at the horizon, and no indication of where the wet concrete actually ends and the background scene begins. * 995 x 654 * (109KB)

fightercockpit * JET FIGHTER: A close-up of this model's cockpit. This subcomponent of the fighter model was separately created in DOGA-L. I exported it to Sketchup, where I added DXF models of Hands On Throttle And Stick (HOTAS) control systems. I found those on a modeling website, as well as the pilot.

I was too new to modeling to be able to pull off those intricate pieces, so I cheated a little and imported them into the fighter. The dashboard assembly and seats were done by me. I also added the image of the controls onto the dashboard. * 940 x 579 * (192KB)

Album last updated on 7/5/05 10:45 PM

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