Star Wars AT-AT

[Tralfaz]

I modelled the AT-AT from Star Wars once before. Actually, I modelled it once in Anim8or, than once again in Animation:Master. There were a lot of flaws in those models. I've learned quite a bit about modelling since I originally created it (bevelling edges, minimal spline usage, etc.), so am attempting to do it once more. I want to have it as detailed as possible as I have a plan for it. I have had a plan for the AT-AT all the way back to when I modelled it in Anim8or.

 

Anyway, here is the start of it. I am building it with animating it in mind. I am creating and naming groups for specific tasks as I go along so that it will make it easier when it comes time for rigging it.

 

C&C always welcome...

Al

 

[KenH]

That's a foot! I love that machine. Make it all as good as it looks so far.

[agep]

Great start!

[largento]

Awesome!

[Tralfaz]

Thanks everyone!

 

Update: Completed modelling the foot and ankle. The blueprints that I have are a good reference, but not all that accurate. I am using some screen grabs of the film to help make the model more accurate. Also found some photos of the film model on the web which is helping. Jas Hodge modelled an incredible AT-AT which is absolutely over the top in the amount of detail he added. I am using some of his photos as reference as well. I've always found modelling the feet and head to be the hardest parts of the AT-AT. Now that the foot is done, I am not looking forward to the head...

 

C&C always welcome...

Al

 

[Rodney]

Nice update Al!

 

A lot of quality modelers have been showing their stuff of late.

If I didn't know better I'd say you've done gone and mastered the ol' modeling thang.

 

Impressive.

 

Looking foward to the next update!

[Tralfaz]

Thanks Rodney.

 

I wouldn't say I've 'mastered the modelling thang', because there is still so much to learn. I've just had a fair amount of practice lately working on the Gallardo and Rebel. There are some modeller's here that I would truly call masters and it is their work that inspires me to do better.

 

Update: Finished the leg up to the knee.

 

C&C always welcome...

Al

 

 

[KenH]

*Sniff* The little one grows so fast. Next he'll have four legs.

[Sacman]

I assume the light blue pics are you wireframes? How are you getting that look. Those are almost as intriguing as the model itself.

 

 

Wade

[Tralfaz]

*Sniff* The little one grows so fast. Next he'll have four legs.

 

I know what you mean. Soon he'll want to borrow the land speeder to go into Mos Eisley. And you know the trouble those young'ins can get into there!

 

I assume the light blue pics are you wireframes? How are you getting that look. Those are almost as intriguing as the model itself.

 

Right you are Wade about the wireframes.

 

First, I am doing AO renders to get the really neat grey renders.

 

To do an AO render is to:

 

1) In the Properties for the Chor, set Ambient Occlusion to "Global Color".

2) In the Camera properties, set the Background Color to White.

3) Turn off all lights. I believe the three lights in the default chor are Rim, Fill and Backlight. There are three of them anyway.

4) In the Render options, turn on Ambient Occlusion.

5) I also have Multipass set to 16 (4 x 4).

 

I am not at my home computer right now, but I believe those are the steps necessary to do the neat grey renders.

 

Than the only other thing that I do is change the render option from 'Final' to 'Shaded and Wireframe'. Presto, a blueprint kind of render. (You can do the 'Shaded and Wireframe' render without doing an AO render.)

 

Hope to have another update later on tonight of the upper part of the leg.

 

Al

[Tralfaz]

Update: The completed leg.

 

C&C always welcome...

 

Al

 

[Eric2575]

What do you mean crits? There are no crits when you model, we just want to see more Great job, once more.

[Tralfaz]

What do you mean crits? There are no crits when you model, we just want to see more Great job, once more.

 

Gosh, you are making me blush Eric! Thank you very much.

 

And more you shall have...

 

Update: Finished the front motor drive section. This section drives the front two legs. Next will be the rear motor section.

 

C&C always welcome...

 

Al

 

 

 

[totlover]

wow. just wow.

the motor you created is better then anything i have ever made. lol

i cant wait to see the final thing.

[Tralfaz]

Update: The drive motors are done. Think I will move on to the head next (not really looking forward to this part). Out of the whole model, I think the head was the hardest for me to do, followed by the feet.

 

C&C always welcome...

 

Al

 

 

 

[KenH]

More great stuff.....though I'll have to look at an image to see where they go.

Can you use your previous models to block out the head? It might be easier that way.

[thefreshestever]

wow.... where do you always get the patience to make that kind of detailed models???? i guess the force must be really with you...

[Tralfaz]

More great stuff.....though I'll have to look at an image to see where they go.

Can you use your previous models to block out the head? It might be easier that way.

 

Thanks Ken. I will see if I can put something together so you can see how the legs attach to the drive motors. The previous heads weren't very accurate and not done well at all. I am just better off starting from scratch. Actually, I am re-modelling everything on this model, not using anything from the previous ones.

 

wow.... where do you always get the patience to make that kind of detailed models???? i guess the force must be really with you...

 

Sigh... I don't have much of a life...

 

Actually, I am not all that patient of a person for most things. You should see me waiting to buy something at the store and I am stuck behind some bozo buying their lottery tickets! Or idiots who want to pay for stuff with all their lose change.

 

But doing stuff like this or when I used to build plastic models, or when I am programming; I become totally absorbed in what I am doing and lose complete track of time. Tonight is a prime example. Here it almost midnight, another evening has slipped by and I should have been in bed a couple of hours ago.

 

Anyway, here is an update: Started working on the neck and head. The neck is pretty much done and got started working on the head portion.

 

C&C always welcome...

Al

 

[johnl3d]

I have the model of this and your imagesl shows the detail even better than the model

[draagn]

I really like the line work you've shown can you share the setting you used to acheive them?

[totlover]

wow.. just wondering what your patch count has worked up to by now?

[Gerry]

This is all looking great!

[Tralfaz]

I have the model of this and your imagesl shows the detail even better than the model

 

Thanks John. If this is the AMT/ERTL model of the AT-AT, then that means a lot. I had the Millenium Falcon, and AMT put a lot of detail in their Star Wars models.

 

I really like the line work you've shown can you share the setting you used to acheive them?

 

Thank you draagn. On the first page of this topic, I gave the instructions on how I was rendering the images and wire frames.

 

wow.. just wondering what your patch count has worked up to by now?

 

Hmmm... good question.

 

So far, there are:

 

Head - 968 patches

Neck - 1,630 patches

Drive Motors - 2,253 patches

One Leg - 4,482 patches

 

For a grand total of 9,333 patches so far. The modelling is complete on the Leg, Drive Motors and Neck. Still have more to do on the Head, then the Body.

 

Update: Completed modelling, what for me, I is the hardest part of the Head. So many weird angles and trying to keep everything smooth and wrinkle free... arghhhh!!! Anyway, the rest of the head will be pretty straight forward now.

 

C&C always welcome...

Al

 

 

 

[Eric2575]

I'm not that familiar with the machine you are modeling, but I can't wait for you to put it all together

[KenH]

What!? You've never seen "The Empire Stikes Back" Eric?

Nice work on the head AL. I can imagine the trouble you had keeping that smooth.

[Tralfaz]

Another Update: Completed adding all the little bits of detail to the back, top and front of the head. Besides the side mounted guns, there are a few more bits of detail needed there as well as the entire bottom of the head and big guns.

 

Eric, I am including a still from Episode 5 of Star Wars so you can see what the AT-AT looks like.

 

C&C always welcome...

Al

 

 

[Eric2575]

Thank you for the refreshment AL. It's been many years since I saw that movie. On the last piece that you posted, it looks like just about everything is beveled? Nice work. I would sure love to have a look at that model when you are done with it. Are you sticking many pieces together to make the whole? What about dispalcement maps or decals? Some of those lines look like they'd be an awful lot of trouble to model?

[KenH]

Yeah, can we get a shaded wire of the head please!

[Tralfaz]

Thank you for the refreshment AL. It's been many years since I saw that movie. On the last piece that you posted, it looks like just about everything is beveled? Nice work. I would sure love to have a look at that model when you are done with it. Are you sticking many pieces together to make the whole? What about dispalcement maps or decals? Some of those lines look like they'd be an awful lot of trouble to model?

 

Thanks Eric.

 

Yes, most everything is bevelled. When I did my first A:M AT-AT a while back, one of the crits on it was that "Bevelling is your friend". Wasn't until I got further along with my modelling that I realized how much bevelling an object can have an effect on how it looks. I am modelling everything as smaller models initially and then will assemble them later into a whole. Makes it a lot easier and faster for modelling this way. One other thing I have done is create a model called 'Greebles'. In it, I am creating basic shapes that can be re-used as needed. So, if I need a beveled square, I just copy and paste one from the Greebles into the model I am working on and then just size it as needed.

 

I am also using displacement maps for most of the recessed panel lines. It would have been a nightmare to model those.

 

And as Ken requested, here are some shaded wire frames.

 

Al

 

[Eric2575]

I hope you enter this one into one of the upcoming contests. Artic background, some nice grunge textures, and you'ld be hard to beat

[Tralfaz]

I hope you enter this one into one of the upcoming contests. Artic background, some nice grunge textures, and you'ld be hard to beat

 

Hadn't thought of doing that, but maybe......

 

Update: Completed modelling the smaller guns on the side of the head. Did some larger renders of the head so far.

 

C&C always welcome...

Al

 

 

[3DArtZ]

Looks super good!

whats the patch count???

[Tralfaz]

Thanks!

 

So far, the head as is, is coming in at 4,613 patches.

 

Just for interests sake, here is the very first head of the AT-AT created in another modelling program (polygon modelling). I am showing this image here because I thought it was really well done, but looking at it now, it is far from it. The next image is my second attempt at the AT-AT, but this time in A:M. I was still pretty new at modelling in A:M and looking back on it, it is not even close to being a good model. I can really see why I got the crit about 'Bevelling being your friend'. Having good references are essential to creating accurate models.

 

Al

 

First attempt at AT-AT

 

Second attempt at AT-AT

[brainmuffin]

The topic for Sept. 1st is Sci-Fi/Fantasy. You should enter. This thread has inspired me to start on my own entry for that contest. I don't know if I could beat you, but I'd hope to give you a run for your money... I'll be putting up a WIP thread soon. This is looking awesome, BTW.

[jason1025]

check this out

 

[Eric2575]

Al, you and Stian graduated from the same modeling University, right? Absolutely no crits because I could not do it any better

[nino banano]

nice modeling tralfaz, I like so much the details...keep ahead whit it...

[Tralfaz]

Thanks everyone.

 

Update: Mostly finished the big guns under the head. Few tweaks and adjustments left on them and then the side shields and a few more details. Hope to have the head finished in the next modelling session or two.

 

C&C always welcome...

Al

 

 

 

[nino banano]

it´s a hard work...could you put some wires please...great model

[KenH]

Now that's an AT-AT head! The eyes always remind me of the robots from Battle Star Galactica.

 

So, you'll be assembling it soon. Cool!

[Eric2575]

Al: (my early morning rant to be read with a grain of salt)

 

This really isn't like me, I'm just out of my element with you here. Usually, no, make that always I find something to critisize about someone's work. Not in a bad way, mind you, but in a constructive way, a way to make a positive impact. Now with your modeling work, I'm at a loss. What that means is that you've come to a point where I must direct my keen eye to other aspects of your game such as lighting, composition, texturing, etc. The good thing is that you've graduated way above and beyond Modeling1A. The bad news is that now...well, there really is no bad news Upwards and onwards.

 

Cheers

 

Eric

[Rodney]

Al: (my early morning rant to be read with a grain of salt)

 

This really isn't like me, I'm just out of my element with you here. Usually, no, make that always I find something to critisize about someone's work. Not in a bad way, mind you, but in a constructive way, a way to make a positive impact. Now with your modeling work, I'm at a loss. What that means is that you've come to a point where I must direct my keen eye to other aspects of your game such as lighting, composition, texturing, etc. The good thing is that you've graduated way above and beyond Modeling1A. The bad news is that now...well, there really is no bad news Upwards and onwards.

 

Cheers

 

Eric

 

Well said Eric.

If anyone reads my C&C you'll see I almost always have an opinion to put forward.

Occasionally it gets distilled into an 'outstanding' or similar word.

I do it as feedback because I think feedback is important... both good and bad.

 

Reading my posts you'll see I apologize a lot for my opinion.

Its mostly as a reminder that what I'm writing is 'only' opinion. Its well and good if that opinion is rejected.

Again... its feedback... and the occasional encouraging word.

I shouldn't have to apologize for my opinion but I do. Its a habit of mine (good or bad) and hopefully it'll break through a few of the receivers autodefensive mechanisms. After we get to the point where we can effectively share feedback without getting defensive or rejecting the message or sender we can progress more quickly in our work.

 

Some people don't need C&C but I sure do.

Al is a great example of someone who takes C&C and fully assimilates it.

He doesn't incorporate everything suggested into every piece of work of course.

But he listens and over time you will see the feedback incorporated into his work.

 

The effort to post a WIP and fight for feedback obviously pays off.

Doesn't it Al?

[Tralfaz]

Wow, where to start.

 

First, thanks to everyone for their kind words about what I am doing.

 

Yes, when I post a WIP, I always add 'C&C always welcome' to my signature. I am not just looking for praise or pats on the back. I am genuinely interested in what people have to say amout what I am working on. Quite often I get so wrapped up in a project that I lose my objectivity and need those comments or critiques to help keep me going in the right direction. So long as the comments are constructive (whether good or bad), then it will always be accepted with a positive attitude.

 

Everyone at this forum has always been helpful whenever I had a question, and I have learned so much from looking at other peoples works. I hope I can give something back to other members as well.

 

Even at 52 years of age, I am still learning. And when it comes to creating a human character for this project, I am going to be looking for a lot of help! And then there is the animating part, and texturing, and lighting, and camera work. There is just sooo much to learn. I know now why movies have so many specialized people working on them...

 

And now for an update: Finally finished the AT-AT head tonight. Corrected a few things that didn't look quite right. I am working on a laptop with a 15" screen where things look pretty good. Then, when I get into work and look at it on my dual 19" screens, I spot things that I hadn't seen on the laptop.

 

BTW, the head now sits at 11,539 patches. And as requested, here are some wireframes.

 

C&C always welcome...

Al

 

 

 

[Rodney]

Wow... looking better and better.

 

Some have commented on your blueprint wireframes.

Please share with us your 'blueprint' settings.

I've seen some great wireframe styles before... but I think now I've seen the best.

 

The look reminds me of a technique some use for establishing a base image from which to paint on.

The image is printed on paper or canvas and then the image is painted.

[jzawacki]

I thought he said he was doing a standard type wireframe and then just tinting it blue in a third party graphics app.

[Tralfaz]

I put together a small tutorial on how to do the blueprint style wireframes images.

 

Here is the link:

 

http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=32711

 

Hope it helps...

Al

[Rodney]

Thanks Al... that's a great tutorial.

 

I turned the tutorial into a PDF file but it doesn't do justice to it.

It reads better in the forum.

 

Thanks again Al.

[Tralfaz]

Thanks Rodney.

 

There have been a few good tutorials lately on the forums. I am thinking of starting a hard copy 'book' of them all so that I will always have them on hand.

 

Update time: Started working on the body yesterday. Got the body side details all modelled. Still have to do the front, top, rear and bottom details. Oh yeah, also need to do the side drive shield on the body. The renders show close-ups of the body. I also made a chor where I was able to assemble the different parts of the AT-AT to get a feel for how it is going to all come together.

 

C&C always welcome...

Al

 

 

[Eric2575]

Great progress and great modeling Al. That's as good or better than the original. Will you animate it? It begs to be animated and put into a video.

[Tralfaz]

Thanks Eric.

 

I am going to be completely rigging the AT-AT and animating it in my fan film. I have had this idea for the fan film for quite a few years, but am only now being able to realize it.

 

Al