While working on a few projects with some friends of mine, we were tasked with creating a space simulation/exploration game.
I was given the job of designing the hero's ship.
This proved challenging and quite fun.
I was given the job of designing the hero's ship.
This proved challenging and quite fun.
This was the 3D model I was given originally.
My first challenge was to design a functional and formal way for the legs/thrusters to attach to the ship.
The 4 braces on the sides of the ship were to house the leg/thrusters and the following pictures will show my first attempts at designing the legs of the ship.
My first challenge was to design a functional and formal way for the legs/thrusters to attach to the ship.
The 4 braces on the sides of the ship were to house the leg/thrusters and the following pictures will show my first attempts at designing the legs of the ship.
This first design of mine was to imaging that the engines and legs/thrusters of the ship were a separate piece of machinery altogether.
Akin to a harness that wraps around the ship, the legs would have been braced to the detachable "spine" and the main part of the ship could be "Dropped" like a cargo container for quick, drop in drop out, tactics.
Akin to a harness that wraps around the ship, the legs would have been braced to the detachable "spine" and the main part of the ship could be "Dropped" like a cargo container for quick, drop in drop out, tactics.
Here we can see more clearly the shape and mechanics of the "spine"
We can see the insets where the leg mechanics protrude from.
There is also a better view of the harness mechanism that holds onto the ship.
As far as the shape is concerned we had decided that the hero's ship needed to be imposing and through research we had settled on an insectoid appearance.
This appearance factors more in the finalized design which we will see soon enough.
We can see the insets where the leg mechanics protrude from.
There is also a better view of the harness mechanism that holds onto the ship.
As far as the shape is concerned we had decided that the hero's ship needed to be imposing and through research we had settled on an insectoid appearance.
This appearance factors more in the finalized design which we will see soon enough.
When we came up with the insectoid design aspect I began researching how to make the "legs" of the ship appear more insect like.
I began working with more mechanical joints while giving them more movement to keep with the imposing feeling.
These legs could be moved and arranged into many different styles for landing, docking or battle.
I began working with more mechanical joints while giving them more movement to keep with the imposing feeling.
These legs could be moved and arranged into many different styles for landing, docking or battle.
Shortly after beginning my redesign I was drawn towards 1 insect in specific, The diamond weevil, pictured to the left.
I took this image of the diamond weevil as my basis for my ship design.
I found the overall shape of the weevil to be quite "ship-like" and after several conceptual designs I settled on just one.
I found the overall shape of the weevil to be quite "ship-like" and after several conceptual designs I settled on just one.
After the removal of the legs and antennae, I roughly copied the shape of the weevils carapace.
I then Designed the overlay and leg/thruster design and implemented it in the overall concept.
I then Designed the overlay and leg/thruster design and implemented it in the overall concept.
Having settled on the final design I then worked up the design doc for us to work our model from.
We had named it "The Neath".
The project was scrapped before the model could be started.
We had named it "The Neath".
The project was scrapped before the model could be started.