Succesfull failure

[Marc]

I set out to create an truly authentic 3D model of the WC Bengal class...
In my little nugget of a head, I thought I could simply find THE (singular) refence material and model it.

...I really crashed and burned on that one.

You've got you're PC in game model of it,
the cut scene version of it, in the same game mind you
the manual art version, for that same PC game
the animated series verion of it
the Super WinCommander PC game version of it...

So I've since "modified" my goal to simply make a 3D model inspired from the Bengals.

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/7427/claw01beg4.gif
http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/2912/clawbum1.jpg
http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/8831/clawcvg1.jpg
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/2214/claw05bsa3.gif

 

[Vinman]

that is really nice! what did you use to make it? how long did it take?

 

[Marc]

I used http://www.ac3d.org/

It took me the better part of four months to do it
( I could have done it inside of a week, but for various reasons, here we are four month later)

 

[PopsiclePete]

I love your work, Marc

 

[Howard Day]

You are my absolute hero. Damn. Even just being "inspired" it still looks about as accurate as I'd expect, what with all the variations found out there. It's certainly recognizable. No mistaking this for anything else. Beautiful work.

 

[ChrisReid]

I particularly like the initial shot with stars hanging in space behind the ship. As I've said before, I think that significantly enhances the look/feel of model shots like this. It's all really well done though.

 

[Vinman]

I particularly like the initial shot with stars hanging in space behind the ship. As I've said before, I think that significantly enhances the look/feel of model shots like this. It's all really well done though.

yeah, what struck me was how it really looks like the shot of the claw in the intro to wc2

 

[Marc]

That's because I made that starfield from WC snapshot showing some space. I patched it all together... either from an exterior ship image or from stars seen outside of a cockpit... I like it myself.

 

[Gaal Dornick]

Marc, this is a beautiful piece; in fact, I believe it is one of your best. I hope to see more of your work.

 

[BrynS]

Excellent work, Marc!

 

[MajorCamKollent]

Yeah Marc, it's absolutely stunning. I really like it.

 

[Dyret]

Wow, that's great!

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Wow, That’s awesome! At first glance I thought it was the WCA Tiger’s Claw, but then I thought “Hell, that’s awfully green” and saw all of the classic game features, like the aircraft carrier style runway down the center like the old game! It’s the best of both worlds, like the WC equivalent of the Constitution refit from Star Trek: TMP.

 

[gevatter Lars]

Very nice work. First I was a little bit confused about the launchbays since when they are closed their is no visible hint to where they are. Maybe you could add a little thing to make it looks more like that the doors are realy their.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Very nice work. First I was a little bit confused about the launchbays since when they are closed their is no visible hint to where they are. Maybe you could add a little thing to make it looks more like that the doors are realy their.

If you put visual markers on the launch bays, and make them easy to see, you also make them targets...that’s a very bad thing.

 

[gevatter Lars]

And what about the runway? Quite obviouse target it is to me, hard to miss and if you are lucky you can even wipe out all the fighters or even the ammo that is stored in the hangar.

Also what I meant was not any spotlights that say "hit me". I was more thinking about the small gap that will most likely be between the blast doors and the hull.
Also most likely the doors will brake the pattern of the armorplating where they are.
Its just a cosmetical thing so no need to worry about that much. It was just something that came up to my mind when I first saw the model and thought that the catapult bays are just on the one side of the ship.

 

[Quarto]

And what about the runway? Quite obviouse target it is to me, hard to miss and if you are lucky you can even wipe out all the fighters or even the ammo that is stored in the hangar.

In the movie, the Tiger's Claw can close up its runway. Although obviously the ship looks different in the movie, there's no reason to believe tha the Tiger's Claw in the game doesn't have the same capability... especially since whenever the ship is shown in the WCA cartoon, its runway appears to be covered, too.

 

[Unregistered]

Its quite possible that the game claw also had blastdoors for its hangar and I won't argue with that.
For the WCA version. I allways got the impression that this version dosn't have a runway. At least I can't remember that I have seen it.
Well whatever...as said it was just a little thing I noticed when seening it the first time.

 

[gevatter Lars]

Arg...forgot to login...that above was me.

 

[Marc]

I tried having the launch tube doors showing up on the texture of the wings but I decided to leave them out. My opinion was that it made that part of ship to heavy in detail in respect with the rest of the ship. The amount of lines was a great preocupation for me... I din't whant those lines to overwhelm the look of the ship.

besides, i like the way the wings look without them.

as for closing up the runway... I suppose it's possible, but don't think I care for it.