CAGD 330 Sci-Fi Crate Final Post
Sledge
Amalgam Box
A supply box that randomizes its contents, the Sledge
Amalgam Box appears across all sorts of locations across time and space. When interacted with, this Sci-Fi crate pulls
up one of many possible contents, ranging from inventory duplication to giving
mass amounts of batteries. The
appearance of the crate comes from others in universe, imitating, but not
entirely, trying to be its own thing. It
is made of highly durable material, and despite holding content, the crate
itself is quite useful as a physical tool of sorts. Battering ram or trap switch holders are
among some clever uses. Sometimes, the
crate gives another crate, basically becoming a surprise in a box. The only way to determine a crate’s contents
without opening it is to use a decoder that acts as an x-ray through the
titanium panels. In universe, this box
is often used for practical jokes and sometimes just as a block to be built
upon or around. These are manufactured
by the suppliers of all common crates, the contents of which are decided by
sponsors. They can be bought, sold, and
traded as currency in some cases. They
aren’t very serious artifacts, but they vary in importance from case to case.
Concept:
The concepts I used for this Sci-Fi crate came from
three main references, crates of their own which I took inspiration from for
corresponding panels. The first reference comes from artist Luchador on
Turbosquid, whose design inspired two of the side panels. The second reference comes from Frank
Vanderwhel, whose design inspired three panels, one of which was the
bottom. The third reference was used for
the top vent panel, inspired by artist Rick SL on Turbosquid. Overall, I thought of this concept as an
amalgamation that still fits as a whole cohesive object.
Workflow Process:
The approach I took to create the initial primitives
for the crate was creating quarter portions of each of the six panels, two of
which shared the same design based on one concept, and two others in the same
line taking after a different concept.
In addition, I had to create separate parts for each panel, such as
corresponding inner and outer portions, notches modeled individually to combine
with others later on, and buttons that sit on the outside. Once I was happy with the models of each
quarter, I mirrored them out to form the full panels. I then had to align and adjust everything
into the final cube crate shape. As a final
result for the high polygon model, most of the parts remained separate, under a
single grouping. Next, for the low
polygon model, I used the quad draw method to trace over and create the new
simpler form. After straightening things
out and tweaking to get as close to the high poly version as possible, I formatted
the UVs. It took some time to remember
techniques, but eventually the process became clear and finding the right
layout for exporting came easy. The
toughest part came in setting up the three models for export: the low, high,
and id. After much trial and error, I
finally managed to make the jump over to Substance Painter. Once there, I went through the motions and
came out with a decent set of texture maps to bring back and apply in Maya. Finally, the model was textured, cleaned, and
primed for submission.
Problems and Solutions:
Many of my issues throughout the project came from
backtracking due to misunderstanding. It
mainly came down to extensive trial and error and doubts about adhering
strictly to the examples and tutorials.
As much as I followed along point for point, the main challenge was
exploring and altering things to fit my specific project. To point out the most concerning road blocks,
texturing, moving from Maya to Substance Painter, and combining versus not
combining meshes were among the hardest parts.
Luckily, as tough as the problems came, with enough time and effort, I
was able to push past and bring everything together in the end. The true cause of concern was time, seeing as
some things were necessary to have completed in order to move on. The backtracking occurred as each milestone
came along, so I needed to take more than a few steps backward to move forward
correctly.
Time Frame List:
Concept Development – 3 hours
Modeling – 24 hours
-
High Poly – 18 hours
-
Low Poly – 6 hours
Texturing – 8 hours
Finalizing – 5 hours
References:
-Most videos and other tools in the suggested toolbox
for CAGD330.
-Professional Tips For Modeling Complex Shapes: Part
1, 2, 3 by Paul Conner.
Final Model on SketchFab
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