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Heh. I keep hearing people talk about "finer Grit" and then they mention 220 or 320, and I'm all "Wha?"

See, I do jewelry work, so 320 for me is just, like, major material removal. "Fine Grit" to me is in the thousands, or tens of thousands. Stuff you could diaper a baby with.

Well I'm in need of removing as much material as possible in the shortest period of time albeit with a controlled abrasive. With the grits you mention the process would be extremely time consuming if not nigh impossible. The largest grit I have is 36 and what I use regularly is 60 or 80.

 SirOllox wrote:
Impressive work!

How much does your sweety weight?
I think it must be really heavy

All totaled about twelve lbs but there will be a few amendments.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
OMG

Blackadder is fickle but Oh My God this is something I have to emulate. I just wish I knew who the artist is and if he has any other views of this machine. I was browsing tumbler for ideas and came across this no nonsense Emperor Titan that I am afraid makes mine look rather toylike. there is no other words for it.

https://i.imgur.com/07c2jX2.jpg


The massiveness of the outriggers on either side of the head, the overall solidness of the outriggers, thighs, and lower legs plus the realism of the superstructure and upper works is astounding.

In an attempt to enhance the detail I brightened the image and increased the contrast.

https://i.imgur.com/Aqhlq7m.jpg

This has given me a whole new way to proceed on this construction borrowing liberally from both authors. But look at those shoulders and those guns. Truly the Machine God has been brought to life.

https://ukitakumuki.deviantart.com/art/Black-Library-Blood-in-the-Machine-381609910

 Oestergaard wrote:
https://ukitakumuki.deviantart.com/art/Black-Library-Blood-in-the-Machine-381609910

Thanks a bunch, are you the creator? You have my deepest respect.

You're welcome

And no, I'm not the one who made it. I'm just good at finding stuff ;-)

Also, as that's very clearly a digital painting, I highly doubt there's any other views- and even if there were, they'd be of essentially different Titans, with different proportions and details.

You'll find that the details that are there right now are... shall we say, not the most constrained by physical limitations. For example, the arm attachments- very cool looking, for sure, but they won't really allow for, say, lateral aiming, or heavy duty enough to support the -admittedly forshortened, but still massive- weaponry shown. Both in-universe, and on the table.

I DO think that having the arms be non-monolithic would be good, though. That is, instead of having a single upper arm, use that double-arm support for the single weapon.

Not have had the patience to learn 3D modeling I'm relatively naive as to the basics but to produce such an image from scratch without basic projections seems rather wasteful. I would have assumed the author would finish the basic titan legs and all and then install it into the ahem painting. Then add the shading, shadows, highlights, and pyrotechnics.

I probably do not need much more than that which is evident but it would be nice to have. Since the author may have the complete titan it does no harm in asking.

I've already reconciled the outsized guns, made plans to incorporate them into that which exists of the yoke, extrapolated the aiming cylinders. The lower legs and feet are pretty much standard on Emperor Titans so they shouldn't pose much of a problem anymore that I would have run into on the basic construction especially since I've made no inroads into building the legs at all as yet.

Yeah, that image is literally just a painting. Look up Sinix Designs on Youtube if you want an example- it's all about blocking in basic shapes and creating an overall sillouhette that's appealing, then working in detail as you go.

It's a very different skillset from 3d sculpting, either digital or physical. As a fellow 3D artist myself, I can understand your confusion- I couldn't imagine doing something that large and detailed without being able to work it in 3 dimensions, but people who paint can do some amazing things with a 2D plane.

Anvildude wrote:
Yeah, that image is literally just a painting. Look up Sinix Designs on Youtube if you want an example- it's all about blocking in basic shapes and creating an overall sillouhette that's appealing, then working in detail as you go.

I've done quite a few drawings and paintings myself look up 'Blackadderz' on deviant art for a small sampling of my work https://blackadderz.deviantart.com/ having no formal training in art I have managed to muddle through taking years in what for others would have been learned in months. Still I have managed some acceptable rendings and in some cases even three dimensional effects. i cannot conceive of 3D building a model as complex as the titan as presented without wire framing and being able to digitally rotate your work. Once that is done why would anyone leave out the detail of the lower extremities.

It's a very different skillset from 3d sculpting, either digital or physical. As a fellow 3D artist myself, I can understand your confusion- I couldn't imagine doing something that large and detailed without being able to work it in 3 dimensions, but people who paint can do some amazing things with a 2D plane.

There are areas of the rendering that do not work as the main guns in the normal stowed position would interfere with the shoulder constructions and in my model would have to be smaller to be operable. The artist has foreshortened and exaggerated the size for dramatic effect. Still it is an awesome effort and I intend to incorporate much of the design in my model to enhance the realism.

What program do you use and recommend for a novice and would be 3D scuptor? And thank you for the indepth reply.

First off, impressive work in you gallery. I like the oil paintings, especially.

As to programs for digital sculpting...


Blender is one of the best places to start, primarily because it's FREE, and also because it can do... pretty much everything involved in creating 3D and digital art. Not always as well as more focused programs, but still very well. There's a bunch of fully realized Short Films and a couple Feature Length animations done entirely with the Blender software that you can find on YouTube.

Autodesk allows for free student licenses, but I'm not sure if you'd be able to get those without being an official student at a college. Both Maya and 3Ds Max are industry standards, and have a lot of support, but they don't have the range of functionality of Blender- they're better for some applications, though.

Google has a 3D model program as well, called Sketchup, that I believe is free to use, though I've never used it myself.

And then, of course, for the mechanical stuff you're doing, you could possibly use AutoCAD stuff. That's expensive, though, and not the easiest to get into.


Of course, those are all if you're looking at 3D modeling using vertex and face manipulation, texture mapping, etc.

There's an alternate method as well- 3D sculpting. Where Modeling is based on manually manipulating specific bits of a piece, adding and subtracting geometry as you need, Sculpting is based on taking a pre-existing high-poly mesh and manipulating it to what you want via, well, sculptural methods. If Modeling is using carpentry or, well, what you do, Sculpting is doing Pottery and working with clay.

There's different programs that specialize in 3D sculpting- while Maya, 3Ds Max, and Blender all have decent Sculpting toolsets, if you want to go the full Sculpting route, you want ZBrush or Mudbox (Mudbox is Autodesk, again). This methodology, however, is much better for organic shapes- your Tyrannids, for example.


You can find examples of workflow, tutorials, and what's possible with each program on YouTube, of course. But for modeling a Titan, like you are, I'd suggest Blender to start with. Between it being free and the volume of tutorial out there, it's a good beginner program, with plenty of room to grow as you want to do more. But even aside from that, I think it's the most intuitive program to learn on your own- and that's from experience with it, Maya and Max.

I plum forgot to thank you for your in depth replies on 3D programs Anvildude; I actually signed up with 'blender' and am suffering through the basics.

Can't Get No......

Satisfaction.

On rethinking this project I find I was in error putting Cathedral parts in what ostensibly was the engineering area. We need some techie looking cryptic machinery instead of monastic facades

https://i.imgur.com/qrgPqfi.jpg


So out with the old and in with the new.

https://i.imgur.com/mDWpKKx.jpg


This may work out and it ties the overhead yoke to the chest plate structures neatly.

https://i.imgur.com/V3pMz2a.jpg


I may also have room for a maintenance catwalk (I do like catwalks)

https://i.imgur.com/KjZFQPV.jpg


This design will give me more creative options when I tie in the rear exhaust structures as well.

Love the new design , I liked the old one, but I think this will definitely look more in line with the titans design.

Also love how the angle of the newer piece is aligned with the lower structure.

Liking the more mechanical feel to the sides, the doors and windows were making it look like a church which should be left for the top bastion and the shins

3D Analog Modeling:

I love this stuff. This grid material is so relatively cheap and so versatile that it is rapidly becoming my basic building platform.

https://i.imgur.com/jugJgeE.jpg


Anyway I shall be using these angled constitutions for the 3 floors of engineering so I am considering gluing them in place.

https://i.imgur.com/Yo4AcLp.jpg


The positioning of these panels is just about perfect as if the Deus Mechanicus were guiding my hand.............

https://i.imgur.com/uohMq6H.jpg


I now can reconsider adding the spurious hydraulic cylinders after all; Omnissiah be praised.

https://i.imgur.com/TOyNVBi.jpg


Now I just have to rationalize it's purpose????

Could be shock absorbers? To absorb the momentum of the guns moving downwards when the titan takes a step... (so basically, the yoke would be hinged at the shoulder to ease some of the stress).

Not the best explanation, but the first one that came to mind.

Also, are you going to keep the internal window structure, or did you just keep it in place for now to provide stability?

Ooo.. Loving the amendments made!

What're your thoughts on covering the rest of that grid material?

Love the changes to the chest design. I think shock absorption / stability is most likely

Yeah, shock absorbers. Even if the yoke is solid, it's going to have some serious flex along that span- those would be in place to ensure that the flex stays elastic and doesn't proceed into plastic deformation territory. Or possibly even be there to FIX plastic deformation- this is, after all, a war machine, and one that can't really be fixed with a wrench and a block of wood if you break down on a battlefield.

Alternatively, move them down a little bit, and they could be the Yaw controllers for the weapons-yoke. As-is, it doesn't have any visible means of rotation.

I agree with Anvil dude, you could easily take the concept and make it functional

Thanks for the replies.....

Back On Track:

Things are looking up now that I am back on track.

Below we se the first of eight trunnion mounts in place ready to receive the cylinders and piston rod ends with what I hope will be sufficiently robust to stand the torque to which they will be subjected (In the real world).
https://i.imgur.com/zpFncXW.jpg


Having worked around commercial aircraft for a good portion of my adult life one of the things I find in error about many of these Titan scrachbuilds is the lack of appreciating the forces imposed on the hydraulic actuators.....

https://i.imgur.com/egRe4Wo.jpg


The Boeing 747 in particular with it's four robust main landing gear filled me with awe on first seeing the tremendous machined components carved out of titanium ingots with their almost organic contours. The structures mimicking some antediluvian monster's skeleton.

Nice hinge piece. Well appreciated over here.

Obsessive Compulsive Roll:

"You snooze you lose." as the saying goes. Last night while watching youtube and reading science articles I lost myself in autonomic reflex mode. Low and behold this morning I awoke to find my output was far greater than I thought.

https://i.imgur.com/VyhVIgu.jpg


Apparently I quadrupled my work in a night doing what would ostensibly 'by rote.' My mother was capable of this absentminded production as well. She could knit an afghan blanket whilst watching TV and be completely oblivious to the process.

Anyway the result seen here is a small portion of the entire Titan but eventually would have had to have been done and I'm glad it is but it's unnerving to have no memory of the process.

https://i.imgur.com/84E7pMe.jpg


Elves Maybe? Umpa-Lumpas?

One of the tech priests used forbidden tech and slowed time down. That’s why your still sleepy.

Weapons Mount Detail; Now It Can Be Explained:

Now that I have the Engineering levels side walls complete I can proceed with the yoke mounts with the hydraulic cylinder attach points.

https://i.imgur.com/uiO8LM0.jpg


I am missing something on the detail as it appears the attach points have a circular rack and pinion system that allows the weapons to rotate as the yoke arm is raised and lowered. This came to me last night as I studied the drawing for the umpteenth time where it all came clear and the hydraulic system while seemingly unnecessary does have a purpose.

https://i.imgur.com/oclY04e.jpg


Hidden beneath the deck above the yoke must have an second hinge point that allows it to be raised and lowered by the hydraulic cylinders. The necessity for which or what ever reason I cannot fathom but it does explain much of the detail in the 3D image.

https://i.imgur.com/TOyNVBi.jpg


Elevating and lowering the main weapons say a few meters cannot make that much difference when they are mounted 30 to 40 meters off the ground to my mind but the artist included it in his design and so shall I but I'll eschew the capacity of movement on my model.

It does make for some interesting detail and detail is what 'tis all about when you come down to it.

Looking at the second (well, technically third) picture, Id probably deviate a bit from their design... the way the weapon is mounted looks kind of flimsy and not very 40k... There is no apparent way for work crews to access the weapon without an external gantry, and there are no cables, pipes or ducts that lead from the yoke to the gun... as is, itd be hard to imagine how power, information and servicing crews might access the gun with the current layout. Luckily, youve not reached that point of the build yet, so you can fix that issue!
(Id probably go for a solid joint, rather than the two-pronged affair in the image... and maybe add an access ladder from the main deck to each of the gun arms?)

But yeah. Just some ideas.

As to access and the like- I'd actually suggest just putting a little accordion between the weapon itself, and the weapon yoke. The structure is large enough that someone could crawl through Jeffries Tubes inside- then it's just a matter of getting from the crossmember to the weapon. And depending on the weapon, you'd only need energy to go from the main body during combat- even many projectile weapons could store ammo within the weapon itself- not endless amounts, but enough for the ~6 shots you have during a game. Heck, something like that 'gattling' cannon might even be more of a pepperbox- each barrel being loaded with a single shot, then being fired off.

Personally I find projectile weapons look too toylike with their huge muzzle bore likewise close combat weapons shaped like hands. I prefer the plasma and laser weapons such as Volcano cannons which need only conduit to supply the ammunition. In lieu of that the weapons can have their own on board reactors to supply power. You will not see any large caliber projectile weapons on my titans. Gatling cannons can be serviced by a belt but storage of large caliber ammo is a problem. It' good to know that games only allow six shots of projectiles, thanks.

NOT THAT THESE BABIES WILL EVER BE USED IN A GAME.

 The_Blackadder wrote:

NOT THAT THESE BABIES WILL EVER BE USED IN A GAME.

Yeah, the stupidhueg barrels on most models bother me as well- don't even get me started on the thin-walled trash that most folks slap on Ork scratchbuilds.

Glad to hear you're an energy weapon guy- can I look forwards to you developing a Volcano Cannon for this bad boy?

Though... I suppose a giant, six-shot pepperbox loaded with shells the size of the titan's toes could be an effective siege weapon- use it for countering other titans (of which there will be few) or blasting through entire mountain-buried bunkers. The small-arms and stompyness are more than enough to take care of ground troops and vehicles. (And by small arms, I mean of course the lascannon and bolter emplacements that are no-doubt all throughout the leg structures.)