The Basitin Military in 3D: Part 6 - Battle on the Bridge

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Re: The Basitin Military: An Illustrated Guide - Part 15: Du'hadrin officer - combat

#76 Post by Technic[Bot] »

Thallium wrote: Sun Jul 15, 2018 3:07 pm Thanks very much, hopefully this last post will be even better. My reasons for choosing Britain and the military are simple: always write what you know, and I am both British and an army reservist (which is in fact where I've been the last 2 weeks) so I know both pretty well. I find it makes your worlds a lot more believable if you can bring the kind of specialist knowledge which you can't just look up on Wikipedia. As you said, Britain is also a natural pick because of their history of using foreign regiments like the Gurkhas so it's not out of the realms of possibility to make use of the basitin's natural talents for war.
So a British military biologist. Now that has to be an impressive CV!
I had read that advice before, always write what you do know. But sometimes it depends, in my case there is really little I can talk about signal processing or coding before people fall sleep, I might add something about my home country but most people find it boring too...
There is also a joke i read once. An interviewer was questioning an author, he wrote about the poor and the "marginals" but he lived in a mansion. so how could he know what he was talking about? The writer answered: "Well Ray bradbury wrote about other planets, yet i am pretty sure he never left Earth"
Thallium wrote: Sun Jul 15, 2018 3:07 pm You're probably quite right that real digitigrade footwear would look different but alas I did not have the inclination to thought experiment anymore then converting normal boots to fit a paw. If you come up with anything you think would be more convincing then please by all means let me have a look and I might be able to modify how I do them in the future.
I was simply gonna comment that even thought i "took" a few courses on product design i did not actually passed said course. However then i remembered i do not really need to do much work myself as the problem has been already solved:
Spoilered for convenience.
Spoiler!
Last year a really bad quake hit my city. To help find survivors the army used rescue dogs. Obviously a dog paws are no match for a crumbled building so some of the dog used special boots to traverse the rubble. These are commercial products like these. As you can see they cover the toes and the paws and protect the forearm without restricting the wrist movement.
Thallium wrote: Sun Jul 15, 2018 3:07 pm ======================================================================================================================================================================
Part 16 of the Illustrated Guide. This is it friends, this is the end (for now) of the 2D images and so I thought I'd send you off with a bang, especially considering I've been away for the last 2 weeks. So here you are: 4 images (well 4 variations of 1 image) and what better subject to tackle for the last in the series but the top of the basitin military as a whole, the High Generals and Ambassador General Keith Cornelius Keiser in particular. I always knew I wanted to finish the series with Keith but I also knew that if I was to do him justice I would need the experience have having done all the other images first. I also knew that I wanted to portray him wearing his general's armour but a more realistic version than what you see in the comic so I spent a good deal of time hunting round for a suit that was both awesome and matched the comic one and I think I found a pretty good candidate (as you will see). I thought it would be good to have several different versions of this final image to as I wanted a version to match my previous "battle-ready" style as well as the one where he's in his comic form. There's also versions of both in silver armour in case the comic-black is not your thing and you're after something a little more realistic. Pick and mix your favourites. Small disclaimer: as I wanted this to be 100% Keith Keiser (and not my crappy approximation of him), I did copy some of Tom's line art for Keith's head, just so it would definitely be him.
You attention to detail is just extreme, If not for the colors, and the ears, i could swear that is a historical painting.
Thallium wrote: Sat Jul 21, 2018 9:48 am And here we are, the start of 3D! Strap in because (if I do say so myself) this is going to be pretty damn cool. So we start where we began last time round with the humble shieldbearer, the backbone of the basitin army. I won't re-post the description explaining how they function, you can check out the original if you'd like that (and laugh at the jump in quality).

The text descriptions won't be going away either, they will however be changing. There's no point re-doing descriptions for these kind of images (I will just link to their originals) but for the full scenes, instead of the text being descriptive and explaining how various soldier types function, they will instead be short stories written from the perspective of those participating in the event being portrayed. There will, I think you'll be glad to hear, be more full scenes than simple re-do's.

So yes, that's it, please enjoy this new direction and as always feel free to let me know any comments or criticisms. They are always appreciated.
I never considered your drawings bad, just a bit rough around the edges, something that could be simply fixed with a few months of practice. But damn man, if you told me you actually sculpted this and this is a photograph, i would believe you!
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Re: The Basitin Military: An Illustrated Guide - Part 15: Du'hadrin officer - combat

#77 Post by Thallium »

Technic[Bot] wrote: Sun Jul 22, 2018 2:15 am
Thallium wrote: Sun Jul 15, 2018 3:07 pm ======================================================================================================================================================================
Part 16 of the Illustrated Guide. This is it friends, this is the end (for now) of the 2D images and so I thought I'd send you off with a bang, especially considering I've been away for the last 2 weeks. So here you are: 4 images (well 4 variations of 1 image) and what better subject to tackle for the last in the series but the top of the basitin military as a whole, the High Generals and Ambassador General Keith Cornelius Keiser in particular. I always knew I wanted to finish the series with Keith but I also knew that if I was to do him justice I would need the experience have having done all the other images first. I also knew that I wanted to portray him wearing his general's armour but a more realistic version than what you see in the comic so I spent a good deal of time hunting round for a suit that was both awesome and matched the comic one and I think I found a pretty good candidate (as you will see). I thought it would be good to have several different versions of this final image to as I wanted a version to match my previous "battle-ready" style as well as the one where he's in his comic form. There's also versions of both in silver armour in case the comic-black is not your thing and you're after something a little more realistic. Pick and mix your favourites. Small disclaimer: as I wanted this to be 100% Keith Keiser (and not my crappy approximation of him), I did copy some of Tom's line art for Keith's head, just so it would definitely be him.
You attention to detail is just extreme, If not for the colors, and the ears, i could swear that is a historical painting.
Good, then I have done my job. You see now I hope why I needed all the practise from the others first before I could even attempt this one; I wanted to do the best comic character justice.
Technic[Bot] wrote: Sun Jul 22, 2018 2:15 am
Thallium wrote: Sat Jul 21, 2018 9:48 am And here we are, the start of 3D! Strap in because (if I do say so myself) this is going to be pretty damn cool. So we start where we began last time round with the humble shieldbearer, the backbone of the basitin army. I won't re-post the description explaining how they function, you can check out the original if you'd like that (and laugh at the jump in quality).

The text descriptions won't be going away either, they will however be changing. There's no point re-doing descriptions for these kind of images (I will just link to their originals) but for the full scenes, instead of the text being descriptive and explaining how various soldier types function, they will instead be short stories written from the perspective of those participating in the event being portrayed. There will, I think you'll be glad to hear, be more full scenes than simple re-do's.

So yes, that's it, please enjoy this new direction and as always feel free to let me know any comments or criticisms. They are always appreciated.
I never considered your drawings bad, just a bit rough around the edges, something that could be simply fixed with a few months of practice. But damn man, if you told me you actually sculpted this and this is a photograph, i would believe you!
That's very kind of you and maybe had I not discovered 3D software I might very well have endeavoured to improve my 2D skills. I'm glad you like the 3D however, I was a little worried that, as it is such a huge change in aesthetic from the 2D stuff, people might not be on board with it. In regards to the composition, it was only while I was doing the final renders that I was like "huh, this kind of looks like a wargaming miniature" what with the circular base and all; but I think I like that aesthetic. I wanted to create something photo-realistic to show what a real basitin soldier might actually look like if they existed so for you to say that this could be a photograph means the world to me.

One of the great advantages of 3D software is, in my opinion, the ease of creating photo-realistic materials. So for example with the metal of the armour, with all it's reflections and changes in colour, to create something of that quality and fidelity in 2D is something that only the very best artists could ever hope to achieve. Whereas in 3D, I created that in about 10 minutes. The same goes for things like fur and, as you'll see in the next image, grass. Talking of the next image, it is by far my favourite 3D piece I've done so far and I think it really demonstrates to power of this new medium to create cool and interesting scenarios. You can find a little teaser for it in the promo image in my signature and I'll also give you it's name: Brace for Impact.
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Re: The Basitin Military in 3D: Part 1 - Shieldbearer V2

#78 Post by Tetrahedron »

@ Technic[Not] :
Karl May wrote entire bookshelves about things he never saw... :P

Now to the last picture:
I really, really had to fight with myself, if I should write this criticism...
I hope the artist is not offended, but there are several things that bug me. I announced to write something about exactly the same things way back at the beginning of the thread, but I had no time and forgot...

OK, first of all, the art is amazing! The 3D model is insane! I wish I had this skill...
So my critic is about the design of the armor. Yes, it is the phantasy of the artist, and he is free to do what he wants, so my critic is more from the logical, mechanical side.

First, the front plate of the armor would not work like this. It is one single plate from the upper breast down to his hip. Now try this: Put a tablet or a wooden plate roundabout the size of your torso in front of you like the armor. Now bend over. It will push up into you chin. It will choke you or hurt you. To avoid this, breast plates were made from two parts. One goes from neck to the part where the belly begins, the second covers your belly. They overlap in the middle and can slide over each other.

Second thing: If you are wearing plate armor, there is no need for shields. Better use your second arm for a weapon. It will be hard enough to fight your opponent in his plate armor.

Third thing: The weapon he wields looks like a sax. Not the music instrument. The knive of the germanic tribes from the 5th to the 7th century. It was a working tool and weapon in one. But it was for cutting and chopping. If you fight plate armor, use something to stab.

Fourth thing: I know the helmets in TK are designed like this. And it bothers me since I read the comic. Why would you use a helmet, which narrows your view this much, but let everything under it uncovered.

Fifth thing: Well, that's something I'm not 100% sure... But if the plates on the shin is flat, I think it won't stay where it should. Every time you move they will move to the side, because of the roundness of you legs.


OK, so, my thoughts about me, please don't :potatoes: me...

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Re: The Basitin Military in 3D: Part 1 - Shieldbearer V2

#79 Post by Thallium »

Tetrahedron wrote: Tue Jul 24, 2018 8:07 am OK, first of all, the art is amazing! The 3D model is insane! I wish I had this skill...
Thank you very much, I'm glad that at the end of the day even if you have criticisms you do at least enjoy it from an artistic perspective. Talking of your criticisms, as you have been kind enough to present them in detail here (and as I appreciate constructive criticism), please allow me to respond in detail also as there are some points of yours I agree with and some for which I would like to explain my reasoning for.
Tetrahedron wrote: Tue Jul 24, 2018 8:07 am First, the front plate of the armor would not work like this. It is one single plate from the upper breast down to his hip. Now try this: Put a tablet or a wooden plate roundabout the size of your torso in front of you like the armor. Now bend over. It will push up into you chin. It will choke you or hurt you. To avoid this, breast plates were made from two parts. One goes from neck to the part where the belly begins, the second covers your belly. They overlap in the middle and can slide over each other.
While you do certainly see curiasses like the one you describe, you do also see ones of the style I present as being worn by the basitin rank and file. When I was designing their armour, the foremost thought in my mind was this: if I was going to manufacture thousands upon thousand of armour sets to equip my soldiers, how would I do it? The best way I thought was to keep them of a simple design without excessive overlapping plates, rivets and lames which would increase time and cost of construction. Therefore the curiass I went with is this example which, according to the manufactures, is a 16th century cuirass made in the Italian fashion of around 1520. I cannot speak to how authentic this truly is but, assuming it to be mostly correct, you can see that curiasses of this style are realistic and were in fact used. I agree that they would certainly not be as comfortable or easy to move around in than an example with overlapping plates around the midsection (e.g. something like this) but, nevertheless, ones of this type are historically accurate.
Tetrahedron wrote: Tue Jul 24, 2018 8:07 am Second thing: If you are wearing plate armor, there is no need for shields. Better use your second arm for a weapon. It will be hard enough to fight your opponent in his plate armor.
I agree with you that from a historical perspective, as the prevalence of armour increased so the prevalence of shields decreased as they become less necessary. This is an occasion where I wanted to break slightly with historical precedent and give basitin foot soldiers a large kite shield to make a basitin shield wall a nigh-invincible obstacle to overcome as I felt it fit their aesthetic (as presented in the comic) to a tee. Imagine the difficulty of first having to get past the shield only to then in addition have to get past all that armour and then on top of that the basitin's own natural toughness. A potent combination that, while not particularly historically accurate, I felt was a good thematic choice (you are of course welcome to disagree).
Tetrahedron wrote: Tue Jul 24, 2018 8:07 am Third thing: The weapon he wields looks like a sax. Not the music instrument. The knive of the germanic tribes from the 5th to the 7th century. It was a working tool and weapon in one. But it was for cutting and chopping. If you fight plate armor, use something to stab.

Fourth thing: I know the helmets in TK are designed like this. And it bothers me since I read the comic. Why would you use a helmet, which narrows your view this much, but let everything under it uncovered.
There were two instances when designing the basitin's arms and armour that I deferred to the designs presented in the comic rather than a historical example. This was in an effort to at least partially capture the aesthetic that Tom has already established for the basitins and so make them fit better into the 2kinds world. The first was their sword which although several different types are seen being wielded by the basitins, this version (which you're right does seem to resemble a seax) appears to be most prevalent. I agree that a sword of this type may be a good chopper and cutter but, at the end of the day, it is a short, rigid, sharp sword not too dissimilar in design from a Roman gladius so I don't think this type of sword would have too much trouble being used for thrusting.

The helmets were the second piece of armour I took directly from the comic as it is arguably the most distinctive part of their kit and so I wanted to incorporate it to have that link back to the comic. It does certainly leave much to be desired in terms of face protection, however I'm going to fall back on my previous point in reference to the design of the curiass and say that while a full visor would be better, you have to consider the number of these things you'd be making and weigh up whether having full face protection is worth it. After all, this helmet design does have cheek guards to protect the face from slashing attacks so it is only really vulnerable to thrusts. If you look at historical helmets, you can of course see many types that are open-faced and so to have such a design here is not too unusual. I also agree that maybe this renders the visor unnecessary if the majority of the face is going to be open anyway, although it would help a little bit and I can't imagine you'd need too much peripheral vision in shield wall anyway.
Tetrahedron wrote: Tue Jul 24, 2018 8:07 am Fifth thing: Well, that's something I'm not 100% sure... But if the plates on the shin is flat, I think it won't stay where it should. Every time you move they will move to the side, because of the roundness of you legs.
The front plates are slightly rounded but they are also directly attached to the back plates which completely encircle the shin and so should hopefully keep them securely in place. Maybe I could round the front plates a little more in the future to make this more apparent.

Thank you again very much for your comments, it is constructive criticisms like this that allow me to ensure I keep on the straight and narrow in regards to balancing authenticity (which as I hope you can tell, I am a big fan of) and staying true to the comic (two paths which are often at odds). While you will see this model quite a bit more in the future (in some interesting circumstances I might add), it will not be the only one you see and I would greatly appreciate any more comments you have on any of the future pieces as it will allow me to produce better art, which benefits everyone. Thanks again!
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Re: The Basitin Military in 3D: Part 1 - Shieldbearer V2

#80 Post by Thallium »

The second of the 3D images and the first real scene! That's right, we've finally moved away from doing (just) character spotlight pieces. I would never have attempted to do something this complex in 2D so it's great to have the opportunity now. So here you go, "Brace For Impact", my favourite image that I've done so far. Next up will be another first but of a different kind: an environmental piece where the location is the star, not the basitins. I've alluded to it in the writing for the Apothecary and I'm super stoked to be able to show it to you soon: the Hall of Glory. Enjoy!

Any problems viewing these images, you can find them mirrored on my FA: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/thallium/

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Ulrich Macher was in a dangerous yet familiar situation. He was kneeling down in a grassy field surrounded by his fellow soldiers, his armour and those of his compatriots shining in the midday sun as he levelled his weapon towards the oncoming threat. Ulrich was a halberdier of the Fenzloch 5th Halberdiers Company, a part of the large basitin army commanded by Grand Marshal Lukas Bromm that had been sent by the High Generals to hold the plains at the base of the Kalto Pass. This was in order to ensure the encroaching human army couldn’t assault the mountain pass before the new fortifications being built at Fort Garrenhoff, high up in the mountains, were completed. The 5th Halberdiers were, as usual, assigned to the flank of the army for protection against cavalry, and in this case were on the extreme left edge with nothing but grass and the far-off mountains to be seen for miles. Ulrich himself had assumed his usual position in the front rank of the phalanx, kneeling down with his halberd raised at 45 degrees to strike at the exposed bellies of onrushing horses. In the rank behind him, the soldiers stood with their weapons at waist height and behind them the halberds were raised to be on level with the warrior’s shoulders. The net effect of this formation was a death trap for any foolhardy enough to attack it head on, a dense forest of spear-points arrayed in a mutually supporting web that left no openings to exploit.

Ulrich was positioned near the extreme left edge of the company with the rest of the men from his contubernium: ten soldiers who ate, drank, slept, marched and fought together and were closer than any blood family that any of them would ever know. The decanus in charge of his contubernium, Siegfried Idelson, was standing directly behind him and muttering something under his breath which even Ulrich’s generous, dark brown furred ears couldn’t pick up. To his right was Aldo Aigner, the only man in the contubernium with more battlefield experience than himself and to his left was Reimar Wexler, a greenhorn who, judging from his expression of distress and downturned ears, was not currently in the best frame of mind. Reimar, at a mere seventeen years of age, had joined the company only recently straight out of the academy and this was his first battle. The boy hadn’t even had the opportunity to whet his blade in a skirmish or two before being thrust into the literal frontlines of a battle that was by far the largest that Ulrich, and probably even Aldo, had ever taken part in. Ulrich felt sorry for him but he wasn’t particularly worried about how the boy would perform when the time came. They were basitins after all and war was in their blood; besides Ulrich remembered how he had felt similarly on the day of his first engagement with the enemy and yet as soon as weapons clashed and the screaming began, you forgot all your worries and acted on pure training and instinct. There was no time for fear then.

The foe, a contingent of human knights by the look of them, were close now, the pounding hooves of their steeds throwing up a cloud of dust as they charged forward. In less than a minute the killing would start. A shout rang out from the centre of the line, “Remember boys, no quarter! We will anoint them with their own blood and make them rue the day they faced us in battle!” This was the voice of Rikard Graf, the marshal in command of the 5th Halberdiers. If Ulrich turned his head slightly to the right he could just make out Rikard’s figure, resplendent in his golden armour and blue-plumed helmet, standing right in the centre of the formation in the second rank. It was one of the jobs of the marshal to inspire the men under their command to ever greater feats of heroism and Rikard was a particularly verbose example. In all the conflicts that Ulrich had served with him it was generally the case that Rikard would begin his exhortations just before blood was spilled and not cease until the last of the foe was driven wholly from the field. It was a common joke amongst the men of the 5th that the only thing that would get him to finally shut up was an enemy’s sword through his neck.

The stampeding horses were very close now, the armour of the riders glinting in the sun, their expressions hidden behind visored helmets. Ulrich quickly glanced around him, taking in all he could in what he knew could very well be his last moments in this world. Aldo had bared his teeth, his mouth slightly open in a wordless war cry; Reimar still looked agitated but held his weapon out firmly. The boy would be fine. From behind came the twang of a hundred bowstrings all released in unison and in less than a second a storm of arrows came arcing over their heads, landing amongst the charging cavalry to inflict the first casualties of the day.
“Here we go boys, brace for impact!” roared marshal Graf. And so the battle was joined.
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Re: The Basitin Military in 3D: Part 1 - Shieldbearer V2

#81 Post by James Polymer »

Thallium wrote: Sat Jul 28, 2018 1:00 pm The second of the 3D images and the first real scene! That's right, we've finally moved away from doing (just) character spotlight pieces. I would never have attempted to do something this complex in 2D so it's great to have the opportunity now. So here you go, "Brace For Impact", my favourite image that I've done so far. Next up will be another first but of a different kind: an environmental piece where the location is the star, not the basitins. I've alluded to it in the writing for the Apothecary and I'm super stoked to be able to show it to you soon: the Hall of Glory. Enjoy!

Any problems viewing these images, you can find them mirrored on my FA: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/thallium/

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Re: The Basitin Military in 3D: Part 1 - Shieldbearer V2

#82 Post by Thallium »

James Polymer wrote: Sun Jul 29, 2018 12:46 am Amazing! Remarkable! Fantastisch! Other synonyms for pretty darn good! :shock:
Many thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying the new direction things have taken. There's much more to come from me in a similar vein so stay tuned!
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Re: The Basitin Military in 3D: Part 1 - Shieldbearer V2

#83 Post by Technic[Bot] »

Thallium wrote: Sat Jul 28, 2018 1:00 pm The second of the 3D images and the first real scene! That's right, we've finally moved away from doing (just) character spotlight pieces. I would never have attempted to do something this complex in 2D so it's great to have the opportunity now. So here you go, "Brace For Impact", my favourite image that I've done so far. Next up will be another first but of a different kind: an environmental piece where the location is the star, not the basitins. I've alluded to it in the writing for the Apothecary and I'm super stoked to be able to show it to you soon: the Hall of Glory. Enjoy!

Any problems viewing these images, you can find them mirrored on my FA: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/thallium/

Brace for impact
Honestly I thought this type of quality could only be achieved by professionals with a workstation level computer with 64 GB or RAM a Xeon CPU and a couple of Nvidia Titan V GPU's using proprietary software. Color me impressed, This is amazing!
Also if you are gonna do all your "units" one way or another you could 3D print them and have a nice basitin themed chess set, or something to that effect. I am under the impression that Blender is quite 3D printer friendly.
On a last note: Those are a lot of names. Should i be taking notes? I am terrible remembering character names so i might forget who is who....
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Re: The Basitin Military in 3D: Part 1 - Shieldbearer V2

#84 Post by Thallium »

Technic[Bot] wrote: Mon Jul 30, 2018 1:45 am Honestly I thought this type of quality could only be achieved by professionals with a workstation level computer with 64 GB or RAM a Xeon CPU and a couple of Nvidia Titan V GPU's using proprietary software. Color me impressed, This is amazing!
Also if you are gonna do all your "units" one way or another you could 3D print them and have a nice basitin themed chess set, or something to that effect. I am under the impression that Blender is quite 3D printer friendly.
On a last note: Those are a lot of names. Should i be taking notes? I am terrible remembering character names so i might forget who is who....
Hah, if only you knew how unprofessional my computer is! If anything, these images are testament to how achievable realistic 3D design is with modern software. My computer is an ancient piece of [censored]: a 3.07 gigahertz Intel Core i3 540 processor which wasn't even particularly cutting edge when I got it in 2010. About the only things it has going for it are 8 GB of RAM and a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 graphics card (which isn't even nearly operating at peak performance because the processor is holding it back). If I can achieve these results on that, you can too.

Blender is quite 3D printer friendly (as are most 3D softwares these days tbh) and the thought had crossed my mind. I've no doubt I'll probably remake most of the 2D images at some point, the only thing really holding me back is how long it takes to model another set of armour (e.g. the marine's boiled leather) and then get it attached to the character rig so that it moves with the rest of the basitin. As a consequence, I have to think quite carefully about what additional suits I want to make, however once made, as you can see, it is very easy to put them in a whole variety of circumstances.

My thoughts in regards to the characters named in the short story is that they are just that: short stories to give the image some flavour. I rather doubt if you'll be seeing these particular people again so I wouldn't bother trying to remember names, especially as there will be a lot more coming in the images to come.

(ignore the rest of this post if you don't care about the technicalities of how I go about creating these images)
Returning to your first point about computer specs, this image in particular was more a test of skill in terms of just getting the sodding thing to render than it was any sort of artistic challenge. I knew what kind of scene I wanted and got it set up pretty quickly, it was the technical aspects that were the challenge. So the final image you see now is in fact 8 separate images all superimposed on top of each other because my computer absolutely could not even attempt to render it all in one go. This is because there is so much data associated with each individual basitin model (of which there are actually 12 in this scene, each one as detailed as the solo image you saw last week; see picture below) that trying to get any more than 4 to render at one time causes Blender to freeze and then crash. But there's another catch: I could render 4 at a time using my CPU but as I've shown you how [censored] my CPU is, trying to do so would take all day. So instead I can render with my GPU which is fairly good, however the problem with that is that whereas my CPU can take advantage of my 8 GB of RAM, the GPU can only utilise its on board 4 GB so I can only render 2 models at a time with it (going over its memory capacity just causes it to essentially give up and refuse to render). It was only after lots and lots of trial and error with a hundred or more settings that I even got it to work this well, which is why I need a separate render layer for: the grass, 2 for the front rank, 2 for the mid rank, 1 for back rank, 1 for the reserve rank and one for the background and the arrows. Trying to do it any other way just causes it to crash or refuse to render entirely.

So while it is very possible to create good 3D images on a substandard computer, it is definitely harder and some things are completely cut of from you. For example, 12 models is close to the maximum I can have in one file, ignoring the rendering problems, before it really starts to slow down and freeze. Hence I'll never be able to do a mass battle scene with hundreds of individuals in it (well at least not using the high def models, I could probably look into making some low poly ones for that). This is why I'll be focusing more on environmental pieces or pieces with only a few character models in them in the future. I'm still glad I did this one however because it is a pretty damn cool result and it did teach me a lot more about rendering which will be of use in later pictures down the line.

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Re: The Basitin Military in 3D: Part 2 - Brace For Impact

#85 Post by Thallium »

The 3rd of the 3D images and another scene. This one a little... darker than the previous one (literally), the Hall of Glory, a great memorial to the fallen. The hardest part of this scene was by far the lighting and the flames in the braziers in particular. Getting them to look just right took a lot of trial and error but I think the end result is pretty convincing. Next up we will be returning to a character showcase-style image, this time featuring something we haven't seen yet in 3D: a gold-armoured marshal. Take it from me, he is shiny. Enjoy!

Any problems viewing these images, you can find them mirrored on my FA: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/thallium/

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Hugo Nosske entered the great hall to be met with a familiar, yet still awe-inspiring sight. Basitins kept no gods and so the concept of “sacred” was mostly foreign to them, however if there was one place in the whole world that could be considered as consecrated it would be this: The Hall of Glory. Standing atop the hill above the capital city of Fenzloch and situated not far from the great castle of Hohlen Hold, the Hall of Glory was a massive and ancient edifice of stone, wood and glass that had played its hallowed role in basitin culture for centuries. For the Hall of Glory was a memorial; a glorious reminder to the living about the sacrifice of the dead. Every basitin soldier who fell with honour in battle or, having served out a long and noble career in the military and finally breathed their last in their own bed, had their name inscribed in gold upon the great, black marble slabs that ran four rows wide down the centre of the hall. It was the highest glory one could achieve in one’s life. Even more memorial slabs were arranged along the walls on both the ground floor and the grey stone and marble-columned balconies that climbed up near the rafters and combined they recorded countless thousands of names of the fallen.

Hugo walked forward slowly, the sense of magnitude and power the place emanated filling his senses and causing a sort giddy high that remained as long as he stood within those venerable walls. He advanced down the central aisle, the paving slabs beneath his paws giving a soft rapport with every step that mingled with the crackling braziers that illuminated the marble monoliths to produce a symphony of quiet authority. In his youth, now a decade behind him, Hugo had spent hours in this place, reading hundreds of names and imagining the great deeds and noble quests these individuals had pursued before finally giving their lives in the ultimate sacrifice. His father had taken him here often as a sort of pilgrimage, a reminder that life is fragile and that it should be enjoyed while you could because in a moment it might all be over. But that was then, and now Hugo only came to visit one name: his own father’s. Alram Nosske, unlike his son, had been a professional soldier, serving in the Fenzloch 14th Shieldbearers Company until his death in battle some four years previously. In the end the basitin state troops had prevailed but it was a bloody affair that cost many lives, including Alram’s, in the process. The great marble monoliths were simply organised by time of death with a more detailed ledger of every name available in the extensive tomes housed near the entrance to the building. Many of his father’s compatriots shared a page and a monolith with him, united even in death.

As Hugo advanced down the familiar route towards where he knew his father would be waiting, he gazed up to the arched, painted ceiling and looked upon the numerous banners which were hung from the rafters. There were eighteen of them in total, each one the symbol of one of the Great Families from which all Eastern Basitins were descended. His eyes were drawn immediately, as they always were, to the blazing sun on the black background that was the sigil of the Lichter family from which the Nosskes traced their lineage. The Lichter motto, “Sol Invictus”, was emblazed boldly just beneath the motif. “Unconquered Sun, indeed,” Hugo thought. Eventually he made his way to the point where his path branched from the main route and he turned left. He was quite close to the end of the hall now where, just above, the two imposing statues of the Masks Neutral and Sin loomed menacingly in the shadows. Basitins were not religious and so god-like being such as the Masks were not worshiped, however they were revered, especially in a place like this, for their immense power over life and death. They, like the monoliths themselves, were a reminder of the eventual futility of life; that the only inevitable end was the grave, no matter how you spent your days and so the only way you could be truly immortal is by giving your all for the state and so have your name emblazoned in gold forever more.

At last, Hugo reached his father’s memorial. And there it was, just as he knew it would be, “Alram Nosske, Shieldbearer” chiselled into the black marble and rubbed with gold leaf so that the words twinkled in the myriad lights of the crackling braziers. No matter who you were, be you lowly Shieldbearer or mighty General, your place in eternity was the same: just your name and your rank. Hugo lifted a hand and placed it on the gold letters, tracing their outline as though physical contact could somehow reach his father’s spirit in the void.
“Hey there dad,” he said, just audibly. “I’ve got quite a story to tell you today.”
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Re: The Basitin Military in 3D: Part 2 - Brace For Impact

#86 Post by Technic[Bot] »

Thallium wrote: Sat Aug 04, 2018 11:15 pm -A really large artful snip-

Hugo: “Hey there dad,” he said, just audibly. “I’ve got quite a story to tell you today.”
That is an interesting piece. I get very gamey vibes from it, not sure you were going with that thought, like those good old ps1/2 rpg's from back in the day (not that long actually). I can almost imagine the scene you describe ending and then the screen fades and the HUD appears, some prompt show up and something along the lines of: "Neutralize Nosske" appears on the top of the screen. Yeah I also get some Assassin's Creed or MGS vibes from the place. A lot of places to hide, sneak and parkour into. Although that is probably just me.

So I imagine we will never hear what he was telling his dead father right or why he is not a professional soldier for that matter?
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Re: The Basitin Military in 3D: Part 2 - Brace For Impact

#87 Post by Thallium »

Technic[Bot] wrote: Mon Aug 06, 2018 3:45 am That is an interesting piece. I get very gamey vibes from it, not sure you were going with that thought, like those good old ps1/2 rpg's from back in the day (not that long actually). I can almost imagine the scene you describe ending and then the screen fades and the HUD appears, some prompt show up and something along the lines of: "Neutralize Nosske" appears on the top of the screen. Yeah I also get some Assassin's Creed or MGS vibes from the place. A lot of places to hide, sneak and parkour into. Although that is probably just me.
The gamey feel wasn’t intentional but now that you mention it I do see what you mean. I think it’s the floor-level camera looking upwards that makes it look almost like a loading screen from a Tomb Raider game or something. Stealth games are some of my favourite (the original Thief being one of the first games I ever played) so I wouldn't be surprised that some of that influence has rubbed off on my artwork. Also, having now done this scene, I have a new-found respect for the designers of stealth games because lighting dimly lit rooms is hard.
Technic[Bot] wrote: Mon Aug 06, 2018 3:45 am So I imagine we will never hear what he was telling his dead father right or why he is not a professional soldier for that matter?
I will leave that up to your imagination. As for why he is not a professional soldier, well because a society cannot function if everyone is under arms so some people have to take civilian roles. Besides, as characters like Keith show, not even all basitins want to be soldiers and I guess Hugo is just one of them.
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Re: The Basitin Military in 3D: Part 3 - The Hall of Glory

#88 Post by Neptune »

That 3D Basitin looks like an Eldritch horror, ngl
Image Haha, he's so tiny! Where is he going?

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Re: The Basitin Military in 3D: Part 3 - The Hall of Glory

#89 Post by Thallium »

Neptune wrote: Thu Aug 09, 2018 2:37 am That 3D Basitin looks like an Eldritch horror, ngl
I'm sorry the new style isn't as appealing to you, I realise not everyone will like the transition to 3D but I think it will be better in the long run for most people.

And now on with image number 4. Going back to the original style again this time in order to show off how the gold-armoured marshals look now: shiny. As before, there won't be a detailed description after this one because it will just be the same as the last time I posted the greatsword; so if you want to read that, check out the original greatsword image in earlier pages of this thread or alternatively you can find it on my FA page, here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/27161979/.
Next up will be another scene and if you've see some of the teasers I put out a while ago you may have some idea of what it will be. Let's just say that not every battle always goes the basitins way...
Enjoy!

Any problems viewing these images, you can find them mirrored on my FA: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/thallium/

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Re: The Basitin Military in 3D: Part 4 - Greatsword V2

#90 Post by Neptune »

I mean, they look intimidating af so I gotta oven that to you
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