Here's a 3D printout

As you can see I've been able to successfully print out some parts of my model. Because of the way my model is constructed some parts won't print properly. Two large objects (in this case the main body and the front "wheel arch") are connected by thin objects, which means that as soon as the print is done it will break apart. I would have to make major changes to the model to fix this properly.

Done? I think so...

OK, so I had obviously made some sort of error when saving my texture file. Fixed that, then straight away Maya stopped crashing. Unfortunately the only save I had to use was the one before I retextured the medium and low poly bikes. But it makes literally no difference to the appearance, and they all used the same texture file so I reckon it's OK this way. Hopefuly. Anyway, it's currently rendering and I should have my submission sent off soon.

Things I have learned from this project include
How to model to a reasonable level
The basics of texturing
My biggest enemy is broken software
My second biggest enemy is human error

It's all been good practice anyway. Looking forward to sinking my teeth into the next project, and maybe a little bit of practice in between.

Hot damn.

Fleet plus interior

OK, so here's all my models. I re textured them to use a single texture file for all the parts as per the brief. Then it broke and started crashing repeatedly. I must TROUBLESHOOT this problem.

"Interior" is done. Textured badly.

High Poly Done

OK, so the high poly model is pretty much done and dusted. I had to redo the chasis because I couldn't figure out a way past the fact that it would always render in front of everything... What the hell is that all about? I don't even know (I later discovered I had made mistakes with render layers, somehow at the beginning of the project I had assigned the chassis to its own render layer). Anyway, problem CIRCUMNAVIGATED with deftness.

Needs a bit of a clean up here and there, a few things need combining and retexturing, but seeing as this is a modelling project I'm prioritizing finishing the modelling and I'll work on texturing later. I'm most of the way through my "interior" modelling. For the "interior" I had planned to model the texture, but at the last minute I decided it would be much more fun and probably a little easier to model my gigantic chaingun. So when I say interior from here on, I actually mean giant gun. Finished soon I hope.

Medium Poly Done

OK, so I just about managed to fulfill my goal of getting the medium poly cycle done by the end of they day, because I'm amazing.

The textures need some work for sure, they're a bit shaky at best, and pretty awful in others. I'll give it a go once the high poly is done, that's the priority right now. The engine especially needs a heap of work.

Still, not bad. Getting better at this whole modeling lark. The way I see it, this is all about learning and improving anyway, so next time it'll be a much more professional jobby.

Low Poly done

OK, so I'm rubbish at updating blogs. I've  been done with the low poly model for ages now, went ok. I like the model but I haven't got the knack for texturing yet. In fact, I would go so far as to say I am actually good at low poly modelling, and actually very bad at texturing. Still, in the words of Scroobius Pip "if your only goal is to improve on yourself, then your quest is never over no matter how big your wealth". So... I'll keep working at it, and one day I'll be amazing.

OK, so now we're on to medium poly. I'm actually a little ways in to that already, should be done by the end of the day if all goes to plan. Hopefully that minigun won't look quite so heinous when it has a proper shape to it...

It's coming along...

Got a bit of modelling done now, working in pretty low poly. Gonna add more later... Here's where I'm at

So it's only really the front half... but I've had a little experiment with UV mapping too

It's not quite right, but it's all a lot easier with the low poly model, and I can use the same UV map with much less faffing about for the more complicated models apparently. Which will come in mighty handy.
This is what the UV map itself looks like right now

If you can even see it...
So yeah. I'm behind. I'll get there though, even if I have to kill a man to do it!