Neptun Pack - Blue Whale
by D Fasel · 01/29/2013 (7:09 am) · 13 comments
Hi everyone,
is a while ago, since my last blog about the Neptun Pack.
The last weeks i made a Blue Whale and all the animation are need for a AI controlled fish creature.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Blue Whale
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This model was take a lot of time to create. It content all the important movement animation. Also the whale have attack and a pain animation. Today i also made a turn left and turn right animation. This animations are blended, so it runs together with the other animations. This 2 animations where started randomly, as long the whale live. The script to control this special animation will be also part of the pack.
I made some other models for the pack, like a light tower and a port with door animation. This all will be also content of the Neptun Pack.
Here a movie, showing the Blue Whale, Lighttower and the port with animated door
If you know my Neptun Pack blogs, you know the Neptun Pack will have a lot content, like AI fish and creatures, plants, floor textures, and a sunken ship. At the moment i work hard to get all the models as nice as they can be. I also recreate each Ai fish with better animations. This all will take some time, so i don't know a ETA, when the pack get finished. I hope it will be soon :)
is a while ago, since my last blog about the Neptun Pack.
The last weeks i made a Blue Whale and all the animation are need for a AI controlled fish creature.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Blue Whale
---------------
This model was take a lot of time to create. It content all the important movement animation. Also the whale have attack and a pain animation. Today i also made a turn left and turn right animation. This animations are blended, so it runs together with the other animations. This 2 animations where started randomly, as long the whale live. The script to control this special animation will be also part of the pack.
I made some other models for the pack, like a light tower and a port with door animation. This all will be also content of the Neptun Pack.
Here a movie, showing the Blue Whale, Lighttower and the port with animated door
If you know my Neptun Pack blogs, you know the Neptun Pack will have a lot content, like AI fish and creatures, plants, floor textures, and a sunken ship. At the moment i work hard to get all the models as nice as they can be. I also recreate each Ai fish with better animations. This all will take some time, so i don't know a ETA, when the pack get finished. I hope it will be soon :)
About the author
Working in the team of Winterleaf Entertainment as an Lead Level Designer and Environmental Artist. Selling content and art packs ready for T3D at my shop www.game3d.ch/shop
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#2
animals like
*Alligator/Snakes
*Crows/Birds
*Deers/Bears/Cows and sorts? I know the last Types are not really fitting in the Neptune Theme but hey/ why not.
just curios
01/29/2013 (1:09 pm)
looking great so far, may ask if u plan to includeanimals like
*Alligator/Snakes
*Crows/Birds
*Deers/Bears/Cows and sorts? I know the last Types are not really fitting in the Neptune Theme but hey/ why not.
just curios
#3
01/29/2013 (2:35 pm)
Moby Dick simulator! ;) 
#4
This pack gets better and better.
I did a 3D Dolphin screen saver years ago with DarkBasic but your look a lot better :-)
01/29/2013 (5:00 pm)
The port is looking good as are your fishes & Aquatic mammals (Whales & Dolphins)This pack gets better and better.
I did a 3D Dolphin screen saver years ago with DarkBasic but your look a lot better :-)
#5
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM FOLLOWS: (Daniel, this is NOT an attack. You and I have talked a bit, and I know you want things to be the best they can be.)
1. Take some time to look at your mapping on the Light tower beams. I see some texture stretching on the beams, especially the bolts. Is there a way you can make them fit better?
2. The whale animation is good but, I might suggest when the tail moves down the head goes opposite *if that makes sense. Newton's first law of physics, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. So the head would move if the tail does. Think of a wave motion.
3. The textures are a bit "clean" on the light tower walkways. Think of all the 'details' including the fact that this prop is 'at sea' so salt, water and rust would play a role.
END OF CRITIC STUFF
Overall, very good job. Keep it up!
Ron
01/29/2013 (5:31 pm)
I would say something smart ass along the lines of "Save the Whales" :-) but, I digress. Looks good over all however;CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM FOLLOWS: (Daniel, this is NOT an attack. You and I have talked a bit, and I know you want things to be the best they can be.)
1. Take some time to look at your mapping on the Light tower beams. I see some texture stretching on the beams, especially the bolts. Is there a way you can make them fit better?
2. The whale animation is good but, I might suggest when the tail moves down the head goes opposite *if that makes sense. Newton's first law of physics, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. So the head would move if the tail does. Think of a wave motion.
3. The textures are a bit "clean" on the light tower walkways. Think of all the 'details' including the fact that this prop is 'at sea' so salt, water and rust would play a role.
END OF CRITIC STUFF
Overall, very good job. Keep it up!
Ron
#6
@Jolinar : All the creatures you suggest, don't really fit the theme of the Neptun pack. But they are good suggestion for a later time and other theme.
@ Ron : I like your "CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM".:) This really helps to make it better.
I will look at the texture of the light tower. maybe i create a new one.
Your right the head sway of the whale needs to be much more.
I like the idea of more details on the walkways. Just have to get a idea, how to make that for this. Using textures or decals.
At the moment i focus to finish the creature set and all the animation where are need for this. The AI creatures and fishes are the main part of this pack. But i really want it have as the best i can make it.
Next Step will be finishing the whale and then polishing all the other creatures of the pack.
01/29/2013 (6:40 pm)
Thanks all :)@Jolinar : All the creatures you suggest, don't really fit the theme of the Neptun pack. But they are good suggestion for a later time and other theme.
@ Ron : I like your "CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM".:) This really helps to make it better.
I will look at the texture of the light tower. maybe i create a new one.
Your right the head sway of the whale needs to be much more.
I like the idea of more details on the walkways. Just have to get a idea, how to make that for this. Using textures or decals.
At the moment i focus to finish the creature set and all the animation where are need for this. The AI creatures and fishes are the main part of this pack. But i really want it have as the best i can make it.
Next Step will be finishing the whale and then polishing all the other creatures of the pack.
#7
I am sure you can get that stretched texture fixed. Additionally, I know you were probably aware of the whale, just wanted to bring it up.
Not to nit pick but, open Photoshop or Gimp or whatever you use and just dirty up the walkway a bit. It's all about image layers and effects. Think about it a little, people tend to walk right right down the middle of a walkway if they are alone and since you have to swim to get to that point... well let's just say this, I can't foresee too many 'groups' headed that way.
Anyway, the center would be shiny since it gets the most traffic, and the edges would be more 'rusty' should be a matter of adding a burn map or something similar to your original texture. Remember 1/2 of modeling is texturing. In a full game dev company, modelers still need to understand texture mapping so that they can model correctly. In the long run this saves money. Efficient modeling is the base for level design, you get that stuff down and you will be valuable to any company that highers you. If you are interested in running your own business, well it saves you money because you already know that each model you do is mapped correctly. Just my opinion. Oh yeah, just so you know, you're good. Keep going man!
Ron
01/29/2013 (7:48 pm)
Daniel,I am sure you can get that stretched texture fixed. Additionally, I know you were probably aware of the whale, just wanted to bring it up.
Not to nit pick but, open Photoshop or Gimp or whatever you use and just dirty up the walkway a bit. It's all about image layers and effects. Think about it a little, people tend to walk right right down the middle of a walkway if they are alone and since you have to swim to get to that point... well let's just say this, I can't foresee too many 'groups' headed that way.
Anyway, the center would be shiny since it gets the most traffic, and the edges would be more 'rusty' should be a matter of adding a burn map or something similar to your original texture. Remember 1/2 of modeling is texturing. In a full game dev company, modelers still need to understand texture mapping so that they can model correctly. In the long run this saves money. Efficient modeling is the base for level design, you get that stuff down and you will be valuable to any company that highers you. If you are interested in running your own business, well it saves you money because you already know that each model you do is mapped correctly. Just my opinion. Oh yeah, just so you know, you're good. Keep going man!
Ron
#8
Looking good!
I have to tell you I don't like the grating at all. Because I have been on towers that are 90 foot in the air, and see-through grating scares the **** out of me. You know you have footing underneath you, but your subconscious is telling you there is space under you. I already don't like heights so your video gave me vertigo. So good job on the grating, even though I don't like it.
The whale animation is looking better than the dolphin animation. Add a bit of head bob like Ron was saying and it will be great. Perhaps slow the tail a bit.
01/29/2013 (10:26 pm)
Krill bait...Looking good!
I have to tell you I don't like the grating at all. Because I have been on towers that are 90 foot in the air, and see-through grating scares the **** out of me. You know you have footing underneath you, but your subconscious is telling you there is space under you. I already don't like heights so your video gave me vertigo. So good job on the grating, even though I don't like it.
The whale animation is looking better than the dolphin animation. Add a bit of head bob like Ron was saying and it will be great. Perhaps slow the tail a bit.
#9
@ Ron: Ty for the tip with the rusty edges and layers. I will play with that today. I found a other issue on the grating, i have to fix. The first grating have a bad size, the holes are to big.
01/30/2013 (4:29 am)
@ Frank: Oh yea, such gratings can confusing the brain about you can see the space below your body. Also the patterns of the little holes can make problems to some person. @ Ron: Ty for the tip with the rusty edges and layers. I will play with that today. I found a other issue on the grating, i have to fix. The first grating have a bad size, the holes are to big.
#10
There is several size charts but here is one of the better ones downloads.bbc.co.uk/earth/naturelibrary/assets/c/ce/cetacea/cetacea_info_graphic...
01/30/2013 (7:04 pm)
like what everyone else has said before slow down the tail animation,but thing I found a little off was the actual size of the whale compared to the player. The whale seems to be way to small for a blue whale.There is several size charts but here is one of the better ones downloads.bbc.co.uk/earth/naturelibrary/assets/c/ce/cetacea/cetacea_info_graphic...
#11
01/31/2013 (2:40 am)
@ Jimmy : The Whale is 12 x the length of the player. A Blue whale is around 22-28 meters. Some can be 34 meters. The whale i made is around 21 meters. So this is not to far from what a blue whale is. it also could be a young Blue whale. :) It also is easy to make it larger or more small. But ok, i will made it a bit larger. Oh, and thanks for the link, this helps about the size.
#12
01/31/2013 (1:43 pm)
Looking forward to buying this pack as soon as it's available. We need fish!
#13
01/31/2013 (6:53 pm)
@ Scot : I'm working very hard to get the pack finished as soon as i can. Today i made the whale animation a lot better as it was. Also the light tower got a improving and polishing. The next steps will be recreating all other animations of the fishes. It also needs some more creatures, plants and such. The more i work on that kit the more ideas i get. I like the sea theme :) 
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