Poser Cylons? - Page 3

Gareee · July 26th, 2006, 11:52 AM

Why not just make the various bits props for a standard poser figure, even a very low res one that comes with poser?

Making the parts smart props will really just down developement time, plus if people want, they can also then scale them to fit on larger figures, like say a Freak cylon!

I'd scale James or dork up a little, and just make them smartprops for him.

In the readme just tell them to scale the host figure up, and load him up!

billy-home · July 26th, 2006, 12:17 PM

The idea is it replaces parts of the dork, but the problem with is type of figure is some of it needs to bend while others don't, so setting up the fall-off zones is a pain, and making them smart props is even more awkward, for example the arms, the shoulder needs to bend, but not the upper arm, then the space between the upper arm and lower arm needs to bend at the elbow, but only that small purple section, nothing else.

The same goes for the body, the whole thing is built as a new figure, not to fit any Poser ones, so I'd end up with 2 smart props for the chest, the under-lying suit then the chrome chest unit, it's simpler in the long run to have the suit as a figure on it's own, and them smart prop the chrome parts on later.

I've found it easier to cheat with this kind of figure, when it's imported into Poser only the parts that bend will be used, none of the hard parts, then I'll set up the rest as smart props, I can turn off the inherit bends from parent that way, very little in the way of joint parameters or fall off zones are needed....and if people want to scale the figure up and down they can work out how to do that themselves LOL, I've spent more time on this freebie than I have on some of the commercial stuff I've got to finish up but it's been worth it.

Thanks for the ideas anyway, very much appreciated

Cheers

Billy

billy-home · July 28th, 2006, 02:38 PM

No updates yet, I did finally have to work on the commercial stuff, but Warrior, I was wondering if you'd like to take a look at this as it stands now, see if you can come up with an idea for an easy way to do the legs, if you do, can you access the account you set up for me, I'll upload it there, or send you a link to it if you can't.

And I now, more importantly, I ACTUALLY HAVE THE WHOLE WEEKEND OFF WORK....WOOOHOOO, so with luck I'll get the bloke near enough done, and the initial conversions to Poser seem to be working perfectly, (very strange that), I'll upload some Poser WIP's in the next few days.

With luck I'll have this done by the middle of next month, and you guys will be the first to play with it....and then tell me where the errors are and I'll spend the second half of the month fixing him, Heh Heh.

Cheers

Billy

mrboner · July 28th, 2006, 06:05 PM

Bill, you're doing an excellent job, specially having in mind that the Cylon characters from the original series have details an pieces that are extremely difficult to model.
The Cylons from the new series are more 3D artist friendly.
As you said, it's a painfully slow process. Maybe like the birth pains.
You'll certainly have this pain to be replaced with the pleasant joy of seeing your chrome shiny "son" taking his first steps on a rendered scene.

Scatha · July 30th, 2006, 02:46 AM

I have to support the previous statement, you are doing a very good job here.

billy-home · August 2nd, 2006, 02:42 PM

Thanks for the replies folks, they're very much appreciated.

Note to myself
I must remember to never ever EVER mention the fact that 'I'm off work the whole weekend'....You will end up spending almost all of Saturday in work if you do...DOH!!!!....not fair *sob*

Cheers Billy

billy-home · August 8th, 2006, 04:05 PM

Here is the almost complete Centurion, I just need to add the chrome bits above the boots and then it's off to convert it into a Poser figure

I'm not sure if I should try and make the cloth bit that hangs down at the back, I've never tried to do dynamic clothing props before, so I don't really how to go about it.

Oh and I'll also have to make him his rifle, I've got one not very clear image to work from, but since it's a pretty basic model anyway it shouldn't take too long

billy-home · August 10th, 2006, 10:57 PM

Here's an image of the initial test in Poser:

I need to sort out the hands, the fingers don't bend yet, but that is a simple matter, the only problem I've had is setting up the shoulder armor, it doesn't move properly, so at the moment I've got it actually bending to follow the upper arms movement, which works but doesn't look to good in certain poses.

I've also modeled the cloth to hang from the back of the belt, but I've got no idea how to make it into either a dynamic prop or a workable conforming prop, I'll need to read up on that part.

There's also the blaster to make, which is a pretty simple design so shouldn't take long, so there's hope this thing will be ready before the month is out.

Cheers

Billy

billy-home · August 13th, 2006, 06:00 AM

Here's the 99.9% finished version

Just a couple of little bits to sort out, the eye part and the cloth bit at the back and I'm about done

Billy

billy-home · August 23rd, 2006, 12:01 PM

I'm going to zip this fella up and upload it to one of the ftp sites I can use, for this figure I'll probably use the one Warrior kindly set up for me, I'll put a link to it in a new thread and that way anyone of you guy's who want to test it out can do so and also have somewhere to post any bug reports, because I know there will be some, I'm trying at the moment to dump the dynamic back cloth and find a way to make conforming, not had too much luck with that just yet.

Cheers

Billy

ernie90125 · August 23rd, 2006, 12:44 PM

Billy..........he's looking great.

Not too sure about the purple......but I can't wait to see him kick some Dalek's plunger.

billy-home · August 24th, 2006, 02:28 PM

LOL , ernie, that's the actual colour of the later under suit of TV Cylons, the film ones were a greyish colour from what I could make out, I think it was possibly to make the grey ribbing stand out a little more, though I'm saying this, this is an assumption, from the reference images I was able to get hold of, many of which were from exhibitions of the old TV props, this was the colour used.

And I haven't forgotten about the anim I promised, it's just the Daleks are so much easier to move than the Cylons, heh heh, so it's working out how to animate them properly in Lightwave.

ernie90125 · August 25th, 2006, 02:48 AM

Quote:

the film ones were a greyish colour from what I could make out

It is this grey that I remember.

I respect your effort to base it on the series, but does anyone here remember them looking that purple ?

If you don't do this as people remember, they will presume(rightly or wrongly) you've got the wrong colour. Please can I suggest its changed to the grey version ?

Can't wait for work to start on this anim.....will be in touch to try and help make it something special..

billy-home · August 25th, 2006, 01:45 PM

Here's one of the main images I used as reference:

As you can see the under garment is a purplish colour, though I must admit, I think your right, the greyish colour does look so much better, I'm just about to start a new thread with a link to this model, anyone who want's it can go get it there, and are quite welcome to change the colour to grey, I think the material is called skin2, I'll have to check LOL, and since this is only the beta version, I can make the colour change permanent before the proper release to the uploads section here.

Any help with the animation would be greatly appreciated ernie, I've never tried to animate a Poser figure in LW before, I'm wondering if it might not be easier to try and rig him to work in LW instead, I'll just have to see.

Cheers

Billy

ernie90125 · September 2nd, 2006, 04:17 AM

You're right. There does seem to be a purple colouring to the costume. However, a lot lighter than your Poser model currently has !!!

I can't help out on LW issues, but for the animation......I have devised a storyline, and can look into trying to convince people who own a Davros replica to let him appear as he has in other fanfilms. Will be fun......

sawol · November 8th, 2006, 11:16 PM

Yo Billy! Cool cylon, I cant wait till it's done. My vote is, of course, for a Poser version as to many Lightwave models I have downloaded lately dont seem to translate well to the programs I have opened them up with (mostly Poser and Bryce 6). If it is for Poser, is the armor going to have to fit on one of the pre-existing Poser characters (like Michael etc.) or is it going to be a character all on it's own?

billy-home · November 9th, 2006, 12:39 PM

Hiya sawol
The figure is about 95% ok, it is a figure on it's own but the rigging was based on Mike 2, I think LOL, but it does work as a figure alone, unfortunately you have to turn the genitals on, I forgot abnout that part when I rigged it, you should still be able to get the figure from the link I provided, it is good enough to use now with limitations on extreme poses which I don't think I'll be able to fix since the armour part, will, no matter what end up going through the base figure, My main problem is the back cloth, I'm not too hot with cloth dynamics in Poser, and the upper legs need fixing, unfortunately

commercial work has taken over again and it's going to be quite a while until I'm going to have time to work on this.

Darrel, if you want to upload this as it stands to the meshes section that's fine by me, I'll let you know if and when I get the thing sorted 100%, and of course, as always, you have my full permission to mess with it and fix it up, if you also have the time yourself

.

Cheers

Billy

0edipus · November 17th, 2006, 09:40 AM

great model thanx for sharing .
do you know if it will run ok with imported bvh movement files ( or as ive sadly found in past with poser will it end up with inside out n dislocated arms or even worse mince along lol)
would love a lucifer poser to go along with it make a toaster chorus line
cheers

billy-home · November 17th, 2006, 06:56 PM

It still has a lot wrong with it, and I haven't tried it with bhv yet, or much else to be honest, commercial comittments have taken over these last few months , so part of the fun side of the 3D side has had to take a back seat....sorry

Billy

Staby · November 26th, 2006, 05:14 AM

well, the Dystopia Poser series is so good that it make the wait tolerable

Toltec42 · December 23rd, 2006, 10:20 AM

I'm sorry to be a little dense, I'm sure it's been answered some where here in the forums, but where can I find a Poserized Cylon?

billy-home · December 23rd, 2006, 11:43 AM

Here's the link to the thread with the download on, it's a page back in the forum

Poser Cylon

It's in the first message, the DL link is highlighted in blue

Cheers

Billy

Toltec42 · December 23rd, 2006, 01:02 PM

Thank you so much!

December 23rd, 2006, 04:54 PM

yes ,this cylon is sweet!!!!thanks for shareing

ernie90125 · December 23rd, 2006, 05:04 PM

Quote:

unfortunately you have to turn the genitals on

I find myself somewhat confused and concerned about this part of getting a Cylon to work ?

Darrell Lawrence · December 23rd, 2006, 09:24 PM

Ernie, in Poser, you have a "Hips" part on the model. It comes with genitals on or hidden, wich in fact is two seperate Hip pieces, one with genitals and the other without.. It appears Billy made the hip portion on the Cylon over the genitals ON hip rather than the without genitals hip. Thus in order to get the proper hip to show up in Poser, you need to use the Genitals On switch