40K Source

So, I'm currently working on a model that I hope will replace the Button Stand currently in EX (if you wanna know what I'm talking bout, check this vid at 0:36-39 seconds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFbYYY2jK64)

As you can see its not the best sight, especially for the 40k theme, IMHO the stand is made of stone and there is no border separating the stone and the finger print scanner area, also, the finger print scanning area is too futuristic, at least in my opinion.

So i've made a model to replace it (hopefully) and ended up having 3 variations.... I would like your feedback on it. Is it good? Is it Bad? What can make it better? i would like to hear your opinion, As chrome is currently out of reach i have nowhere to get a "greenlight" from or Constructive Criticism....

Variation 1: (http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/74/29219801.jpg)

A better looking stand in my opinion, the idea is to have it golden/metallic... There is a keypad, with "1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-0-*-#" keys, as well as an Up/Down key to browse the screen and a Tick/X key to agree/deny and move left and right. Above the keypad is a Screen, preferably in Fallout 3 style (green letters, green screen) it would have a "Root Structure" for using the functions and occasionally display warning/requests ("Enter the Password, Place hand on The Scanner, ERROR! ERROR!, etc. etc."). To the Right of the keypad is the Hand print Scanner area, Nothing more to say.

Connecting the stand and the the "terminal" is a sort of arching support.

Variation 2: (http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/8757/53463162.jpg)

Same as variation 1, except it has "corner points" in the form of a golden center and 2 leaves (Roman Style) stretching out of it. Present on all 4 corners.

Variation 3: (http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/6420/46082851.jpg)

Same as Variation 2 but it has a sort of "arching wall", giving a very gothic/40k effect.

Feedback would be appreciated.

whats the poly counts on those?

Only Variation 1 and 2 is complete.... Variation 3 is just a small idea that may grow into a model, SO variation 1 is below 1k tri's and Variation 2 is like 1.1/1.2k tri's, MAYBE 1040 or something alone the likes.

I would be inclined towards 2 versions, one the basic type (version 1) and the other with the mroe gothic feel from version 3, but perhaps with the panel as part of the curved backing part.

(http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/7058/91141476.jpg)


Something like this?

yes, but maybe take it a step further and make the curved piece come arroudn to become the part the control panel is sitting on. so the pedistal is one object with the panel sitting on it.

I like what you've done with the square stand, quite art deco. 

Seems you missed a trick with those roman style corner reinforcers, that's an ideal place for a decorative imperial eagle wing.

The loops under the console are obscured most of the time, especially when the curved shield is in place, which is kind of a waste.

My inner tech adept is telling me it needs more skulls and eagles :P

Hey Chrome, How's life? moved in your new Crib and Fully set up? hope so....

I dont get what you mean by "Seems you missed a trick with those roman style corner reinforcers, that's an ideal place for a decorative imperial eagle wing."

I get the "that's an ideal place for a decorative imperial eagle wing." but i dont get the trick part.

The Loops can be removed, Also if the shield gets in place i can cut some polygons from behind, including the loops...

Skulls and Eagles.... I'm kinda not aiming for a military theme here... more golden.... Like the shelves in the houses in EX_Thunderhawk


@Typh: Doing so, would force me to remove the "steps", Is that what you mean?

Still busy here thanks Seer, the house still needs some renovation, decoration and furnishing before I can move in and get set up.

"missed a trick", just a turn of phrase.  Imperial designers stick skulls and eagles on everything (civil or military) just look at their bench designs.

After Receiving some feedback, here is what i came up with....

(http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/2835/97422255.jpg)


Variation 5: Removed the stand completely, Made prettier, added "feet" on the front so it doesnt feel fully blank but gives a sense of the Terminal "Wrapping around you", if you catch my drift. Within the tri limit for props.

Great line of development you got going here Farseer!  ;D  I love the latest work, how the arch at the back sweeps down to form the support and pedestal of the control panel.  I would have to agree with Chrome though, in that it needs more Skulls and Imperial Aquila’s!  :D

I've always wondered about buttons in the WH40K Universe.  I never hear them referred to as buttons, rather they are called Runes.  The problem is I've never seen a rune or read a description so I am not sure if they are just buttons with a fancy name or have a completely different look from the typical circular/rectangular buttons we are using.

Im flattered, but i need chrome's "good to go" before i can start finishing it...

I cant really do skulls or aquila's... those things need to be added by texture....

Nah, ill think ill do letters and numbers instead of runes...

Variation 6: (http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/6365/62985971.jpg)

After receiving some feedback from chrome, this is what i came up with.... it also cuts down on tri's and is currently 600 tri's... pretty neat...

nice, and just to clarify "runes" means letters and numbersm its just 40k's way of making it soound more mysterious than it actually is. Some of the artwork actually shows AM emembers using qwerty keyboard, albeit steampunkesque ones covered in candles.

That is looking brilliant Farseer.

The shape of the console itself feels much better now!  ;D

The outline of the console is much better now, looking more 40k already.  however...

...can you make the frame more ornate (myabe just a sloped cross-section, rather than square) and combine it into the front "legs" plus add some thin "veins" on the console face to separate the "panes" of the console (rather then having he raised and inset areas).

"the machine spirit lives in windows" :P

The sides and front are looking a bit plain now, how about some cut in's showing "gubbins" inside the pedestal (like you did for the fuel pump)?  Do you have enough tris for that in the budget?

Sorry i've taken so long to reply i've been mad busy here (last of the carpets up and out today).

Good luck!

can you define some of the things you said? like...

A: make the frame more ornate (maybe just a sloped cross-section, rather than square)

And yeah i do have enough tri's...

Based on the existing window prop, I was thinking it would look something like this:
(http://www.chromeangel.co.uk/Exterminatus/ArchConsole.gif)

if you cut a cross section through that frame it's trianguar, where as yours would be more of a square shaped cross section.

i still dont get you... imo, what u posted is starting to look like a pinball machine (maybe from this angle), no offense...

and i was hoping you would define "frame" rather than what to do with it... you mean as in the frame of the console? or something in the stand? if its the frame of the console, then i have to connect it to the legs?

Also, what do u mean by "veins", as in like small rectangles extruding from the console to seperate the various panes? hope to get an answer

Pinball machine?  I was thinking more jukebox... :P

If you refresh the image you'll see i've coloured the frame blue and the veins red on my version.

i took into account what you said, some were successful whilst others have some problems... here's a pic:

(http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/7893/48319731.jpg)

I added the "gubbins" into the sides, shown by the GREEN points... the arrow shows where they come out of (they dont ACTUALLY come out, but just to show that there ISNT alot of room there...

You wanted to added gubbins to the PURPLE dot as well, but i thought "why not add a flag?"...  whaddya think?
it would bear the lycantium logo WITHOUT coloring the entire stand blue (like you did with the fuel pump, which is just... sad... :()

Also, i dont get where to add the veins... i mean i know where, but where? there isnt much room....
And even if i remove the extrusions/intrusions (gubbons and gubbins, if ur following the flow), there STILL isnt enough room.

The blue dot shows the screen, which has an extruding border (much like a picture frame), the Yellow dot shows the keypad, which is set on an extruded "platform" and the RED dot shows the finger/hand print scanner, which is "IN" an intrusion.

Also, i feel that the stand needs to be taller, maybe a bit... seems short, but that may be just me...

So, whaddya think?

Pardon the gratuitous use of color...

The curved sides where I think some details gubbins could go are made of several vertical strips.  Are you worried about lack of depth (interfering with the front "legs") or width (limited to the width of one vertical strip)?

Being an objective marker we'd probably want to use this prop in maps set away from Lycantium (spacehulks, wilderness, aboard a hive fleet etc.).  Reserving space for a banner seems a waste.

The idea of adding the veins to the face of the console was to use them to separate the red , blue and yellow areas in a more "imperial gothic" style than the simple raised and inset blocks.

Regards the height of the stand that rather depends on what scale you see the buttons on the keypad being.

nice use of color...

also, the "Gubbins" are several vertical strips? that can be done....



yes im worried bout this...


But we do have maps ON lycantium... like EX_Lycantium, and EX_Thunderhawk and some others (judging by the IG and the fuel pumps [uhh... that hurts my eyes!])... Then, what do i put into that area? (also, the possibility of multiple materials can help (refer to the left 4 dead commentary mode bout cars/common infected faces)


Ok, then tell me what to do, do i remove the raised and inset blocks and make the veins? IF so, How the hell do i make the veins? (i mean the layout of the veins, not how to actually make them)  OR do i keep the raised/inset blocks and add veins...


i was hoping somewhere at the waist...

ALSO, are you gonna make a monthly news post?

No news post this month, theres not that much to report and the plan was two clean months of downtime minimum.

Unless chrome wants to talk about his move.

That's not what meant, the curved back is made of vertical strips  ::)  I was thinking the inserts could cut across several strips if you needed a wider area to work your greebling into.


Yeah, we don't want the insets running into the legs, the dea is to separate the wide, "empty" space on the sides and back.

I don't have L4D, so I have no idea what the commentary says.  Have a look at the necromunda bulkhead sprues for some 40k/gothic greebling ideas to use there.  Start a new thread about the fuel pumps if you dislike how they turned out, it's not too late to change them.

The idea was to remove the raised/inset block and use veins to define the limits of those areas.  As far as the layout of the veins, you could copy the shape of the ones on the window prop, or google for for some similar kinds of thing.

I don't have any news to post, as per the plan, i've been refurbishing my house :/

So i make "horizontal insets" across the back of the curved pedestal, right? or each vertical strip gets its own inset?


so its ok where i positioned the insets on the sides Currently? that place is good?


Basically, all the abandoned cars and all the common infected are like the same model (or pretty close, like when talking bout the cars, the ones that are the same model).... only difference is, each zombie is randomized by preset textures (clothes and face), making them look different....

@ fuel pump. I can? i'll do it...


hmm... ill give it a try... what if i cant?

@ News post: a simple "Mod isnt dead, this month has been slow, but Mod is still alive and we will be back"... a simple notification to keep hopes up...