Final Thoughts and Evaluation.

I am very pleased with the overall outcome of the project. I am particularly pleased with the Chop Shop exterior and the way it has turned out. I have thoroughly enjoyed this project and I feel that I have learnt a great deal especially when modeling. I know have a basic knowledge in the way that geometry works within Maya which I can now apply to any model that I decide to build. It has been very interesting following a pipeline from the design stages of an object to its realisation in a 3D form. Knowing that the models bear resemblance to ones drawings is quite exciting and rewarding. But I suppose the most rewarding point about the project itself is that it has shown me what you can achieve through sheer dedication and hard work from start to finish. I have always wanted to follow my father's footsteps into the design world whether it be in the film or the gaming industry. This project has armed me with vast amounts of knowledge which I know will be beneficial when it comes to finding a job in the design world.

Renders.

Here a various renders from within the Chop shop as well as the exterior. When rendering the interior I considered composition and lighting to get the most out of the scene whilst at the same time conveying the enormity of this structure and its purpose.

The Machinery.

To create the machinery I referred to the concepts I created in photoshop. These drawings appear earlier on in the blog. These drawings made the construction of these structures a hell of a lot easier. I created the cranes by creating a cube and elongating it. I then inserted edge loops so could create the diagonal faces on top of the model. I used the extrude tool heavily here to create the supports which held the machinery to the walls. I deleted faces then merged the points to create indentations within the machinery. It is important to note that I only constructed one crane which I later duplicated several times. I used the extrude tool to construct the control room which would control the height of the crane if needed. Once I had completed the finishing touches I began to reposition various faces so I could insert spot lights which would improve the overall model. Once I had completed the model I then concentrated on lighting and rendering the scenes which I created in Maya.

Manipulating the Basic Shape.

Once I was happy with the basic shape of the interior I started to create extra subdivisions increasing the number of points within the model. I could then manipulate these points by moving them in the desired direction forming the ground plane as well as pillars on the sides of the walls. Using the edge loop tool I inserted some more geometry which I could extrude to create folds and recesses creating raised platforms and foundations for the machinery. I deleted the roof faces as this would enable me to see within side space as well as provide a good source of lighting when the time came. When creating the pillars on the right side of the interior I had problems when extruding. Holes began to appear on the outside of the fuselage which would cause problems when trying to light the scene. I think this happened when I extruded multiple faces in one direction. The problem was easily solved but took longer than expected. To rectify the problem I merged the points individually. This meant that I could light the scene effectively as well as extrude the faces if I needed to. The interior was beginning to take shape but looked bare and void of anything that would define it as a Chop Shop. Time to add some machinery.

Modeling the Interior.

Through building the Chop Shop exterior I gained an incite into the way geometry worked and how it affected other polygons around it. Obtaining this knowledge was hugely beneficial when it came to modeling the Interior. I wanted the interior to replicate the architecture of the exterior. I wanted the interior to be dark and industrial. The space would be much larger than a conventional Chop Shop. Because the structure was used on an industrial level it had to be huge containing cranes and docking bays for all the machinery and vehicles which would be broken down. Lighting would play a key role in the success of the space. I knew that my concepts would be hugely important when it came to lighting the scene. Whilst building the interior I thought about recesses in which lights could be set up highlighting the equipment within the core of this structure. I also thought about how this space would fit inside the exterior I had created. I started out by again, making a simple shape using an elongated cube. I used the split polygon tool and edge loop tools to create extra geometry so I could create the asymmetrical shape which would contain the vital machinery.

Exterior Finishing Touches.

Once I had completed the cockpit of the model I began to manipulate the model further learning from the techniques used to create the windows. I followed my concepts closely at this stage of modeling to help me create the indentations within the model to give it that futuristic look. I also began to create the crane itself by extruding faces at the front of the model just below the cockpit. Again I used the split polygon and insert edge loop tools to create the geometry needed for this to work. As I progressed I began to realise how the geometry worked and how it affected other polygons around it. There was a lot of trail and error when modeling the crane and lift just below the cockpit. For some reason faces had disappeared and some points had not been merged which left holes in the geometry. However, using the knowledge I had gained through modeling the structure I fixed these problems because I was beginning to understand how the geometry was effected. By understanding Maya's interface as well as the tools I began to think ahead. That is to say that I thought of the best tools to use when making particular components in the model. I was careful not to overwork the model as this would leave the structure overcrowded and confusing. I was very pleased with the overall outcome, considering I had no tutoring within Maya's modeling system. The similarities between the concepts and the 3D model only enforce how far I have come from the start of the project to the final modeling stages.

Adding the finer details.

When I was happy with the structures basic shape I then set about manipulating its geometry so I could create folds as well the complex cockpit at the top of the model. I primarily used the split polygon tool as well as the insert edge loop tool to create subdivisions that would help me later when extruding faces to create extra geometry in the form of rails and exterior details. To create the cockpit at the front of the model I literally drew out the windows using the split polygon tool whilst constantly looking at reference of airliners and oil tankers. The windows are very angular in appearance which is reminiscent of airliner cockpits. Once I had drawn out the basic shapes which would make up the cockpit I extruded the faces which would construct the windows back into the model. I was very pleased with the outcome as it gave the structure some character as well as function. I had the idea that the military could not only use this facility as a Chop Shop but as a overwatch point. To give the structure extra support I modeled a support beam to the rear which could also be used as a way of lifting materials into the core of the installation. I realised when modeling the cockpit that it would have been much easier to model one half of the structure then mirror it to keep the geometry clean.  I realised the mistake but decided to carry on as I was pleased with the way the model was turning out. If I was to do anything like this again I would concentrate on building half the object which would provide a cleaner model and cut down modeling time significantly.