USS Tamerlane

[Aabh]

Hi guys.

I am drawing a little Manga-style comic set aboard a TOS-era Saladin-Class Destroyer, the Tamerlane.

It's not a spoof, I'm trying to be very serious with it and I'm trying not to fall into classic "Fanboy" pitfalls with plot and story and name dropping (I only use characters from other fan series to tie continuity) and such.

That said, it is my first time out of the gate (Well, my first time doing a full-fledged comic, I've been drawing for some time).

With the newest issue, I started using 3D models for some of the backgrounds (It is all about experimentation...) and the ships (Well, I guess I should say "Ship")

Anyway, I invite you all to visit should you feel so inclined, the address is:

http://www.usstamerlane.com
Registration is not required to read, but it is required to post...

Er... thank you for your time

---G

[ulimann644]

Hey - you have a hand for it. That comics looks really cool. Impressive work so far...

[Aabh]

Thank you ulimann644! I'm currently scripting part three of this episode... I don't know when it'll be out, though (I'm kinda working on the Animated Farragut series... but I'm still chugging my way through the next issue! )

[gmd3d]

impressive work ..

[Aabh]

Thank you, Taranis!

Continuing from the Welcoming thread: I have moved to 3D models for expediency... As I had said in the other thread; I feel a little like I'm cheating a little by using 3D models in my comic.

But I've balanced that out by deciding to build my own models. Thus, you guys may benefit (I mean, profided the models are any good... )...

I started off as what I would call a 'Pen and Paper' artist.
I have been drawing since I was something like 4-5 years old.
Having done everything from tattoos to album art I started feeling bored with the whole thing and at the same time I had been playing professionaly in my own band for something like 15 years (give or take) and I was needing a change.

Change is a funny thing.

My change happened when a large truck slammed into the car I was riding in and I ended up with several fractured bones in my spine, a whiplashed neck, closed head injury and permanent nerve damage. The nerve damage was so bad that my hands shake now (like a junkie needing a fix!) and that obviously stopped me from drawing and painting. I was in a strange place in my life - I had been an artist and musican for so long that my identity was tied directly to both of these activites.

Feeling a bit lost and unsure I found myself at a local bar... That's where I met a fellow by the name of Lars (no, not that one!). Lars was pretty cool and in need of some help with his home studio. I hooked him up with a copy of 'Cakewalk Home Studio' and in return he gave me a few CG art magazines that came with CDs.

On one of them was BRYCE 3D.

I loaded it up and after a matter of seconds my inner artist was reborn.

I used Bryce for a long time and then tried MAX 4.
MAX lost me - I was so far beyond confused that I didn't know what to do and so I returned to the safe zone that was Bryce. I used Bryce for several more years until one weird day - I swear this is 100% true, I know how untrue it sounds - believe me, I do -

I was asleep one night and when I woke up I heard my 'inner head voice' say 'You can use 3DsMax now...GO GET IT!'

So I ran off and got myself a copy, installed it, loaded it and crapped my pants when I was able to use it and use it pretty well. I don't know what happened or how it happened but it happened.

I began building my own meshes in MAX and got somewhat good at it.
The whole UV mapping thing still eludes me to this day and while working in MAX I discovered some websites that had awesome meshes.

I figured that since my modeling skills left something to be desired I'd snag a few free meshes and see if I could animate as easily in MAX as I did in Bryce.

Not only did I do it as well, but it was easier and I was much better.
So I began my little adventures in MAX.

Then I saw it... Dennis Bailey's NCC-1701-A mesh in LWO format and I just about fainted.
I downloaded it and ran out and bought myself LWO.

I started using LWO and working on a series of different little short bits-n-pieces of things so I could learn the ins and outs of the software.

Again, I got pretty good but again I hit a wall.

I have stories I want to tell and movies I want to make.
I don't have the billions of dollars to make a movie so I figured I could animate one.
There was just one problem - I could never quite get the character rigging in MAX to work all that well and lip synching....forget it!
Even in LWO I was unable to get my character rigs to work proper and the lip synch issue still beat me up.

It was in a moment of confusion when I discovered I had DAZ Studio installed (it came free with my Bryce 5) and I played with it for a few moments and that was it - I was working with my new tool.

After using DAZ Stuido for a few months I discovered Carrara Pro 6 and MIMIC.

At this point I am knee deep in three animated short films and in each of them I'm using other people's meshes as well as a few of my own.

I know this is a long way to a short point but what I'm trying to say is that when you're working on a project (like a movie or your comic) you have a story to tell and you should use every available tool at your disposal to get your story out there.

But then I think of myself as a writer - then an animator - then a modeler.
For me, it's all about getting my story out there to the public and perhaps that's why I see nothing wrong with using a mesh made by somebody else.

Plus, I've sort of gotten to know a few of the people around this site and I take great pleasure in using their meshes in my animations because I feel like I'm giving something back to them in exchange for them allowing me to use their mesh.

I still owe Taranis a Buck Rogers!
I'm working on it man, I swear I am!
LOL!

[Aabh]

Hmm... Those are also some very good points...

I have to say, you are a brave fellow... I live in fear of losing my hands in an accident... And you have (In essence), and not only lived to tell about it, but have bounced back!

I really admire that!

I too think of myself as a stroyteller first... I guess I just don't have faith in my storytelling just yet. It's the newest and the oldest of my skills (I took many years "off"... so to speak), and after so many years drawing but not writing, I think I'm more confident in my drawing ability than my writing.

But I'm also kinda swayed by an encounter that I had recently, someone saw the new work on my comic and I swear this happened;

"This is your work?"
"Yes"
"It looks like you drafted it"
"Well, that's actually 3D."
"Oh."

Then he turned away from the work and lost all interest. I think it was then that I became accutely aware that even if I wanted to, I couldn't say "Well, I MODELED it..." It just felt like all the wind was taken out of my sails.

Part of the other problem is, the mesh that I'm currently using is ancient. Downloaded by a friend of a friend and given to me on a disk of random Star Trek pictures a zillion years ago. The model was an unpacked 3Ds file, had no textures (It wasn't even UV mapped), and had no readme... so, I'm using someone's model without being able to give them credit... and that makes me very, very uncomfortable.

Originally, I joined this site to replace my Saladin with a Saladin that I could credit appropriately... But I kept going back to that encounter... And since then I've just decided to join the community I may still download one of the beautiful meshes here... but I'm still feeling, a little, that at least my main ship... the one I use primarily... should be done by me...

I do see a lot of credit in your point, though... It's kind of strange... I hear so many people being so mad because their work gets "stolen" that I think I seem to skip past the thought that people might be really flattered to be part of another person's project...

Wow that was some interesting stuff!

Ok fist off - if a person lost interest in your project because you used CG elements, how interested were they really? When I see something (or hear something) and it sparks my interest - I don't give a flying wazoo how they did it - only that they did it.

It's all about the story.

I think the look of your comic is really very cool. When I was a little kid (around 8-9) I used to draw my own comics all of the time. They were all scifi but that's because when I was little I wanted to be an astronaut. I think I still do - but only if I can be a pirate-astronaut! LOL!

It sucks that somebody blew you off because of the way your art was done but again, sort of like I said - screw them! I never (and I mean never) did a piece of art or a song to please anybody but myself. If other people got into what I was doing - fantastic - if not, then that's fine too. For every person who's enjoyed either my art or my music there were probably 10 who hated it and wanted me to go away. LOL! - I couldn't care less...it's not about them or for them anyway... It's for me. Your comic is for you. I happen to like it too though.

As for using other people's meshes... In a PM conversation I had a few days back I asked an artist who shared his meshes here if I could use some of them for my Trek film.
He not only said 'sure' but added '...that's why I shared them in the first place.'

When my Trek animation is finished there will be meshes and ships in it that a few of the locals here have crafted. I use a few of Warrior's meshes as well as EG's, Taranis and wjaspers. Without their hard work and excellent meshes I'd not be able to share my story with them or anybody else.

As for the people who get mad because their models get 'stolen' - Some people are cranky and some people are casual - I've found that every single artist whom I've contacted and asked their persmission was cool with me using their mesh. There have been a few who I have not contacted in advance but I always still credit them in my final product.

And again... Don't let that encounter get to you. For all you know it was an Anti-Muse!
LOL! Hey they could exist, you never know!

[Aabh]

Hmm... I see what you are saying.

I think... there is a gap between 2D artists and 3D artists... and I think that had a little to do with it (The person in question was a 2D artist). I think a lot of "traditional medium" people have a kind of disdain for the 3D world. Once that traditional artist found out I wasn't hand drawing all of those ships, he decided I was cheating...

Oh... Perhaps I was exhibiting a little of that disdain too... Not intentionally, I assure you! (and only about me... not about you. I have a profound respect for the 3D arts, it's too dang difficult NOT to be an art form )

Anyway, in light of your arguments; I have downloaded a few of the models here and I'm looking over them. I'm worried that I may not be able to replace my Saladin, though, simply because I was an idiot and established a strange window pattern on the Tamerlane's dish (Something that is unique to the Tamerlane, it's the same pattern as the Refit Enterprise). I think the Saladin model has the windows built into the mesh (I have to instal that free Truespace -that I discovered in another thread here! - to read them, so I could only look at the texture maps). Certainly when I use a robot frighter (Maybe much later on) or some of the other models later on. I definitely will use the models here for future Romulans or Klingon ships (I have a Klingon ship that is the same as my Saladin; No clue who built it).

Perhaps I see the whole 2D/3D thing in the manner I do because I was a 2D artist who, if not for CG(3D) would have lost my ability to create art. I see CG as a blessing to me because it allows me to keep being the artist I would otherwise have lost.

Good for you for downloading a few of the meshes and playing around with them. There is nothing wrong (nor it it cheating ) with learning a new way of expressing your art or learning a new tool. Think of it like you would if you were to go from 'ink and paper' to 'paint and canvas'.

As for your unique bits of your ship - that's way cool actually. I like that the little custom things that make a mesh 'one of a kind' so to speak.

And also if you need one of the meshes you've downloaded to be tweaked here -n- there I'd say there is a pretty good chance you might be able to get one of the modelers here to help you with it. This place really does have some awesome people who are willing to help.

You might just ask and see if one of them can help you.
If I were a better modeler I would -with that in mind I'd say your chances of getting some help with it are pretty good.

As for the distain between 'traditional' and 'computer' animation/artists... Man, the same thing happened with silent film actors and those bastards in the 'talkies'. Same thing with special effects as well. You'll always have people who think 'the old way is the only way' and that's their right... But for me, the art is the beauty - not the tools it was created with.

I'm going to share a little test footage from my Trek animation over in the 'Animations' thread. My ship (the Nostromo) is the Phase 2 ship with 1701-A nacells (instead of the ones that came with the P2) because a) I like them better and (b) that is my little thing to make my ship different from anybody else who used the P2 ship. Like them windows you have.

I see that you're in Japan.
Might I ask what part of the country?
I sooo want to visit there someday.
When I was a little kid (around 5-6) I told my parents that one day I was going to grow up, move to Japan and design monsters for Toho Studios. LOL!
Ah, the dreams of childhood!

[gmd3d]

Originally Posted by Fretslayer

I still owe Taranis a Buck Rogers!
I'm working on it man, I swear I am!
LOL!

Cool mate ..cool ..

liked reading both your stories and thoughts on your art..

Hey Aabh, go have a look at the thread I put up in the 'animations' forum.
You know that point I made about the mesh builder and how they feel about seeing their hard work being put to use in somebody else's hard work?

Well... I'd say my point is validated in that thread. LOL!

Taranis - I swear I'm working on it! LOL!
I just moved into a new home about a week or so ago and I'm still unpacking things.
You should see my computer desk at the moment... LOL! it's a couple of pastic moving bins stacked on one another and my computer and monitor sitting on that. My mouse in on the box my case came in and my keyboard is on my lap. It's so sad. LOL!

I know you're being cool about the Buck figure and I also know you'd like to have it yesterday. LOL! - I'm going to try my best to get you something in the next couple of days. At worst I'll send you a couple of temps to use for pilots so you can begin working on your helmets. If I can do what I'm hoping I can, I'll be able to make a Gil Gerarad 'face' for the figure (if you saw the starfleet guys I posted the link to you'll see what I mean) for you.

And thanks for the kind words regading my animation.
I really do respect what y'all have to say around this site.

[gmd3d]

Originally Posted by Fretslayer

I know you're being cool about the Buck figure and I also know you'd like to have it yesterday. LOL! - I'm going to try my best to get you something in the next couple of days. At worst I'll send you a couple of temps to use for pilots so you can begin working on your helmets. If I can do what I'm hoping I can, I'll be able to make a Gil Gerarad 'face' for the figure (if you saw the starfleet guys I posted the link to you'll see what I mean) for you.

And thanks for the kind words regading my animation.
I really do respect what y'all have to say around this site.

No worries mate. take your time .. I am not modelling anything at the moment and I am working on Tarragen for some land scape background ideas.

but mate even a Temp character for modelling the Helmet would be great. I can release the helmet when finished. I would leave it for you to release the character if you choose to your self .. I like to see credit go to who deserved it. Id even make the Laser pistol if some one would want one ..

[Aabh]

I'll look into the animation next!

I know what you are saying about artists having problems with the next crew coming up... Though I have to say; I hope that 3D isn't replacing 2D (Passing on the analogy silent film/talkies)...

I'm in the Kanto region, in Ibaraki prefecture, about 40 Km due North of Tokyo proper. Deep in the Japanese "Breadbasket" so to speak (Farming country). The veggies are fresh, the people are friendly and the bugs are HUGE...