The Energon Pub

Well, if the PC version of the movie TF's game turns out to be moddable, I have every intention of making meshes for it that would make a GeeWunn'er feel better about himself, though of course it would be more Alternators and Classics style than actual G1.

With that in mind, I've started making some low-poly sports cars and such, with an eye on chopping the mesh up and turning them into Transformers meshes. Heck, if the game ISN'T moddable, i at least have some new 3D 'toys' to play with.

These meshes will be 'generics' - Basic car types and transform schemes, with a greyscale car body and a wireframe so anyone with Photoshop or Paint Shop or what have you can make the skin their own color (and patterns, like flames), and it shouldn't be too hard to hue shift the robot parts.

I've got several such cars planned and prepared, but one of them has me stumped - namely, this one, based on an Alfa Romeo GT (though much of the detail is simplified, and some of it will change for copyright reasons, I dun wanna be sued):



The model is done, as you can see, but I can't decide on a transform scheme. Right now the only one coming to mind would be an updated G1 Sideswipe style, or possibly a Classics Hot Rod (err, Rodimus). Any other suggestions as to the transform scheme?

IMO he kinda has a Cybertron Hotshot feel. I think that transformation would work.

From TFans, I got suggestions for a Tracks style (I don't think it would work, the hood is too short, and would be far too long if I included the windows), Sunstreaker, and one of the micromasters.

After studying the car for a while, I think I'm going to go halfway in the direction I was originally considering. Basically, similar to Prowl with the leg mod (the one with the rear window on the front of the leg instead of the back).

Dude, I suggest designing 3 more cars and a truck so you can havethe Stunticons team. Finish up with a kickass Menasor.

Nujevad wrote:Dude, I suggest designing 3 more cars and a truck so you can havethe Stunticons team. Finish up with a kickass Menasor.

I'm doing Thirteen cars, actually. In fact, here's the list, along with a vague notation of the design scheme I was thinking of. The heads will be relatively generic and NOT character specific - for example, the Dodge Viper will NOT have the Sunstreaker/Deadend head OR the Sideswipe head.

Bugatti Veyron: While it looks exactly like Crosswise, I'm going to make it transform closer to Alt Meister or Alt Silverstreak/Smokescreen/Stepper

Dodge Viper Hardtop: Obviously the Dead End / Sunstreaker scheme, slightly modified to fit the 'cheats' I can use in 3d (such as parts that interpenetrate when they're not visible)

Late 90's Corvette: I'm thinking partway between G1 tracks and Alt tracks, actually.

Ferarri F-40: Classics Hot Rod, once again tweaked slightly.

Military Humvee: Working on a scheme, gimme time.

Lamborghini Diablo: An updated G1 Sideswipe / RID Spychanger style

Lotus Elise Exige: A modified Alt Meister style

McLaren F1: Not sure yet, actually.

Lamborghini Murcielago: Yet another G1 Sideswipe style

Peugeot 206CC tuner: Classics Bumblebee/Cliffjumper.

Porsche 996: Modified G1 Jazz

1970's New york Taxicab: Cybertron Downshift.


At this point in time, I have my reference material scaled properly so the car modes will all be in scale to each other, but the Alfa Romeo GT above is the only one whose car mode is actually modelled.

Oh, and sorry for the double post, but here's the initial robot mode for the Alfa Romeo above. I changed the car's base color to red because the yellow just didn't catch highlights well:

Okay, I KNOW I posted here a short time ago...

Anyway, here's a video with soe canned motion capture of the bot mode, ending in a transform sequence:


http://valandar3d.fools3d.com/BotKick.avi

The AVI is 17 meg, and uses Xvid Codec. If you don't have Xvid, go to http://www.codecguide.com/ and get the K-lite codec pack (it includes Xvid).

And a pic of the nearly done skin, before I detailed the abdomen and such: