Ivory Towers

[Basill]

Hello all,

I've been working on these 3D Models, off and on, for almost 2 years now. Based of course on the beautiful art of Ralph McQuarrie, and in particular his painting of the beautiful city of Aldera on Alderann. After seeing it in The Illustrated Star Wars Universe, I have always thought that painting epitomized the idea of Alderaan... and it is what I see in my mind when Governor Tarkin is demostrating his evil power in the name of the Empire. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/holosid.gif I've seen a few attempts to recreate the view in 3D before, but they didn't hold up well to scrutiny; and I've always wanted to faithfully recreate McQuarrie's view. Looking ever so forward to the final installment of the prequel movies, I thought I should put these out before they possibly become outdated.


http://hometown.aol.com/graldry/images/tn_aldera01.jpg
Aldera Bridge-link (http://hometown.aol.com/graldry/images/aldera01.jpg)


http://hometown.aol.com/graldry/images/tn_aldera02.jpg
Aldera Hills-link (http://hometown.aol.com/graldry/images/aldera02.jpg)


http://hometown.aol.com/graldry/images/tn_aldera03.jpg
Aldera Lake-link (http://hometown.aol.com/graldry/images/aldera03.jpg)

Now, these models and compositions are all still works-in-progress. Details are sparse as most are meant to be viewed at some modest distance, though some areas of the "set" are being filled out a bit more for camera placement. Outside of the water and grass, there is very little texture yet, just lots of settings for color, reflection, blah blah. I am still experimenting with the trees and foliage, and I even had to Photoshop-fake some of it in image 3 due to some rendering difficulties. With the grossly inadequate grass texture I have, I tried a little program for grass simlulation, but I didn't like the immediate results. So I'll play with that a little later. Atmosphere and lighting could also use some adjustments. (boring you enough?)

So, essentially these are the first renderings I felt comfortable posting for enjoyment purposes. Tweaking will continue indefinately. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ohwell.gif

Hope you like. C & C welcome.

[empire21]

Wow, those are really nice.

[Kapit]

very nice! i know the paintings have the buildings in solid colors, but some sort of texture (i think) would get rid of that 3d look....maybe a bump map or soemthing

[Basill]

^ Yeah. Been planning something like that. A little bump or some sort of mild weathering (Those Alderaanians really keep those buildings clean you know)
Its that sort of subtle stuff that usually speedbumps my progress. At the very least, I realize how too shiny and iridescent they look in that light, so that is my next stage I think. McQuarrie's painting is beautiful but a little plain, which maybe why it looks so idyllic. In fact, the atmosphere is so clean and pure, even in this ivory metropolis, that its hard to judge distance and scale from some of those mega skyscrapers. A true Utopia, hence the tragedy. Still the march goes on.

[Kapit]

keep it up, man! it's great stuff!

[empire21]

^Agreed.

[Emperor Palpatine]

Are you planning on making any more 3-D models?

[Darth Darthy]

Nice! What app did you use?

[Basill]

Thanks. I used Lightwave 7. I've had it for years, but I've never come this far in the modeling/rendering process (with any of my own meshes that is)

Although there are a lot of things I would love to tackle, I don't have any current plans for another model, but those things usually just come to me when they do. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ohwell.gif

I am still tinkering with this theme, off and on, when time permits. I've been experimenting with some textures for the buildings, tree modeling, and I've even done a little grass (no pun intended)


http://hometown.aol.com/graldry/images/tn_aldera05.jpg
Alderaan Carpet-link (http://hometown.aol.com/graldry/images/aldera05.jpg)

I haven't been able to layer the whole or even significant sections of the big model's ground surface with grass (using a little plug-in included in Lightwave called Sas-Lite) at least not to my satisfaction- so I did the next best thing and rendered a background shot and did this compositionally with fewer models in the fore and a fairly elementary plane for the ground. I really only want visible grass for the limited number of close up shots that I might be interested in doing. Still not perfect, but its all a learning experience, since I've never done landscape scenery in anything but dedicated programs like KPT Bryce or Terragen.

I'll keep at it. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif

[Sam Kenobi]

You might as well have been speaking Arabic, because I didn't understand a word of it. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif

Nevertheless, it's very good.

[Greedo Boy]

Reminds me of Bryce... good stuff man.

[Master Magnus]

Very, very nice! I'm impressed!

[Darth Darthy]

Have you textured the buildings yet?

[Basill]

Very little texturing yet, though I have begun experimenting.

The smaller buildings, on the hill, in front of the lake, are part of a group of buildings I call "The University". I did some detail and a bit of weathering on that little "sombrero" tower (lower half) and most of the detail on the little dome in the fore of the grass picture, is all texture except for the round windows. The Sombrero tower is mostly blocked in the grass close-up, so you can't see anything yet.

I also did a little work on the largest dome in the background (the one farthest to the left in most images.) It has some interesting details along those grey-blue stripes around its circumfrence. Some details I may model as greeblies, but some are just lines, stripes, and panels that I have pulled off pretty well with image maps. There are also some apparent windows or openings that I might just fake in the transparency channel, since I don't plan to render it that close anyway. I Have yet to render any permanent images from that though. Maybe tonight.


Haven't had much time at all this week, but I will probably get back into full swing this weekend. (Although I am seeing the first signs of my models' obsolescence) style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/giveup.gif

[Mark Skywalker]

Your 3D Models are Sweet. Basill style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/victory.gif