Kongo class

[+WhiteBoySamurai 1,094]

I just got back from my trip, so I'm getting right back to work on building models. My next project is the Kongo class of the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force, which I was laying the groundwork for simultaneously with my Arleigh Burke. I just finished the mast, so here's an early work-in-progress pic.

You probably can't tell without a side-by-side comparison, but the Kongo is about 10 meters longer than the Arleigh Burke, the bridge is two decks higher, and the superstructure and overall layout is significantly different.

 

I still need to do the main gun turret (same caliber but very different type of gun from the Burkes), add in the various domes and antennas and other details, do some tweaking and smoothing, and then re-map and re-texture many of the parts. It should be done in under a week.

[+PureBlue 71]

Welcome back matey

[+WhiteBoySamurai 1,094]

It's taken a little longer than I thought, but I'll try to finish this ASAP. Here are a couple of preview renders.

 

I'd say this is the prettiest ship I've built so far.

 

Stay tuned to the upload section...

[+Crusader 2,101]

cool boat

[dsawan 624]

Hey, thx for this. Now with TK's F-4EJ, I can give the ships air cover.

[+Coupi 4,388]

Hello,

 

I didn't know this "high tech" ship before your mod!

 

Great stuff and many thanks...

 

Coupi.

[+Julhelm 266]

Looks pretty good but a bit flat. Dunno if you've used tiled textures a lot but the deck and superstructure could benefit from multiplying an ambient occlusion bake in Photoshop. Also add some dirt and soot around vents and stuff and on the deck you can have puddles of flat white in the spec map to give the impression of washed over water.

[+Julhelm 266]

Some reference for you:

 

 

Heaps more detail pics of the same model here: http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/dd/jmsdf/kongo-350-pvb/pvb-index.html

 

Another:

[Wrench 9,847]

Now, all we need is a Big Green Guy ™ for them to attack!!

[+WhiteBoySamurai 1,094]

Looks pretty good but a bit flat. Dunno if you've used tiled textures a lot but the deck and superstructure could benefit from multiplying an ambient occlusion bake in Photoshop. Also add some dirt and soot around vents and stuff and on the deck you can have puddles of flat white in the spec map to give the impression of washed over water.

 

I'd like to try that at some point, but unfortunately I don't have Photoshop. (Simply can't afford it, as I've already sunk too much money into overpriced graphical software for what is nothing more than a new hobby for me.) So I'm stuck with GIMP, which has no functions to blend/multiply layers. Hell, this program doesn't even take advantage of a second mouse button, and requires a careful multi-step workaround just to draw a simple circle. I try to make do.

 

I can always add more fine details later, anyway. Probably not too much dirt, though-- As I mentioned, I've been aboard the real thing. These ships are less than 10 years old and kept astonishingly clean by their crew. :3

 

Now, all we need is a Big Green Guy ™ for them to attack!!

You know, I was thinking about that the other day. Hundred meters tall, 60k tons, that's one helluva ground target. Make his head swivel and pitch like a gun turret, complete with atomic fire effects, maybe make a section of his tail into a dummy radar so it would look like it's flopping around... But how could we animate walking??

[+Crusader 2,101]

lolol

 

walking... perhaps with more fake gun entries which rotate the mesh up/down at a small angle.. to move the legs a bit ..

will look funny for sure. but then.. its a MONSTER!!!!

[+WhiteBoySamurai 1,094]

I'll put the monster idea on the back burner for now, as I'm working on a few more practical mods.

 

This is an early WIP of a Seahawk skin. Mostly I just need to finish the decals. The main sticking point here is that I can't seem to get decals to show up on the model nodes "Panel_L" and "Panel_R." There are supposed to be large numbers there. If anyone familiar with this model can think of anything, I'd appreciate it.

 

Also, I'm doing some Japan-specific ordnance, including a targeting pod as per a friend's request. Those will probably be done sometime next week.