Tank using reference plates

This is the tank that I created in the tutorial, the first thing we done before we started putting any shapes in the frame was to make our reference plates. Reference plates are images with a simple line drawing of what you want to create, as you can see in the image I have some for the side aspect and the top aspect of the tank. These are very useful if you can get hold of them because it makes modelling to proportion a lot easier. So to bring the reference plates in you first have to make a 'plane' the size of the image so it fits correctly in size, once the plane is the right size you make a material by pressing 'm' to bring the material window up, you can then import the bitmap by navigating the material window by going to 'diffuse' and select bitmap. Once you have the image on the plane you can change the angle which may be necessary if the image is not fitting properly, the options to change how the material lays are in the material window.

With the reference plates in place you can start adding the objects into the frame, I started by adding the wheels and building up the body of the tank with different squares and rectangles. I found out that by adding more shapes it was vastly increasing the file size, so I then created rectangle the size of the base and extruded the shape to fit with the reference plates, it is quite tricky getting used to extruding a shape because it never seems to go the way you want it to. I find that I see how I want it in my head but actually putting it into practice seems to be quite tricky, this will develop I am sure over time as I get use to extruding shapes.

Loft technique

Here is the Loft technique, this can be used to create a shape using a simple line and then have it filled by using this technique, as you can see I have created a coat hanger using this technique. To create a model to use the lofting technique you have to first draw your shape using the line tool. So once you have create the basic line of the shape you have to add the shape that you want the line to be filled with, so it can be a rectangle or a circle or any of the shapes. So once you have a shape on the viewpoint which isn't very big because it will only be making the outline, you can click on 'create' then 'compound' then 'loft'. This will bring a menu to the side of the screen under the shape tabs, then you have to select the circle and click the 'get shape' which will fill the line with the shape that was selected. This could be useful for making a bent handle or something curved which can be added to another object.

Lathe Technique

This print screen shows a fruit bowl using the lathe technique, lathing is a technique which allows you to draw a line and pivot it on a point to complete the shape. To get the line tool you have to go to shapes and it is under splines. Using the line tool is simple and gives you flexibility on the shapes you can create, it allows you to bend the line if you hold down and move the mouse when you have added a point to the line. This is useful for the bowl because you want the bowl to be round and look smooth. Once the line is created you have to add a pivot point which is where the line is going to pivot on, to add the pivot point you go to the 'hierarchy' tab and then 'affect pivot only' then a point with the move arrows will appear. Once you have the pivot in the right place you can click on the 'modification' tab and click 'lathe' on the drop down list. This technique is useful for creating symmetrical as the model is pivoting and is the same all 360 degrees round.

Here is my mood board, this includes things that I relate to 007. James bond has a certain suave that connects with women, he is never seen in a run of the mill car and can never live one day in peace. The films are packed with action from beginning to end, but in my animation I want to portray 007's style, the certain drink, the certain way he does things and operates. There is also the option to do the obvious models such as gadgets and guns or cars. I am left with many options so it is just making a decision. I quite like the idea of having some possessions of James Bond laid at a poker table. These would be trade mark like a watch or Martini or playing cards. The Casino Royale intro has many relations to playing cards which is quite a good starting point.