YF-19 in Blender!

[eosmusashi]

This is all told with plenty of detail in my blog: https://eosmusashi.wordpress.com/the-yf-19-project/ so feel free to check it out! I'll try posting the WIP from the beginning here and share the steps I've taken to make my favorite mecha plane

LATEST UPDATE:

[eosmusashi]

The first image of this project beginning circa July 2014. I created the image orthographics from the Hasegawa 1/48 YF-19 specifications, because I wanted to have a slim, more angular plane than the toy, even if it compromises the transformations.

Modelling begins

[eosmusashi]

When I got to this point I decided to start over again from the beginning

The thing is, I was modelling with too many polys and it was starting to get messy, and I figured I could do the panels with normal maps instead of actual geometry.

So when I got to this point and modelled this triangular thingie, because it was mirrored I realized I couldn't continue like this.

So I restarted the project with a lot more of a clear path in mind, to make it as efficient as possible in polycount while keeping a very smooth result, and also to make it transformable.

Old version and new version

New version above, old version below

Cutting the different panels apart

Fortunately, I had picked up a bit of experience in modelling by this point, so the second time it was a lot faster to get to my original point.

I also cut the flaps and slats, the wing spoilers, the landing gear bay doors, the missile compartments and rudders, while the first time I had everything as a single piece.

And because it's made of separate pieces, it will be able to transform! Here's a test:

[eosmusashi]

Finishing the exterior fuselage parts

Just to make it easier to see, I added some colours and transparency to the canopy

Test for the GERWALK mode

[eosmusashi]

Head modelling

Getting some reference for the chair and cockpit:

Cockpit lined out

[frothymug]

Killer work!

[Knight26]

Nice work, any animations of the design in action, or of the transformation?

[spanner]

Impressive work!

[eosmusashi]

Thanks!

Nice work, any animations of the design in action, or of the transformation?

So far I've only made a few animation tests of the transformation:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/BCdQ-ybYg3M[/media]

https://www.youtube.com/embed/CsiDDOLz5U8

And then made this rigging in progress vid which has more detail:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/H2BQj9r39Wk

Edited July 13, 2016 by eosmusashi

[eosmusashi]

Question, I'm new to these forums, how do you attach Youtube videos to be seen here?

[Duymon]

Dude it looks awesome.

For a moment before clicking I thought it was literally gonna be a cringe-inducing "will it blend" video

[eosmusashi]

Hi-speed/storage mode

Refining panels

Front Landing Gear

Rear Landing Gear

Storage sequence of front landing gear

Gun modelling

Refining the leg shapes to be rounded and not square (didn't notice until later on )

[eosmusashi]

Front landing gear sequence refined

Rear landing gear sequence

And here's the whole thing on an animation:

How the hell did I just post the video correctly?

[eosmusashi]

Beginning of the rigging process

First Battroid conversion attempt

Yeah. It looks awful. So I need to go beyond the toy's transformation and do something different with the Hasegawa 1/48 plane.

Arm mechanics modelled

Wing surfaces modelled and rigged

Arms look too skinny so I needed to find a way to make them chunkier but still fitting inside the mechanism.

Gerwalk test

Hand modelling

Inner knee connections

Lower knee connections

[Mr March]

Amazing work! If I can be of any help with reference, let me know. I can get you some larger and better versions of most of the line art I have on my site, if need be.

[eosmusashi]

Amazing work! If I can be of any help with reference, let me know. I can get you some larger and better versions of most of the line art I have on my site, if need be.

Thank you!!! Will be happy to ask!

So taking the toy as a reference, I tried moving the different pieces to fit into the Battroid mode. A better shape, but this breaks my head, the proportions look wrong. Even though they are correct in the plane.

Adding the covers for the neck piece

Big boobs

Gerwalk transformation

More bones added

[eosmusashi]

Figured out little things like the way the legs fit with the arms in plane mode, there's a hinge or some sort of door there, that I made into a separate mechanism that opens and closes but sticks out in the plane configuration. Bummer

More bones

So many bones I had to start assigning colours

Then my plane passed through a psychedelic period. This was to test how the panels intersected with each other during the transformation, and ensuring there were no awful penetrations happening.

[eosmusashi]

Created control shapes for the things that can be animated.

The transformation slider is inspired in the original VF-1 control

Playing around with posing the Battroid

Wheel rig completed, now the wheels rotate following the ground for closeup shots of taxiing

Figuring out the internal mechanisms for the transformation

Internal mechanisms for the pelvis

[Chronocidal]

You might be better working from a different reference instead of the older Yamato YF-19 or the model up above, but the YF-19 is a giant pile of animation magic in the way it transforms, so you may wind up with mesh collisions no matter how you do it.

Both the newer Arcadia YF-19 and Bandai VF-19 Advance have newer attempts at the transformation that work a bit better, but still have compromises for reality. The Arcadia has an indent in the side of the leg to accommodate the arms, while the Bandai has a set of folding panels that collapse into the leg in fighter, and cover the gap for the arm when you extend the feet.

All that rigging though is incredibly impressive looking, I love that you're making something that looks pretty much physically possible to do.

I'll be honest though, when I first saw the title, I forgot Blender is a CAD program, and thought someone had just gotten really frustrated with their YF-19.

Edited July 14, 2016 by Chronocidal

[eosmusashi]

Adding a navigation light

Folded configuration for Battroid with no intersections

A mechanism to hide the gap between the fuselage and the back of the Battroid that opens and closes

Added details to the head piece

Wing spoiler connections

[eosmusashi]

You might be better working from a different reference instead of the older Yamato YF-19 or the model up above, but the YF-19 is a giant pile of animation magic in the way it transforms, so you may wind up with mesh collisions no matter how you do it.

Both the newer Arcadia YF-19 and Bandai VF-19 Advance have newer attempts at the transformation that work a bit better, but still have compromises for reality. The Arcadia has an indent in the side of the leg to accommodate the arms, while the Bandai has a set of folding panels that collapse into the leg in fighter, and cover the gap for the arm when you extend the feet.

Thanks! Yeah I had to do a lot of compromise in all the versions because even though my first reference model was the Arcadia VF-19 and then later on, the VF-19ADVANCE, the proportions were still off with my modelling of the plane which was done after the Hasegawa scale model, so the head is a lot smaller, it has a ginormous chest and the hidden parts need to be slimmer to fit and not intersect. Also there's way too much artistic licensing because many things are not detailed enough in the movies to know what are they for.

Yeah! Anime magic is huge in this series. Part of myself hates it, but I still have to acknowledge how much Kawamori thought of, even small stupid details that make sense from the flight designer and engineering point of view.

I should try changing the title to "Blender 3d", I wonder if I can still do that... I also find a lot of images of blenders when I google around for tutorials...

[eosmusashi]

Increased the detail of the shoulder plate. According to the movies, those things are thrusters that it uses to manoeuvre when in Battroid and Gerwalk mode.

Intake fans modelled

Arm mechanisms folded in when in plane mode

Flap and aileron connections

Realized the exhaust could be a lot more detailed, so re-doing it.

Exhausts remodelled

Pistons and mechanisms for the feet, based on the Master File

What a mess!

Old version vs new updated model. Notice the pelvis plate changed to be closer to the Arcadia model while still make sense mechanically.

[eosmusashi]

UV mapping was a complete and utter nightmare. Definitely my least favorite part of the process.

Thus, texturing begins!

Added markings to the textures to find out which thing was pointing where for things like the dirt and smoke

[eosmusashi]

Panel tracing

[eosmusashi]

I ran across some troubles with the specular maps but eventually solved them, so these renders were tests that ended up looking great, even if they were specular maps mistakes

Adding warning signs to the textures

Adding some dirt

[eosmusashi]

Specular maps improved now that I knew what I was doing:

[eosmusashi]

Gun shading

Texturing of mechanical parts

[eosmusashi]

Learning how to render using HDRI maps:

[VF-9 Cirno]

Might I, humbly, suggest that you post your work over at scifi-meshes.com? Both because there are industry pros who use that site for 'hobby' works/wips (Fractalsponge/Ansel Hsiao, who's done official Star Wars 3D work has a long running thread there), and that just about all of them are more than willing to swap/share hints & tricks they've picked up over the years. Many times its just freely given.

That and there's a small/dedicated macross group there that is practically dying for 3D work of this quality. You might need to beat them off with a stick (or an empty gunpod).

[slide]

Learning how to render using HDRI maps:

These two pics... Gorgeous!!

[eosmusashi]

Will do VF-9 Cirno!

[Mommar]

Well, it's fascinating. I think the head is too undersized, and you're aware since you mentioned it. This is a good example of all the bizarre choices/compromises both Arcadia and Bandai have had to make to get these things functioning in the real world. Fighter and Gerwalk look amazing.

[TehPW]

That.... I have only complaint: WTF have you not actually build a 1:1 scale plane? LOL, seriously though i just went nose blind looking at all the colors you used. You should be working for a animation studio (if not already imployed in the industry, Sir)

[Nazareno2012]

That.... I have only complaint: WTF have you not actually build a 1:1 scale plane? LOL, seriously though i just went nose blind looking at all the colors you used. You should be working for a animation studio (if not already imployed in the industry, Sir)

If you check his site he does work in the animation industry, and some of his other projects are shown.

[eosmusashi]

Thanks for commenting!!

Mommar, yup, the head is too small and the chest too big. But since these are the Hasegawa plane proportions, I had to suck it TehPW thanks! I've been professionally involved in CG for the past 6 years, but never as anything other than an animator, so this is my first incursion into everything else, so maybe someday!

Cockpit UV mapping

Decided to paint by colours this time to make it easier to find what was what in the final texture map

Adding a texture to the seat

Panel lines for the cockpit traced

Added a bit of metallic shader

Specular highlights added

An Easter Egg: