LOL great minds think alike...I was going to suggest that too but wasnt sure if it would work...then combine/delete etc etc

cheers bullet

In the end I just cleaned the mesh up as best I could, the can is just one peice just need to put a lid on it...........dave

It looks better mate

Got to get back on track, get it back on track tank, OK lame, little update, this is just a plain occlusion render..........dave

why for you post 4 times old man??

The one thing that make no sens to me is the rocket launcher.
It's too small i think.
Unless it's for little tiny rockets :P

Keep it up!

It could be a land based hedge hog system coldwave? dave? similar to a multi grenade launcher for defense against ground personal.

cheers bullet

Could the mods please delete three posts please, the rocket launchers are in fact smoke grenades that most tanks have, I am not a expert on tanks but I do know a thew things about them............dave

Didn't know that !!!!! 10x for the lesson.

So then it's ok :P :beer:

Metalstorm was an Australian designed system now I believe owned by the Americans....its original weapon was the gun that had a proposed or theoretical RPM of 1 000 000. These sytems are just plain bloody awsome..check out the link dave for the Redback system...named after the great Aussie spider which has haunted us mere mortals in the backyard dunny...LOL.

cheers bullet

P.S dave I believe this would work nicely on your model??

http://www.metalstorm.com/content/view/38/98/

Looking real good dave!

I really like occlusion renders they show so much more detail.

Thanks ctbram, Bullet
Main thing to do is the secondary armourment Bullet pointed out the redback but its a little to large but I might use the mount for a smaller gun..............dave

I really like to see hard surface stuff and this is really top notch dave!

I never realized the geared wheel was only in the front. In my mind I alway pictured one in the front and back. I really love mechnical design it's artistic to me!

I am sure it differs from tank to tank but I thought the bogie wheels were in sets of two kinda like this

http://www.scalehobbyist.com/images/...035020_0_l.jpg

Saw that link ctbram, thats of a sherman type, it a cantileva (sorry about the spelling) they are only realy connected by the spring that is at the top so only some of the energy is passed on to the next one(that would be a fun one to rig). There are lots of setups independant sets of two, leaf spring, coil spring, newmatic and torsion bar (mainly second world war german Panther and Tiger 2). Most tanks are run from the front sprocket but they can also be run from the back (I think British Centurion).......dave

Great info Dave thanks.

I always wanted to do a tank they have so many great details to model. I have seen several tank models that are just awesome. lots of surface details. Yours is turning out to be quite good as well.

Great info Dave thanks.

I always wanted to do a tank they have so many great details to model. I have seen several tank models that are just awesome. lots of surface details. Yours is turning out to be quite good as well.

I am very impressed we are pretty close in age and you have mastered a much broader range of tools then I have managed.

Keep up the good work someone needs to stand up for us old buggers.

Thanks ctbram
You realy should do a tank I would like to see that and theres rigging on them as well, what eara?, I have got to do the rigging on this at some time and some mel script to control the hull. I realy did not use any referances for this tank as most tanks have the same parts (ex Jerry can). as far as I have a broad understanding of maya that comes at a cost that I am master of none and yes us old buggers will carry on.............dave

Edit:Thinking of putting a crow 2 50cal machine gun on top, I will need referances for that

It's shaped up really nicely dave since last time I looked, good work. For that Jerry can I think you sparked the idea of how you'd go about making one in pretty much everyone who saw it, i don't even like modeling and I found myself intrigued enough to sit down and start pulling some vertices...difference is that I lost my patience and dropped the whole thing straight away:)

And we're open for plenty of coffee breaks around here, in fact it's pretty much all we got done in the past few days, endless amounts of coffee:) I got so inspired I recorded a tutorial on how to render a cup of it, it was also a much more suitable project for my limited modeling skills than jerry cans...

Going to try to model this M151 protector just need more refferances...........dave

Started on the 50cal M1 machine gun, got good ref from link below. The only things smoothed are the studs........dave

http://www.pt103.com/PT_Boat_Compone..._Aircraft.html

You will find without smoothing that you can make very complex hard surface shapes. The only caution is that you will need to consider beveling edges or you will get razor sharp cg looking edges.

Another advantage to not smoothing is you get virtually no distortion in your UV's

Very nice reference site thanks dave. I may have to make one of these for my component library. I plan to make a tank one day.

Thanks ctbram
Trying not to make to detail, most of the part that are not smoothed will have some beveling. Once I have got all theM151 weapons system in place small details will vanish, feel free to do a WIP on any thing you found on that site...........dave

yep, that is the way to go dave. I did not mean to suggest the part needed bevels just pointing out that anything close enough in a shot, that will be seen and that is not smoothed, will require them or you will see cg edges. But you are correct for an object this complex you will never be close enough to many things as to notice and this is why I tend to add my edge bevels as close to the end of the modeling process as I can.

The gun is coming along nicely.

Thanks ctbram
Little update

It can be nice to have complex notches and slots and things without having to worry about adding a bazillion control edges, yes? You will find texturing to have less distortion as well.

Keep up the good work, it's looking really nice Dave.

Thanks ctbram
Every time I do any comlicated bevels I find myself having to clean up the mesh is that normal..........dave

Yes, bevels on complicated geometry can require a lot of clean up. If you get render artifacts remember to harden all your normals on the beveled bits.

Ah, Ive been softening those parts, well I have learned some thing...............thanks dave

Edit: I am realy engoying this hard edge modelling but like all things in life you have to put more into it to get the results you want

Been a bit under the weather, a little update..........Not bevelled the back yet.........dave

Looks good Dave

wow coming along nicely dave!

cheers bullet

Nice work so far Dave.

Thanks Guys
The more I find good referances I find I have to go back and remodel some parts, Mayaniac I saw you once did a nice humber armoured car that was nice, still got a lot to do on this gun.........dave

Good ref for this gun
http://www.bmgparts.com/50cal.html

Yeah, and funnily enough I never got around to finishing its guns... or starting them for that matter.

Nice update.

Little update..........dave

Edit:Just realised I didnt need to do the wire barrel grip as its not on the system I am doing.....LOL

wow...looks good mate...maybe not so bright?

cheers bullet

hey dave, looking sweet mate, Still following this, just not posting on every update, cant wait to see the final product.

G-man

Looks good Dave. I think I can see a little faceting in the heat sync pieces.

Thanks Guys
ctbram I will upload a picture hope that explains if not could you do a paint over, I think the gun is done now just to show you the boring side.............dave