Egg Shaped Models - Aliens Dropship Egg (Part 1)

I've been thinking about creating a series of 3D  models to be made available on Shapeways. Three models have sprung to mind (Aliens UD-4L Dropship, Aliens APC and the Space Shuttle on the launch pad). However I wanted them to be slightly unique. Since it's almost Easter, I've thought about egg shaped models!

The first model I'm working on is the Aliens UD-4L Dropship. Here is an early concept of the Dropship.

The rear folding Weapon Pods have not been added to the model, as I'm not happy with them.

Aliens UD-4L Cheyenne Dropship - Cockpit layout

On my lunch break, I've managed to add some cockpit details to the UD-4L

Using a basic ejector seat and a HUD from another project. I've started to add objects to the cockpit. From watching the film several times, I've managed to create a basic console for the Co-Pilot and a large console / display screen for the Pilot. 

I'll probably be able to add a bit more detail, however I'll probably make up the rest of the cockpit, based upon best guess work. 

Aliens UD-4L Cheyenne Dropship

The Aliens UD-4L Cheyenne Dropship, in my mind, should be multi-role. So, I've altered the ramp position, created a pallet, cargo, and drogue chutes. This make the Dropship able to deliver cargo to the battlefield. 

These are simple renders of the UD-4L Dropship deploying cargo, at speed, with drogue chutes dragging the cargo from the ramp. 

Aliens UD-4L Cheyenne Dropship - Rear Landing Gear

For years, actually decades, I've been thinking about the Alien Queen fitting into the rear landing gear bay of the UD-4L Cheyenne Dropship. Sorry for the plot spoil!

I've semi accurately 3D modelled the mechanism of the landing gear, but when I've attempted to animate it into the landing gear bay, nothing fitted. So I've re-modelled it to something that actually works.

Exended

Retracted

The void where the Alien Queen would to had to get in is so small, her head would not of fitted. In fact a Alien drone would of only just fitted. So, plot fail!

I've still got a few modifications to make so that gear nicely fits into each other, but at long last I've got something that actually works!

Aliens UD-4L "Cheyenne" Dropship - Ramp Details (part4)

I've now added more details to the 3D model of the ramp system on the UD-4L "Cheyenne" Dropship. Whilst watching the Aliens film (again) for the APC loading sequence, I've noticed that I needed to make modifications to the payload bay floor of the dropship. By making it 'thicker', it has removed some of the issues I was having with the location of the chairs in the payload bay, with respect to having the APC in the payload bay.

Aliens UD-4L "Cheyenne" Dropship - Payload Bay (part3)

This is a very cramped space. Once the M577 APC was added to the 3D model of the UD-4L "Cheyenne" Dropship, I immediately noticed that the space in the payload / cargo bay for the chairs was going to be a challenge. I've taken a few 'liberties' on exact location of the chairs. The chair Hicks was sat in appears to be on the ramp on the Aliens film set. However, after a bit of creative tweaking, I've got it to fit.

Next: add a door to the Cockpit/Flight Deck and to add equipment details to the interior.

USS Sulaco - Hangar Bay (Part 2)

I've 'refined' the walls of  the 3D model of USS Sulaco's hangar and adjusted the number of 'side-support' structures to match the film set. I have been using the "Aliens - Definitive Edition" DVD as my main source of information for the hangar layout., as it has multiple views of the hangar and the UD-4L 'Cheyenne' Dropship.

The 3D model hangar is still far 'perfect', but it starting to get the look of the USS Sulaco's hangar. I've added a 'basic' crane in the hangar and have 'loosely' positioned the crane components. The four main vertical components that run down the Dropship's centre fuselage, I have no idea what their exact purpose is; fuel transfer, grapple, who knows. I'll model these better after watching the film, again :)

I have also discovered that in the pressure chamber that is under the primary Dropship, it has at least three supports that hold the Dropship in place prior to launch. Two under the forward weapon pylons, a third at the rear of the craft. Must remember to model these

USS Sulaco (Part 2)

Last night I had trouble getting to sleep, so I thought do a quick hour of 3D modelling on the USS Sulaco to tire me out. At 4am I decided that I should really get some sleep. In those early hours of the morning, I tidied up the Engine and Fusion Torus sections, re-sized and positioned the Particle Beam weapons and eventually connected the four sections together.
Job outstanding:

• The IR Mast is still not attached to the main hull.
• The Rail Cannons need to be created. 
• For the forward antenna array, I need some better drawings to clarify positions
• Complete the detailing on the underside as well as a basic hangar bay.

In the lower image you can get a sense of scale of the USS Sulaco. The  few pixels below it are an UD-4L Cheyenne Dropship, measuring at 26.5 meters. If the antenna array was complete, the over all length is 731 meters.

Aliens UD-4L "Cheyenne" Dropship - Weapons (part2)

Just finished creating 3D models of the missiles for the UD-4L Cheyenne Dropship. Previous they were just 'dummy' objects, so I could visualise the space they took up when creating the weapon pods . The missiles that the dropship can carry are:

• Mk. 16 150mm Banshee 70
• Mk. 10 Zeus
• Mk. 88 SGW
• AGM-220C Hellhound II
• AGM-20A TSAM
• AIM-90E Headlock

Now that I've got the missiles it was time to correct the geometry of the weapon pods as they were very rough 3D models.

To get the scale and size of the objects I've been bouncing between my Aoshima Diecast model and the "Aliens Colonial Marines Technical Manual".

I'm struggling to make fit and act correctly are the two ramps; one for the APC and one for the personnel ramp/stairs to the rear of the APC ramp. Maybe Dropship 01 and Dropship 02 are different?

One thing I still find odd about the weapon systems on the UD-4L is that it is very comparable to modern day weapon systems. I would of expected energy weapons that could of been delivered by disposable 'drones'.

Aliens UD-4L "Cheyenne" Dropship and M577 APC Scene

Quick post to show the 3D scene I'm working on. Its part of the landing and deployment of the UD-4L "Cheyenne" Dropship and M577 Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) 3D Models. I'll be adding more ground objects and some how add a rain effect. I'll probably use GIMP to alter the final render. 

Lighting still needs tweaks and there is still a lot of 3D modelling for the two main objects: Dropship and APC. 

I'll be working on the weapon pod on the dropship in the next days. 

Pre-Production version of the Dropship

After doing a bit more research, I've discovered one of Ron Cobb's early designs blueprints of the UD-4L Dropship. In my opinion, this looks better than the film version of the Dropship.

The mid 'hover' engines appear in the middle of the craft, which make more sense. They are just under the rear weapon pods which would indicate that the pod splits with the lower section staying in location and the top half rotates away. In the film version, the pod fully rotates over.

The APC looks more maneuverable, higher off the ground and just looks more 'bad-ass' futuristic as compared to the film version.

 

I would like to make both these, however, I can't fit it in with current projects, but I will attempt these later this year. Maybe call the Dropship UD-4M or UD-5.

Aliens UD-4L "Cheyenne" Dropship Cockpit

During my lunch breaks, I try to fill the downtime by researching 3D models, I know it's sad :) Sometimes I get lucky with finding good scans of blueprints or 2D CAD drawings. Sometimes I even find good photos taken at precise angles.

I've been trying to looking for decent drawings of the UD-4L "Cheyenne" Dropship's cockpit for the last 5 years, without much success. Last week, I have eventually found something that I use:

I also found a bunch of good movie stills, including photos of Dropship interior. This one of the 'cargo bay' has been very useful.

However, in the image below I spotted something that looked very wrong, guess what it is:

The HUD. It's too low and would make it totally impractical to use! I've watched this film many, many times and I missed this detail.

Anyway, I've made improvements to the cockpit and the next stage is to add the consoles and that useless HUD...

Projects to date...

Just had the evening to myself to find out how far along my current projects have progressed. So far I have the current projects in 'live' status.

• Project <Blank> - 1 out of 4 models complete. Texturing in progress on that first 3D model. Two other 3D models will be adaptions of the first 3D model. Interior model complete, but needs to go through a polygon reduction process. The forth model is a different 3D model and that is a work in progress. No interior model required for the time being.
• Shuttle project - External model complete and textured. Payload now being modelled with configurable options. Flight deck almost complete and awaiting the UV map to be created for the textures. Both the old (CRT) and new (MEDS) cockpit configurations will be done. Mid-deck model and textures completed. The 3D models for the External Tanks and SRBs complete. Creating the UV maps for Texturing has started.
• International Space Station - Halfway through 3D modelling the modules. One third complete on the Truss sections. Not started on the textures.
• SCA - very basic 3D model completed. Will add details to it later.
• Kennedy Space Center - VAB fully complete. LC-39 drawings and information obtained, and modelling to start soon(ish). Crawler and MLP started, but at a very basic phase. All these models will be low polygon 3D models.

Projects on indefinite hold:

• F-35 A, B and C - On hold due to lack of information, mainly good reference drawings. Also Project <blank>, Shuttle and ISS projects have taken priority.
• WASP Carrier - Project <blank>, Shuttle and ISS projects have taken priority.
• Alien dropship UD-4L - sadly left in a neglected state. Interior needs to be modelled, but there is no good reference drawings to get a 'good' model of the cockpit and APC bay. No textures created, but I aim to create various camouflage types.
• Aliens APC - As with all movies models, I find that the interior rarely fits in the exterior. So placed on the project on hold.

Projects complete:

• Low polygon version of the Orbiter for F-Sim Space Shuttle.
• Mir Space Station.

 

Aliens: Dropship and APC

Another 'project' I'm working on is a Rendering of the Aliens vehicles. It all started off 4 years ago with creating the Dropship model. It's kind of on hold as I'm missing good information on the interior. The Movie, doesn't really give accurate information. I do have some drawings of the interior that was use to create the sets in the film, but they simply do not fit.


I started the APC last year when I was stuck in a rut due to lack of information on the Shuttle Flight and Mid decks. The Film set interior definitely does not fit at all. The 'commander' console and the 'platoon' seats just don't fit. At least half of the platoon would be in the engine bay! The wheel axels also presents a huge problem...