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WIP 1542 Cannon

Post Captain

Post Captain

Seamanship Advisor
Coordinator
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Storm Modder
I got bored today, and decided to give modelling a first attempt. I decided to make a breech-loading cannon from 1542 based on the replica that will be placed on the replica galleon San Salvidor. This could work as a more historically accurate medium gun for all ships from before 1560 or so. The actual gun in San Diego was six or seven feet long. Since it was only a gun I tried to keep the poly count low. Edit: Tried and failed.

I'm going to give the cool breech-loading swivel guns from the same time period a try later this week.

(I'll still need to fine-tune and texture it, once I figure out how. Then anyone can use it on the appropriate vessels.)

vcm_s_kf_repr_1000x520.jpg

vcm_s_kf_repr_1074x484.jpg


Believe it or not, it really was that narrow.
 
Interesting, that thing does seem a bit narrow, I am all for historical accuracy though. It's is little touches like this that really add to the immersive quality of games. Game companies used to understand that, but most over the past 10 years or so they have cared more about the bottom line than actually making quality games.

I am looking forward to seeing this fully textured and in-game! :onya
 
Thagarr said:
Interesting, that thing does seem a bit narrow, I am all for historical accuracy though. It's is little touches like this that really add to the immersive quality of games. Game companies used to understand that, but most over the past 10 years or so they have cared more about the bottom line than actually making quality games.

I am looking forward to seeing this fully textured and in-game! :onya
Click to expand...

Thank you.

I also thought it was a bit narrow at first. I think that that's because it was from the era where guns were still just pieces of wood with metal tubes attached. The entire gun was also lower to the ground than later pieces, and didn't need to recoil, eliminating the need for much support from the sides. (The wood was cut to fit the segment of the gun near the back of the barrel where the flat rings are. That whole part of the barrel was removed and replaced with another identical breech loaded with a stone or iron ball and powder. Therefore, it could be reloaded without the muzzle recoiling back inboard of the bulwarks. Unfortunately, these guns were also famous for blowing up.)
 
Just finished the 1542 swivel gun, also from San Salvidor, also breech-loading, and also explosion-prone.

vcm_s_kf_repr_1022x508.jpg

vcm_s_kf_repr_1030x505.jpg


I believe the bar behind the breech is to keep the breech in place when the gun fires.
From memory, the entire weapon including the handle was around four feet in length.

I think the technology fell out of use even though it offered significant advantages because it was almost as dangerous to the men working the weapons as it was to the enemy.
 
Nothing sloppy about this at all; nice work! You seem to have got the hang of modelling pretty quickly. :doff

I have two questions:
  1. Which program are you using?
  2. How many polygons does each cannon have?
 
looks great! especially considering they are your first models :onya hopefully that is Maya you are using? it certainly looks like it. at any rate, texturing must be done in maya, it seems like a royal pain when you first do it, but once you get the hang of it ist isnt so bad, I'll try to find the tutorial that Armada posted for me when I learned how.
 
Unfortunately, I was actually just messing with gmax, since I wasn't expecting to finish these... I also decided to wait on maya since you have to be a modder to access everything you need to download for maya. (According to one of the posted tutorials)

The poly count of the swivel gun comes in at 4668 (that sounds ludicrously high for an insignificant item) and the cannon's poly count is 9216. They'll both probably need a major detail reduction...
 
Would 1706 still be heinously high for the cannon and carriage and 1150 for the swivel gun?
 
Probably not :onya The main trouble with gmax is exporting is boring and time consuming (I'll explain when you get to that stage), which actually isnt too bad for small objects like these, and it is much easier to learn than maya in my opinion
 
Thank God... I thought I was going to have to keep reducing the number of faces on all the parts. :cheeky
 
I think I may need to be placed in that most esteemed and exulted position of modder so that I may download the proper jiggers, for lack of a better turn, and continue this debacle. (I assume I need maya to texture and everything.)

(The only possible way to phrase such a request)

edit: an example of sophisticated language gone horribly askew.
 
Thanks. I actually did this on an impulse... I never knew I would be finishing them when I started.
 
When you click on the "downloads" tab at the top of the page, then "modding tools", then "Akella modding tools" you should get Maya 5 with its plugins. Can you not get them there? :shrug
 
Never occurred to me- according to the storm engine modelling tutorial you had to be a modder to download the stuff. I'll see if it works.
 
Post Captain said:
I think I may need to be placed in that most esteemed and exulted position of modder so that I may download the proper jiggers, for lack of a better turn, and continue this debacle. (I assume I need maya to texture and everything.)
Click to expand...
That has to be one of the best requests for a promotion we've ever had...
Considering your dedication and enthusiasm, I'd say it's about time, too. Welcome to the Modders group! :doff

I believe the relevant thread for the Maya files is here: http://forum.pirates...and-help-files/
You have to be a Modder because the GM export plug-in requires a password, which is posted in the Modders-only subforum.

On another note, your amended poly counts look much more feasible for use on detailed vessels. :onya
They're roughly equivalent to the game's current high-detail cannons, which have rope tethers contributing a fair amount.
 
Thanks... Now to get to work on my other work and then get to work on this work...
(I have quite a bit of studying to do between now and the next three weeks)
 
Beautiful pieces, but why use gun carriage from the country.

I recommend the following website: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=7364

I'll see what I have in my archive of blueprints.
 
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