Aurel Tristen

Gamma rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation. Reflex weapons, witch are essentially nuclear weapons renamed because saying anything about nuclear or atomic weapons on national TV in Japan in 84 would have been a bad idea, normally generate massive amounts of gamma radiation. Changing the formula (don't take that word literally) can change the balance of radiations released by the reaction. This fictional gamma reflex weapon happens to produce many times more gamma radiation. If you can imagine what would happen if many of these weapons where used at once, or in close succession, you might end up with quite a bit of gamma radiation. Quite a crisis... a Gamma crisis. But hay, its a community project, if you can come up with a better name, I will be more than glad to use it! I don't see whats wrong with Blacksmith, and I definitely don't want the names to be 'realistic.' The names are carefully picked to FIT the character. That name happens to be the name of a real person. I'm sure he would be delighted to know you think his name is cool. And about flash, take a system with 1 GB of ram, load a 4+ minute animation with an explosion effect that is a 50 frame PNG sequence with Alpha transparency and watch as flash is brought to its keens, freezing for a good 10 seconds every time you click the mouse. Its impossible to work with if you want good effects. Sure you can export it to a reasonable quality AVI, but it also starts to crash and or create corrupt AVIs when you start exporting higher quality video, at higher resolutions and frame rates. Zentrodi, Zentradi, Zjentohlauedy, Zentraedi... the point is still the same in the end. I started off with the o variation a long time ago, and kept with it because all my files used that spelling variation. I doubt that spelling will be seen in the final OVA, as some of the team members are Macross fans as well.

I have been dreading posting this here for a long time. I'm not exactly sure why, but I get the feeling that with all the hardcore, and super leet hardcore Macross fans here, it might get quite the negative, or skeptical reaction. Despite this, I decided to post anyway. There is too much raw talent here to pass up. Macross: Gamma crisis is a fan OVA based off of SDF Macross and Macross DYRL. It initially started out as my personal project to see what I could do outside the limitations of the SWF format. I wanted to be free of the file size limitation, and especially the content limitation. I couldn't make scenes as spectacular as I wanted to because the file size would go through the roof. After a little thinking, I concluded that this would be a great team project, and with other contributers, it could only get better. I recently launched a small webpage to cover the basics of the story, characters, and what positions where available. ( http://www.robotechflash.com/gamma ). So far, the reactions have been great. We have a little team going, and our voice actor cast is growing (with more than 8 applications for the lead role so far) If you read through what I have there and think to yourself "wow, this idiot doesn't know poo about Macross," you can't fix a problem by complaining about it, join the team as a continuity writer! If you think my Valkyrie looks like crap, lets see what you got, join up as a 3D effects artist. What would it hurt? If the project fails, you're left with some great examples of your own work that you can see in context of other elements, such as CG backgrounds, music, and voice acting, but the only thing thats going to kill it is the 'it can't be done' attitude. **Closes eyes and waits for death to rain from the sky**

YAY! I had CQ yesterday (24 hour duty) and I took my laptop. I worked from 9 AM to 12 AM, 15 hours STRAIGHT on this model to get it skinned. I had to make some changes to the design in order to get it to do what I want and I know the Macross fans here will be more critical of it than anyone, but the opinion of one fan here is worth that of 10 avrage passers by elsewhere. The biggest thing that may stand out in this image is the cockpit. I was messing with moving the seats back into the nose for Battroid, and the only way the pilots seat had enough room to clear the navigators console is if they are spaced like they are. Even then, I had to hinge the navigators console to fit it past. I couldn't go any lower because of the landing gear well underneath the cockpit. After all that it turned out to be pointless because the Battroid neck sits right inside the Battroid cockpit. Makes me think, it would be too easy if they wanted to put the pilot in the head. It almost makes me think they may have planed to in the early days (as dumb as that would have been). I also had two problems with the heat shield. I wanted to use it for re-entry, so it had to be long enough to deploy in fighter mode, and even if it wasn't longer, there was NO WAY it would fit under the chest plate, so I created a telescoping version that collapses in on its self (like the armor on batman's car in one of the movies, can't remember which). Now I come to my greatest obstacle. I knew it was coming, and yet I chose to ignore it, saving it for last. The ARMS! They physically WILL NOT FIT in between the legs!! Its impossible without them shrinking, or changing shape (squishing in). This is what I get for modeling off of a fighter reference and not a toy. I figured it was too late to change blueprints (thats why I didn't move over to the ones that where posted here). My question to you folks is this. Witch would you prefer to see? A) Make the arms skinny, fit them in, and make them change size when transforming B) Make the arms mechanically collapse into them selfs so they will fit realistically (But will look less like the original Valkyrie) C) Move the engines outward so the arms fit normally (Jet will look ALOT less cool in fighter mode) D) A little of C and A Images! Older one

I know, thats why I said that. I added the glass plates because making HUD info appear on the canopy would be impossible in Orbiter and Flight Simulator. I tried to put it in orbiter yesterday, but it didn't work (not that big of a surprise). The camera was focused on the runway, witch had nothing on it. I opened the msh file with a msh editing program I just got, and the model is there, although it has exploded for some reason. It seems that moving origins is to blame. I wish someone would have perfected this when the feature was made because it is glitch as hell! Every time I do anything with origins, something explodes, breaks, changes shape, or disappears all together.

Thank you, just what I was looking for! Looks like I might have to re-build my wing though

Jumping around a lot on this one. I started geting into detail with the cockpit. This image is a render with no lighting (took about 3 seconds). I'm baking the lighting into the textures so it will look good if I put this baby into Orbiter or flight simulator some day I used Rodavan's fine render as a reference, and pulled the center screen element out as a stand in for now. The final version will use real time MFDs from Orbiter or Flight sim. You might also notice the HUD has glass plates. I decided to add that seeing as how most flight simulators won't allow me to project the HUD onto the canopy its self.

Oh wow, no I'm really screwed. I kept working around the problem doing other things here and there until some how, I triggerd some awesome feature in 3D max I have never heard of, seen, read about, and could never find any use for, that makes my transform gizmo invisible, even though 'show transform gizmo' is checked under View, so now I cant work on anything anymore. Holy god, somebody bail me out here! *Goes back to pressing random keys* Edit: X! Holy crap I swear I pressed that but, I guess X is the magical key. Yay! One problem fixed, on to the next! Wait, no still same problem, I cant link more than 3 things together or everything deforms when rotated.

Didn't know how to do ether of those, but I have discovered it rotates just fine until I link it to something. O_o I'm still just as confused as to how linking something could cause it to deform like that. Well this is terribly interesting! It seems I have discovered a type of mechanical linkage that 3D studio max cannot support. Edit: All I am trying to do is have something that pulls the landing gear in. Through experimentation I have discovered that the hydraulic that is shown on the toy is impossible. It cannot be both long enough to lower the gear straight down, and yet short enough to pull it level inside the landing gear bay, so instead I made a new system where a horizontal hydraulic pushes on an arm bar that connects to the gear column. I guess its impossible to link this up in 3D studio though because the second I link it all up, one of the parts exploads into a deformed skewed version of its former self (normally the arm bar). I have set it up with primitives, each part as a block, and it worked, but as soon as I apply the same mechanics to actual objects 3D studio as a stupid attack, and defies all logic. Initially I thought it was the linking that did it, but because of the successful experiment with the primitives I have found that isn't true. Then I started thinking it was caused by moving the pivot points of the objects, so I built the whole thing without moving any of them, and as soon as the whole thing was linked together, with the arm bar using a look at constraint, pointed at a cylinder that used a track constraint (running it on a rail instead of a hydraulic this time) the arm bar exploded. I am totaly at a loss here. I haven't the slightest idea what is wrong or why such a simple mechanical system is impossible.

I moved on to the landing gear for the time being and rand into a BIG problem. I have had this before in 3D studio, but I always just gave up or worked around it. I have objects (like the hydraulics that I am trying to link correctly using the look at constraint) that deform as I rotate them! I have tried local and world rotation but they still deform as I rotate them in position, with or without the constraint! Any ideas? This is really frustrating me!

Well, moving along now that the wings are taken care off (except the air breaks and hard points) I started working on the legs. I was able to achieve the reversible knee joint after a little tweaking, and I'm quite happy with it. Not allot of visible clipping going on, everything seems to collapse back onto its self realistically, but here is where I am RELAY stuck, the joint between the intake funnel its self and the leg segment containing the prop. Its the joint that is only used in guardian mode to get the legs further away from the body. From some of the illustrations (specificity the one that shows how the legs get from the body to the nose cone) it looks almost like its some sort of sliding pivot hidden under that gun on one side, and an extruding plate on the other, but I just can't find a realistic way to make it fit, and keep the dexterity I want fir animation. Any ideas? (you can see its just a big open gap on my model right now)

Awsome, I'll give them a try, hopfully the'll line up.

Yeah, I ended up making allot of major changes with my old VF-1 and SDF-1 to get them to transform (Actually the only problem my SDF-1 had was the reflex cannon clipping through poo as it rotated and all that. I can see the VF-19 really has that problem, seeing as how its toys don't look much like it, but that new Yamato Vf-1 looks VERY good in all modes to me, thats why I'm wondering if I should just ask one of you for a good scan of the instructional art that comes with one of those, or taking a picture if I ever get one. Don't all kill me at once, but there was a time that I didn't know much about Macross being different from Robotech, and I made the massive mistake of buying a 1/48 (I think) VF-1 made by Toynami. If you could see older versions of my model you would see that I referenced that toy ALOT when making the model so things would work. I would love to get a Yamato VF-1, but first I need to wait for this new one with the uni-swing bar that tucks behind the nose (That is so cool!) because the current mode looks like it won't last a week. Its not that I am 3 years old and like to try and make them fly, but I'll bet ANYTHING that the day I get it, even if I put it up on my shelf above my computer, its only a mater of time before a drunk ass fellow soldier will stumble across it and proceed to break it on accident. Then he would say "Oh poo dude, sorry" and "I'll buy a new one, how much was it?" "Oh $150" "WTF? For that? I cant afford that" (I think me and the first sgt are the only ones who are not broke in my company) Anyway, the biggest problem at hand right now is the flaps! Is there a unified design I can follow or does the VF-1's design specify? Going back through my original file I put together making the original model, I came across that awesome image of the VF-1 in Guardian, where you can see into it and see all the parts. It shows me somewhat of what the flaps are doing but I'd like to see it from the top. I know there is one of it in fighter mode, but I don't have it. I also came across this: Its obviously from a toy, so I'm thinking it may be more accurate, but I don't know what toy for sure. Its not a VF-1S but the only major difference is the head so... That image doesn't have a front view ether! Not cool.

My old VF-1 was getting... well... old. I started it 4 years ago, and slowly upgraded it over time, and just like if you did that with something in real life, it became a mess of modifications that clashed. Biggest problem was that the one thing I hadn't replaced, the nose section, was built from a 12 sided cylinder, so it ended up with very few faces when it got to the center of the chest. I have been avoiding this project for a while because It took me months to get the nosecone to look like it dose now, witch STILL isn't very accurate but much better than before. I don't know how I'm going to do it again. Anyway, the problem I am having at the moment is the ailerons and flaps all together. I remember the model from the Valkyrie simulation project showing a single flap that opened, and folded out to enlarge the surface area. I see allot of real aircraft with the aileron broken into 2 equal parts, the outermost portion of witch moves for control, and the inner section dedicated just to lowering during take off and landing. The line art I am using shows a split, but I still don't know and I don't want to just DO it and end up going back. Does anyone have any illustrations of the VF-1 flap and aileron system? Problem number 2: The folding wings are show in the line art with the break in the main fuselage (for the wings to fit into) riding all the way up to where the body splits for B configuration! Even ignoring this and bringing it down about a foot (or less) I still won't have room to rotate the wings all the way back without some part extruding through the 'shoulders.' The reason why I ask here is simple. I could just come up with a solution that works, but I'm trying to be as accurate as I can with this model. Should I use different line art? What I have is the TV version of the VF-1, and so I'm a bit worried that when I transform it it won't look correct in the other modes. I suppose the best answer to this is to work with line art from a toy instead, but I don't have any, and I wanted some 'professional' opinions on the matter. Here is the old VF I am replacing: This is the latest image, you can see I started rebuilding parts (left side first) and adding new landing gear, a modeled out 3D intake fan, re-texturing the wing and leg, and I was going to copy it over, but thats when I realised how BAD B mode looks. The sholders are FAR to broad, and the body is just plane blocky (the air intakes on the chest place are intruded boxes!) I may keep the arms, I just rebuilt them

This is some cool stuff. You're doing a great job so far. I especially like the attention paid to how the voices should sound (IE radio, reverb, and so on). What I am wondering is how you separate the background sounds from the original Japanese voices. As far as the audio and video getting off sync. Yeah, it might just be frame drop, witch in more advanced programs you can normally stop.

Don't go off of my spelling, I'm sure Im wrong. I originally saw Macross as Robotech, on Cartoon network, and other than DYRL, Macross Plus, and Macross Zero, I haven't actually SEEN SDF Macross, although I do already prefer it over Robotech. (Protoculture a fuel? COME ON! Proto (first) Culture (culture) errr, what the hell where they thinking?) But seeing as how I haven't actually seen it, I still mix and match the two quite a bit without realising it. I really liked some of the American voice actors and I'm waiting to find a Dub that I like, and can afford.

Wait, what am I missing here? Who has been runing around doing bad things in my name! >_<

I have to agree. That's a very cool looking Veritech. Its too bad I cant find ANY art on it anymore. In fact, what you have posted here is some of the best I have run across. The part where I disagree is I think the VF-0 is sweet... A little too sweet. Thats my problem with it. It looks TOO cool to come before the VF-1. It looks more like a cross between the VF1 and a YF19 or something. Anyway, nice work!

O_o? Yeah, I havent been to macrossmecha.info, but now Im curious. Do I want to know?

I guess I never officially posted this here, but in the last week Ive had 89 unique page views to my website (that's 47% of my total page views for the week!) And I couldn't figure out what was causing the sudden increase in traffic from here. Anyway: Back in the day before I knew very much about robotech, (yes, before I even knew there was a difference between it and Macross) I (being very young at the time) took this short fanfic my buddy made up, and made it into 2 or 3 episodes of a flash series. The drawings where terrible, the music was loud, the sound effects crappy and abrupt, but it was one of the few serious flash animations Newgrounds.com had seen, so it did well. So well in fact, that I kept going, and the story got crazier (with my odd decision to add little cameos of other anime characters here and there, I still don't know why) until I finished it with the 10th episode. Looking back, the only thing they had to do with robotech was the VFs and the Zentrodi. Initially, I didn't even specify who was who, except Lisa. After the initial 10, I flew through the Classic series (supposed to be closer to the original, but it was actually farther from it! but it did use the original music) Did a 'movie' that sucked, and was in 3 parts, and then finally did my first works that where worth a damn. "birth of Robotech" was a 3 part movie OVA deal that covered the crash landing of the SDF-1, and its space fold to Pluto, but in it I had added my own additional plot lines and such that where supposed to come into play in my following works. Once that was a big hit, I started my biggest project yet. I set out to re-make the original 10 episodes with the full graphical glory of the Birth Of Robotech style. Now knowing allot more about Macross and Robotech, I decided to make it a little closer here and there, and made allot of sense of things. Anyway, long story short, if you do go see my animations, don't wast your time with anything other than the birth of robotech 3 part OVA, and the episode remakes. www.robotechflash.com (click on forums and look in news for "Flash animations posted on cleaner website" if you don't want to deal with Newgrounds.com's shenanagens. That will take you to a page that has remake one and 2. The rest are only on newgrounds. Look in the FAQ for a link)

I wish there was a misc forum to post on, but I had to show this to someone. While wandering the Internet looking for something to do, I came across an add for some game download BS. Now let me re-assure you, I know this thing is BS, you know this thing is BS, so I am in no way advertising for it, but for some reason, I clicked on it, and saw a VF-1 on the title bar! What is the chance of that? Either the web designer was a robotech/macross fan, or he just so happened to find this image and used it. It just seemed so out of place and unexpected. Look http://www.unlimitedgamedownloads.com/join...evid=ebookcatal or better yet, if you don't want to click the link (I wouldn't blame you) this is the image its self: Craziness

You could try starting at Milkshape3D (www.milkshape3d.com). Its not very powerfull, but is simple enough that you can get down working in 3 side views and 1 3D window, and it only costs $25, so if after 30 days you decide to keep it, its not going to kill you to get it. Not to mention if after several months, you decide 3D stuff is not for you, then you didnt go out and buy a $3,000 program. There are other ones out there, this is just what I got started on, and I still use it now and then to do little things. After that, I would suggest moving to 3D studio max. There is a lot of support out there for it, and MS3D is designed after it, so the interface wont be a huge change. EDIT ---- Ok I just noticed it says 649 posts next to my name. Is this a leftover from the break in?

I blame the fact that 2D is 2D and 3D is 3D. I have tryed many times to model this and I think its somthing that you can't turn 3D and have it look right in all perspectives.

www.milkshape3D.com Its not super powerfull like 3D studio max, but it dose a wide range of things, and is great for learning how to model. You can try it for 30 days, and then if you like it, you can buy it for $20. Its meant to make models for computergames (like Halflife and Quake) so you can make joints and animate your creations. You can also try Gmax. It has a crap load of powerfull tools becouse it is basicly 3D studio max, but without the rendering engine. You can use it to put your models in all kinds of games (like Microsoft Flight Simulator). This is what I used to put my YF19 in MFS04.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I recall him saying that he actually designed the VF-1 in battilod (spelling) mode and worked his way back to fighter, and that he didn't intend for it to look like the F14 at all. Not sure where I read that, but it makes since to me. If you really look at it, the only things that make it allot like the F14 are the sweeping wings and duel engines. It actually reminds me quite a bit of the F15, the way the body is boxy near the engines. The lack of horizontal stabilizers all together destroys its F14 look for me.

That would be awsome, thanks!