#fireant

[dionysusdrawings]

guys guys hear me out

(touya from mha and koichi from mha vigilantes yes it’s a ship post)

[chapteratatime]

check out my latest video

Predacon Inferno

Beast Wars Source Book

Written by Simon Furman and Ben Yee

Art by Robby Musso, Marcelo Matere, Don Figueroa, Nick Roche, Guido Guidi, Dan Khanna, Liam Shalloo, Josh Burcham, Zac Atkinson, Frank Milkovich, Simon Williams, Matt Frank

Colors by Zac Atkinson Josh Burcham, Andrew Elder, Guido Guidi, Kieran Oats, Rob Ruffolo

Edits by Dan Taylor

Design by Mike Heisler and Neil Uyetake

[geckomeleon]

Redesign for Vilma, I think it was mostly just some clothes tweaking but it's good to have her in a background.

I'll be posting these redesigns when they get done instead of putting them in my weekly posts so i can give everyone new characters while also doing the redesigns for old characters with no backgrounds.

[esperimentox]

Victorinox Multiuso e Accessori :: Victorinox - Acciarino per Venture Pro

[neritat]

Create project phase

This last week or so I started modelling the head of the RIFA using the software Blender. I chose to work on the head for this prototype as it's shape and features will challenge my modelling skills, extend my learning and it includes a number of key identifying features for this species so could be useful if seeking feedback on the accuracy of the model and level of detail needed for it to be fit for purpose. Skills learnt modelling the head can then be applied to building the rest of the body at a later date. I started building the head and experimented with a few different ways of modelling using different shapes and tracked the time spent modelling. Progress on the modelling has been slower than I’d like due to my lack of knowledge of Blender and need for repetition to consolidate my skills. This past week time spent modelling has also been intermittent while I’ve been on the road travelling. Establishing a more regular modelling practice will help me retain knowledge between sessions. I also started a tip sheet to help me recall new commands and learnings faster.

Experimentation with modelling approaches

My first two experiments used a "hard modelling" process where you start with a certain shape and build onto it or you create the shape from scratch. I used scaled reference images of the RIFA as a visual guide to help get the shape and proportions accurate. I based my approaches on what I had observed in other digital models and a discussion with my client RK about how she would approach the modelling.

Model 1 - Initially I started by shaping a 10 sided cylinder mesh to the head shape, creating loop cuts around the cylinder and scaling the loops to the reference images which were scaled to match the size indicated in the image. One of my key aims in the modelling process is to keep the polycount (no. of polygons) low so the file size is kept as small as possible. From discussions with my client RK, the file size is a key factor in how easily the model can be accessed on mobile devices in the field. Too large a file and this will impact ease of use. By controlling the amount of faces created in the model I can work to keep them to a minimum. This approach was based on viewing the build of Massimo Righi’s Fire Ant where they have used two cylindrical shapes for the head to establish the crease down the forehead (see image below).

I experienced a few difficulties getting the shapes to overlap adequately and working out how to duplicate and invert one side to keep the head symmetrical- this was mainly due to my limited knowledge of some modelling tools and an issue with the view because I am modelling the RIFA at it’s actual scale which is smaller than typical modelling in Blender and does the odd weird thing with the view which threw me for a bit until I worked out what was happening. See images below of Model 1 in process:

Model 2 – I wanted to see if I could control the modelling process and get a better head shape from the outset which would potentially save time later so also experimented with creating a flat plane of half of the head (front view). Using this approach I could build half and then mirror the other side, thus creating a symmetrical head shape and any changes applied to one half would automatically be made to the other half. This had an advantage over model 1 with the potential to reduce the polycount a little further. This method was based on examples I had seen of hard shape modelling on youtube previously. I had an issue with mirroring the design at one point however and had to set this model aside while I worked out how to resolve this issue while continuing to work on model 1. See images below:

Another modelling approach I looked into more briefly but decided to discard was using a soft sculpting process. This tends to create a higher polycount and I felt the sculpting process in particular was not well suited to modelling of the RIFA where I want more control over the shape of each element (i.e. antennae) and polycount.

Additional research on RIFA

I have further questions about the RIFA and would like to test some assumptions about what value the model could provide to the market. I developed a list of these questions and put the questions into a short survey using Surveymonkey to make it easier to send the questions out to potential stakeholders and to collate the responses. I got my client RK to test and review the survey to help ensure it would be suitable and the link to the final version is here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YXR8NZ7

I also reached out to a contact at the CSIRO insect collection who confirmed they have RIFA specimens, although these are not currently accessible by the public, and they may be able to assist if I need to clarify some features of the species.

What next? I plan to use one modelling approach going forward using the learning from the past week to draft the elements of the head i.e. head, eyes, antennae and mandibles before I start refining these elements. During this time I hope to receive some responses to my survey and gain further clarity around some of the features of the RIFA for when I begin to add more detail to the model.

[charlesoberonn]

[your-neighbor-bear]

Went blackberry picking at my grandpa's house!

Got a little less than a gallon of berries I think

[msburgundy]

[dykecassidy]

everyone pointing at their tvs and screaming abt ants

[livlepretre]

I hate ants too, or any insect in general :( They annoy me so much and from now on I'll have to tolerate them for another six months :(

Winter >>>

like, I can't explain the way I just LOSE MY MIND about them when I see them

I used to be so normal about them

Now I flip out, deep scrub until dawn, and then compulsively monitor my ant death traps

[emotionally-tipsy-demoman]

im mad at you. you told me that every time i kill an ant there ghost goes to live in my pillowcase and now im scared of standing on grass. fuck you i know its not real but what if.

-@emotionally-annoying-scout

Whad'ye mean i'ss not real? Yer fault fer killin' all those lil' creatures.

[majorbaby]

FWOOOM roots done feel like myself again

[spitefulhoney87]

These bots are testing my patience

Truly, at this point tumblr should intantly check any accounts with the username ‘’untitled’’. 

[xtremersadiqart]

even more Timmy and Flamey, 2020-2022

[mars-ipan]

i sometimes think about how this website made me be nicer to bugs

[lbeth1950]

Growing Up in a Communal Home: Memories from Houston Part 2

That Barbie led a charmed life, raised by an adoring Mother who felt discipline damaged tiny psyches. While a screaming Barbie was gently extracted from a situation, she’d be pounding Cookie with her precious little fists. Billy and I stared wide-eyed, totally unaware a kid could attack a parent. I don’t believe Mother felt the least concern for the state of my psyche. She’d have warmed by…