Experimentation...thoughts?

This is a rough draft of (essentially) trading card sized reference cards for the Bastards of Foreven.  Currently the prototypes include NPCs, small craft, starships, vehicles, and planets.  This could (potentially) be expanded to animal encounters, organizations, criminal groups, equipment, and more.  I'm currently seeking input on the idea to see if it has any interest.  Comments and criticism welcome.  3.5 x 2.5 inch (standard poker size) cards, pic above shows the front on the top row, with the back below it.

Hot Spot 1: Drifters Dock Released!

Starships aren't built in a studio; they're forged in the Ironworks.

Welcome to Hot Spots, the latest release from DSL Ironworks. Hot Spots are designed to be quick locations used in your Traveller games. Need a bar for a shady meeting in a hurry? Perhaps a desert outpost, a landing bay, starport concourse, or an ancient ruin? Hot Spots are designed to fill that need, featuring full color interior and exterior renders, scalable maps, notable NPcs, and adventure hooks to give the busy GM everything he or she needs to drop that location into their campaign.

Hot Spots are compatible with all Traveller products, but setting neutral so that they can be dropped into any campaign. Background details are left vague enough so that each GM can fill them in with information that fits their game.

Drifters Dock, Hot Spot 1 is available exclusively through DriveThruRPG.com

Greetings and salutations from the Ironworks.  To celebrate the crazy hot weather lately, we here at DSL Ironworks have decided to have a little fun, occupy some time while sitting around the A/C, and give away some prizes.  So, it's contest time - a deckplan contest, to be precise, with a twist.  We've put together a relatively simple base 3d model, complete with templates for the deckplan, BUMP map, and texture map.  Download the files, stat out the ship, draw up the deckplans, and then give it your very own paintjob!  Submit your design files (stats, deckplan, and texture files) to DSLIronworks at Gmail.com to enter.  The number of winners will be determined by the number of entries, with a minimum of 5 winners. 

1st Place - Digital versions of DSL Ironworks complete line, plus a print copy of TM1 - Reprieve-class Escape Pod.  2nd Place - Digital and print versions of TM1 - Repreive-class Escape Pod.  3rd Place - Digital versions of the Quick Decks line of products. 4th Place - Digital versions of any two Quick Decks products.  5th Place - Digital version of any one Quick Decks products.  Now, these are just the basic prizes, and some additional swag may be added.  All entries will also be collected into a free PDF to share with the Traveller community at large, with stats, deckplans, and rendered images of your paint job.

The rules are simple - the ship design must be 150 dtons, use the provided deckplan layout, and use the Mongoose rules (mostly to avoid any licensing issues).  Why 150 dtons?  It's something different, and creates some interesting design choices.  As for what type of ship...well, that's entirely up to you - escort, yacht, trader, whatever you decide to design.  And it doesn't need to be a full starship either - it could be a system defense boat, heavy shuttle, interplanetary shuttle, or something else entirely.  It's all up to you.

One last thing - final submission date for entries is August 20th, and the winners will be announced August 31st.  You can download the file package from the DSL Ironworks Blog (http://dsl-ironworks.blogspot.com/) or the DSL Ironworks Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/389798864400967/).  

DSL Ironworks Facebook group.

If you're interested, the home of DSL Ironworks on Facebook is moving to a new Group, as opposed to a Page.  You can find it here - DSL Ironworks on Facebook.  Basically, I decided on the move to a group to allow a bit more functionality, and as a place to consolidate all of the information for DSL Ironworks and this blog.  I'll still be making occasional updates here, but most information will be coming out through either the DSL Ironworks blog or Facebook group.  If you've been following me here (or just stumbled across me), I'd urge you to check out those two places.  By way of celebration, I'll be releasing a few goodies through the FB group over the next few weeks.  I hope to see you all there!

Work in Progress

Just a couple of shots of WIPs for future DSL Ironworks products.  More info is available at the DSL Ironworks blog.

Latest project...

Over at the Ironworks, I've been working on some ideas for deckplans using vector graphics...the basic premise is to have one page able to produce battle maps in a variety of scales (15 mm, 25 mm, or whatever suits you).  This is a mockup of the first test bed, a Kankur-class Frontier Courier, 200 dtons.  Both sets of maps (single page overview and 15 mm battlemap) were produced from one single page pdf using adobe acrobat X.  The battlemap measures roughly 22 inches by 34 inches.  I'm also working on putting together the 25 mm version, which totals 24 pages total.

Learning curve...

I put up a new cover pic for the DSL Ironworks Facebook page.  There was something about it that bothered me a bit, and I couldn't put my finger on it until Wayne (Scarecrow) Peters pointed it out - the lighting was fairly screwed up.  Hat tip to Wayne and Andrew Boulton for sharing some tips to help improve the pic. The top was one version of the original, the bottom the revised version.  The problem was the light was from the wrong angle, and the shadows were way too light.  I definitely like the revised version better.  I'll be revisiting this pic at some point when I have more time.

Greetings and salutations, readers.  Apologies for the long silence; it's been a hectic couple of months here on the home front, and I'm just starting to get things under control and get back to work.  On the business end of things, Quick Decks 2: Expansion Pack is undergoing final editing and correction today, so hopefully that should be available over the weekend.

On the personal front, I haven't had an awful lot of time to work on much relating to 3d, but I did drag out what I've got done on the Warsprite-class (based on a picture by Tom Peters) and began evaluating where I stand and what remains to be done.  At the moment, I'm working up deck plans, checking the volumes against the model to make sure they're at least fairly close, and debating what needs to get done first.  The majority of the model itself is roughed out, as well as the fighters associated with it.  For now, just a progress shot...

I missed the big announcement...

For those of you who aren't aware, I've entered the realm of Traveller publishing as DSL Ironworks.  In the craziness of getting our first product released, I forgot to mention it on my personal blog, which has been sorely neglected of late.

DSL Ironworks has it's own blog, located at  http://dsl-ironworks.blogspot.com/.  Our DriveThruRPG.com publisher page can be found at http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/index.php?&manufacturers_id=4058.  And, you can even find us on Facebook Here.  Pretty much all of the product information will be released through the DSL Ironworks blog and on Facebook, as well as the major Traveller forums (COTI, Mongoose, and SFRPG).

At the moment, we're looking at four primary product lines.
1. Quick Decks - prebuilt deckplan sections that you can arrange however you like.  Our Starter Pack is already available, and the first expansion is in process.

2. Technical Manuals - Small craft ship books, aimed at a specific class of small craft, complete with deckplans, interior and exterior 3d renders, adventure hooks, stats, and notes about the design and development of the class.  The first one, TM1 - Reprieve-class Escape Pods, is finished and working it's way through pre-press.  It will be released as a PDF and full color softcover book.  The second, TM2 - Moke-class Launch, details a class of 20 ton launch and is currently in development.

3. Captains' Manuals - Ship books aimed at a specific class of starship, much like the Technical Manuals.  The first, CM1 - Astoria-class Corporate Transport, details a 500 ton starship used extensively by megacorps to transport executives, sensitive cargo, and a variety of other tasks.  It is currently in development as well.

4. Quick Minis - Given the dearth of good Traveller ship miniatures, I'm contemplating doing a line of paper minis geared toward starship combat.  These will also become an integral part of each of the Tech and Captains Manuals, including a sheet of minis with the PDF file.

This blog will still be active, although updates may be slow, and I do plan on continuing with some of my ongoing projects.  Thanks for checking out DSL Ironworks, and I encourage you to follow the Ironworks blog and facebook page; that will have our latest updates and information.

The future is coming...

Greetings again!  Just popping in to let all of you know I haven't dropped off the earth.  Work continues on a variety of projects.  I did get the cover for Freelance Traveller (September 2011 issue), which you can get HERE.

Plus, there is going to be a fairly important announcement made within the next month or so, which explains my relative calm and quiet of late.  But, I'm still creeping around, so fear not.

Technical Manual 2 Finished!

Sorry for the long silence.  I've been busting my hump trying to get my second Technical Manual finished and released.  I ended up going back and completely redoing the original deckplans to add a boatload of functionality, and I think the results have been worth it.  All maps are now fully scalable and zoomable vector graphics, I've added complete sets of maps scaled for 25/28 mm, 20 mm, and 15 mm, and changed the arrangement of files somewhat.  You can download it from COTI HERE and HERE, or HERE.

Time, time, time....

Wow...one would think, having a small business in your home and not having a 'real' job to go to everyday would give you tons of free time.  Oddly, it doesn't.  I see it's been over a month since the last post, and I've accomplished surprisingly little.  I did start a PBP game over on rpol.net, which has taken some time, and I've tweetered up a new version of the X-boat service hull for one of the groups.

You can find the game HERE.  If you'd like to lurk, you certainly may; we've got 2 4-man teams operating in Foreven, and the action is just getting started.
Anyway, here's the Jumpin' Jack Flash, the modded service hull combo.  This one is modded with a second turret on the X-boat, and belongs to a grav-racing team.  Yes, that's a Jackalope on the noseart.  South Dakota humor, don'tchaknow.

While working up the new textures, I got to tinkering some with the model itself and discovered that, while it's a good first effort, there's enough crap wrong with it that nags at me it will probably get a complete rework somewhere down the road (if I have time, lol).

Starting on the detail work...

I got started working on the cockpit and (possibly today) the engineering section.  It's going to be a bit of a pig in the poly-count (probably in the neighborhood of 100k).

 

Work Continues...

Still plugging away on the launch.  Worked up some passenger couches, and started tinkering with a full cargo version.  The passenger version holds 16 passengers and 5 tons of cargo; the cargo version is 13 tons of cargo (Mongoose rules).  Although it looks pretty good sized, I'm still struck by the fact it is rather smallish.

Part of the reason for the silence....

Howdy troops.  Yeah, I'm still around, although the activity here wouldn't suggest that.  In addition to learning the Mongoose Traveller rules, I've also been spending some time refining techniques and doing a lot of experimenting.  Most of what I've come up with is far less than stellar, but it has taught me a few things (like how to get through life without using booleans and spending an hour cleaning up stray vertices).  I've also been developing some methods for my current project, which is shown above.  It's a classic 20 ton Launch for future use, with the twist that I'm working up full interiors as well as exteriors, similar to some of the stuff MagMagMag has done on COTI (such as THIS).  Suffice to say, I have a new appreciation for the work he's done in this arena...it's tough, and requires more thought and decisions than I expected.

 The number one thing I've discovered so far is that, with most ships, iris hatches are damn impractical.  There just never seems to be enough clearance to make them feasible.

Cool in theory, but very difficult to implement.  The standard cylindrical shape is also kind of a pain...it minimizes the amount of space required for a fitted hangar, but brings with it a boatload of issues as well.  For instance, in the launch above, how do you allocate passenger vs cargo space?  Where do you put the cargo hatches?  How high are the decks?  Where the hell can I put the landing gear?

The above design incorporates most of the good ideas that I've come across over the years...the landing gear, for instance, are similar to those used by Scarecrow on his version of the 100 ton scout.  The upper deck is just shy of 2 meters in the center of the cabin, and the lower deck is 1.35 meters beneath to allow some usable deck area.  Simply splitting the diameter in half didn't really work worth a damn, so this is a compromise.  The major problem is, at least in this passenger configuration, you're not going to be hauling cargo containers.  A cargo version with the ability to fit containers in winds up being able to carry about half as much cargo as you should, with lots and lots of wasted space. I may tackle that down the road.

One of the other issues that caused some headache was the personnel hatch...if it's that high off the ground, how the hell do you get up and down?  That's where the folding ladder arrangement comes in.

Anyhow, that's enough for tonight.  There's some other stuff in the pipeline, but I'm keeping that under my hat until I have some solid to post.  Night all!

Aaargh!

Well, the best laid plans of mice and men, I guess.  I haven't updated for a while because I've been offline; my daughter managed to find some kind of vicious malware floating around, which worked a number on my windows load.  After way too much time farting around trying to root it out (some variation of Conficker, if my understanding was correct), I bit the bullet and wiped the OS and started clean.  Then I started having problems with my system overheating, so any kind of processor intensive work invariably led to a crash (make sure and clean your CPU heat sinks, kids!)  Between that and some work on the church website/ promo DVDs/outreaches, I haven't accomplished a whole lot.  Working into summer, it looks like church stuff is going to keep me fairly busy until mid to late July, but should drop off after that.

I have managed to get some of the character pics done for my second Technical Manual (Judges Guild Type C Cruiser), but even that is moving slowly at the moment.  Layout on the 8.5 x 11 version is finished (except for the character pics), so as soon as I get those done I'll be releasing it over at COTI, with the LBB format to follow at some later date (maybe).  I think I'll probably take a poll and see how much people care about the format and scrap one or the other to keep life simpler for me.

Sorry again.

Sorry for the lack of updates; it's mostly due to a lack of actual work getting done on any of this.  I've had some personal stuff to take care of, and pressure to get it all done has wreaked havoc on my creative streak.  Hopefully, that will turn around this week.

A bit of a new look.

I was just dithering about this morning, playing with various stuff in max and came up with a new header pic.  It's pretty simplistic, but I kind of like it, at least until I come up with something better.

Time keeps on ticking...

Howdy troops.

I'm still around, just been preoccupied with a few things.  I finally got my Challenge submission finished and submitted, just waiting to hear back from Steff to see if they need anything else.  Meanwhile, I've been screwing around with textures, looking for ways to make that process a bit easier.  I think my breakthrough may have been discovered, using max's Composite/Mix/Blend functions.  Basically, it's a material shader that acts like photoshop layers, and seems to work okay.

 

The mesh I had laying around from an earlier attempt at a Sulieman, so I knocked together some turrets and thrusters and set up a test material to see if I could make it work without spending a week in photoshop.  It's not great, but passable for wide shots and background ships.  Basically, it's a basic generic hull plating texture composited with a quickie photoshop paint job.  Certainly not the prettiest thing I've ever done, but then again I only spent about 2 hours toying with the texture.

At this point, I'm kind of thinking of going this route for my 'freebie' releases such as the technical manuals.  I've spent far too much time mucking around with textures and am getting a bug up my ass to actually start producing something besides renders, namely ships stats and deckplans.  I'll probably still grind through detailed textures if I get any 'paying' gigs, but I think quick and dirty is the way to go at this point; produce more hard content and useful renders, rather than sweating over the detail work that goes into painting hulls by hand.

Besides, it seems like I'm faster at the modeling end of things, and it's probably just as easy to build in the detail at the mesh level rather than the textures.  So, I think what I'll do is develop a dozen or so 'generic' hull plate arrangements and weathering templates, then when I get something finished I can just layer them all together and start rendering.

Holy smokes...

Wow, time got away from me again.  I've been elbow deep in my Challenge project, tinkering with random concepts for future development, spending some time with the 3ds max Bible to learn some new tricks, and just generally jumping through the hoops of life.  

Today I've been tinkering with a 20 ton fighter for a 3000 ton pocket carrier I'm experimenting with.  The thing that sucks about carried craft is the fact that the allowances made for in the rules make it damn tricky to design a vehicle that fits in that space and still leaves some area to walk around and do maintenance on it, especially on things like carriers.  Launch tubes exacerbate the problem, because now you've got to taking moving the fighters into launch position into account.

Anyway, hopefully a bit more later today.  I will endeavor to throw up some of the other concepts in the works tonight sometime, and try to get into a little more solid groove with this blog.