[Tea Monster]

I'm working on making a new model of the Cycloid Emperor. I'm making this to be as close a possible to the original model by Chuck Jones.

I'm making this as I always liked the design of the classic Cycloid Emperor. I have made a previous model of the Cycloid that was more a re-imagining of the Cycloid than a reproduction of Chuck Jones' original creation. This isn't made for a particular project or mod. I just wanted to make the Cycloid!

I'm re-posting the shots from the WAYWO thread so that people aren't dinking around the place trying to find stuff.



Very early sculpt of the head of the Cycloid in ZBrush.



Low poly versions of the sculpted body imported to Blender and hard-surface claws and armour built around them.

Feedback and ideas are welcome.

[Mark]

There are a number of obvious things to mention but since its an early WIP you more than likely will be addressing those things. I'll wait and see a little longer.

[TerminX]

I like where you're going with it. Keep up the good work!

[Captain Massive]

Needs to be more asymmetrical.

Maybe add some personality as I mentioned earlier it kinda looks like ernest borgnine already.

Bosses aren't scary or interesting if they lack character.

[Tea Monster]

Captain Massive - I agree with you, and he will have asymmetry, but at the moment, I'm just getting the basic forms right. Once that is done, then I can go in and start fine-tuning the facial features to give him some personality.

If you want an analogy, then as a sculptor, I'm at the point where I'm walking around the lump of clay, tearing bits off and throwing bits on to get the shape right. Getting the creases around the mouth right will come later.

Thanks Mark and TX!

One problem I have is that the model is created in a relaxed 'T' position, while the sprite is always hunkered down. I'll have to do some ad-hoc posing in Blender and check the size and shape of the head, chest and arms.

Also, the arms are strange. This is what I get when I created the arms over a picture of the sprite:



It seems that there is a definite curve to the arms. It might just be the rotation of the model when the sprite was renderered.

Looking at this shot though, they seem to be more straight and mechanical in shape:



I don't know if there were two Cycloid models or not - one for the sprites, and another one that was upgraded to make the publicity shots. It might just be that the sprites had more adjustment done to them, or maybe even it's just an optical illusion from how it's posed. I'll do some turning and comparing in Blender and see what comes up.

[Daedolon]

The mid bottom teeth should point outward, not inward. Weird thing I just picked up, and it bothers me, but you wanted feedback

Other than that, it's a really great start!

[Tea Monster]

Yeah, it's all good. I'll check them out. Thanks!

[Daedolon]

The curve is still there, btw. The pitch of the arm just somehow rolls the hand too. I guess you should align the pincers to the second image.

[Tea Monster]

This is NOT the final textures and colours for the head. I've just chucked some colours on to double-check the likeness.

The head still looks weird on the body due to the posture differences.

[Tea Monster]

The body is the right size and the head is the right size. Might need to work on the connection between the two.

Again, I'm just getting sizes and shapes correct before getting into fine detail.

[Fantinaikos]

Untoothed cycloid look pretty happy. It seems to know that his metal pareo could fall at any moment...

[MetHy]

This looks nice and is a good job indeed, but yours look smoother, more curved, which makes him look more cute and less menacing. Maybe it's just a matter of polycount though, yours having more, I'm no expert, and like you said you haven't gone into final details yet.

[MusicallyInspired]

Texture plays a big part in that too, and as he pointed out, that's not final yet. Looks GREAT!

[brullov]

love zis!

[Tea Monster]

Still getting forms and shapes correct.
Just to repeat, it's nowhere near done. There are no fine details and/or textures.

[Tea Monster]

I'm helping out with the Halloween episode, so no updates this month.

[MusicallyInspired]

That's a good reason.

[Tea Monster]

I was on a sculpting kick and decided to revisit this guy. Got the shape of the head pretty spot on.

Looking at the image of him on the screen saver, yeah, there are two cycloid models. At least two different heads. I'm not sure which one I prefer.

[Tea Monster]

Finally got him finished now that I've got a 3D printer. I've not got a version that is game ready or poseable yet, but I finished the high poly and managed to get a pose done for printing.

Looking at the sprite, there are some bumps, or spines on his back that I might add in on a future version. Ehhh. See how I feel.

It only took nearly FIVE YEARS!!!






And finally, the 'Money Shot':

[gibfrag]

WOW! That looks awesome and extremely accurate to the source. Nice one, Tea Monster.

[ck3D]

That is great, for some reason your take on the monster makes certain similarities with the Assault Trooper a lot more evident than they ever were to me, although I may also be just seeing things. Anyway I guess that says a lot about the graphical coherence of the base Duke 3D monsters. Congrats on finishing some longtime work, must feel satisfying!

[Fantinaikos]

Now paint it like a miniature, the DN3D boardgame will benefit.

[Jimmy]

Excellent work!

[MusicallyInspired]

Beaut beaut beaut!