Planning The Project

This project is going to span over a few months and there is a lot that needs to be considered and happen during that time. So I wanted to have a quick think about planning out my project roughly and thinking about what I need to get done.

Referencing - This has got to be the most basic thing I need to get done and do it right. As I'm doing a cross over between two existing races I need to accurately incorporate parts of each race into my designs and this can't be done if I don't reference them well. Referencing will be an ongoing and developing part of my project as I encounter specific design problems referencing and incorporating ideas will help to move me forwards.

Design/ Concepts - Although my designs are likely to change and evolve several times throughout the project I need some strong designs and concepts as a starting point. Concepting is an important part of the beginning of my project and has already started (some sketches will be uploaded soon), it will help me to bring my ideas together and let me see if they are looking good visually. Concepts and designs are also an integral part of development, I need these designs in order to begin modelling.

Modelling - There is a whole variety of issues that will be faced during the modelling phase of my project, including; what program do I use?, how complicated can the model be?, does the model have to be built in a specific way to be 3D printed?, what file type does the model need to be? etc. These are all questions that need answering sooner rather than later as 2 weeks spent modelling could be wasted if I've not built it in the correct way for printing etc. As I'm not building for use inside a game I am not bound by the traditional triangle budgets that I'm used to, however there are bound to be other limits that will restrict and dictate how I need to build and export my models. These are all issues that I will be looking into and addressing over the next few days.

(I didn't make this)

3D Printing - The aim of my project is to have finished models in hand, to make this happen I need to have them 3D printed which has luckily become a much easier and accessible process for the public. There are still however considerations which need to be addressed. The capabilities of 3D printers vary greatly and it is possible to have things printed at different resolutions, this means one type of printing may offer much better levels of detail. I therefore need to research and decide how much detail I want and need within my models, this may in turn impact the size of my model and the price, which both need to be considered. Another factor around the 3D printing of my models is overall finished quality, I want my models to be as close to Games Workshop quality as possible, I also plan on painting them afterwards. I therefore need to consider what material I need to get my models printed in. Time, this is another very important part of 3D printing my models. While the rest of my project is under my control sending my designs off to be 3D printed by a company is not. I need to allow the time it will take to have the models printed and returned to me within my plan, I also need to adequately allow for delays or problems involved with this part of my project. I plan on having some test prints done in order to evaluate all these issues as soon as possible.

Refining and Evaluating Models - Even if my models look amazing digitally and I think there is no way they could not be awesome in person, they might look rubbish printed. I need to allow time within my project plan to review the printed 3D models and evaluate if I'm happy with them or not. Not matter how well I try design my models there is no way of telling just how they will look and feel in person until they are printed. Ensuring I have this time within my project will enable me to make changes based upon reviewing the printed models and get new models printed. This section of reviewing, evaluating and refining my models is important in ensuring I'm satisfied with my finished models.


Painting - A huge part of being a Games Workshop hobbyist is painting your models. Models are always advertised and showcased with their eye popping paint jobs which make them really stand out and come to life. Painting therefore has to be an integral part of my project. There is not point creating an awesome model that looks flat and boring because its just completely grey or black. I need my models to be painted, and to a good standard, to grab the attention and imagination of everyone viewing my models. Fortunately painting Warhammer models is something I have some previous experience of (look out for some photos) and should be a fairly straight forward, if a bit time consuming, part of my project.

Staging/ Showcasing - This project is going to be an amazing look into how models are designed and created for the Warhammer 40k universe and there is going to be a lot of unseen processes throughout the development of the project. Showcasing all the work involved is therefore an important part of the project in order to give the finished pieces a sense of development history. I don't want my project to just be the finished models sitting there, I want my project to be a journey throughout the whole development process. Thought and time will therefore need to go into the design of how my project is showcased in order to show the development history of the project along with the finished products.
 
Project Review - Although my project is largely going to be a lot of fun and a fantastic way to spend a couple of months doing something I'm going to really enjoy, it is still a university project and requires a certain amount of review. This blog will serve as a constant method of review and development logging but I will still need to allow enough time at the very end of the project to formally review and document my entire process.