Ambient Occlusion Tests 'n Stuff

    Playing around with Ambient occlusion in Maya, then used After Effects to put it all together. A Mauser C96 rotating with some 7.63x25mm cartridges and stripper clips.

I'm working on my FINAL DEMO REEL thing, so I am wee bit busy.

Playing Around with particles

    Here's a good ole Ingram M10 firing a .45ACP at a steel target. Not much more to say about it frankly. I was just doing some particle stuff in attempt to simulate a frangible bullet.

CZ 858

Canada's answer for the AK

   In Canada, any AK variant is classified as a Prohib firearm, meaning that unless you have the right licence there is no legal way to own an AK-47 looking rifle while living in Canada. Although there are semi-automatic AK variants out there, they are still prohibited because of their history, that's like banning all pit-bulls because a few eat children... So the good ole country Czechoslovakia, sent in some surplus parts to make a semi-automatic SA vz 58's. Us here in Canada ate it up, so much to the extent that Canada had started making a "Canadian" model of the rifle: real wood stock with a maple leaf engravings... The CZ 858 (and the vz 58) have no internal relations to the AK, the only similarities to the original rifle is the basic shape, reloading method, and caliber.

   It's a fun rifle to shoot, only problem is the recoil. I don't mean the recoil is bad though, it just that the iron sights seem to be a bit low, if you get the rifle with a wire stock or a scope mount, then there'd be less of a chance of being tapped in the jaw by the wooden stock. Also there had been many surplus rounds of 7.62x39mm that would corrode the metal if you didn't properly clean the rifle. Something about chemicals in the primer affecting the type of metal that the knockoff AK's and SKS's were made of.

   Making the CZ was ultimately fun up until I reached the area that covered the gas piston, and the front sight. I had to figure out how to model these parts with a low poly count and still make it look up to snuff. I can't complain with the results in the end.

Demo Reel Tid-bits Part 2

Sleepy quarters of the base

If you've seen the updated version of the AR-10, you'll notice that the one rifle is sitting on a wooden table in some sort of dimly lit concrete bunker. Well that's my second environment: a well funded militaristic base. I was going for some mercenary or privateer type groups that would contrast the other environment in both equipment, and setting. They have bunk beds as opposed to the cots, Stinger SAM crates instead of those surplus RPG ones, and the M4s instead of the civilian CZs.

Pistol Rack along with some other... party favors

I figured I should put some sort of uniform but I didn't know what color it should be. Since these are technically the "bad-guys" I didn't want to make it the generic Jungle or Desert digital camouflage, since they were too similar to the US and Canadian uniforms. Then I found a picture of the Chinese Marine Corps and their Type 99 4-colored Oceanic pattern, the blue was a nice contrast from the gray and dull browns of the scene. I'm not saying that these are the Chinese though, just some people who's loyalties can be bought.

never enough guns... NEVER!

These guys are toting some M4s, AR-10, 870s, and various semi-automatic handguns and are also in possession of some M67 Grenades and M18 Smoke grenades. The shelves still need to be stocked and I should dirty up the floor some more. Keep in mind that these are still being worked on.


-Mike