150 replies to this topic

[Rubidiy]

M4NTiC0R3X
0
all of it's hand's moving abilities are in elbow gearbox. It can move his arm left and right about 40 degrees, up and down about 60 degrees. It's shoulder can only rotate along it's own axis, so it's a 0 pushups.
However the lack of it's hands movement is gonna be compensated by a huge angle of Kodiak's upper torso moving abilities. I've intentionaly designed this 'mech a bit clumsy in it's hands as a reminder of it's bear-like origin, and DAMN those are 8 clantech ER medium lasers! These guys just have to be balanced

Edited by Rubidiy, 11 June 2013 - 09:42 AM.

[Rubidiy]

AMS

[MavRCK]

You are amazing... The cockpit head integration is an incredible work of art!

I wish PGI would take fan models and use them -- like a competition of the year!?

Wow.

I am so looking forward to the completion of this mech!

[Pariah Devalis]

Beautiful work! I'm just confused why a metal storm AMS would need an ammo feed since the ammo is preloaded into the barrels. Or at least, I don't see how the feed would work for a metal storm system.

Edited by Pariah Devalis, 13 June 2013 - 04:48 PM.

[Bishop Steiner]

Rubidiy, on 13 June 2013 - 12:33 PM, said:

AMS

MetalStorm AMS?

Works for me!

[Rubidiy]

Pariah Devalis, on 13 June 2013 - 04:47 PM, said:

Beautiful work! I'm just confused why a metal storm AMS would need an ammo feed since the ammo is preloaded into the barrels. Or at least, I don't see how the feed would work for a metal storm system.

Fair point, but it can't hold a whole ton of ammunition inside of it's barrels, so yes, in year 3050 clans will know how to feed it. Probably, it won't be fed while turret fires and actively moves. After dealing with a pack of incoming missiles AMS will return into feeding position and, thanks to a powerful delivery system, will be reloaded in no time.

Edited by Rubidiy, 14 June 2013 - 12:11 AM.

[Bishop Steiner]

Rubidiy, on 14 June 2013 - 12:06 AM, said:

Fair point, but it can't hold a whole ton of ammunition inside of it's barrels, so yes, in year 3050 clans will know how to feed it. Probably, it won't be fed while turret fires and actively moves. After dealing with a pack of incoming missiles AMS will return into feeding position and, thanks to a powerful delivery system, will be reloaded in no time.

Yeah, has to be some sort of feed system designed eventually, or the Metalstorm will be a 1 trick pony. And on a mech or vehicle, am thinking "switch-barrel" reloads ain't gonna fly. I'm thinking a sliding breach-block to the rear, and the barrels sorta get fed and filled like an old tube magazine (but magnetized) for a lever gun, maybe with the "belt" in preset strips per reload.

Edited by Bishop Steiner, 14 June 2013 - 09:19 AM.

[Nathan Foxbane]

Rubidiy, on 14 June 2013 - 12:06 AM, said:

Fair point, but it can't hold a whole ton of ammunition inside of it's barrels, so yes, in year 3050 clans will know how to feed it. Probably, it won't be fed while turret fires and actively moves. After dealing with a pack of incoming missiles AMS will return into feeding position and, thanks to a powerful delivery system, will be reloaded in no time.

You might want to try a clip or rack style feed system. Exposed linkages are never good when that much explosive ordinance is flying around (pet peeve with most of the dark age 'Mechs). Clips would be column or row sets of barrels and racks would be whole blocks. Have the spent clips or racks ejected out the back when the system resets and fresh ones loaded from the bottom. Should only be the internal space that is reloaded and not the exposed barrels, so you get maybe six shots per tube before having to reload. Given your 6x6 set up only about half of the available tubes would need to fire one shot at the same time to get the desired flack patterns or they could be ripple fired to get the effect we currently have in game.

Edited by Nathan Foxbane, 14 June 2013 - 10:48 AM.

[Viper69]

Why use a ballistic AMS when clans use LAMS? The thing looks BAD ASSSSSSSSS though man and I envy your skills.

I seriously would exchange the AMS for a gatling laser AMS. Or a laser behind a multi headed emitter to make an array like at a concert laser display.

[Bishop Steiner]

Viper69, on 14 June 2013 - 11:26 AM, said:

Why use a ballistic AMS when clans use LAMS? The thing looks BAD ASSSSSSSSS though man and I envy your skills.

I seriously would exchange the AMS for a gatling laser AMS. Or a laser behind a multi headed emitter to make an array like at a concert laser display.

because LAMS run wicked hot, which is why the clans use BOTH. And the LAMS is a later introduction. If this is a 3050 era Kodiak, LAMS is not even an option.

[Nathan Foxbane]

Viper69, on 14 June 2013 - 11:26 AM, said:

Why use a ballistic AMS when clans use LAMS? The thing looks BAD ASSSSSSSSS though man and I envy your skills.

I seriously would exchange the AMS for a gatling laser AMS. Or a laser behind a multi headed emitter to make an array like at a concert laser display.

Because Laser AMS will still be experimental for some time. While technically in production in 3048. When Grinner (Phelan Kell's Wolfhound) was rebuilt it was pointed out that Clan Wolf techs still could not get Laser AMS to work properly. And it was rare on 'Mechs even after they finally did. This means that Clan Ghost Bear would likely not possess the technical knowledge to build one in 3050 if the Wolves that developed it still could not get one to function at a production level.

As Bishop pointed out they run hot. In the TT, the clan version produces the same heat as a clan ER medium laser against every volley it engages and the Kodiak has enough heat problems once it closes to its optimum range to begin with.

Edited by Nathan Foxbane, 14 June 2013 - 12:32 PM.

[Guchion]

Nice so far! What software are you using?

[Monsoon]

I'd guess Blender.


OP, looking forward to seeing the final product, keep it up!

Edited by Monsoon, 14 June 2013 - 01:14 PM.

[Viper69]

Ah gotcha on the AMS heat was something I was not even thinking about. Thanks for the clarification.

[9erRed]

Greetings,

With reference to the "cable run' next to the cockpit.

I have worked with many heavy and armoured vehicles before and can tell you that on most cases, a cable run that will not be moved is always placed under or covered by an armoured rail. The cable run you show has 3 bends, one over 120 deg's, (not good for cabling) I would suggest a few 90deg adapters. Or just place everything under a cover.

The ammo feed on the side: Most rapid fire guns use a feed rail to keep the ammo belt from bouncing and causing a misfeed. Look at images of Mg's on Helo's or on armoured vehicles. (flexible ammo rail guide, maintains tension and alignment of ammo belt. Also keeps out fouling material[dirt]) If the belt moves outside the body try to reduce the "hang or droop" as this would cause twisting and jamming in the feed line, mech's would tend to have abrupt/jarring movement and shock as well as incoming fire. Ammo belt breaks, that's the end of that weapon. (If a closed and armoured feed line the belt would be cycled through to the breach and "weapon online".)
You may even want to look at "caseless" ammo which comes in "blocks or magazines" as opposed to belts, empty mag ejected, next mag inserted.

As a note here, belt feed weapons only feed one breach unit. If there are more than one barrel, either the barrels move to the breach or the breach moves to the barrels.

Just some observations, Mech looks really great.

9erRed.

Edited by 9erRed, 15 June 2013 - 07:34 AM.

[Rubidiy]

9erRed
Thanks for explaining!
1. Cable run.
It's not a cable run . It was intended to look like an additional tube of life support system. I thought that mechs have to operate in very different places (hot deserts or almost outer space moon surfaces), so you can see air intakes both in Kodiak's cheeks and ears. This hose is just an additional connector between them.

2. Ammo feed.
The thought behind AMS was to make it look like there was an engeneering blunder preventing it from being installed right above the Left torso. So the only available hatch for AMS itself and it's feeding system was right under the massive connectors for shoulder armor plates (they are indeed there and will be seen better on RT). That's why it's covering armor is designed specificly for AMS, it differes from default shoulder armor (RT), that's why bullet chain is hanging right in the air.
The chain itself hangs freely so there's no problem with 'mech's active movement, because it does not deliver bullets directly to barrels. Chain's just being sucked by AMS, where bullets are delivered without a chain. You can see two pipes on the back side of AMS. That's how useless parts of chain are being extracted.

[Rubidiy]

Guchion, on 14 June 2013 - 12:48 PM, said:

Nice so far! What software are you using?

3Ds Max, and I'm a real noob in it.

[Rubidiy]

So work goes on, and Kodiak grows larger and larger
I'm still going through all the details so there is not much to show, which is completely finished. So these are just a few details, that might not be seen very well when 'mech's ready.

1. Heatsink container for left torso. Front view.



2. More or less completed part of Left torso.


3. Bottom view by now (even here 'mech resembles a face of teddy bear ). Top is Kodiak's back. There you can see Jumpjet covers for they're not installed in this version.

Edited by Rubidiy, 17 June 2013 - 11:06 AM.

[PropagandaWar]

Rubidiy, on 27 May 2013 - 05:36 AM, said:

4 ER medium lasers installed into the hand.

Last thing I think about doing is making suggestions to a persons piece. However the claws look fragile on this awesome piece.

[Rubidiy]

9erRed, on 15 June 2013 - 07:19 AM, said:

Greetings,

With reference to the "cable run' next to the cockpit.

BTW fixed angles as much as it was possible (I've got some limitations due to the hose's creation method).
Also changed the shape of Kodiak's eyes. If initially they looked like wide open in anger, now they have a bit more sinister look.

PropagandaWar
Referring to Sarna, Kodiak's claws are purely aesthetic. Paw itself is indeed an armored front cover for laser weaponry in the hand. So claws are just a decoration. They're not a close combat weapon.

Edited by Rubidiy, 17 June 2013 - 11:32 AM.