Astute class submarine

[newman]

Hi all,

This is the first time I'm posting one of my models here. I was recently commissioned by the good people of Admiralty Model Works (http://www.admiraltymodelworks.com/) to build an Astute Class submarine as a basis for a model kit. These are wip shots as she's not done yet, but hopefully will be soon. Hope you people like it.

15/07/2010: Edited attachments to change the thumbnail.

[cobra6]

That is looking nice Newman. What modelling package are you using for this? CAD based?

Cobra 6

[newman]

That is looking nice Newman. What modelling package are you using for this? CAD based?

Cobra 6

No, building her in Max 2009. Will get exported to STL afterwards.

[simyevil]

good started

very good looking & very nice modelling keep going more work

[cobra6]

Nice to see someone using MAX for stuff like this :)

Cobra 6

[Whisky-Delta]

Model looks fantastic! I felt enthused to build a Astute Sub as its different to what i normally model and due to the BC program "How to Build a Nuclear Submarine."

One question though, what referance material did you use? Subs are notriously hard to find good referance due to the secrety and the fact once they are put to see 60% of them are submerged! :)

Great Work

Whisky

[newman]

Hi, glad you like it, it's actually a pretty tough shape to model - much tougher then I anticipated. The whale head and other biological shapes aren't easy to get right. As for the references, the person who commissioned me from Admiralty Model Works provided me with a set of blueprints. I don't think they're completely accurate though as I found some differences between them and the photographs, so I kind of switched between blueprints and photos to get it as accurate as I could. You're right about these subs mostly being submerged, but as luck would have it, there's plenty of pictures around of the entire ship out of the water and in drydock. Naturally, they always have the propulsor covered up so the one I have here is just something I made up. I don't think anyone without high security clearance will be able to tell it's not accurate for at least 25 years or so anyway :)

[newman]

More progress. I've done the decals so I decided to play around with materials in Vray and see what a textured one would look. Hope you people like it.

http://i28.tinypic.com/mt05na.jpg

http://i26.tinypic.com/2hs54ci.jpg

http://i28.tinypic.com/35kjzon.jpg

http://i30.tinypic.com/34hutfb.jpg

http://i28.tinypic.com/2wh3774.jpg

[simyevil]

looking is very good
but u need 2 mover the fan in the back engine && added bubbles by the water
keep up more

[newman]

looking is very good
but u need 2 mover the fan in the back engine && added bubbles by the water
keep up more

The main purpose of these renders was to show the model to the client. I therefore wanted an environment that's non intrusive and doesn't take the focus away from the model. That's why features like motion blur on the propulsor weren't implemented, though now that I'm finished with it I may tinker with a more complex scene to render.
As for bubbles around the propeller, this is the latest, hottest, quietest pride of the Royal Navy. I don't think showing it cavitating loudly all over the place is a correct interpretation - these propellers are done so they don't produce any bubbles if at all possible. If and when they do, it's called cavitation - a rather loud process where vapor bubbles are formed. This is a very undesirable effect on a submarine and not how I'd show off the latest technological wonder in the field.

[simyevil]

Your words are true I forgot it was a submarine, not a ship in terms of bubbles, but long ago I saw a film in which a submarine and the engine behind the bubbles I was amazed and so I told you where the bubbles??? any way keep up

[Argyll]

Too many underwater shots - about time this baby surfaced.

[newman]

Agreed. I'm a bit swamped right now but I was planning on some surface renders at some point.

[bavoo]

Agreed. I'm a bit swamped right now but I was planning on some surface renders at some point.
Today 12:44 PM

Ohhh, nice. Would be a great desktop wallpaper, I need a new one anyway :D

[locky]

Sorry to necro post, but if you do indeed do a surface shot, can we have one of it stuck on a sand bank? :lol:

[newman]

Sorry to necro post, but if you do indeed do a surface shot, can we have one of it stuck on a sand bank? :lol:

Maybe one day when I actually model a tugboat so I can have it crash into it as well :)

[John Marchant]

Very nice indeed, ive just got the jecobin plans for the Astute and HMS Daring, dont know which one to do first

[newman]

Well, if I were in your shoes I'd go for the Daring -the Astute was a total pain to model :)

[John Marchant]

Well, if I were in your shoes I'd go for the Daring -the Astute was a total pain to model :).

Ive got the plans for her, she is a funny shape for a submarine not the usual albacore or tube design. But your right im going with a type 45. Ive just upload my old Vanguard Class, getting old now and could do with allot more details, but ive got access to some good plans so may re do her at some point.

PS i reference to you conversation about bubbles. All things underwater cavitate and the deeper they are the louder it can be, but i understand why for the picture and client you obviously dont want to show that. Even pump jet cavitates, not as much and smaller bubbles, trust me i know ;););).

Ive not seen any real pictures of Astute underwater, does she really have Pump Jet after all she is the first of class.

[charlyecho]

Hi there,

newman : how do you do with the textures of the first render ?
http://www.military-meshes.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=10783&d=1279218716 ?
I love this first render. Especially this texture, the effect it creates is very good.

[Suricata]

Ive not seen any real pictures of Astute underwater, does she really have Pump Jet after all she is the first of class.

I've seen a few photos of her from before she was launched where the pumpjet casing is clearly visable (even if it was shrouded over!) :-)

[John Marchant]

Well that's a change from the old Naval policy then

[Suricata]

I had to recheck the pictures just to make sure! I've attached one below, pretty sure thats a pumpjet :-)

http://suricatasblog.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/astute_aft_470x313.jpg

Maybe its gotton to the point that pumpjets are standard now. Still trying to remember which of the Type 23's had skews and which didn't now.

[newman]

Hi there,

newman : how do you do with the textures of the first render ?
http://www.military-meshes.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=10783&d=1279218716 ?
I love this first render. Especially this texture, the effect it creates is very good.

Hi, it was just a quick vray render using a subtle displacement effect. Just needed to come up with a believable tiling map for it, and that was it. Glad you liked the result. Oh, and it wasn't really the first render - I replaced the first one later on to get a newer thumbnail :)
And yea, the Astute class uses a pump jet, but I doubt we'll get see the actual propulsor in the next 25-30 years :)

[John Marchant]

Yeah certainly looks like one, but i dont think we will ever get to see how many stators and rotors there are.

[Argyll]

Nice model. If I could make a comment on the lighting. For me it doesn't work and I think the renderings would be a whole lot better using caustics, which would have taken your work to a different (higher) level. If might be something you'd like to try and I'd really like to see how it looks with them.

[newman]

Well, like I said the whole point was the model itself - it got 3d printed so the client could make a model kit out of it. I never really bothered with any complex render setups.