Animated Environments: IPMC Mining Facility Concepts

Here are a couple of Mine Facility concept designs I came up with using photo reference of oil rigs, power plants and the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai. However I did acquire some inspiration from structures depicted in the first person shooter Halo 3. Andy volunteered to build a 3D model of the mining facility using Alex's concepts for reference. However Alex's concepts did not depict enough detail nor did they show a side or front view which could be used as image plane guides to help build an accurate model. Andy requested some more detailed drawings to aid him in building he model so that he had a clearer understanding of the form and structure of the mining facility. So I decided to design the mining facility firstly by coming up with shapes/ silhouettes and from there adding detail. I wanted to make sure that these structures retained elements of an oil rig and a power plant yet adding a futuristic architectural feel whilst still possessing an industrial feel. I believe I did a pretty good job of ticking all the boxes. I presented these drawings to the group the following day and it was decided that the second design to the right was the better of the two.

Sketches

Silhouettes

Concepts

Below is an example of a simple mine facility model I created in Maya to help inform Andy of the shape of the structure. This model was quick to build and there is not nearly enough detail, however I am sure this will help Andy to build a more detailed and complex model. Seeing the desired shape of the facility in 3D will provide extra information for Andy to work with. After all we do want our models to look interesting and professional. This is only an example of the sort of shape we are looking for.

Wireframe

Polygon Mesh Mode.

Occlusion Render.

Simple Texture.

Andy's 3D Model

Andy's 3D model above is a slightly simplified version of my second design on the model sheet as it was agreed that secondary side fins were not necessary and the geometry must be reduced for rendering reasons. I was very surprised by how close the model was to that of my drawing and followed the shape suggestion of my simple 3D model.

Reference & Inspiration.

Oil Rig