Collab 2020: Modeling Heavy Equipment (Backhoe)

Collaborations
Kent Trammell

Accomplishing a BIG project TOGETHER

Starting in March 2020, I began a large stream project to model a comprehensive, highly-detailed Caterpillar 434E backhoe. Please watch the first stream (first 3 minutes of abridged version at least) for an overview.

It's a straight-forward project of building a complex model over an extended period of time. The spin on the project is that I want your help to accomplish it! If I build some parts and you build some parts, we will finish this thing much quicker. Plus the contribution format will include reviews, the potential of having your piece(s) assimilated into the final model. Not to mention large quantities of XP are at stake 🤑

NOTE: This is an involved project reserved for Citizen members.

Collaboration Details

The general idea is that I kickoff stages of the project via live stream, which is typically once per month. For the time in between streams, you choose a piece of the backhoe and apply what you learned from the stream to that piece. For example, the first stream covered initial block out. So between stream 1 and stream 2, your job is to pick a piece and block it out.

This is the repeating protocol for each Assignment Period (between-streams):

  1. Signing up for pieces of the model. I will be maintaining a Google Sheet to organize piece selection and grading. Following this URL will give you the ability to comment. The sheet is sectioned vertically and color-coordinated with a backhoe image. To sign up for a piece, right click on an empty cell below your desired piece section and click "Comment" (CTRL + ALT + M). Comment your name or username and I will fill it in officially as confirmation.

    Remember that it is OK for multiple people to model the same piece. But lets try to have at least one person assigned to each piece before doubling up.

    2. Project file structure. We're going to use Google Drive as a means to sync a single working directory among all contributors. See this thread about details and how to get set up.

    3. Submitting your piece for review. Exactly one week before the next stream is scheduled to be broadcast, your piece is due. In the "Attempt" cell of the spreadsheet, paste a download link to your .blend file via Dropbox, Google Drive, or equivalent hosting service. This will earn you at least 10 XP each week.

    4. Review. On stream I will review each submitted piece and decide which will be assimilated into the master model (in the case of multiple submissions of the same piece). The purpose of the review is to generate feedback for you work and advice for improvement.

    5. Assimilation. If your piece makes the cut and is assimilated into the master model, your name / username will be added to the object in Blender. You will go down in history as a definitive contributor to this epic backhoe model!

    Once the model is completely done, I plan to render a short demo reel showing off the model and crediting all contributors. It should be a rewarding conclusion to all the work we will do!

Assignment Prompts

I will reply to this thread after each stream with a [big] assignment post denoted by a  📣 emoji in the title. There I will clarify instructions about each Assignment Period.

Online Resources

Reference Images

Livestreams


This is THE thread

We will centralize our collaborative communication between the streams and this thread. Ask any and all questions pertaining to the Backhoe project here.

  • Shawn Blanch(blanchsb) replied

    I only sit on my laurels. This chair is meant for more noble rumps haha.

    Trying to dedicate the tribute to @ritag due to her unfortunate circumstances, but I fear I may not complete everything by Monday evening. Just doing what I can and hopefully it is good enough for the pound.

  • Ingmar Franz(duerer) replied

    @adrian2301 has written REPLY #1300  8 hours ago 🥇🏆👍!

  • Ingmar Franz(duerer) replied

    @adrian2301 I just had an image in front of my inner eye: Your pumpkin steering our backhoe 😉😁! He's the only pumpkin from our team who can do this job with his tentacles 😉!

  • spikeyxxx replied

    #1277 and #1300! Adrian is killing it!

  • spikeyxxx replied

    Let's hope it doesn't get smashed then ;)

  • Ingmar Franz(duerer) replied

    Adrian's pumpkin will be well protected in/by our DOG 🎃🐺😉😁! And he's armed himself as well 😉😁!

  • Rita G replied

    I am afraid I am not advanced as Shawn Blanch (blanchsb) with the chair.  Mine is not as complete as his. It is not rigged. 

    My file link here:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lgs_xiu9lKzq_rkgcKpy6OY2BHEYZhfc/view?usp=sharing 

    Well done, Shawn.  

  • Shawn Blanch(blanchsb) replied

    That looks great @ritag given everything else going on!


    And my chair is by no means rigged. I don't even know how the scissor lift accessories interact. That's my biggest hurdle. Everything else should not be terrible though.

  • adrian replied

    We have a road to dig up with the DOG

    A piece of road rendered in eevee

  • Ingmar Franz(duerer) replied

    Great 😀💪!

  • Kent Trammell replied

    Hey hey! This looks exactly like the procedural road I had in mind! Did you watch Aidy's tutorial by chance?

  • Kent Trammell replied

    The Modeling Chapter of this Project is officially FINISHED!

    This post is designed to bookend 7 amazing months of modeling with this crew, The DOG POUND. If you're reading this in 2033 here's the inside terminology decoded:

    • We modeled a *CAT* 434E backhoe
    • Being *our version* we called it the "DOG"
    • Contributors to the project are thus part of the "DOG POUND"
    • I.e. WE let the dogs out


    I said this all on stream but once more I will reiterate how proud I am of the work everyone has done. Thousands - nay - HUNDREDS of thousands of people will dip their toe into the world of 3D modeling yet only a small fraction will ever build something as complex as this. I wear this as a badge of honor as I hope you do too.

    Truly the quality of modeling is professional-grade. We couldn't, or very likely wouldn't, have done it without each other. Cheers to each of you in our collective accomplishment 🤝🍻🎉

    Officially Finished but technically not...

    Being "officially" finished means that there won't be any more streams scheduled about modeling the project and no more grading. BUT technically there's work left to do. A couple of us still have some bits to add. Also I'm committed to animating + rendering + editing a show reel for the DOG! More on that below...

    Though I will be unpinning this thread today, If any DOG POUND members still have a little modeling left to do the thread will remain open for discourse or if you want to share your progress. I will be posting when I finish my bits. Again, if you're reading this in the future and the project inspires you, feel absolutely free to build your own backhoe / heavy equipment and post your work in this thread! That would be a very rewarding after effect.

    Final XP Delivered!

    Yesterday I tallied and added XP totals to every contributor's account. @adriant2301 takes home the most points with a staggering 937 total! That's by far the largest single XP sum delivered by me. Adrian doing the work of 2, 3, and sometimes 4 people really paid off.

    DOG Showreel

    I'm convinced that a slick animated and rendered video is the best way to show off our amazing model! *Somehow* I'm going to find the time to animated assembly / exploded view shots of everyone's final parts and render them into a stunning video. I admit that it's a LOT of work and it won't be done soon (the next few months) but surely at some point in 2021.

    FULL DISCLOSURE: Understand that my goals with a showreel is as follows:

    • Share / show off an incredible model. Simply put: We made a cool thing and I want to share it with the world!
    • Collaboration is a primary theme. The project is meaningful *because* it was built by a team. Therefore it makes no sense to downplay this aspect. Quite the opposite actually: Contributors will be clearly credited throughout and at the end of the reel.
    • Potential to use your clips in your own personal reel: The license for the final video will allow contributors to use the clips of their parts in their own individual demo reel if they wish.
    • CGC Marketing. I want to use this reel to market the collaborative format we, frankly, stumbled into. Meaning sharing on social media, YouTube, CGC blogpost. Remember anywhere it's shared credits to the DOG POUND will be imbedded in the video. The way this format fostered a deeper, more advanced learning environment AND resulted in an impressive asset - Of course CG Cookie wants make the format known abroad so more people can engage with future collaborations.


    With the goals clearly stated, CGC is more than willing to heed any objections from the DOG POUND. If you're not comfortable with a reel being used this way please contact me at kent@cgcookie.com. If you could please do so by the end of October, that'd be great. I will wait to hear by then before commencing reel work 👍

    Sharing the Final Model

    An unforeseen (and potentially awkward?) aspect about the DOG is "who technically owns this model?" Since it's made by a team...you see where I'm going with this. As discussed on stream, I'd like to see the DOG available to download as a FREE CGC resource.

    I don't want to get too legalese but, legally speaking, I'm not sure we have this officially covered since this kind of project has never been done before. That said it's safe to assume the model is akin to the resource files and source files which are licensed this way:


    According to this license CGC is technically the owner BUT rest assured that CGC will never sell the DOG (or any future collaborative project) as a standalone asset (like on the Blender Market for example). Likewise no one else can sell it either, including DOG POUND members.

    Again if anyone is uncomfortable sharing the final model as a FREE CGC resource under the above license, please email me: kent@cgcookie.com!

    If anything is unclear don't hesitate to ask questions in the replies!

    To conclude this massive wall of text, even if a reel is protested out of existence and / or the model never loads on anyone's computer but ours, I couldn't be more proud of what we've accomplished! DOG POUND FOREVAH!!

  • Parker Bourassa(pfbourassa) replied

    I'm totally cool with CGC using my part of the model.


    Furthermore, I'd like to offer my services for this showreel when the time comes.
    I can help with camerawork, rendering (via sheepit or whatever) and editing (using Motion Graphics templates, or standard video editing.)

    This will look great on a reel, and I'm really glad I signed up!

  • Kent Trammell replied

    Whoops I meant to tag all members of the DOG POUND:

    1. aabm3010 
    2. @adrian2301 
    3. aartifact 
    4. az93 
    5. blanchsb 
    6. dostovel 
    7. ddoulos4iesou 
    8. duerer 
    9. hellosudeepsingh 
    10. jakeblended 
    11. ketre 
    12. ppfbourassa 
    13. @ritag 
    14. rryzen7 
    15. sshanr 
    16. spikeyxxx
  • Kent Trammell replied

    ppfbourassa I certainly haven't forgotten your willingness to assist with the reel! It's going to be a big undertaking and I will definitely need help. Thanks again for offering 🤝

  • spikeyxxx replied

    @theluthier as you know, I still have to finish my 2 interior pieces. Will it be enough to update the .blend files on the google drive,so the linked versions will be updated automatically? I will of course give notice when I'm finished.

    Second, when we are going for the assembly/exploded view format, I will also need to revisit my front axle with hubs, as I tend to leave out things that cannot be seen...won't be a lot of work though, mainly a few screws, most of the front axle is one piece, which made it hard to model, but 'saves' me now ;)

    I should have everything technically finished by the time you get to those parts, no other projects on my plate yet.

  • adrian replied

    Yes , It’s a pretty good procedural road and it’s using eevee.


  • adrian replied

    @theluthier participating in the collaboration, the experience of working on a large project as part of a team, improving my skills and making new friends, far out ways the 937 xp. It was a honour to be apart of this huge collaborative effort by everyone involved.

    Thank you all

    Thank you Kent. 🤜🤛

  • Shawn Blanch(blanchsb) replied

    I see they saved Spikey for last on the list! A proper design choice.

    I hereby grant all permissions, conditions, rights, and privileges for my contributions forthwith to the the PoundMaster  @theluthier to do with our DOG as he wishes for the greater Cookie good!

  • spikeyxxx replied

    A proper design choice

    Or just alphabetic order ;)

    I might (and even that is doubtful)  have started out as being the "most experienced" contributor (apart from @theluthier of course!), but at the end I have been surpassed by many...

    I have grown more than I would have expected and you (read: everybody else ) have grown even more!

    This was/is an amazing collaborative project!  

    Thank you Kent and junior "luthiers" for this amazing opportunity!

    Shawn, I will come to you next when I get stuck on something ;)

    Thanks to all contributors and to the DOG god Kent!