There's a lot that could be done to this, but it's what I was able to accomplish within the time constraints of the winter scene challenge.
Edit: The time constraints of the project, and my visiting with family.
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I should've spent more time with the "SleighShip".
It just doesn't have the detail level I want, but I'm back to traveling around to family and won't likely have time to improve things much.
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On a distant planet a deep booming voice could be heard calling out "Merry Christmas!" as a red and green freighter lifted off from the ice base.
New test render. Now the ship moves too!
(Any apparent motion from the ship in the previous animation was because the camera flew by it.)
I have a WIP viewport render.
The main point of the render was to get spacing and timing right. I think in a couple spots I want to pull the camera down just a little, but I'm really happy with the timing.
There are points where you can see the edge of the "world", and see under the snow. I'll need to fix that.
I also want to have Santa's Sleigh launching from the hanger.
The hanger door material needs a little work.
I'm not happy with the flames at the back of the ship.
I want to break up the "plate" material and the light material so that some areas can have lights and metal plating, and other areas of the ship can have just the metal plate.
With all this I also want a little sound. . .
But at some point I'm going to have to put a pin in this project.
I thought I was going to be done with it January 3rd, and I have other projects, and tutorials, I need to get to!
Edit: Also, the pale blue windows have to go. I need a more realistic glass shader, I want some of them to have lights on, and others to have lights off, and I might go with Ian Hubert's "Add Warble To It" tutorial for adding some variation to the glass planes so they aren't quite so perfectly uniform.
Playing with lighting and color now.
Getting the Greebles there.
Fixed some snow that was bugging me.
I need to get the UVs done better, and some sections of the Sleigh Ship don't need the lights, but it's coming along!
Just added the forward facing render.
I hope you're all on Santa's good list!
Greebles, working Greebles. Getcha Greebles here. . .
Well, we only have the one, and it's a work in progress. . . but we're stocking up!
AAdrian,
I don't know why, but my brain kept saying "January 3rd". I do have time to refine this. I do have to make some progress on my overall goals, but I think I can get this a little better finished than it is.
Edit: Thanks Adrian!
Hi Adrian,
There's still time on the contest clock, but I'm running around seeing family again. I won't have time to do more before the end of the contest.
You still got time
wardred
February 3rd is the closing date of the challenge
Cool. A tech Santa. I don't see why the north pole town has to stay in the stone age. Embrace modernity Santa.