U-Boat

[E-ronin]

Just something I have been working on for fun. It still has a long way to go.

[kilvano]

great model. you gonna texture it?

You should put it in a scene with water and other boats and a WAR and stuff!

Now...more coffee!! Woo woo!

[nthused]

As a submariner...I gotta love this. Very nice start to a cool ship.

The bow planes look a little strange - rendering or model issue, I cannot tell from this view.

Again. Nice work.

[Elmar Moelzer]

This is looking really great!
Being a submarine fan myself, I can only say that it looks really good from what I see in that pic. The only thing that I am not quite sure about is the "saddle tanks" (the buldges on the side). It might just be the perspective, but they look a little bit big to me. Also the ridges on them seem a tad to thick.
CU
Elmar

[Amurrell]

That is really an awesome job.

[Csion]

Looks like its going well...Any animation plans?

[E-ronin]

Added some more details and fixed a couple of issues (saddles and seams / good call ), still has a long way to go. I am going to texture it after modelling is complete but I do not have plans to animate it at this point.

Thanks

[JohnMarchant]

She is coming on great mate

[JeffB-FSU]

wow fantastic! would it be possible to post a wireframe shaded view? I'm working on a submarine myself and could use a pointer or two haha

[meshpig]

Added some more details and fixed a couple of issues (saddles and seams / good call ), still has a long way to go. I am going to texture it after modelling is complete but I do not have plans to animate it at this point.

Thanks


E-ronin

Cool model... but the rear machine-gun basket seems to hang a little too far from the conning tower. There was another compartment under it.

At least researching these tubs is hard, scaling them even more so because they were all more or less unique before composite ship-building entered the picture.

M

[Elmar Moelzer]

I was not too sure about some details on the tower either.
There were some variations and refits of the towers though that it is really hard to say.
The second compartment on the tower was introduced later in the war though when the BDU realized that airplanes were getting the biggest threat to submarines (the allies added short range radar to their planes) and that the Hitler would rather give all the available planes to Goering (in order to attack England) than use them to protect the submarine fleet.
So they reacted (and that was not a very good decision in my oppinion) by adding more anti aircraft guns. One problem with these was that they were not THAT effective against airplanes, the other was that the airplanes would also call nearby destroyers. So when destroyers arrived on the scene they had to evacuate the towers and get under water. These extra guns required more people on the bridge and it took longer to get them all under deck (it was a slightly longer way too). Now this might not seem like much, but it took a standard VII C class submarine with a trained crew 20 seconds to get under water at the beginning of the war. With the new towers it took about 26 seconds. More time for the destroyers to get closer to the submarine, more time for the airplanes to make an attack- flight and drop a bomb on the sub.
CU
Elmar

[danielkaiser]

Das Boot!

[E-ronin]

I have attached one of the pics I have been using for ref. With all the different variations that were made and what I have been able to find this will probabley be a mix and not exactley like a single ship. It is kind of amazing even hull shapes and sizes vary a little from ship to ship (all VIIC ) I've also had to do alot of guessing for shapes due to limited pics found, thank god it's just for fun.

Also attached a hiddenline pic for JeffB of what I have so far.

Thanks

[Csion]

pretty good referance...to bad its a cross-section

[meshpig]

I was not too sure about some details on the tower either.
There were some variations and refits of the towers though that it is really hard to say.
The second compartment on the tower was introduced later in the war though when the BDU realized that airplanes were getting the biggest threat to submarines (the allies added short range radar to their planes) and that the Hitler would rather give all the available planes to Goering (in order to attack England) than use them to protect the submarine fleet.
So they reacted (and that was not a very good decision in my oppinion) by adding more anti aircraft guns. One problem with these was that they were not THAT effective against airplanes, the other was that the airplanes would also call nearby destroyers. So when destroyers arrived on the scene they had to evacuate the towers and get under water. These extra guns required more people on the bridge and it took longer to get them all under deck (it was a slightly longer way too). Now this might not seem like much, but it took a standard VII C class submarine with a trained crew 20 seconds to get under water at the beginning of the war. With the new towers it took about 26 seconds. More time for the destroyers to get closer to the submarine, more time for the airplanes to make an attack- flight and drop a bomb on the sub.
CU
Elmar

Interesting, because at the end of WW2 the whole idea of a Torpedo had already merged with an airborne threat. Haven't found any pics of the later subs which harboured several fold-up airplanes.

I think it pure romance anyway. I can't put my finger on the exact nature of the sub fascination... must be one pitted against claustrophobia and the idea of being crushed at great depths.

You're right, check these 2 towers and it doesn't stop there from what I have seen. Probably because the whole venture failed... like that scene in "Das Boot" where the 2 subs meet in the middle of the Atlantic and the commondant curses the Reich for being so incompetant.


M:)

50127

50130

[E-ronin]

Took a break from modelling to make the first bump map for the deck. Looks kind of harsh now but should blend in when final textures are done.


PS- go check out the greyhound thread / Amazing work

[JeffB-FSU]

Ronin, I got a question for ya: Are the deck elements extruded from the geometry, or are they separate elements? keep it up, looking good!

[JohnMarchant]

She is looking really great now mate.

[E-ronin]

JeffB the deck elements are seperate, for myself I find its the easiest way. It is also a mix of sub-patch and poly, some of the items I started with sub then freeze so I could cut shapes out.

Thanks John

[esper8]

Hope that this is of help to you

[E-ronin]

I have not decided yet if I want the bottom to be red or dark gray. This is the red one I might go with (not roughed up yet, I will weather it).

Thanks Esper

[JohnMarchant]

Do 2 versions mate. One for brabd new just out of refit look, and one for the been on patrol 100 days and rusting away nicely.

Nice work on the camoflage look.

Regards, John

[iconoclasty]

The red is very striking.

[E-ronin]

Another texture update.

[JeffB-FSU]

Awesome! I definitely like the red one more. I guess the contrast makes it look more striking. How are you texturing the sub? UV's?

[JohnMarchant]

Looking good mate. How about using the grit or dirt node to add rust to the edges of the vent holes and the like, give it a been at see on patrol for 100 days look. May push up the render times a bit.

Looks great though

[E-ronin]

Another update, I've added some detail and worked on the textures some. I did not use UVs do to the fact the textures are really easy to align on this model.

[JohnMarchant]

Now thats really looking good mate

[E-ronin]

Well I am about to wrap up working on this model, here is my latest render.
I will post some different views.


Thanks

[JeffB-FSU]

awesome! what do you plan on doing with it? I like the detail under the holes in the sides

[JohnMarchant]

She looks great Ed. How are you getting on with using nodes are you finding it quite easy. I really love them take a bit of getting used to but the potential is great.

Regards, John

[E-ronin]

Some more views.
Thanks JeffB I am going to publish it on several 3D model sites .

[JohnMarchant]

Yeah she is a real beauty thanks very much Ed.

Regards, John :):)

[JohnMarchant]

Hi Ed and everyone. Just threw together a couple of shots of your great model. The environment needs some work need some particles and the textured environment looks better when animated.

Im going to work on this a bit more when i get some time.

Great work Ed.

Regards, John.

Images by John Marchant

U BOat Type VII Model By Ed (E-Ronin)

[Elmar Moelzer]

Hmm, all I see is black.
CU
Elmar

[JohnMarchant]

Yeah they are dark Elmar you have to click on them :):)

[Elmar Moelzer]

Oh yeah, now that it is a bit darker in here, I can actually see something ;)
I would change the tone to a bit more greenish and I would try to add a little more definition with the lighting (even though it is indeed quite dark if you are very deep under water)
CU
Elmar

[mikala]

I hope to see this in a LOT more renders and or animations.
You have made a quite the beauty in this vessel.