In this episode we dive deep into the catalog of Kara Pitat at Daz 3D, admiring and putting to use these wonderful assets!
And we'll be doing this Live with Kara Pitat in the room with us!!! :)
Yeah, these things look great from the outside and are a lot of fun to load and render using nothing more that the provided presets that come in each pack.
But we're going to explore deeper!
I want to show everyone how much work our wonderful Kara Pitat has put into each of these kits to make them ultimately beneficial for still renders as well as animations. With every single one of these, there's a lot more than what originally meets the eye!
I've been a big fan of the series from the start. I love the artistry used and the continuity that carries through the entire series - as well as the imaginative "Sales Pitch" by the company that manufactures (or finds) these amazing craft: Haille Valley!
I don't really play Warhammer 40K due to time constraints combined with the fact that I'd have to travel an hour each way to get to my nearest game - but I love collecting the books and miniatures - mainly because I love painting the minis, and the books give me incredible inspiration through their deep histories and scenarios. I do have a friend, somewhat nearby, who will set up some small skirmishes we can play - but we haven't done that in years.
That said, I have a rather fun Eldar army that is mostly made up of miniatures that I bought, but when funds were tight, I used Automotive Gas Tank Repair Epoxy to hand-craft my own! My jetbike squadrons are so cool!!! It's hard to tell that I made them by hand, as with my Wraith Lords and others. Many of these ATVE kits by Kara Pitat remind me very much of my wonderful Eldar 40K collection!
I know... such a kid I am, eh? LOL!!!
What a Fantastic place to learn, share and absorb anything and everything Art!
Led by Paul Bussey, this fantastic place has a beautiful forum with an endless supply of topics - and we can join courses and training, or just hang out with the group and discuss and enjoy art!
Twin-Heart Paladin
"When the needle climbs, the engines scream, and the blue fades to black...
Where the twinkling lights of stars becomes a sea of light among the dark...
There is where you'll find me."
-Kara Pitat
The Adventurer's ToyBox! - The Artistry of Kara Pitat
Inspired by Games and Personal Imagination, Kara Pitat's store is filled with amazing adventure craft for our characters to cruise around in - in Style!!!
Many of the products were the direct result of a need for cover illustrations for a book or movie poster. Kara Pitat assets appear in at least 70 novel covers and three movie posters!
The Adventurer's ToyBox Vehicle Edition (ATVE) series offers a wealth of amazing personal craft - each making sure that the Bonus ATVE helmet is available for protection!
There's also The Adventurer's ToyBox Weapons Edition to help during those messy times when things just go wrong!
Come on in! We're going to have a Lot of Fun with this!!! :)
Now let's take a look at this incredible series - Adventurer's ToyBox - Vehicles Edition - by Kara Pitat
(Author's note: The ship's name is pronounced Guy-zen)
Newest to hit the shelves, this massive, living warship possesses many features, and is incredibly powerful, with a broadside of 13 Multi-terawatt lasers for both Port and Starboard flanks, 18 plasma turrets, and almost too many Point Defense Laser ball turrets in the Gigawatt range.
That isn't all, however, as she also boasts an incredibly powerful Spinal Laser mounted directly within her bow structure.
"We here at Haille Valley are proud to announce that we have uncovered a fully functional Gaizen Class Man'o'War, a techno-organic Warship with crystalline armor plating."
Like all ATVE products, this beauty is loaded with fun and useful pose dials for getting that right image or perfecting a highly detailed animation. Kara Pitat ROCKS at including these truly wonderful controls!!!
We here at Haille Valley have been proud to bring you many different products over the years, and none have made us prouder than this. We present to you the Arachnid Class Rim Runner in her full glory. The Arachnid Class - Rim Runner Bundle!
It comes complete with all relevant items, visuals, special effects, etc. We hope you enjoy using this craft with all of its innovations, techniques, and quirks. We have enjoyed building so much over the years and look forward to building more with you in the years to come.
We here at Haille Valley have built many things over the years, and have been proud to present them all to you, the buyer. This time is no different, as we unveil our latest work: Arachnid Class - Rim Runner.
As with the previous Arachnid Class ships, she's built large, fast, and beefy, with that personal touch of home within. Included with this particular product are the Cargo Bay, exterior hull, and the Captain's Quarters-Med bay. We've engineered this project to make it easier for the end-user to use, considering the rather hefty increase in quality with this particular generation.
In addition, we've also included a handy-dandy shield generator as well as a fully reworked weapon system for your ship's protection. May they never shatter. (Two sets of turrets only, with the standard gatling guns. All with hidable toggles, for ultimate control.)
We here at Haille Valley understand wholeheartedly the need to transport all of your stuff from A to B. So we've decided to include options to allow and facilitate this particular need, with our patent-pending Arachnid Class - Rim Runner Cargo set. Featuring a number of cargo pods and racks that bolt onto the external side of our ship, this set will allow your Arachnid to quickly and safely haul your precious cargo to and from your destinations.
In addition, we've included a pair of parasite crafts at no extra charge! What are parasite crafts, you ask? These are vehicles that cannot go interstellar on their own, but require a mother ship for interstellar travel. What this means is, while they are more than capable of operating on their own, in order to get the full utility, they require the Arachnid Rim Runner.
Now, we know that the cargo racks on the outside of the ship are a little stiff, so what we've done is we've poured over one section of the rack, just to make it useful for you, our customers. You have a section of seven cargo containers and their racks, with options of disassembling (Hiding) the racks and/or their pods. (To save space, only the center container is fully rigged, with the others only being the shell of the container.)
We here at Haille Valley are proud to present part three of the Rim Runner product group: Arachnid Class - Rim Runner Interior. Here we have a series of three items, all possibly standalone, but connectable for your use.
The set includes a 2-sided section of hallway, connecting to a double-bunk personnel room. Each room has two bunks, a large screen TV, and storage space for personal effects/trophies along the outer bulkhead. Inside the bunks are additional storage spaces for clothes, smaller personal items, etc. Above each bunk is an emergency locker, suitable for an emergency vac-suit and helmet.
Next, we have the Lounge area, also connectable to the Personnel hallway, and features a port and starboard section. The port side (Left side), features a Men's restroom and a Ladies' restroom. Each is identical and symmetrical, so functionally, they aren't any different. Each restroom features two sinks, two toilets a shower, and a changing bench. Additionally, on the port side, there is the Armory, a small walk-in closet, designed for storing weapons and ammunition.
The starboard side (Right side) contains the R&R section of this product, which is the Kitchen and Lounge area. Here we have the walk-in deep-freezer, cupboard space, a collapsible bar-top and stools, mini-fridge and stove-top combo, the actual refrigerator, and an oh-so-comfy corner booth and table.
Plus, in the center of the floor, there is a holographic projection grid, useful for entertainment, or small-scale planning sessions.
Last but not least, we have the Vertical Accessway, which is a complicated way to say the elevators/ladders section.
Also a stand-alone piece, this one offers your way to get to the other decks on the ship. This section features two elevators, plus two ladder shafts, allowing for powerless access in case of emergencies.
We here at Haille Valley are constantly working to improve and upgrade our craft, both for functionality and detail. We wish to present to you, the Rim Runner MK 2, using the original Rim Runner as the basis, but reworking about half of the hull for increased utility.
The most obvious changes are the Reaction Control System thrusters placed around the exterior of the hull for altitude control, Airbrakes on the Nacelle Engine Clusters, and the reimplementation of the vectored thrust of the Atmospheric thrusters. We've also reintegrated the weapons systems, with cutouts in the armor paneling for the missile pods, new systems for the turrets as well as proper munitions.
While we did change quite a bit, including the paint scheme, we didn't change everything. The interior modules are still viable with the MK2, as are all the extras, like the shield generator. This upgrade is JUST to the exterior module of the ship, and should be completely self contained as such, with full integration with the previous production line.
Additions to the Arachnid Class - Rim Runner:
45 ERC Dials
Props:
Port Cargo Parasite
Port CP Parasite
Plus New Textures and Material Presets!
Port Muzzle Flash
Starboard Cargo Parasite
Starboard CP Parasite
Starboard Muzzle Flash
Port Aft Turret
Port Forward Turret
Starboard Aft Turret
Starboard Forward Turret
Ongoing FREE Digital Art Live Events
Keep an eye out for upcoming events - each is Free and will include a special sub forum at the Digital Art Live Studio forum as well as a dedicated page here, at Dartanbeck.com where you'll find links and information pertaining to each episode!
This is going to be a Blast!!!
Commissioned by the United Earth Force the Destroyer Escort was designed as a multi-role vessel, this aged warhorse has just about as much utility on and off the battlefield as the proverbial Swiss army knife. Equipped with numerous weapons systems, powerful engines and vectored thrust engine assemblies, this vessel is just the thing to take everything from a mercenary group off on adventure, to a spec ops group on mission, to even just taking on passengers.
Special note: This product is designed for medium (All of the ship in the view finder) to distance renders.
UEF Arachnid Class Destroyer Escort Texture Pack - Add On
Five new skins for your Destroyer Escort:
Desert Camo - Dirty and Worn Versions
Forest Camo - Dirty and Worn Versions
Grey Paint - Dirty and Worn Versions
White Sand - Dirty Version
Bare Metal - Dirty Version
Given the popularity of the Arachnid class of warships, the UEF and various other shipwrights have developed another in the long prestigious line of Arachnid class vessels. We proudly present to you the Arachnid transport. Featuring a more flexible modularity than some of the other clunkier warhorses, the Transport is more than capable of fulfilling everyone's needs! From barely armed racing yachts/transports to the more heavily armed mercenary gunships, the newest in the Arachnid Line will meet your every need.
Featuring larger engines, increased cargo capacity and more, this model is more than just a simple upgrade from the old, this an entirely new ship. With an increased modularity, this vessel has more flexibility in the range of missions it can undertake. Expect to see this ship flying the battlefields and cargo lanes near you soon!
Additional set pieces of the Cargo bay and the bridge are also included with additional options for ease of camera placement. The walls and ceilings are togglable to allow for clear lines of sight. Note: These are not meant for external camera shots.
Also included at no extra charge are the various munitions this product is capable of using. For your pleasure, we have main cannon shells, both whole and with projectile and casing separated, two types of missiles for your explosive needs and for those extra hard targets, a rail gun bolt with anti-matter charge. Also included for those visual effects, spotlight beams, and smart-propped turret projectiles.
I Love how we can load so many individual elements separately, individually as well as loading the whole shebang together!
-Dartanbeck
Below - a frame of animation I made in an attempt to mimic one of the promo images above
We here at Haille Valley are proud to present to you for your heavy enforcement needs, the Firemoth Gunship. Designed with heavy combat in mind, this craft comes standard with twenty-four medium class plasma turrets, six heavy lateral plasma cannons per side and twin Terra-watt lasers. Last but not least, are the eight stationary chase plasma-casters underneath the cockpit.
Not to be outdone by its armament, the Firemoth also comes standard with eight camera spheres with lighting included at no extra charge. To assist in maneuvering in any environment, the Firemoth is also equipped with four articulated winglet fins as well as eight thruster equipped air-brake panels.Each Firemoth is also equipped with two seats protected by a polarizing transpara-metal alloy for the ultimate in protection against projectiles and explosives.
With seven engine thrusters (Not including those in the air-brake wells), this craft should be nimble enough to maneuver through the most challenging of courses. (That it can actually fit through, that is.)
Includes one scene subset of the fully loaded Firemoth, complete with pointlight equipped spotlights to help illuminate the scene more realistically, as well as parented projectiles for each gun. The turrets and broadside cannons only have one pulse per gun to give a sense of extra fire density, but the chase lasers have multiple projectiles in a rigged sequence for those pursuit scenes.
If the scene subset is too much, included is the lighting alone. Loads smart parented to the gunship.
Also included for your viewing pleasure, are five different hull skins for a decent variety:
Navy Grey for those uniform looks.
Military Camo for those with a forested environment to fly through.
White and Orange striped for those with a more cyberpunk aesthetic.
White and orange damaged, just in case you want to get nasty.
Bare metal, for when you want to start over.
On a more Personal Adventurer's Level
The Adventurer's ToyBox attracts many individual pilots and drivers for the incredible diversity of the line-up. With the addition of the ATVE Full Modular Kit, specialized personal can equip themselves with everything they might need for any particular mission - even if it's just a thrill ride in the desert or through the bustling Cyberpunk streets!
Originally designed and built in Haille Valley by a local racing team, this craft is designed for two things above all else: Going fast and looking great doing it. Intended as a cross between an old fashioned hot rod and a high tech speeder, this craft accomplishes everything it was designed for with gusto. With a top speed of 1,300 kilometres per hour in flight mode, and 90 kph in ground effect hovercraft mode, this vehicle is quite versatile.
The Dual mode Dragonfly also comes equipped with five external cable attachment points for attaching towing cables, equipment or anything else you might need for those random excursions. Equipped with a full suite of standardized automotive and hover car sensors, this vehicle does not disappoint. With a full Speedometer, Odometer, Altimeter, Clinometer/false horizon ball and an array of on/off toggle switches, the Dashboard is well detailed for any need.
Each Dragonfly comes with a selection of four colors with four 'settings' for each color. Red, Green, Tan and Grey, with a Pristine selection, Dirty, Damaged and Damaged & Dirty for each color. Also included at no extra cost is the Haille Valley special "Artists' choice" skin. The text on this skin reads: "Child of Honor" on one side, "Thus I refute Thee" on the other with the racing team's name of "Angel's Wilde" up the middle.
Take to the Streets in Style!!!
We here at Haille Valley are happy to present to you the reinvention of the wheel, the Tadpole Monocycle. She features a variable geometry tread that can adapt to almost any terrain. With the adaptable tread, you don't have to worry about losing traction in those turns as it changes with the degree that you lean.
Worried about transporting pizzas, important supplies, or just your lunch? Never fear, we have included a small bin that mounts to the hub of the Tadpole, turning it from a quick and easy rider to a certified cargo runner! (Small amounts only.)
Note from the Artist: Some new techniques were tried with this, including dial-based geometric lighting for the actual lights. Everything that should emit light does and is rigged with animated dials. Take the turn signals for instance. The dashboard indicators work as they should in conjunction with the actual signals. Have fun, don't crash, and enjoy.
18 Control Dials
Indicators - Lights and Dash Board
Panels Control - Controls the Articulated Panels on the Wheel
We here at Haille Valley are proud to offer our latest efforts to you! Presenting the light recon vehicle; Strider! It is a single seater, 4x4 quad runner with omni-directional steering.
Each limb is articulated to provide the rider with the best ride along with as much maneuverability as is possible. Equipped with five different modes for the user to use, the possibilities are nearly endless.
A limited amount of secure cargo space is available as well, with a well built cage for transporting valuable critters or bulky items mounted to the rear of the vehicle. Five optional additional saddle bags are included at no extra charge.
We here at Haille Valley are proud and most pleased to present to you ATVE Mods - SOA Board, our latest line of vehicular modifications.
To start you off, however, we are releasing a limited edition run of vehicles, linked together and all set up for you, our customer, to whet your appetite. In ATVE Mods - SOA Board we present two hoverboards, complete with two unique styles of thrust engines for various tastes. For those wishing to play the courier, we have a secure, hard-shell pack that is compatible with the magnetic strips built into the pad itself.
We are including our very own racing helmet, complete with fully visualized heads up display, with altimeter, compass, horizon line display AND, for the very first time, our racing path indicator, for those who wish to see where their path will lead them next.
Get the ATVE Mods - SOA Board for Genesis 8 Male and Female for your hover-race, futuristic surf-scene, and deserted planet travel needs today!
Also included are some visual effects as well. Individual spotlights and a weapons fire plasma bolt. Just in case.
Under Water - Outer Space - Civilian Airways....
We here at Haille Valley present to you the Adventurer's Toybox - Vehicles edition: A.E.C.O. Also known as the All Environment Craft-Oddity, the Aeco is a single seater vehicle for all of your pleasure craft needs. From deep below the surface of the sea to the void of space and every place in between, the Aeco is the craft for you.
Designed utilizing alien technology to help guide and control the craft made with human know-how and ingenuity, this vehicle is flexible enough to offer aerial dogfights that'd make even the nimblest of swallows dizzy.
Each craft comes standard with a secondary addition pack, featuring four single muzzle turrets for the defense of said craft and pilot, as well as a chin mounted detachable plasma driver weapon. Each plasma driver is designed for a quick release, but with a secure mounting to prevent accidental dropping. Weight isn't an issue with the plasma driver, as each unit is light enough to be almost negligible to those used to combat.
For those who are not, each plasma driver also comes equipped with a deploy-able tripod, just in case a specific position needs to be held for extended periods of time.
We here at Haille Valley are proud to present to you, for the first time, an import! This beautiful oddity of a plane is more than capable as your above average interceptor or simple runabout for the Badland's flights. Featuring multiple directional thrusters, including the tried and true RCS or Reaction Control System, this nimble little number is a worthy addition to any fleet. It comes automatically equipped with a pair of heavy machine guns, as well as a pair of wing-tip mounted missile rail hardpoints. (2 missiles are also included at no extra charge.)
The seat is a forward-leaning racing seat, suitable for both males and females, though the cockpit might be cramped for our... bigger customers. That said, the cockpit does come fully equipped with its own HUD, thankfully compatible in style with our helmet, which is ALSO included at no extra charge.
(Artist's notes: There are multiple options for maneuvering with this particular bird. I have set up a textured thruster-nacelle-based maneuvering set of preset materials, hard object control surfaces and the RCS. That said, all of the sub-parts use different material names, but all of the bits in my Mods Kit use the same textures per sub-part. So while the presets may not work between the different kit vehicles, they all use the same textures. The textures used in the SOA Board will work with this set, vice versa. Well, for the sub-parts that are used in both, that is.)
We here at Haille Valley are proud to present to you one of our latest inspired vehicles: the Stinger fighter. Designed initially as a racing plane, this craft is no slouch when it comes to dogfights. Made using our patent-pending proprietary modular kit technology (meaning we made this set, not that we own the idea), we have made possible this particular beauty of a racer. It's a single-seater, as usual, with an absolutely adorable profile and minimal cross-section on any detection system.
As usual with our modular kits, we're including our standardized racing helmet at no extra charge.
This is one impressive, stylized personal flier!
Love This Thing!!!
- Dartanbeck
We are proud to present to you, the Firebrand Racer! Designed using the very latest in multi-geometry gravimetrics, the Firebrand is the futuristic racer for YOU!
With twin booms and variable geometry wings and control surfaces, this craft is as nimble as can be, turning on a dime fast enough to make the head spin. Using the same time-tested cockpit module as the AECO submersible pleasure craft, the Firebrand comes standard with the same basic safety measures.
But wait, that is not all. With an on-board hyper-drive with a tame-ish singularity, this craft truly is interstellar in what those spacers call "long-leggedness." This frame also utilizes several interesting techniques and technologies in its construction, with a dynamic duo of weapons systems. From its under-slung heavy cannon to the light plasma bolt launchers, this racer can become a true interceptor for all of those military minded folk.
(We here at Haille Valley are not responsible for lost limbs or planets due to tampered hyper-drives. Attempting repairs on a hyper-drive without a certified mechanic voids product warranty and may break the fourth wall.)
We here at Haille Valley have released our mad scientists upon our modular kit to bring to you a rather peculiar pair of toys: ATVE Mods - Janus and Desert Coyote.
This one is designed as a two-seater with an unusual configuration. It has the people seated in line with each other.
Strangely, while some parts of it are set up with the standard hydraulics and mechanical linkages, the weapons aren't attached at all. We don't really know why.
As far as the second vehicle goes, we thought that it was too... simplistic a vehicle to release upon its own, so we're including it in this particular setup.
Again, our mad scientist decided to build it after watching an ancient cartoon of some kind, and when asked about it, all she'd say was "Meep Meep." Whatever that means.
As usual, we're also including our helmet for noggin safety, as well as its HUD.
Here's a quick animation demo without sound.
Note: This is a demonstration of Rosie using ATVE Janus in a Backwards position (she's flying from the tailgunner seat!) to show how versatile these adventure craft can be to use! I love all of these kits!!! :)
-Dartanbeck
We here at Haille Valley have been proud to bring you our line of ready made vehicles for your every day Adventurers.
Over our run of ready-made vehicles, we've been fortunate to bring you many different types of small-craft. This one is no different.
Featuring a twin bladeless-fan lift engine setup, this particular aircraft offers a striking silhouette.
Fully articulated, this craft is ideally suited for getting into, and out of, tight spaces. But, never fear, for this craft also comes equipped with our standardized plasma cannons, high powered enough for any ne'er do well that dares attempt to take you out.
With the twin rotor design, this craft can spin on a dime, take off vertically, and touch down with the gentlest of touches.
As usual, we offer our standardized helmet with onboard hud.
Oh, before we forget, the name of this particular vehicle is the SIV (Scout Insertion Vehicle) Dragonfly.
Wanna Build Your Own? Modify What You Already Have? Check This Out!!!
We here at Haille Valley are proud and excited to present to you, our loyal customers, the Adventurer's Toybox, Vehicles Edition - Full Modular Kit!
It's a bit of a mouthful, which is why we've been abbreviating it to the ATVE Mods Kit for our past products. This said, we have a rather extensive list of items for you in this kit, so grab a seat and look up.
Our kit is divided into a few 'easy to grasp' categories. A further listing is provided below.
Bodies: 5 pieces. Fills out the dead spaces.
Cores: 6 pieces. The main units of the vehicle kit.
Engines: 8 pieces. Makes the vehicle go vroom.
Extras: Our modular kit, and a Reaction Control System.
Weapons: 6 pieces. Makes others into dead spaces.
Wings: 11 Pieces. Provides lift and control.
We wish you the best of luck, enjoyment, and many hours of happy bashing.
Artist's Notes: Please be aware that some of the numberings of the different parts skip one or two. No, you are not imagining things, I just ran out of patience and/or coffee.
Second note: When dealing with the Hoverboard poses, they work the same way as the previous SOA Board product did.
Use the wearables pose to spawn a board in a premade pose.
Use the H poses to manipulate an already spawned board and user.
Use the lower body poses AFTER you have previously selected a pose for the upper body. This will allow you to do things like carry crates, flags, weapons, etc.
Third note: The Armored Pod core is the only one with an ejectable lid. It comes with dials to pose the lid individually, though it might be awkward to place. This is intentionally designed for escape pods, though you can use it for whatever you desire.
What a Fantastic place to learn, share and absorb anything and everything Art!
Led by Paul Bussey, this fantastic place has a beautiful forum with an endless supply of topics - and we can join courses and training, or just hang out with the group and discuss and enjoy art!
Let's Put Stuff In Motion!!!
During the regular presentation we'll see how all of these kits come with powerful tools built right into the figure that help us animate in unique ways without having to go through a lot of fuss.
For Animation Corner, let's explore how fun it can be to add the premade, physically-based (for cars) animations of Linday's Four-Wheeler Animation Template system!!!
I'll show you how I use this incredible set of tools to put these amazing craft in motion in various ways - it's really pretty cool!
I'll also give a little peek of the Kit Bash I did with ATVE Tadpole Monocycle - with itself - to make a cool version that works out-of-the-box with this Template system! Cool Stuff!