This is a small art update to show model/digital art progress.

After years of college and personal practice, I am experienced in a variety of modeling and art programs. Maya is a great tool used by a vast majority of 3D based companies and Unreal is a beautiful engine that is quickly gaining steam among developers. 

Using Lynda, I'm training myself to better use the programs and how they can work together with themselves and with the other programs I'm used to. Although I'm very good at mechanical modeling, I need to improve in my creation and implementation of Textures, Materials and UV Bitmaps.
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Face: 95% complete
​Strap: Complete

Watch Face: Complete!
Strap: Complete!

I took a break on the sensor indentations and decided to get the top and visor closer to being complete.
I'm also coming up on my 8 hour goal, and it's looking great! Odds are I won't work on the strap at this time, but I might add it in the future.
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I adjusted the padding size and connected it to the model. I then smoothed the intersect between the two. I still need to fix the material for the padding and the lenses/nose-bridge need some work.

I completed the usb/hdmi/power hub (and have saved them assets for future projects)

My goal for this hour was to finish the small sensors and to make some headway on the sensor indentations.
I accomplished this and was able to make a number of other small adjustments.

Completed (Mostly) the plastic face of the Vive. The next step will be the inner parts of the sensor indentations.

I adjusted a few of the sensor pieces for a better boolean difference. The are quite a few sensor indentations... I then created the face surface lines for the center sensors and made some adjustments to the mask.

With another hour, I was able to draft the lenses, padding and some of the sensor indentations.

I started a new side project where I will try to recreate the HTC Vive as accurately and quickly as possible using only photos. I'll start posting my progress and the time put into it. 

I've acquired some 3DS Max experience from Kansas State, however I've decided to learn a lot more on my own...within the time constraints of the free trial however. The 3D modeling skills I've obtained in other programs is helping immensely so far, I just have to tweak some of the preferences as I go (like setting max-undo-levels to 100 for example). I'll be posting all my progress to a google doc with pictures of the final results. Feel free to take a look.
My Progress

While still developing, I made a few renders to get a better Idea of the look of things. The cannon part is certainly the most difficult to model due to the inner transform mechanics. The first render below shows the different parts, while the second shows the different possible weapon forms. 

The 3rd phase is a separable particle cannon that clips on to the waist. The revolvers slide in and the two sides combine together, unfold and become the cannon itself. This phase is taking the longest to achieve, but I think the result will be impressive.

The next phase of the Revolver clips on the back when not in use. The next phase is considerably larger.

I had an epiphany recently in the shower (pretty much the location of most of my inspiration) and I thought about a 3 staged fictional weapon that started with the initial revolver that combines with other parts to become larger fictional weapons. Using the experience from the Laser Focusing Rig, I was able to get a very detailed start to it. 

I've been teaching myself how to use the animation software Poser and this dis-assembly render demonstrates my progress. 

In addition to side projects like this one, I am currently training myself in the Unreal Engine! My past experience with programs like MAX, Rhino 5, Maya, Cinema 4D and video games, I find that I really like the interface and the free camera is very familliar. I am currently getting the hang of the blueprint editor, which has some similarities to the MAX programming layout.

I added the second parts to the rig and I'm happy with the progress.
The main purpose of this rig is test my level of designing at high complexity.

I wanted to start on an ambitious project where I up the complexity level  of my work. This is a single part of a laser focusing device.

I've done a little more work on my Katana Rifle display.

Good progress has been made on the Crescent Rose. The blue lines are Not Final and are there to help with sight proportions. 

On this project I want to re-create the Crescent Rose from Rooster Teeth's RWBY. I want to improve my proportions, so I'm creating this by just observing the show and photos (and not tracing). Its still in the very early stages of development, however I'm feeling pretty good about it so far. 

The amazing people of Rooster Teeth recently had a live chat discussing the newest season of their production Red vs Blue. They talked about the character Sharkface, an escaped convict with an affinity for fire. They laughed as they thought of having one flame thrower gauntlet and one hot dog roasting skewer gauntlet......so I've been making it.

Still in the development phase, I think its coming along nicely. I'm using freeze frames of the show in order to approximate the geometry, so its not exact.

Hello! My name is David Kahler and here is where I shall start posting my progress on personal art projects.