Museum of Power - Initial thoughts

On Wednesday, 7th October, our group (Tom, Stuart, Richard and myself) went down to the Museum of power in Langford, Maldon. When we arrived, there were many various machines that looked promising to use for our 3D animation project. Some machines I was familiar with, but others I had not seen before. Some of the machines that we came across were really too large to use for our project.

Eventually, after some consideration, we decided to use the Joseph Evan's reliable steam pump. This appealed to us for several reasons. Firstly, there were three main visible moving parts which would be ideal to model and animate in 3D Studio Max. Secondly, the size of the model was ideal; 4 feet x 2 feet x 4 feet is an ideal size to use for both taking photo's and using as a specimen for modelling.

The attractive colours and the typical engine noise helped to make this model appealing to us from the outset.
The machine was built in 1929 and used as a Crude Tar Pump until the end of 1986, where it was then purchased by the museum for ten pounds.
As a group, we ensured that many photo's were taken from various angles whilst the machine was moving and still, and we also took some video footage for animation purposes. The image below is the primary one that the group will be working from in order to create the model. Further down the line, we will all be using other photographs that we took in order to obtain more intricate detail.

(The J. Evan's reliable steam pump)

(Information sheet for the Steam Pump)

Our first team meeting is on Thursday 29th October where we will discuss the various roles within the team and how we will go about modelling and animating this machine in 3D Studio Max. At this point, we will also decide on a scale that we will use for creating the model, so that at the end when we consolidate our models for animation, they will match each other in size and scale. We will be holding regular weekly meetings throughout the project so that we constantly communicate with each other and update each other on our progress and ideas. A powerpoint presentation will follow in week two of this project where we will be able to explain our ideas to other groups, and hopefully get some feedback on what we will pursue.