Jaw Breaker - Machine Concept
Inspired by the prehistoric Dunkleosteus & designed for the Horizon Zero Dawn world.
Jaw Breaker - Machine Concept
Description:
This personal project was inspired by Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West. I started it to use and improve the rigging and animation skills I learned from the "Hammerhead" project. The design is based on the prehistoric Dunkleosteus and other aquatic creatures. This project helped me practice proportion, silhouette, and structure. I focused on edge-flow and larger shapes. In Blender, I created a rig that uses values for a swimming animation and constraints to easily control the machine parts.
Color Variations:
Variations between a more game-fitting scheme and a color scheme that resembles shark skin.
Head Control:
I used constraints that blend between 0 and 1 for the head controls, allowing efficient keyframing of head animations. An "Aim Constraint" makes the head look at an "Empty Object" and uses the same Sinus Curve as the tail to match its swing. It also enables me to pose it. This setup enabled me to match the parts to the final character of the machine to fit together naturally.Tail & Swimming Animation & Technical Rig
The animation is driven by a series of bones that rotate using a sinus curve between positive and negative angles. By adding an offset to the bone position on the sinus curve, I create a natural tail swing. Parameters are set to control the frequency and offset of the bone rotation with simple controls.To keep all solid parts stiff, I detached the top and bottom parts of the body. The lower part remains stiff while the top bends with the tail, ensuring a smooth curve.
Edge - Flow:
A key aspect of this project was to create effective edge flow and emphasize larger shapes. I aimed to make the bigger forms stand out to enhance recognizability and reduce visual noise, preventing the eye from getting lost.
Underwater Gameplay Concept for Horizon Games:
I envisioned how underwater gameplay could look for the Horizon games. The challenge is how to fight machines underwater. Using a bow would be unrealistic, as it can't effectively damage anything underwater. Instead, players could sneak up on machines by hiding in seagrass, then grab onto them. From there, they could climb to critical components and defeat the machine by attacking its head.To add difficulty, the path to the head wouldn't be straightforward but more like a puzzle, similar to those found in cauldrons. The machine could also have defense maneuvers requiring quick player reactions.
Additionally, a new gadget could be introduced: a magnet rod and net. This gadget would allow players to climb onto machines. When the magnet or net attaches to the machine, the player would be dragged along and need to pull themselves forward on the rope.
Possible points to grab on are marked in yellow below.
I hope you enjoyed this project the same way I did. Feel free to reach out if you want to know anything.
Special thanks & in memory of Mike Andrew Nash
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