A monument to EDD-E
Electronic Dedicated Deliverer - Earth edition
Update - 7 Oct 2020
In the end, I feel that I achieved the look I was going for. I wanted a heavy, once-fine metal look. I wanted it to be covered in moss and corrosion, but still have a nice contrasting shine on the edges. The texturing was almost entirely procedural aside from symbol placement and addition of extra wear here and there. I learned a lot and had a few happy accidents along the way. It was a fun project!
Update - 20 Sep 2020
I added more symbols, though some spots may be a bit overcrowded, so I may take it back a bit. Around EDD-E's eyes and ears is an inscription which humanity has used in the past after committing atrocities. In many different languages it says, "Never again." In this case, it means never again will we destroy our home planet. Of course, they did.
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Update - 17 Sep 2020
After adding some engravings I decided EDD-E was looking a little lightweight - a bit like hollow copper tube. I wanted a more heavier, solid-looking metal, so I darkened it and changed up some of the roughness maps. I'm liking the direction it's headed! Next, I want to add more secondary/tertiary detail.
Update - 15 Sep 2020
EDD-E needs some tertiary detail to breakup the big, plain shapes. I first imagined ancient symbols and patterns being inscribed on his monument. I looked up ancient Egyptian statues, and things like that. Then, I realized "ancient" in this time period would refer to present day. So, seeing as how EDD-E was the savior of all humankind, I imagine that people of all religions worshipped him. I want his monument to reflect that by being inscribed with many different kinds of religious symbols.
I did a little planning of alphas I will bring into Substance to project paint as displacement information.
Update - 12 Sep 2020
With a statue, I figured I had 2 options: stone or metal. I assume the creators would've wanted something a bit more permanent for their savior, so I went with metal (plus I really wanted to experiment with an aged bronze that has a nice contrast between smooth, metallic parts and rough, corroded parts).
Now, this statue was found in a damp jungle and has been sitting there for who knows how many centuries. It probably wouldn't have any luster left. It would probably be totally nasty, corroded, covered in various fungal growths and other dumpy organisms. But no one wants to see that. This is a hero shot dammit! It has to look good. So, I'm going to make it look good. Believable, but good.
I started with a dark base colour for the bronze. Added some nice, shiny edge wear. Added corrosion. And finally, added some scratches. A humble beginning, but I'm generally happy with this base.
Update - 11 Sep 2020
The Story
Four travelers searched the swampy depths of a long-forgotten forest, coming across a curious statue depicting a primitive old-Earth robot. Little did they know, this statue is one of thousands. It is, in fact, a monument to the being that rescued their distant ancestors in the face of extinction.
Long ago, this being - robot, if you will - was responsible for the salvation of humankind. Having abandoned their home, the men and women aboard the ______ had discarded any hope for the restoration of their beloved home planet, Earth. However, after several decades, one simple but curious Electronic Dedicated Deliverer delivered to the _____ a precious organism symbolic of Earth's reestablished habitability: a single plant. Humans returned, rejoiced, destroyed the Earth a second time, and left again.
The travelers - descendants of the earlier, stupider species called humans - pulled back an overgrown vine encircling the statue's chassis, revealing its four letter code name: EDD-E
References
Update - 10 Sep 2020
I'm starting off this project by applying a few of the default Smart Materials to Eddie and getting a general idea for where I want to go with him. While considering these different looks - metal, plastic, wood, stone - I'm thinking about his story.
Is he a toy? Is he a full human-sized functioning robot? Is he a simple robot or does he have a complex AI? What types of things does he do based on his simplicity/complexity? Does he wear clothes or does he prefer the nude lifestyle?
The story is so fun to explore, so I'm going to take some time to think of Eddie's.
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