I started this caulking gun project primarily to try to see how well I was able to fit MeshFusion into my workflow. MF certainly has its quirks, but as a dynamic/live boolean tool, it's surprisingly versatile. It took some time to learn how to mitigate weirdness and artifacts, but I think I'm finally at a point where I'm becoming comfortable and efficient with it. I started and finished the vertical foregrip this morning before work, and it took me 1.5 hours. 

The biggest issue I had was getting the cuts into the knurling on the grip. It's really twitchy with varied and dense topology so you have to move the cuts in small increments in various directions until the cut stops freaking out. However, when you do get it, it's very rewarding because now you have an all quad transition. This is what makes MF so much more powerful over other boolean solutions. It's not a nightmare to retopo.

After this project is finished, I'll be making a tutorial on how I retopologize my MF models quickly.

One more post before I finish the sights, just because I think it looks cool, hah.

So next up in this crazy project is a 45-degree offset backup iron sights, or BUIS for short. I have the post section modeled, and am working on the aperture section. 

I've been doing a lot of boolean operations with this project. This more or less started out as a box and I just subtracted my way to victory. Also, because I'm crazy and I model things nobody will notice, I went so far as to line the bolt up with the rail so that it fits perfectly in the groove. 

So the next update on this will be the finished and textured BUIS. I think I'll move onto the bipod grip when I'm done with this one. Gotta stabilize that caulking gun!

Since I started on my tactical caulk gun, like most of my projects, it has run rampant with scope creep. In this case though, I feel like it's for the better. Because while a caulk gun with a scope on it is rather ridiculous in itself, there is absolutely no reason I should stop there. One could even argue that I would be doing the project a disservice by not realizing its full potential. But what's better than a caulk gun with a scope, you ask? Why, a caulk gun with a scope, bipod grip, flashlight, laser, level, offset back-up iron sights, grenade launcher (for large patch jobs), and an accompanying instructional pamphlet. Naturally.

The problem I almost always run into with larger projects is that I end up getting bored much sooner. So to help stave off the eventual boredom, I am going to try and release bits of the project one attachment/sub-assembly at a time. That way I can keep adding to my portfolio AND indulge in the scope creep simultaneously.

And since I have used the word "scope" a total of 8 times in this post, the first asset I'll be kicking off is...... A SCOPE!

Now I just need to bake and texture it :P

I always search through ArtStation for subject matter that hasn't been modeled before when starting a new project. I was (somewhat) surprised when I didn't find any caulking guns. Here's my chance to corner the market! But wait, how do I make my work stand out in the sea of potential caulking guns that could suddenly fill the void at any moment? Ah, of course. I will put a scope on it. For the tactical craftsman. 

Naturally, I thought about modifying the "firing pin" with CO2 canisters so that the scope would make sense, but in the end, I felt that overdesigning it would betray the spirit of the thing. A caulking gun doesn't ask for more power. Like the turtle, it knows that slow and steady wins the race. But also like the turtle, it doesn't know its full potential until it has a scope strapped onto it.

Christening this blog with my current work in progress, a spaceship designed by the illustrious Sheng Lam. (concept will be posted when I finish the model)

I am nearly done with the project, but I literally just started texturing it 4 days ago. Today's progress:

Eventually, I was thinking of modeling some kind of railgun weapon thingy that pops up out of the bay doors. But that is something that I could easily add later if I felt so inclined.