[brandx0]

I would disagree with you that NURBS is the best way to capture the shape of this model.  While it is indeed a very curved shape, box modeling (aka poly modeling) provides more control over where the polies you create will be.  While the overall polycount is not that high, for the same number of triangles you could create a model using polies that captures the same exact shape but with more detail.

While I am familiar with NURBS and very partial to them (Rhino was one of my first modelling apps in fact) I still consider them completely inefficient for low poly game modeling.  They should be used where they were designed to be, high poly organic models.

[rhettro]

I would disagree with you that NURBS is the best way to capture the shape of this model.

I should have said "most accurate" way instead of "best" way. 

[Black Wolf]

5700 polies isn't excessive for a fighter, not these days, and especially not if it has a single texture map.

[brandx0]

No of course not, once again I don't mean the polycount is too high, I mean it's much higher than it needs to be, and that those polies could be better used elsewhere.

[rhettro]

No of course not, once again I don't mean the polycount is too high, I mean it's much higher than it needs to be, and that those polies could be better used elsewhere.

Ah, this is a true statement. My model isn't nearly as optimized as it could be. Partly due to it being exported from a NURBs model and partly due to me not knowing what I was doing when I exported it the first time. If I was to do it over, I'd probably export the main body shape from NURBS, but model everything else in Blender. 

[rhettro]

The Naboo Fighter reborn.

I decided to rebuild the Naboo model from the ground up in Blender using "box modeling." What a pain. But I did manage to bring the poly count down from 5800 to 1540 or so. Model has been UVed so now on to the texturing.

[Thaeris]

You know, if a model can be reduced to polygons, as the NURBS model was, it can certainly be reduced manually whilst retaining most of the shape. I'm not sure you needed to start over completely...

[rhettro]

Thanks Thaeris,

The problem was, the amount of time to erase polygons from the NURBS model and rebuild it would have taken longer. I know because I was already doing that to an extent. But it wasn't a total loss. I was able to generate bitmap views from my NURBS model that I was able to trace in Blender. Secondly, and I know I'm repeating myself, this is a learning exercise for me. So rebuilding gave me the chance to see how I would have done it using Blender alone.

[chief1983]

Blender experience around here is always a good thing

[rhettro]

Everything I know about Blender is because of this site. LOL Really, since version 2.5 I've come to really like Blender. Once you learn a handful of shortcuts it's pretty easy to work with. There's a few things I wish it did better, but still pretty impressive for a free program.

[newman]

You know, if a model can be reduced to polygons, as the NURBS model was, it can certainly be reduced manually whilst retaining most of the shape. I'm not sure you needed to start over completely...

Actually, he did. NURBS is a great industry tool when it comes to modeling complex, flowing shapes and you need to export them to .step or something similar, and have CNC machines work with it. Mainly because it's based on mathematical curves, rather than polygons. When you convert, the automatic process doesn't leave you enough control over where each poly is, and this is completely irrelevant with actual 3d design. It's extremely relevant with game modeling. I should know, as I've actually done both professionally Sure, it's possible to clean up a NURBS converted poly model, but in the end it's faster and more efficient to make one from scratch. There's a very good reason why you use NURBS when it comes to manufacturing, and a very good reason why it's pretty much never used in this type of game modeling. It's inefficient and in the end you end up doing exactly what rhettro did - start a poly based model from scratch.

[Something]

Still, experience all around eh? I always thought the Naboo fighter was a great looking craft, despite the bright yellow used for it. Hope you can get it in other colours XD

[LordMelvin]

Still, experience all around eh? I always thought the Naboo fighter was a great looking craft, despite the bright yellow used for it. Hope you can get it in other colours XD

Maybe a dingy bare-metal look with just occasional spots of yellow still sticking to it, like it's been forty years since episode one happened and jar-jar's died of old age and noone remembers any of the bad stuff from the prequels and...

*wipes drool*

a-hem.

'scuse me.

[Dain]

This colour scheme would be quite cool for an OT version:

[Something]

Everyone knows the red ones go faster.

[Pred the Penguin]

...and have more expensive insurance.

[rhettro]

Dain I like that version. I was thinking of a retrofitted version that would fit in the OT time frame, along the lines of everything repainted a primer grey color with new insignia. I'm also aware that there is a blue version: http://www.scifigenre.com/itemDetail.aspx?sid=G&nItemID=40226. In addition, according to Wookiepedia, the first versions didn't have chrome on them. I still have to finish the original yellow scheme.

[Dragon]

Do you think you'd be able to model other N-1 Series fighters?
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/N-1_series
Most of these come from SW: Galactic Battlegrounds, and I think they might be interesting to include in FoTG.
They are quite similar to basic N-1, so it shouldn't be difficult to model them once you have the N-1 done.

[rhettro]

I need to finish this model before I commit to other projects, especially since I've been putting the "pro" in procrastination lately. I'm certainly open to doing other N-1 variants, at a minimum I would certainly share my model with anyone who wanted to do a variant. I've been toying with the idea of doing a Droid Battle Fighter as the counterpoint to the N-1. Also I've thought of doing a Naboo Royal Cruiser. But realistically, I'd like to support whatever ship scenarios people want to play and OT era scenarios will likely get preferential treatment.

[Dragon]

Naboo-made fighters were in use during OT and even later (though described as "antique" at one point), usually by pirates and Rebels. Red-colored N-1 would be a great addition to a campaign set in early years of the Rebellion, when they used anything they could get their hands on. It's variants could be used to fill some gaps in their roster (for example, N-1B is a dedicated bomber, something which isn't common in SW universe).