Hard Light Productions Forums

Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: adwight on November 10, 2003, 09:14:55 pm

Title: My First Model!
Post by: adwight on November 10, 2003, 09:14:55 pm

Well, I've decided to create my first model (unnamed, and I'll never name it probably).  I know it sucks, but I decided to post it anyways.  Don't yell at me because its wireframe, when I tried to render it, it turned some poopy brown color and looked horrible.  Well here it is:


Perspective View:
(http://www.angelfire.com/ultra/purv/perspectiveview.jpg)

Side View:
(http://www.angelfire.com/ultra/purv/sidevew1.jpg)

Bottom View:
(http://www.angelfire.com/ultra/purv/bottomview1.jpg)

Top View:
(http://www.angelfire.com/ultra/purv/topview1.jpg)

Feel free to tear it apart or whatever, and tell me what I can do to improve.  Thank you!

Title: My First Model!
Post by: Unknown Target on November 10, 2003, 09:28:42 pm

Not bad for a first model. Can we get some solid renders? The design looks kool, but it's a little flimsy-looking.

Title: My First Model!
Post by: adwight on November 10, 2003, 10:28:08 pm

I'll try later to get them to work, but the poopy brown just ain't cutting it.

Title: My First Model!
Post by: Knight Templar on November 10, 2003, 10:28:56 pm

Wow.. way better than my first fighter. :yes:

So far my only nitpick is that from the side, the body looks short (vertically) compared to the head. Other than that, it's pretty cool. What program are you using?

Title: My First Model!
Post by: adwight on November 10, 2003, 10:57:40 pm

Truespace 3.6 I believe (the free one i got on Karajormas FAQ)  Anywho, this is what the solid perspective view looks like, and I want to change the render from this crappy tan thing...

(http://www.angelfire.com/ultra/purv/messuprender.jpg)

Title: My First Model!
Post by: StratComm on November 10, 2003, 11:01:58 pm

that tan's the object's property I think, it can be changed somewhere without actually applying a texture.  It's an interesting model, square, very skimpy structurally but cool.  Round it out some more, give it a little bulk, and I can't wait to see what you come up with.

Title: My First Model!
Post by: adwight on November 11, 2003, 08:13:35 am

Objects property, what's that???  I am a total newb to truespace so I don't know what your talking about.  Could you give me a step by step of how to change that??? Thanks!!!!  (I'm gonna start working on a cruiser/corvette today, just messaround and see what I can come up with).

Title: My First Model!
Post by: TopAce on November 11, 2003, 09:13:13 am

TrueSpace can do quite good things if you select/move/scale/remove/weld edges, or vertices.
I also suggest you to use the object union tool, which glues two different objects into one.

Don't wonder of texturing ANYTHING with truespace.

Title: My First Model!
Post by: Gloriano on November 11, 2003, 10:39:02 am

not bad :) :yes:

Title: My First Model!
Post by: StratComm on November 11, 2003, 11:28:33 am

Quote

Originally posted by adwight
Objects property, what's that???  I am a total newb to truespace so I don't know what your talking about.  Could you give me a step by step of how to change that??? Thanks!!!!  (I'm gonna start working on a cruiser/corvette today, just messaround and see what I can come up with).

My mistake, I'm thinking of other editors, objects in TS are inherently white.  Some modeling programs assign a random color to untextured models.  However, on closer examination of that shot it would seem that you have attempted to place a texture on the model.  To do this you must UV map it, something that TS3 is notoriously bad at doing.

Title: My First Model!
Post by: Raptor on November 11, 2003, 01:04:05 pm

Quote

Originally posted by adwight
Truespace 3.6 I believe (the free one i got on Karajormas FAQ)

If it's a free download, it'l be TS3.2

Which, so happens, is the version I use for mesh making!:D

For a first attempt, it's not bad.  Very boxy, but not bad.  you've got some non-flat faces on the wing-pod-things on the top rear, but with HT&L coming, that may not be a problem.

To get rid of the texture which has been applied, you need to left-click the 'Paint Face' button (looks like a paintbrush over a block).

Once clicked, you'll get a few drop down er, things, but most of then you don't need to worry about ATM.  Under 'Material Colour' just click the colour you want, then right-click-hold the 'Paint Face' button, and a drop down menu will appear. move the cursor over the first option (a whirlpool next to a block, call 'Paint Object') and release.

Voila! Your object will be painted in your selected colour!:)

As for the mesh, well, those flange-like plates, what are they for? If their for missile bays, then they need a lot more thickness 'behind' them (the missiles have to be stored somewhere!). Could do with more vertical elements, such as fins, and the nose needs to be defined more, but it has possibilties.

Title: My First Model!
Post by: karajorma on November 11, 2003, 01:08:24 pm

I like the basic shape for this ship quite a bit. I do tend to agree with Raptor that it needs somthing vertical on it to make it less flat though.

Title: My First Model!
Post by: adwight on November 11, 2003, 06:24:56 pm

Hey thanks for your feedback guys.  And thank you raptor for telling me how to paint it.  Now it looks like a ship
(http://www.angelfire.com/ultra/purv/itspainted.jpg)
Its not white, because for some reason it had a yellowish tint to it, and I decided this one gave it the best looks.

Title: My First Model!
Post by: Raptor on November 12, 2003, 03:13:18 am

Quote

Originally posted by adwight
Its not white, because for some reason it had a yellowish tint to it, and I decided this one gave it the best looks.

hmm, sounds like one of the lights in the scene is not white as well.  Have a play with them too.

And from that new pic, it deffinately needs

a) rounding and/or smoothing (don't ask about the latter, I'm still tring to figure that out myself:( )

b) some thing to break up that great flat space on the top

and c) a vertical element near the rear.  Try adding a big fin of some sort.

Title: My First Model!
Post by: adwight on November 12, 2003, 07:27:29 pm

Alright, I've changed some of the stuff raptor asked me to, and heres what it looks like now.  Tell me what you think.  (BTW, what do you mean by smooth it?)

(http://www.angelfire.com/ultra/purv/fixedupabit.jpg)

EDIT:  Note, the fin on the back, there is one the exact same facing downward, and it looks pretty good, this view just doesn't give it justice.

Title: My First Model!
Post by: Raptor on November 13, 2003, 03:14:31 am

AFAIK, smoothing = the process of rounding off the edges/faces of an object to create an impression of a smooth curved surface rather than a set of disjointed faces.

Only really important if your doing Vasudan ships.:)

Your right, the view dosn't do any fin justice.

try using the diffrent veiw buttons (top right of screen, right next to the 'render object' button) to get right-angle views.

For example (pimping my own stuff I know...:nervous: )
(http://www.angelfire.com/space2/raptorsnest/vasudan2.jpg)

Title: My First Model!
Post by: Knight Templar on November 13, 2003, 05:31:41 pm

Mesh Smooth is supar.

Title: My First Model!
Post by: adwight on November 13, 2003, 10:48:10 pm

How do I mesh smooth? (sorry for being such a complete newb, I messed around with quad smooth, but i don't understand how to use it if thats right...)

Title: My First Model!
Post by: StratComm on November 13, 2003, 11:15:53 pm

That's not directed at you adwight.  Right now your model is far too basic for mesh smooth to have any visable effect.  Rather, it is directed at Raptor, who really needs to walk that thing through LithUnwrap before he pimps it anymore.

"Horizontal stripes are sooo 80's..." ;)

Title: My First Model!
Post by: Raptor on November 14, 2003, 02:40:05 am

Quote

Originally posted by StratComm
Rather, it is directed at Raptor, who really needs to walk that thing through LithUnwrap before he pimps it anymore.

Well, I'm trying to get the mesh all sorted before I Lith it, so that the UVwrapping isn't messed up and I have redo it!

And don't you mean vertical stripes?:nervous:

Title: My First Model!
Post by: Setekh on November 15, 2003, 07:27:54 am

Adwight, are you still working on this? With a good texture, that could be a great-looking fighter. :)

Title: My First Model!
Post by: adwight on November 15, 2003, 10:08:05 am

A little bit, just trying to tweak it here and there.

Title: My First Model!
Post by: Ulala on November 15, 2003, 10:36:09 am

For your first, :yes: