Hard Light Productions Forums

Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: Corhellion on November 05, 2004, 11:14:19 pm

Title: First Model need help and feedback
Post by: Corhellion on November 05, 2004, 11:14:19 pm
Hey all,

I've decided to get into FS2 modelling, start out easy, and go from there...only thing is...I can't convert my models, I have pretty much zero experience...so...help!! PLZ!!!!

Aaanyways...Tada!

(http://www.maj.com/gallery/Corhellion/Freespace/vas_cr1.jpg)

(http://www.maj.com/gallery/Corhellion/Freespace/vas_cr2.jpg)

(http://www.maj.com/gallery/Corhellion/Freespace/vas_cr3.jpg)

She isn't much...a Vasudan cruiser...which started out as the front section of a Vasudan Destroyer...funny how things work out...the lens flares are where the engines are to go, and there are also two little 'stubs' where more engines go too...but...it's obscured slightly by the engine arm, and all the smoothing is done with nurbs...so...it'll be slightly less rounded when it's finished being converted...if it can be...

Feedback? Comments? Anyone want it? If you can help me convert it...you can have it...
Title: First Model need help and feedback
Post by: Trivial Psychic on November 05, 2004, 11:24:09 pm
Actually, I see a couple of possible fighters in there.  If its symetrical top-to-bottom, flip in 90 degrees on its bank axis and it could be a semi-stealthy successor to the Serapis.  Or, retain the current orientation, bulk-up the dorsal fin, then recess and shorten the ventral fin slightny, add a terran cockpit on the front and you have a potential evolutionary successor to the Hercules line, following on from the MK.II.
Title: First Model need help and feedback
Post by: Corhellion on November 05, 2004, 11:31:12 pm
Hmmmm...Gimme a few mins, I'm fiddling around with poly-reduction (from 10,000 polys to 304, and it still looks good!)

I'll try out both those ideas, just gimme time...
Title: First Model need help and feedback
Post by: Black Wolf on November 06, 2004, 12:03:51 am
It needs more definition to it. Try splitting the engines into two and giving it a distinct cockpit for starters.
Title: First Model need help and feedback
Post by: Corhellion on November 06, 2004, 12:07:47 am
Well, here's a bit of an update.

I got a rough idea for the Vas fighter.

Tell me what you think.

(http://www.maj.com/gallery/Corhellion/Freespace/vas_fg1.jpg)

468 polys btw.

and the updated/poly reduced cruiser, 304 polys.

(http://www.maj.com/gallery/Corhellion/Freespace/vas_cr4.jpg)

and it prolly needs a lot of work getting rid of useless polys...which I suck at doing...

Keep the feedback and comments coming.
Title: First Model need help and feedback
Post by: Black Wolf on November 06, 2004, 12:12:24 am
Fighter has the potential to kick an awful lot of ass...as for the second one, I kinda didn't realize it was a cruiser... :nervous:
Title: First Model need help and feedback
Post by: Corhellion on November 06, 2004, 12:24:09 am
There's two reasons why I'm doing this...to get better at modelling...and to prepare myself for college...going to be taking Game Developement and design...aswell as CG Animation.

Keep the comments coming.
Title: First Model need help and feedback
Post by: Mongoose on November 06, 2004, 12:52:07 am
That fighter is awesome :D
Title: First Model need help and feedback
Post by: Trivial Psychic on November 06, 2004, 01:14:08 am
Some refinements on your Vasudan fighter:

1 ) Make the wing segments become somewhat thinner once they extend out beyond the main body.

2 ) Alter the sweep of the trailing edge of the wing, so it doesn't come to a point at the tip.

3 ) I can't see whether you've done this on this model, since the ventral isn't visible.  I see that you've recessed the ventral sections of the engines (a nice touch BTW) both at the rear and sides.  I'd advise you to have the engine structure on the ventral engines extend more forward on the hull than on the dorsal, so they can become missile bays on their front end, perhaps with a bit of sweep to match the wing leading edge.

Since this craft looks a little more solid than the Serapis, perhaps this could be a new all-Vasudan space supperiority or light bomber, kinda like the Athena in that its almost part-fighter, though I see it having some stealth characteristics.  Whether this is Loki-type stealth or Pegasus-type stealth is open to debate, but I think that the textures chosen should reflect this in either case.

Later!
Title: First Model need help and feedback
Post by: karajorma on November 06, 2004, 03:28:39 am
What are you working in? MAX? TS? You now have a choice of ways to convert.
Title: First Model need help and feedback
Post by: TopAce on November 06, 2004, 04:00:14 am
Not bad. That is all I can say as of this moment.
Title: First Model need help and feedback
Post by: Roanoke on November 06, 2004, 05:48:18 am
keep working on the fighter, don't bother converting just yet.
Title: First Model need help and feedback
Post by: Swamp_Thing on November 06, 2004, 06:24:45 am
Good general shape, but needs details. You can never have enough of those...
And a cockpit. I don´t see any cockpit there.
:)

Oh, and...
(http://images5.theimagehosting.com/Welcome2HLPSign.jpg)
Title: First Model need help and feedback
Post by: Corhellion on November 06, 2004, 08:55:30 am
...wtf Swampthing...

...check the persons post count before you welcome them...

and the fighter does have a cockpit look closer...it's the black space...

Trivial: I'll follow those and try and update it today.

Kara: I work in Cinema 4D, but I export it as a .3ds with little trouble.
Title: First Model need help and feedback
Post by: Mad Bomber on November 06, 2004, 09:19:05 am
The cruiser looks vaguely reminiscent of the GVC Tuket.

(I really oughta release that at some point.)
Title: First Model need help and feedback
Post by: Jetmech Jr. on November 06, 2004, 09:20:12 am
Fighter: Yes. Great. :yes:

Cruiser: No. Bad :no:
Title: First Model need help and feedback
Post by: karajorma on November 06, 2004, 09:24:08 am
Quote
Originally posted by Mad Bomber
The cruiser looks vaguely reminiscent of the GVC Tuket.

(I really oughta release that at some point.)


You did. We're using it in MG :D

 And yes it reminds me very much of the Tuket :)
Title: First Model need help and feedback
Post by: Corhellion on November 06, 2004, 09:37:34 am
Booya!

Updated in about 30 mins...

(http://www.maj.com/gallery/Corhellion/Freespace/vas_fg4.jpg)

(http://www.maj.com/gallery/Corhellion/Freespace/vas_fg5.jpg)

Wings are smoothed and rounded at the tips, the 'missile bays' are recessed into the hull a bit, and I added 2 more guns...although I'm debating if I want the 2 extra guns on the wings or...where they are now...

Feedback? Comments?

(Edit: Poly count is at 1126)
Title: First Model need help and feedback
Post by: Jetmech Jr. on November 06, 2004, 09:48:03 am
It is slowly becoming the Hi Poly Serapis. :D
Title: First Model need help and feedback
Post by: Mad Bomber on November 06, 2004, 09:48:16 am
Quote
Originally posted by karajorma
You did. We're using it in MG :D

 And yes it reminds me very much of the Tuket :)



Ohhhhhh yeeeeaaaahhhh :cool:

Did you improve its texture at all? I've always felt it needed a little improvement in that regard. (shrug)


Cor, your fighter looks good, tho methinks it needs just a bit more Vasudan feel. Right now it has more of a "Terran-flying-wing" feel, somehow, tho that may just be because it's gray and unskinned.
Title: First Model need help and feedback
Post by: TopAce on November 06, 2004, 10:16:13 am
Quote
Originally posted by Jetmech Jr.
It is slowly becoming the Hi Poly Serapis. :D


It can be the sequel of the Serapis at best.
Title: First Model need help and feedback
Post by: Swamp_Thing on November 06, 2004, 11:17:02 am
Quote
Originally posted by Corhellion
...wtf Swampthing...

...check the persons post count before you welcome them...

and the fighter does have a cockpit look closer...it's the black space...



Ups, don´t i feel silly right about now...
What can i say, i never saw you around here, and you gave the impression you were new to the modeling, so excuse me for being polite and welcoming you. I won´t ever do it again...
:p  

The ´cockpit´ was/is not very visible in those shots, hence the remark. :nervous:
Title: First Model need help and feedback
Post by: TopAce on November 06, 2004, 11:53:22 am
Speaking of the cockpit, it is too small. It pretends the fighter to be larger. The FS2 Cockpit/Craft size ratio was less.
Title: First Model need help and feedback
Post by: Knight Templar on November 06, 2004, 12:39:56 pm
Looks better than my first model. :yes:
Title: First Model need help and feedback
Post by: karajorma on November 06, 2004, 12:48:27 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Mad Bomber
Ohhhhhh yeeeeaaaahhhh :cool:

Did you improve its texture at all? I've always felt it needed a little improvement in that regard. (shrug)


We haven't so far but there's a good chance that we might try talking DaBrain into it :)
Title: First Model need help and feedback
Post by: Trivial Psychic on November 06, 2004, 08:56:56 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Corhellion

(http://www.maj.com/gallery/Corhellion/Freespace/vas_fg1.jpg)

(http://www.maj.com/gallery/Corhellion/Freespace/vas_fg4.jpg)

(http://www.maj.com/gallery/Corhellion/Freespace/vas_fg5.jpg)


I'm sorry to say this, but I liked the feel of the first one more.  My suggestions are, start with the older design, then put the wing sweep somewhere between the first and second designs.  Make the wings thinner, but have the thinning start just outboard of the main "hull".  To compensate for the wing-space reduction, move the trailing edge of the wing back a bit, so the net result of this specific change is that the wing is longer not in span, but in distance from leading to trailing edge (sorry, but I'm not sure of the exact term to use to describe that dimension).  I like the way the engines stay close to one another in the first design.  For the cockpit, despite Swamp_Thing's opinions, I prefer the non-bulbous design in the first incarnation.  Just look at how recessed the cockpit on the Serapis is.  Next, regarding your gun barrels.  IF you are aiming for a stealthy craft, I'd advise slinging any guns inder the nose and keeping them short barrels, like in the first incarnation.  To be perfectly realistic however, if you look at Vasudan FS2 craft (or almost ANY FS2 fighter/bomber for that matter), they don't have gun barrels at all.  If you must include them, I suggest you look at the Horus for guidlines, since it is the Serapis' effective predecessor.

All that said, this is YOUR model and not mine, so proceed how you feel is best.  As always, these are my opinions, from a guy who can't even MOD anyway.  Incidentally, your current low-sweep wing model is somewhat reminiscent of an american experimental plane from the 1940's, which were testing flying wing concepts for a future 4-engined bomber design, the XB-35.  I forget the name of the actual model this reminds me of though.

Later!
Title: First Model need help and feedback
Post by: Corhellion on November 06, 2004, 10:51:27 pm
hmmm...

...who knew that model making was so...challenging...I can model...but I can't do anything else...somebody tell me that you can take it and make it your own cause I can't...I can make two variants...the older more stealthier version and the Serapis MKII variant, if anyone wants them.
Title: First Model need help and feedback
Post by: NGTM-1R on November 06, 2004, 11:48:05 pm
The second one reminds me horribly of my first fighter model.

May it never see the light of day...*hides his copy of C4D*

I think the first design is just all-around better looking. I'd almost say go with it as is, but instead I'll advise a bit more detail on the model, and a bit less curves...not too many less curves, though, or then it turns Terran on you.