Hard Light Productions Forums

Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: Snail on January 26, 2008, 10:00:11 am

Title: Snail's First Model
Post by: Snail on January 26, 2008, 10:00:11 am: Meh... My first (well, second, since my first was a load of boxes) model in Google SketchUp.

I was quite surprised with the simplicity of Google SketchUp. Most of the modelling utilities I've tried, like Blender and TrueSpace, were kind of hard to get used to, but Google SketchUp... I think even an idiot would be able to use it. Anyway...

(http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/5716/inachus1pictq4.png)

An attempt to create this concept art:

(http://geocities.com/alpha_quadrant_project/conceptpics/GTB_Inachus.jpg)

Still WIP. If I'm reading the info correctly it's only 139 polies... :wtf:

What do you think?
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: james777 on January 26, 2008, 10:13:29 am: it's good.
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: shiv on January 26, 2008, 10:14:47 am: Good for a start...
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Snail on January 26, 2008, 10:16:53 am: I messed up at the beginning so I've basically given up on that model.
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Hades on January 26, 2008, 10:34:12 am: It is better than my first model...
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Retsof on January 26, 2008, 11:45:52 am: I wish I could draw like that. :lol:
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Hellstryker on January 26, 2008, 11:57:25 am: NICE JOB! Better than my first model "real" model.. which had 50 polys IIRC :p
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Getter Robo G on January 26, 2008, 12:06:31 pm: Quote from: Snail on January 26, 2008, 10:00:11 am
I think even an idiot would be able to use it.

Be careful, I just might be the idiot who proves you wrong! :nod:

I'll give it another go.

Good job on your first model, it rocks! :yes:
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Snail on January 26, 2008, 01:08:57 pm: This is my second one. Quite proud of it. 367 polys apparently, I don't know whether I'm reading it right as it looks more than that. It took quite a long time to do but IMO it was worth it.

(http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/6444/criusgk9.png)

It was an attempt at this:

(http://geocities.com/alpha_quadrant_project/conceptpics/GTB_Crius.jpg)

I find it hard to do smooth or curly stuff in SketchUp so I've just been doing lots of blocky Terran concept art.
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Nuke on January 26, 2008, 03:17:21 pm: polygons: dont be afraid of them :D

i wouldnt waste em on intake slats either, id just normal map those.
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Snail on January 26, 2008, 03:27:13 pm: Without the intake slats it'd be something like 200 polies... What should I spend them on instead? I find it difficult to do curvy things in SketchUp :confused:

Also I don't know how to triangulate stuff on SketchUp, which I think is a needed thing to make it FS2 open compatible. Also, what else is needed for conversion to FS2? It doesn't export to .cob, but it does export to .3ds. I don't have 3dStudio Max so I guess if there's any way I'd have to get someone to help me with it. Any advice?
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: shiven_warior on January 26, 2008, 03:33:01 pm: well truespace 3.2 can open .3ds iirc
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Snail on January 26, 2008, 03:35:22 pm: Checked a while ago. They can't unfortunately. Unless I got something wrong.
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: shiven_warior on January 26, 2008, 03:41:15 pm: hmm wierd. but i cant get sketchup to export to 3ds..... how did u do it?
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Hellstryker on January 26, 2008, 03:58:36 pm: Snail, im a pro at using sketchup, and the best thing to use for curvy stuff is the arc tool ;) if you want some more advice my ICQ and AIM s/n are in my prof
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Snail on January 26, 2008, 04:23:30 pm: Thanks, I'll do some experimenting with the arc tool tomorrow.
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Hades on January 26, 2008, 07:13:18 pm: Quote from: Hellstryker on January 26, 2008, 03:58:36 pm
Snail, im a pro at using sketchup, and the best thing to use for curvy stuff is the arc tool ;) if you want some more advice my ICQ and AIM s/n are in my prof
You are not the pro UT is. :rolleyes:
You models are very low poly...
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Hellstryker on January 26, 2008, 07:17:10 pm: I dont upload everything i make on here ya know ;\
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Hades on January 26, 2008, 07:20:09 pm: On that note I might just have to try Sketchup...
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Hellstryker on January 26, 2008, 07:45:28 pm: As a side not alot of the craft i make dont seem to fit the FS universe, thus i see no need to upload them here. if anyone wants me to of course i will tho
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Hades on January 26, 2008, 07:52:49 pm: Quote from: Hellstryker on January 26, 2008, 07:45:28 pm
As a side not alot of the craft i make dont seem to fit the FS universe, thus i see no need to upload them here. if anyone wants me to of course i will tho
You can post them in Fan Fiction and Art.
OMG look at what I found in the Sketchup Warehouse : A fan made GTD Orion (http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=5b85bd68c55bec0b33ab2e4a226b461d&prevstart=0)
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Hellstryker on January 26, 2008, 08:30:28 pm: Ok, give it up, who the hell here made that?
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Retsof on January 26, 2008, 08:45:49 pm: On a side note, I just got sketchup a few hours ago, and it is easy, but I too cannot make spheres and such, I had to use an ark and put circles inside it, then outline it with normal straight lines so that it would show up. Advice?
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Hellstryker on January 26, 2008, 08:50:29 pm: It has premade spheres in the components section
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Retsof on January 26, 2008, 08:58:15 pm: Oh, I haven't found that part yet. *gets on sketchup and starts looking*
EDIT: Found it!
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Polpolion on January 26, 2008, 09:05:41 pm: Pfft! Spheres are over-rated. A real man's model is perfectly symmetrical and lines only run on or parallel to one of the three axis...
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Retsof on January 26, 2008, 10:51:56 pm: It's actually a hemisphere, and it is the base of a turret. The rest of the ship is blocky though, so maybe I should make the turrets angular as well...
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Grizzly on January 28, 2008, 06:22:08 am: Noob question: Google Sketchup's can be converted to Freespace format?
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: blowfish on January 28, 2008, 08:53:40 am: Yeah, SketchUp models can be converted for use in game. It takes a good amount of work and patience though.
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Hellstryker on January 28, 2008, 09:30:10 am: Skp-3DS-Triangulate/optimize in lith unwrap-COB-POF is the order you have to do things in with sketchup
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: TrashMan on January 28, 2008, 11:11:49 am: HINT: - if ship is symetrical, cut in half and work only on one half.
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: blowfish on January 28, 2008, 03:57:41 pm: Quote from: Hellstryker on January 28, 2008, 09:30:10 am
Skp-3DS-Triangulate/optimize in lith unwrap-COB-POF is the order you have to do things in with sketchup

I just texture in SketchUp, export 3ds (the exporter triangulates all geometry automatically), import into TrueSpace, edit grouping, import into PCS2, add stuff (like firepoints) and use ingame. Its a delicate process though.
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Colonol Dekker on January 28, 2008, 04:21:09 pm: Can't see it snal but im sureit better than my 1st.¤ well done ¥
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Hellstryker on January 28, 2008, 06:54:54 pm: DEKKER IS ALIVE? :jaw:
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Unknown Target on January 28, 2008, 07:03:02 pm: Quote from: Retsof on January 26, 2008, 08:45:49 pm
On a side note, I just got sketchup a few hours ago, and it is easy, but I too cannot make spheres and such, I had to use an ark and put circles inside it, then outline it with normal straight lines so that it would show up. Advice?

To create a sphere, create one circle on the ground, and then another 90 degrees from it emanating from the ground sphere's center. Select the bottom circle's line (not the whole circle), then click the "follow me" tool, and click on the upright circle.
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Bob-san on January 28, 2008, 09:39:31 pm: My modeling is done on Autodesk's AutoCAD 2007. It's a hard program but I end up with simple and very precise models that way. ;) Sort of like yours I guess. Anyways--good job and keep going. You do have to use those polys somewhere or another... and I use mine in creating hull armor and windowing.
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Admiral_Stones on January 29, 2008, 04:49:39 am: Bah... and I got flamed when I released my rather low-poly Archangle.
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: asyikarea51 on January 29, 2008, 07:21:38 am: Does anyone know how to change the length of something, say a line?

I'm used to the SolidWorks style of editing measurements (haven't used it ever since I finished the module for it in school though) and I don't know how SketchUp does it.
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Hellstryker on January 29, 2008, 11:46:56 am: Quote from: Admiral_Stones on January 29, 2008, 04:49:39 am
Bah... and I got flamed when I released my rather low-poly Archangle.
Only because it was unoriginal and had about 50 bad polygons :blah:
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Admiral_Stones on January 29, 2008, 02:43:39 pm: Fifty? :wtf:
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Hellstryker on January 29, 2008, 04:04:44 pm: If you want a real opinion PM me a download link to it
Title: Re: Snail's First Model
Post by: Vasudan Admiral on January 31, 2008, 04:35:36 am: Quote from: -Joshua- on January 28, 2008, 06:22:08 am
Noob question: Google Sketchup's can be converted to Freespace format?
Just stumbled across this: http://alexvaqp.googlepages.com/sketchupblender

It's a tut that shows how to import sketchup models into blender cleanly and easily. Doing it this way means that you could potentially save a PCS2 compatible COB straight from blender rather than doing heaps of format hopping, and more to the point, you could skip the truespaz step. ;)

I've not tested it however, so I've no idea on the specifics.