Hard Light Productions Forums
Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: tinfoil on June 24, 2008, 03:23:43 pm
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OK No0bish question here.
I'm relatively new to the whole FS modding thing and i would like to give modeling some new fighters and stuff a try.
what should i use?
I've got Gmax and Metasequoia kicking around and i have access to anything free.
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Don't get Cinema4D.
I can't find anything that will convert models from it acceptably. Even its own .3ds converter produces errors.
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Will either of said programs work?
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Gmax should, but it's best just to get a crack for 3ds max if you're comfortable with it :nervous:
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How would i go about doing that?
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That's classified information pilot! :rolleyes:
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You know what command - I've had enough of that. Do it again and I'm defecting to the NTF.
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That's classified information pilot! :rolleyes:
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Use Blender. (http://www.blender.org/) It's free, open source, powerful and you can get great models out of it. Just ask VA.
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That's classified information pilot! :rolleyes:
Goodbye :ick:
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Discussion of how to get cracks for programs is forbidden on the forum, if you want to talk about it, PM. That's what he meant, tinfoil.
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Duh *facepalm*
My bad
Also i got blender and it is the most complex program i have ever tried to model in.
I think i'll stick to gmax for now
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I should forward that post to VA...lol.
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Sorry for my rampant no0bishness but what is VA?
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Sorry for my rampant no0bishness but what is VA?
Vasudan Admiral (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?action=profile;u=815): The God of Blender and Creator of High-Poly Models
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oh god no!
please don't tell him.
besides all i wanted to do is turn my pathetic little 2d sketch into a pathetic little 3d model
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Vasudan Admiral's models are really quite frightening in their detail. I'm surprised he's made so many.
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Maybe vasudans are better modelers than us too :p
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What about Truespace 3.2 (http://"http://forms.caligari.com/forms/tS32_free.html")? It's free, maybe a bit older but you can export direct to .cob.
But be warned, the user interface is...interesting.
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What about Truespace 3.2 (http://"http://forms.caligari.com/forms/tS32_free.html")? It's free, maybe a bit older but you can export direct to .cob.
But be warned, the user interface is...interesting.
Interesting is an understatement. >.> Took me 3 hours to figure out how to model a small little drone.
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Is it called True**** or ****space? I forgot which one.
I decided to try modeling a while back, I started with blender, got some ****ed up Python error, fixed it, then lost motivation.
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What is a VA?
:lol: Don't worry - I still have to do a double take every time I see campaigns released "With VA" as in Voice Acting. ;)
Anyway, here's a basic overview of the free programs I have had any sort of experience with:
Blender:
Pros:
By far the most powerful and flexible free 3d modeller. Very thoroughly documented online and you can model, UV, texture, bake textures, repair, hierarchy and do cutscene animations with it along with pretty much anything else. (I've been using it to make animated weapon effects etc.) One HUGE advantage though is that with Waters modified COB export script you can also export a fully stable PCS2 compatible COB file ready for conversion to POF.
Cons:
Scary looking interface, (although doing tutorials sorts that out quite quickly)
Sketchup
Pros:
Very easy to use to do at least basic models, and the pro version has a relatively stable 3ds export that preserves textures. Excellent for rapid development from concept to model. You can apply textures (both tiled and UV mapped).
Cons:
The more complex the shape of the model you're developing, the harder it gets to work with. You will likely need to invest considerable effort in finding more advanced workarounds and other ways to make SU do what you want it to. This is especially true of curved surfaces. It can soon become harder to model a complex shape in SU than it would be in other programs due to the hybrid CAD-modelling toolset. Texture tiling isn't bad, but basic UV mapping is considerably more difficult to do well. The free version has extreme problems with exporting stable model files, and you will need Truespace to take it the rest of the way.
Can't be used for beauty renders, effect making or animations.
G-Max
Pros:
A toolset that was spawned from the professional 3d Studio Max line of programs. You can model, UV map and texture in it, and you CAN export your models.
Cons:
You can ONLY export your models through lithunwrap AFAIK, which means you then need to use Truespace still. Rendering and animating have been disabled in it. I have heard a lot of people complain about the interface too, but I'm not familier enough with it myself to comment on that.
Truespace 3.2
Pros: Exports COB as its native format and does hierarchy stuff quite well. It can animate. Sorta.
Cons: As most of you know by now, I could write an essay on these and still not have covered everything I've seen first hand. :p
For the purposes of this comparison though, I'll leave it at: Horrible interface and horrible entire approach to modelling and texturing. Hugely buggy program with giant holes in the toolset. Overall; AVOID IF AT ALL POSSIBLE!!!!!
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I just tried out blender. The camera makes me dizzy. Where do I find that script you're talking bout, VA?
Also, anyone know any good texturing tutorials?
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Wellll....don't spin around much then? :p Seriously, if you're using the camera normally you should be fine. There are two modes and two ways to operate it:
Modes - to switch between orthogonal and perspective: Numpad 5
Mouse
Rotate: Middle click & drag
Pan: Shift + Middle click & drag
Zoom: Scroll (Or Ctrl + Middle click)
Fly around: Shift + F (and the rest of the controls are then displayed on the screen. I rarely use this mode)
Keyboard
Rotate: Numpads 4 and 6 for left and right, 8 and 2 for up and down
Pan: Ctrl + Numpads 4,6,8 & 2
Zoom: Numpad "+" and "-" keys
Also by 'texturing tutorials' what do you mean? The UV mapping aspect or the actual painting of the textures?
As for the export script:
Flat hierarchy export
<a href="http://files.filefront.com/truespace+FS2+22feb07+exptzip/;9680718;/fileinfo.html" title="truespace_FS2_22feb07-expt.zip">truespace_FS2_22feb07-expt.zip[/url]
Full hierarchy export
<a href="http://files.filefront.com/truespace+FS2+Hierarchy+etzip/;9692727;/fileinfo.html" title="truespace_FS2_Hierarchy-et.zip">truespace_FS2_Hierarchy-et.zip[/url]
Page with some exporter info
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=52264.msg1055493 (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=52264.msg1055493)
You may need a full python install http://www.python.org/ (http://www.python.org/)
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Both the UV aspect and the actual texture production. I didn't really pay attention during my lessons during Visual Arts.
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"How to draw a warships armour plating and mechanical greebles" usually isn't covered in visual arts anyway. ;)
As for tutorials, a good place to start on UV mapping would be the Blender manual ones here: http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Manual/Working_with_UV But there's also IPAndrews tutorial for Lithunwrap which may help: http://underworld.fortunecity.com/pacman/106/fs2mods/shipcreationguide/uvmappingyourmodelusinglu.html
For the painting the hull itself, have a look at these two:
http://www.darksaber.gaylenol.com/tuttexture01.html
http://www.darksaber.gaylenol.com/tuttexture02.html
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:lol:
Actually, we were supposed to create a space ship for our assignment, then record a small sequence using Maya. It was in groups of 4, so I made it into a 2v2 capital ship battle. I created a flat texture for my ship, which was all black and white. Horrible looking texture.
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Keyboard
Rotate: Numpads 4 and 6 for left and right, 8 and 2 for up and down
Pan: Ctrl + Numpads 4,6,8 & 2
Zoom: Numpad "+" and "-" keys
I can fall in love with that control scheme. :D
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Keyboard
Rotate: Numpads 4 and 6 for left and right, 8 and 2 for up and down
Pan: Ctrl + Numpads 4,6,8 & 2
Zoom: Numpad "+" and "-" keys
I'll bet. :lol:
I can fall in love with that control scheme. :D
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If you want free, blender is easily the best way to go. Truespace is the easiest to figure out what you're doing but is unspeakably clunky, irritating and buggy. Sketchup isn't bad and is easier than blender by far but the really good ships become difficult to make when you get better at modelling. Blender is confusing and scary as hell for a newbie but has a theoretically infinite skill cieling and can handle the best stuff out there. If blender seems like too much at first, try using sketchup a bit to get the hang of 3d modelling and then graduate to blender when it becomes a pain. If you follow this plan though, be prepared for some interface shock. I would higly recommend the "Noob to Pro" tutorial on the blender wiki. VERY helpful to noobs.