Post by: EdrickV on April 26, 2002, 02:35:34 pm
(http://members.aol.com/EdrickV/FS2/Stinger03.jpg)
Stinger03.jpg
This is the Stinger, designed for the purpose of serving as a scout carrier. It would be a base of operations and mother ship for scout patrols flown by it's two wings of fighters. It's not well armed for fighting other large ships and would be escorted to it's patrol/scout area by a cruiser or corvette which would then continue on whatever it's mission is.
Notable features:
Fly through hanger with hanger storage space for two fighter wings in it's dorsal strut.
1 Beam weapon (I'll give you two guesses where and the first one doesn't count. :D)
Major pains in the rear:
Non planer faces.
Major unidentified geography problems with the FRED2 and presumably FS2 engine.
No texturing.
More pics at: http://members.aol.com/EdrickV/FS2/
(Can you guess what primative this started off as? :))
Update: Added a FRED2 pic of the ship showing some of the geographical weirdness. Had to move the camera around with show models off otherwise FRED2 tends to crash.
Post by: karajorma on April 26, 2002, 03:47:26 pm
Post by: Alikchi on April 26, 2002, 04:09:26 pm
Post by: Zeronet on April 26, 2002, 04:14:15 pm
Post by: EdrickV on April 26, 2002, 05:02:38 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Alikchi
Okay, but GTSC is already taken by the Galactic Terran Science Cruiser, namely the Faustus
Ah. I thought it looked familliar. The class designation isn't really a big issue to me, I used GTSc for lack of anything better. (And must have missed the Faustus entry when I looked through FRED2's list. :)) Not sure the ship would even be a GTA/GTVA ship if it were used.
And it was made in Wings3D. Only problem right now is fixing that bad geometry. And now that I've found a way to look at the model from different angles in FRED2 I might fix it myself. If it looks like I'll be able to fix the geometry I'll also fix the jagged wing edges. (Which I've fixed twice before but seem to keep forgetting to save after, so I won't lose it when something crashes.) Since I've cleared up some space on my EdrickV FTP/HTTP space I'll have to get some pics of my Raptor fighter and my odd unnamed carrier ship up. (Yes the carrier includes a fly through hanger.) Incidently, these pics are all made from screen shots since my copy of Wings3D doesn't seem to have anything to render to a file. (The Render submenu is empty!)
And, since nobody guessed, I'll tell you what the Stinger was made from: A torus. :) The front pod thing was IIRC, made from an octotoad and is designed to look a bit different from the rest of the ship: It's a detatchable command module that could be used with many different "hulls" and attachment pods to make ship building cheaper. Attaching it to the rest of the model was a trial and is why the front of the "neck" doesn't look as good as I'd wanted. From now on, I won't use "smooth" on models as much, at least until I think I'm done with the basic form. :)
Post by: karajorma on April 26, 2002, 05:28:40 pm
Post by: EdrickV on April 26, 2002, 07:34:40 pm
Quote
If it's only meant to carry a couple of wings you could call it a dropship instead of a scout carrier.
To me a dropship is one of those half sphere landing craft designed to ferry battlemechs to a planet's surface from the Mechwarrior games. :) I call it a scout carrier because that describes it's purpose best. As far as a GT* designation, It'd probably be a light cruiser or something. For now that ship is not too high on my todo list, first I'm going to try and get a fully working multi-part turret on a test ship. Of course, Wings3D suddenly decided it wanted to be a pain in the rear when trying to export the dang barrel. With that and a couple computer crashes, it's going slowly. Maybe this new barrel I just made will work better. Just wish I could export the whole dang ship. :)
Post by: phreak on April 26, 2002, 07:43:09 pm
and do you really run at 640x480?
Post by: EdrickV on April 26, 2002, 07:52:00 pm
Quote
Originally posted by PhReAk
looks like the shards-of-death™ and do you really run at 640x480?
I've heard of them but don't know exactly what they mean. And I run FS2 in 640x480, regular Windows and other things (when possible) in 800x600. Only have a 15" monitor, though I have switched to 1024x768 to do things now and then but don't leave it that way for long. :) The FRED2 shot was shrunk to lower the file size.
Post by: Anaz on April 26, 2002, 09:48:25 pm
Quote
Originally posted by karajorma
That's a pretty cool ship. What did you model it with? Truespace only? That's quite impressive :)
truespace actually isn't that bad, all my models are made in the beast that is TS...
Post by: EdrickV on April 26, 2002, 10:30:18 pm
Quote
truespace actually isn't that bad, all my models are made in the beast that is TS...
What version are you using? I can't even cut an object in half most of the time with TS1. Or delete a single vert or line. Or align a bunch of verts to be on the same axis. Or do Intrude to cut open the insides of an object like a pumpkin. ;7 (Getting the picture yet? :)) Can do all that and more in Wings3D. Can't texture or glue turrets in Wings, but I can make the objects. Of course, I can't get TS1 to do textures very well either. I think Wings3D and TS1 work better together then separately. :)
Post by: Setekh on April 26, 2002, 11:33:21 pm
On that note, this model is more art-ish at the moment... I'll move it to HL. :)
Post by: mikhael on April 26, 2002, 11:35:48 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Setekh
If we could get it converted to something public like COB or LWO, we could make this another public model project. :)
I'm pretty good at fixing geometry, if it helps.
Post by: NeoHunter on April 26, 2002, 11:36:32 pm
Anyway, I can't wait to see this ship onoce you have finished the final version complete with skiins and all.:)
Keep it up!! YUB YUB!!!:p
Post by: Setekh on April 26, 2002, 11:39:30 pm
Post by: mikhael on April 26, 2002, 11:41:30 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Setekh
2 replies in 3 minutes after the move. Like sharks to the prey. ;)
:lol:
I'd already looked at the thread in the other forum, but didn't respond.
Now when you said 'community project', I got interested. The Raynor was much fun. :D
Post by: EdrickV on April 27, 2002, 01:16:28 am
Quote
I'd just go and call it a Corvette; most of these extra ship designations aren't necessary.
Thought about that, though it'd be under armed since it was designed to only have one nice big beam turret. (The Stinger's stinger ;)) Though now that I think about it smaller beam turrets wouldn't be a bad thing. Do Corvettes have fighter bays?
I haven't made any regular turrets for it, but that's cause I wanted to check the hull geography in FRED2/FS2 first.
One Stinger no waiting. ;) The original file was in Wings3D's format but I've had it converted into Nendo, Wavefront, and of course Cob. Here's a link to the cob version. Make sure you post some pics so I can see what you guys can make out of it. ;)
http://members.aol.com/EdrickV/FS2/Stinger.cob
Did somebody say Star Trek?
(http://Members.aol.com/EdrickV/FS2/TrekShip.jpg)
Now back to my regularly scheduled AWAC editing. :cool:
Post by: WMCoolmon on April 27, 2002, 01:18:42 am
Quote
Did somebody say Star Trek?
[p1mp]
(http://members.cox.net/wmcoolmon/images/enterpriseflyby.jpg)[/p1mp]Not exactly... ;)
Post by: EdrickV on April 27, 2002, 01:30:11 am
Post by: WMCoolmon on April 27, 2002, 01:45:18 am
For your ST model, make the nacelles a little bigger...they look too small. Maybe scoot them back some, too. :nod:
Post by: Setekh on April 27, 2002, 02:06:08 am
Quote
Originally posted by mikhael
Now when you said 'community project', I got interested. The Raynor was much fun. :D
No kidding. Capped it off nicely with that little render, eh? :D
Post by: mikhael on April 27, 2002, 08:54:49 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Setekh
No kidding. Capped it off nicely with that little render, eh? :D
Yeah. That was tres sexy. :D
I've just grabbed the cob. Clean geometry coming up.
Post by: Mad Bomber on April 27, 2002, 09:13:13 pm
Quote
Originally posted by karajorma
If it's only meant to carry a couple of wings you could call it a dropship instead of a scout carrier.
THANK YOU. THANKYOUTHANKYOU THANKYOU!!! :D:D:D:D
Post by: mikhael on April 27, 2002, 09:19:36 pm
Edrick, you went fruity with the geometry. :lol: 999 vertices and well over a thousand polys. I'm going to be ripping vertices out of this thing with a claw hammer...
:D
Post by: Thorn on April 27, 2002, 09:21:07 pm
Quote
Originally posted by karajorma
If it's only meant to carry a couple of wings you could call it a dropship instead of a scout carrier.
I always thought of dropships as the type they have in BT. Used for dropping ground troops on a planet, hence the name...
Post by: Setekh on April 27, 2002, 09:51:35 pm
Quote
Originally posted by mikhael
Edrick, you went fruity with the geometry. :lol: 999 vertices and well over a thousand polys. I'm going to be ripping vertices out of this thing with a claw hammer...
:D
:lol::ha: Best! Geometry! Evar! :D
Post by: EdrickV on April 27, 2002, 11:38:47 pm
Quote
Originally posted by mikhael
HOOOOO-Boy...
Edrick, you went fruity with the geometry. :lol: 999 vertices and well over a thousand polys. I'm going to be ripping vertices out of this thing with a claw hammer...
:D
Too much use of Wings3D's smooth function. :) That caused a lot of the screwy geometry (and the ragged edges on the wings) as Wings3D lets you make non-planer faces and accepts them within limits. I don't think FS2 likes them but I don't have any easy way to tell where the bad geometry is as it crashes FRED2. (As you saw from my pics it looks alright in Wings3D.)
I could have tried to fix each one individually, but changing one (using the function that makes a non-planer face planer) could screw up other faces in the process.
My newer models shouldn't suffer the same problems. I'm limiting my use of smooth now. Will try to save any smoothing for the last step of the main mesh, and only after I've checked the non-smooth version in FRED2/FS2.
The ship also started out as a project to make a very different looking ship and went through some major changes. (Note the mess at the front of the neck that resulted from trying to add the "shuttle" control center which was made as a seperate object. Different sections with different divisions.)
Now I think it's about time I hull tested my cool looking AWACs, working title: The GTA Hope. :>
Post by: Setekh on April 27, 2002, 11:42:16 pm
Quote
Originally posted by EdrickV
AWACs
Hmm... ;)
Oh, btw, have you got a link to this Wings3D program? :)
Post by: EdrickV on April 27, 2002, 11:55:48 pm
Post by: Setekh on April 28, 2002, 12:26:59 am
(http://www.wings3d.com/gallery/benton_treefrog.jpg)
Wow! This thing is pretty powerful. :nod:
Post by: Shrike on April 28, 2002, 01:53:02 am
Although the general design doesn't exactly scream carrier. Why? Lack of internal volume. Fighters tend to be high-volume objects. Looking at the model I think 'Shivan Fighter'...
Post by: Setekh on April 28, 2002, 01:55:38 am
Quote
Originally posted by Shrike
Hmm..... Call it a GTCa - GT Carrier.
Although the general design doesn't exactly scream carrier. Why? Lack of internal volume. Fighters tend to be high-volume objects. Looking at the model I think 'Shivan Fighter'...
Yeah, that's a good point... I forgot about that. I think it'd be more like a scout cruiser... Like a Fenris, but faster, and better sensor range...
Post by: EdrickV on April 28, 2002, 02:10:36 am
Quote
Although the general design doesn't exactly scream carrier. Why? Lack of internal volume.
It wasn't supposed to be a big carrier. :) It would normally house two wings of 4 ships each (with maybe room for another wing or two?) that would be on rotating scout/patrol duties. The fighters would be stored and maintained in the dorsal strut below the landing bay itself and would be accessed by two lifts in the landing bay floor. If the ship came up against real opposition it would launch all 8 fighters and probably call for reinforcements. :)
Post by: Kitsune on May 05, 2002, 08:16:27 pm
But it looks like the Andromeda. *nods*
Post by: EdrickV on May 05, 2002, 08:37:48 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Kitsune
Very nice.
But it looks like the Andromeda. *nods*
:wtf:That's about the last thing I'd have expected, though I see some resemblance now that I think about it. :) (Been a while since I've watched Andromeda.) Thats what happens when you change ideas midstream. :) I wanted to create some alien fighter craft with a torus ring idea. But I wanted the cockpit to be on the back side of the ring and to face forward. Which meant the pilot would be looking at the front of the ring and the two wings. :doh: :) So I changed it around and made it into the Stinger. (Which I'd have called the Scorpion if the name wasn't already taken. :)) I used smooth too much though. Non-planer faces everywhere. Not to mention the jagged wing edges, which were smooth's fault.