[butter_pat_head]

...on its first creation:  The GTC Jaseyd

http://jcom.shorturl.com/testboatwip.jpg

As you can see she isn't near ready yet.  I just thought that I should get your opinions of it first as its my most complex model ever.  I'm not a 3d modeler by almost any standard but I used to dabble a bit with a app called Imagine.

When shes finished her official role will be that of a anti-fighter cruiser capable of hauling a modest load.  With 3 AA beams this ship should be a reasonable deterrent to pirates and should make for a good convoy escort.

However her 'unofficial' role depends on if docked objects can still shoot, eg:

Make a small cargo container and give it a beam on the bottom.  Have a transport pick up the container and start hauling it around the battlefield and beam-free the container.  If it does what I hope it will it should fire at the enemy.

What I'm planning is making various field swappable weapons modules like a anti-cap beam unit or whatever the scenario calls for.  If this works I might make a campaign for it.

[Mongoose]

Interesting layout.  Looks like baby got back

[aldo_14]

It's a bit plain at the moment, IMO.

[Unknown Target]

I'm not quite sure which end I'm looking at...and that cube at the front needs to be attached better, not just intersecting the forward (im supposing it's the forward) end of the ship.

[butter_pat_head]

I have been working on and off the past week or so and this is my progress so far:

http://jcom.shorturl.com/testboatwip4.jpg

The large thing floating underneath with the fins will be the Jaseyd's first module, a dual BGreen weapons pod.

One question.  Whats the easiest way to go about getting it textured?  I have been trying Lith but I can't seem to get a useable result.

[Turambar]

now that's actually a pretty cool idea

[TrashMan]

For Caships I found truespace unbeatable...
for smaller ship Lithiumn or 3D max..

[Galemp]

That actually resembles StratComm's GTC Hyperion. I'm sure they won't end up looking too similar at the end, though.

[aldo_14]

In my experience, 3ds max widdles all over TS when it comes to texturing (far more flexible, inbuilt history stack, inbuilt unwrapping tools to adjust texture placement easily, etc).  But to be honest it's a question of what you have available to you.

[butter_pat_head]

Originally posted by Galemp
That actually resembles StratComm's GTC Hyperion. I'm sure they won't end up looking too similar at the end, though.

Does anybody know where I can find a pic?

Anyway, here she is with her first coat of paint: ^_^

.http:/jcom.shorturl.com/testboatwip5.jpg

My first real attempt at texturing.  It took me a while to get Lith to give me anything useable and then after that it was PSP 4's clone brush and 's stock textures

[Galemp]

Here's a reskin of the Hyperion I did a few weeks ago.

[Black Wolf]

Originally posted by butter_pat_head

Anyway, here she is with her first coat of paint: ^_^

http://www.jcomcp.plus.com/testboatwip5.jpg

You need many, many more polies.

[TrashMan]

What program are you using to make that ship anyway?

and yes, it needs more polies and more details, but it's a good start

For texturing capship I find truspace unbeatable. for smaller ship either Lithium or 3DMax.

[butter_pat_head]

Is TS 3.2 up to the task for texturing?  If it is could anybody point me to some decent tutorials?  I suppose if I can do the texturing in TS without having to muck around with Lith I can be more adventureous with the polys.  Like I have said, its my first ever model, ever.

[karajorma]

Should be one in here somewhere

[Nuclear1]

Originally posted by Galemp
Here's a reskin of the Hyperion I did a few weeks ago.
http://web.njit.edu/~pjo3/hyp1.jpg

Now that looks excellent. I kind of thought the original Hyperion textures were lacking (no offense, Stratt;), but this makes it look pretty damn good.

[TrashMan]

Originally posted by butter_pat_head
Is TS 3.2 up to the task for texturing?  If it is could anybody point me to some decent tutorials?  I suppose if I can do the texturing in TS without having to muck around with Lith I can be more adventureous with the polys.  Like I have said, its my first ever model, ever.

Texturing in TS is easy (for chaships) just select the texture, select the brush and paint over polygons.

you have several basic UV map settings (cubic is best for begining) that you apply on the whole model and then paint over it.

for specific surfaces you use planar UV map - alltough thats slight more advanced.

Havn't checked what tutorials karajorma pointed you too, but it shouldn't be hard to grasp. Practice makes perfect.

[karajorma]

I pointed him at MoonMan's TS site. If you can't find a good tutorial on anything TS releated there it's probably not on the net.

[butter_pat_head]

Thanks for all the tips you guys.  I decided to take a break from the modeling side and decided to try to get my ship to work in FS, first time.  It was a success, even the test mission works, kinda:


but the beams fire!



After a quick investigation I found out why the ship decided to dock upside down, the container's dock point is underneath! :doh:

Also the nose passes thrugh the container while approaching to dock, but I fixed that by extending the container's dock path.  Il keep this in mind when I start to POF the beam module.

If your wondering, the Fenris beats the Jaseyd if it gets if main beam to bear, otherwise the Jaseyd pecks it to death with its AAFs.