Author Topic: Trade Installation [WIP, Beginner model]  (Read 2416 times)

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Offline Cyborg17

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Trade Installation [WIP, Beginner model]
So I was inspired by MarkN and his GVC Psychon to try modeling myself.  Here is what I made so far:



464 Faces, not triangulated.

It's just basically designed to be a small installation to facilitate trade in less populated systems.  Serves as a rest stop, commercial hub and small police/fleet base.  Probably best if used with the modular construction kit to provide moorings for cruisers, large frieghters, etc.

I'm definitely willing to add more detail.

So, do you guys hate it, like it, don't care?  Advice would be awesome.

 

Offline Rampage

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Re: Trade Installation [WIP, Beginner model]
Not a bad first attempt.  Adding primitives and beveling surfaces, etc. is a great way to learn a 3D program.  It's not FSOpen worthy, but keep at it and you might just get somewhere.

R

 

Offline MatthTheGeek

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Re: Trade Installation [WIP, Beginner model]
More insight into what you're trying to do would help criticism. Is is Terran, Vasudan ? Is is GW-era, Capella-era, post-Capella ?
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Offline Cyborg17

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Re: Trade Installation [WIP, Beginner model]
I wanted to make it Vasudan, but......... it didn't turn out that way. I would say it's probably Terran.  But it's a civilian installation, not a military one, so it wouldn't necessarily look like most Terran fleet ships.  It would be designed to be cheap and module based.

Honestly, though, I'll probably make something else that fits Terran designs better, or I'll have another crack at a Vasudan design.

Btw, my first attempt was actually a cargo container.  :lol:  No freighter would naturally carry it, though, so it's useless.

 

Offline Black Wolf

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Re: Trade Installation [WIP, Beginner model]
Hmm. Well, it is a good start, you've picked an interesting and distinctive shape, which is good. Unfortunately, I think your scale might be problematic - How big are those fighterbays meant to be? And what's the overall scale of the thing? (Width, Length and Depth - your 3d Proggy should be able to tell you that much).

Basically, at this point, you have a shape, as I said, but you'll probably want more detail to bring it up to modern FSO standards. More specifically, I'd suggest running some girders straight from the central structure to the pods to give it a more interesting look (even though they're nothing but visual detail - I'm sure there'll be an engineer in here before too long telling me about how useless they'd be in space). Girders are also useful in providing the kind of small scale detail that looks good when flying around something. Pipes and little protrusions and other structural bits and bobs are also useful greebles - not to blow my own trumpet too much, but if you have a look at my Gas Refinery on the wiki, you might get some ideas (and, in fairness, most of the cooler little greebles on that were VA's :p ). Another good, quick detail adder is to recess some window lines - this is done on the HTL Deimos to good effect, and on Axem's GTI Asteria, and might  look good on that central pod there.

Also, try adding some detail in another plane - maybe an underslung docking structure for larger ships under the central pod, or a cargo attachment? The Modular Kit can go some whay to producing those sorts of things, but they're also useful in that they can look good while still being pretty basic geometrically - lots of right angles and repeating geometry - they're a good way to practice modelling I think.

Overall, as I say, you've made a pretty decent start - I really ddo like the basic idea of the twinned fighterbays around the central hub. With some more work and time, it could turn out to be pretty damned cool.
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Offline Cyborg17

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Re: Trade Installation [WIP, Beginner model]
Thanks Blackwolf.  :nod:

Each Pod is proably Fenris size.
« Last Edit: September 26, 2011, 06:49:15 pm by Cyborg17 »

 

Offline Cyborg17

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Re: Trade Installation [WIP, Beginner model]
I didn't like how it looked enough.  Soooooooooo...............



422 faces.

I changed it.  And added docking points for large ships, space for cargo container storage, a larger interior for the fighterbay (that is hard to take a picture of), and mounting for a radar dish above the center pod.  I haven't added any small details yet.

Which is better, The Version 1 or Version 2 basic shape? It's not too hard to alter that right now, but I have to pick pretty soon.


 

Offline NeonShivan

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Re: Trade Installation [WIP, Beginner model]
Personaly I cant wait to see this finished. Good luck, this is indeed a good design.
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Offline CaptJosh

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Re: Trade Installation [WIP, Beginner model]
Indeed. We don't have nearly enough civilian installations available to mods.
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Offline MarkN

  • 26
Re: Trade Installation [WIP, Beginner model]
I like the first (curved) shape, but think that the second, more compact shape is more realistic.
With the detail I would concentrate on those locations where equipment is exposed to view and leave much of the structure as simple, cheap plate material, with just a few holes for windows.

  

Offline Cyborg17

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Re: Trade Installation [WIP, Beginner model]
I like the first (curved) shape, but think that the second, more compact shape is more realistic.

I'll probably make a Vasudan version in the future with the curved pattern.



These are the details I've added so far. I added a radar dish, window recesses, a station-wide pipeline, and an antenna.  Definitely open to changing how they look.