[LeGuille]

I need help, if possible, doing my first model using Wings3D. I want to use Wings3D, I don't want to use MAX, etc. as a primary developing tool. I just want to know how, using Wings3D, to do all the things necessary to make a model from start to finish using Wings3D.

I'm new to most of this, so I do need help at this. Like.... 5-year-old-level

I will attach the image soon. But since I am new to modelling, period, I don't know anything about LODs, or texturing. So, if you can help, I'd appreciate it.

EDIT: Okay, here's the ship. It's a first time model, so I have yet to do anything to it. I know how to UV, sorta... but other then that, bumps and other things are beyond me, I just don't get it all, yet.



1, 792 poly count. It's not yet triangulated.

[Retsof]

Is this a fighter or a capship?

[LeGuille]

I have not decided. What does the difference mean if I go one way or the other?

[boewolf]

I have not decided. What does the difference mean if I go one way or the other?

About anything up to about 100,000 Kg or more.  Anything up to about 100,000 times the size, give or take.  Also turrets, turrets on top of turrets on top of turrets.

[LeGuille]

It will more or less be a cruiser. I have a modified version which has a sub-object. Since I don't know how to do any of this, yet, I'm still learning at how to do a subobject.

The subobject is just an ani that goes around it, like a fin on a fish.

I also have yet to UV the objects, so I am not sure how to texture them...

EDIT: Here is the preview of the new version.

[Aardwolf]

It looks like you made a few shapes and did Smooth on them.

[LeGuille]

It is. I'm a beginner at this, so I don't know what programs to use, etc.

[Aardwolf]

It is. I'm a beginner at this, so I don't know what programs to use, etc.

Wings3D is what I use, and what Axem used when he recommended it to me. It's got most of the features I need for modeling ... the only thing it particularly lacks is Boolean operations, for which I use Blender (which has a hellish UI). I do my uv-mapping in Wings3D, but it's never come out too well for complicated things and I've never tried to make it better (either with Wings3D or trying other programs).

Wings3D is good if you don't really know exactly what something is going to look like, and want to just dink around with 3d shapes. When you actually want to draw something you envisioned, it can be a little more challenging than, say, Google SketchUp. That basically let's you draw stuff in 3D, but you have to make sure everything is connected and right-side-out, which isn't as often a problem in Wings3D.

3DS Max is also popular and pretty powerful, but it's not exactly legal to use beyond the trial period (if there is one) without paying.

As for 2D, GIMP is a free, decently powerful alternative to the slightly more professional Photoshop by Adobe. Use these for textures, logos, etc.

[Hellstryker]

which isn't as often a problem in Wings3D.

Your battlecarrier model begs to differ.

[Aardwolf]

I wasn't talking about that, I did that because I didn't give a crap because it could be sorted out in some other program. I meant that it's easy to accidentally make faces face the wrong way in SU.

[Excalibur]

Do we have an underside view? I think a more triangular/square under belly would look good, but keeping the top surface rounded.

[LeGuille]

Well, since I am on a 64-bit system, Wings3D does act up (only half the screen shows, etc... I will pick up Blender (I do remember using it years ago), but I always preferred Wings3D for a ship like this (which is what I envisioned, actually). I was inspired from Star Wars Episode 1, that silvery ship they use to Tatooine.

Does anyone have a detailed article on how to do normals, bumps, etc? That would help.

I will get a shot of the underside soon. The camera functions are freaky with Wings3D with my laptop, so I will try to get a mouse for the laptop.

I want to give a uniform layer to the ship (it's a single texture of silver with speculars showing the completely uniform color.)

[bizzybody]

As for 2D, GIMP is a free, decently powerful alternative to the slightly more professional Photoshop by Adobe. Use these for textures, logos, etc.

Paint.NET is also free and has a much less weird UI than GIMP.

GIMP puts everything on a single, cascading menu. There's a single menu item "Menu" *and* the exact same menu is available by rightclick. It shows design by committee to a "T".

There's GIMPshop, which attempts to make it look like PhotoShop, re-organizing the related but scattered functions into groups on the menu and it has PS-like toolbox etc, but that hasn't been updated in a while. (And it still has the mega-menu instead of a normal menubar with separate File, Edit etc.)

The one thing about all image editing apps that aren't PhotoShop is is that if you've used PS you'll find one or more things that work very different from how it's done in PS. I've used PS through it's many versions and there's some things it does that I still find stupid, but there's no way to change.

[Titan]

heh, only considering ease of use, i prefer the free gimp by far to the $999 Photoshop. I could never figure out a damn thing in that program.

[LeGuille]

Okay. After setting down and reading the comments, I decided I will do a more complicated model. Something that isn't going to be a streamline shape (still using the previous.)

The basic idea behind my models is that everyone has thier own idea for a ship. Having a player choose between 5 or so ships that can do the same purpose, give a bit more variety. So, in my 'little world' I am making, I have developed a few cooperations who were contracted to make these by governments. Plural.

I give you... the Hawkings Industrial A-335 Scout Ship.
I tried to make it look somewhat more 2008ish. Texturing this will be my next goal.


HAWKING INDUSTRIAL is a more "Design-Conscious" Contractor. Most of it's ships are capable of (1/)10th-orbit to space flight. It's direct competitor, Boeing Universal, Incorporates efficiency in design,  leaving a more bulky, less artistic design, leaving the layman desire to 'under-the-hood' features, such as the pilot interface and engine / weapons technology. However, no BU craft is able to achieve any sort of orbit-capable flight.

[Retsof]

Now that's a cool model.

[Excalibur]

Okay. After setting down and reading the comments, I decided I will do a more complicated model. Something that isn't going to be a streamline shape (still using the previous.)

The basic idea behind my models is that everyone has thier own idea for a ship. Having a player choose between 5 or so ships that can do the same purpose, give a bit more variety. So, in my 'little world' I am making, I have developed a few cooperations who were contracted to make these by governments. Plural.

I give you... the Hawkings Industrial A-335 Scout Ship.
I tried to make it look somewhat more 2008ish. Texturing this will be my next goal.
[IMG]
HAWKING INDUSTRIAL is a more "Design-Conscious" Contractor. Most of it's ships are capable of (1/)10th-orbit to space flight. It's direct competitor, Boeing Universal, Incorporates efficiency in design,  leaving a more bulky, less artistic design, leaving the layman desire to 'under-the-hood' features, such as the pilot interface and engine / weapons technology. However, no BU craft is able to achieve any sort of orbit-capable flight.

I must say, much better...

Some of that rounding though - is it possible to make it more "squarish" or defined - then it would be ready for texturing. Perhaps you may need turrets first, too. Other than that, that is an excellent model.

[LeGuille]

There are definite things that bother me with the model.
One of the most prominent things being that some of the rounded parts are, in fact, too rounded.
The 'spikes' which are supposed to be those things on towers so planes don't hit them.
Some of the model's back did not work right, and I've already fixed it.

I'm not sure where to put turrets on it. It's not a conventional fighter, it's a fast scout-ship, with secondaries only.
The secondaries are EM Pulse emissions that scramble for 1 minute at 1 km range of the ship. It's an escape tactic.

So, no secondaries for that. But this...


May be a bit more appealing for a fighter. Then again, it makes me sort of cringe a little.

[Retsof]

I like the body, the cockpit's a bit unconventional.

[LeGuille]

You're right. I'll work on a somewhat more conventional version of a fighter so that I can get a variety. The Fighter concept was a chop-shop version of the previous one, and it didnt turn out how I wanted.