[CommanderDJ]

Hello everyone,
I've been wanting to get into some modelling for a while, and only today got around to getting 3D Studio Max 9. I've done the basic tutorials in it and familiarized myself with the layout, how to do things, blah blah blah. Now I'm looking to start modelling FS ships, even if it's just very basic stuff, and came on here for a how-to. However, whilst in the "FreeSpace Modding Tutorials" thread I get stuff like "how to create efficient models" etc, that doesn't help someone like me doesn't know how to create any model, much less an efficient one. Can anyone here point me to a place where I can get 3DS advice on how to model a ship? Like, is it just a collection of shapes? Surely there's more to it than that, yeah?

Thanks a lot in advance for your help.

CommanderDJ

[Snail]

Erm. Your best bet is to go with some general 3DS tutorials to learn the basics of modelling first.

[CommanderDJ]

Yes. Lol, I realized right after I posted that this isn't a school for people learning, it's a place where already skilled people put their skills to use. Snail, could you pl0x delete this thread? It's a useless waste of space. Thanks! Haha, sorry for wasting time and space instead of applying common sense. *embarrassed face* lol

[Snail]

It's alright. I'll leave the thread open so that someone in the know can point you in the right direction.

[Colonol Dekker]

The Max 9 help file tutorials have a comprehensive section on making a fighter.
I suggest working through the all of them though, from chess set to texturing the bi-plane.

[Raven2001]

A good site with tutorials is www.3dtotal.com. You have tutorials for practically anything there

And yes, a ship is essentially a collection of basic shapes, which become deformed and connected somehow. It's good practice to start out with primitives and then deform them and connect them as needed. Its more a matter of having an eye for things, rather than knowing the tools.
Of course, for certain things, knowing the tools is handy, because you can come to solutions easier, faster and more effectively.