[CougEr]

Okay, maybe I'm not expressing myself too well here.
 My intention is to build an ORION CLASS Capital ship just like any one of the 3 nameplates in Free space.
 
Understandingly, an illusion of 3d in a model (clearly a long box in it's actuality) is obviously individual in it's interpretation.
There is no sliding ramp in the wiremash or opening for hangers.
But I vaguely noticed something in a drawing trying hard to resemble one.
The textures are poor in quality due to the low bites count and it only looks a particular way at one angle.

If anyone would kindly hand draw me those dettails I CAN NOT SEE, I'd be happy to include them.

The lack of good material (In FS2) and the limitation of the models low poli wiremash in a realtime 3D animation game even using direct X 8.1 (at the time DX4) are limiting factors in replicating this.
the cleaver mapping makes you see what ever your immagination wants to see and of course at a distance. Foir as soon as you come close to the model you can actually see the pixellation on the image.

I'm trying to build a real model here not a make believe one with a few cleaver drawings.

Take a look at OSIRIS, there have been several version of renders I've made.
 That model is highly dettailed in all it's conponents and in several places.
 The more I use it, the more I have to dettail it.
Every thing there is real. No cleaver mapping of estrusion that in actual fact aren't there and will dissapear at a different angle.

CougEr

[IceFire]

Umm...you might want to get the Descent Manager package and use ModelView32 to have a look at those models.

http://www.descent-network.com/descman/ - Go get it.  You can pan and zoom and rotate to your hearts content.

My intention is to build an ORION CLASS Capital ship just like any one of the 3 nameplates in Free space.

So your building a high detail version of the ship from the game?  In that case you've got some serious stuff that needs to be worked on.  This has nothing to do with "individual interpretation" or any lack of material.

Lets compare:

Your render.


A render from Volition of the model in the game.

You've got the ship upside down for starters.  I see the main basic shapes are there, but if this is to be a high detail replication, then the proportions also need to be the same which they are not.

I'm trying to build a real model here not a make believe one with a few cleaver drawings.

Yours is just as makebelieve as Volition's.  Your aspiring to make a highly detailed version of the Orion destroyer or at least thats what you said.  I think its commendable to take on such a project, but if your going to do it, get some of the essentials down.

And im only arguing this to your benefit, no insult or harm intended.

[Bishop Gantry]

preffer the Original Terran Bulk Design Orion...

[wEvil]

i was going to have a go doing the hi-poly one but I dont know enough about whats meant to go where - the Hecate makes much more sense to me.

[Ryx]

Originally posted by wEvil
i was going to have a go doing the hi-poly one but I dont know enough about whats meant to go where - the Hecate makes much more sense to me.

How is the Hecate coming along, btw? Pics?

[CougEr]

No insult taken Ice,
 I really have not spent enough time on it but the images I have (references)  do not show whqt you have published here.

If I can not model from a 3D display of  a real model (this would meen having Lightwave opened and freespace  simultaneously, BAD IDEA) then an absolute profile of both sides, top, bottom, front and rear are going to be needed.

If It has to be done, might as well be exactly the same as the original Volition intended model.

[IceFire]

Thats why I said - go get ModelView.

www.descent-network.com

View, pan, take pictures...whatever.

[Kazashi]

To help create my high-poly Freespace models I converted the pof (after using ModelView to pick the right one:)) to cob then lwo with 3D Exploration, then pulled apart and recreated that model piece by piece. The layers function is a great asset in this case. So far I've only done some cargo containers and part of a Fenris in my spare time, but it does give a helpful guide when you do want to make accurate high-detail conversions - much better than having to keep Freespace or a 2D graphics program open simultaneously.

That's all I'll say, I know you don't need any more help with your constructions