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Recreational Forums => Techies Discussion => Topic started by: Vortex on May 11, 2013, 12:50:00 PM

Title: Ship modeling question.
Post by: Vortex on May 11, 2013, 12:50:00 PM

I've started to teach myself Blender and want to start modeling ships (Star Trek, of course) and am wondering how you guys approach it.

My main question at the minute is do you build the saucer and secondary hull from separate objects (For ships without a neck.)?

Also, how do you get started on a ship, what's your method?

Here's what I have so far (Full of errors no doubt. :p ) :

(http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x101/USS_Serenity_NX/untitled_zpse7d01c1c.jpg)

(http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x101/USS_Serenity_NX/DefenderUnder_zpsaf90811d.jpg)

(http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x101/USS_Serenity_NX/DefenderDorsal_zps2bbea230.jpg)

EDIT: Ah, so it belongs in techies. Thanks, Jimmy. :)

Title: Re: Ship modeling question.
Post by: ECGadget on May 18, 2013, 06:32:19 AM

I cannot answer the first question, but to get started I use schematics and work off them. So, when I first tried modelling (this is like 3 years ago now) I was making the Constitution refit. I took schematics off the web, imported and scaled into blender and then gave it a go. Started with this:

(https://zyjnxa.bay.livefilestore.com/y2pIF4xBgvE2FV9MgbUFaAUdoBgO95hQ5plyhkZ6gfSTAevn_BCroDiwoo84E4MbdmJP7KGN_HqBib-ODEituK38Iy5YBp161lt8jCMMucIX_9MOjd8pqYIJsqhh30teDic/Pic006.png?psid=1)

built it up slowly, ended up with this a few days later:

(https://zyjnxa.bay.livefilestore.com/y2pzjlFJTamxU3KleKQm61LQM4-X1I8xkj55JG8j_7LR4RC26qkiZOXSIqjh1_FZ2qAp7Q2K2uwNSJ-nMreaz4IYByDuQAKdtoRG01tC0aYRSoDb6ss8Bc-frJ84lp0z2Hc/Pic017.png?psid=1)

(https://zyjnxa.bay.livefilestore.com/y2pUhA8TIKWQBRamjl7pRI4HLTJnFF-UyptsObaSpKwctV3hKp5XND9F8CrTnybwKsPM3HV1uelap-B5zZ2Xwm7BJU2hdpKGOpfVc6IifvDmr8sCu_ILAWPSPWfMm3ngkr9/Pic016.png?psid=1)


And that's just from using Schematics. It's a good technique I think!

Title: Re: Ship modeling question.
Post by: Vortex on May 18, 2013, 08:20:20 AM

That's what I've started doing. Your pictures aren't showing, unfortunately.

Title: Re: Ship modeling question.
Post by: ECGadget on May 18, 2013, 09:39:40 AM

It's a good way to go about things. Pictures should work now ^^

Title: Re: Ship modeling question.
Post by: Vortex on May 18, 2013, 09:45:47 AM

Yup, it looks good. Interesting to see that you started with the deflector.

I'm planning on going through this next weekend, when I have the house and no Doctor Who( :( ) :
http://cgcookie.com/blender/cgc-series/modeling-sci-fi-vehicle/ (http://cgcookie.com/blender/cgc-series/modeling-sci-fi-vehicle/)

Title: Re: Ship modeling question.
Post by: ECGadget on May 18, 2013, 10:31:22 AM

The reason I started with the deflector was because I wanted to get the secondary hull built up first. And since the schematic I was using in that view was front on, the deflector seemed like the logical place to start.  :D

Title: Re: Ship modeling question.
Post by: Vortex on May 18, 2013, 11:52:10 AM

Well, that makes sense. I'll move onto the secondary hull once I'm done with the saucer.

http://bc-central.net/forums/index.php/topic,9748.msg205329.html#msg205329 (http://bc-central.net/forums/index.php/topic,9748.msg205329.html#msg205329)

Title: Re: Ship modeling question.
Post by: ECGadget on May 18, 2013, 12:38:53 PM

Yup, that looks nice. I just did mine in a crappy order lol. I had something like this at one point

(https://zyjnxa.bay.livefilestore.com/y2poHpZ85RTpsEmeHLGLVxxnHFTQVtduVJvUGeA8LoIZRDzG6Mb3T5lc_OyH1pibtQLRkr6AnErs-DijHBPGMcXXOmcySGAVjg0N2WPtuuhMvsuT9lSPPJsFHjX3ohkPsEU/Pic005.png?psid=1)

For some reason I was fine with the complex secondary hull... but I struggled with the saucer LOL

Title: Re: Ship modeling question.
Post by: Vortex on May 18, 2013, 01:20:14 PM

LOL! The saucer is a little tricky, though. I'm trying not to think about the nacelles. They're going to be a pain in the arse.

Title: Re: Ship modeling question.
Post by: ECGadget on May 18, 2013, 02:58:58 PM

Surprisingly, the nacelles aren't as difficult as you might think...

Title: Re: Ship modeling question.
Post by: Vortex on May 18, 2013, 03:01:24 PM

That goes against everything that I ever read on them before. xD

Title: Re: Ship modeling question.
Post by: ECGadget on May 18, 2013, 04:10:11 PM

XD maybe it's because I model mine wrong then lol.

Title: Re: Ship modeling question.
Post by: Vortex on May 18, 2013, 04:15:11 PM

Maybe you should give it another shot. :p

Title: Re: Ship modeling question.
Post by: ECGadget on May 18, 2013, 05:16:32 PM

sure will, after my exams  :D