3DMiscellaneous Stuff

evil_genius_180

I'm not a big fan of using the term "side projects," because that implies that I have a main project I'm working on, which I don't. Right now, my big project is basically a bunch of little projects while I attempt to learn new 3D software. So, to that end, I built this earlier:







By the way, in case anybody isn't getting it, it's a lightsaber hilt. It's not much, but it's the first object I've finished since switching software. The materials are temporary, I need to look into doing metal materials. More stuff to come, I'll just be posting stuff in this thread as I work on it.

evil_genius_180

I see this is a popular thread.

I chromed the lightsaber hilt. Fortunately, chroming something in one 3D program isn't all that different than doing it in another. All you have to know is what the settings do and then fool around with diffusion, specular, glossiness and reflection settings. Also, it helps to know where to put the environment map. One thing that’s easier is using a node-based texture system with everything done in one window, as opposed to what I had to do in TrueSpace, which involved using multiple windows and was a big pain in the butt at times. (but easy once I got used to it)





So, that will pretty much do it for this object. I mostly just created it because I like lightsabers and because I wanted to start off with something simple(ish) to play around with modeling settings. Ironically, this is actually the 2nd hilt I started, I hit a creative wall on the first one, so it’s currently in limbo.

spacefighter

your metal material is quite good, not much else to say unless i were to rant about light sabers again. hope to see more stuff on here, maybe some ships or some really cool stuff, i don't know what that could be but i will know when i see it. i might be missing something obvious but what program are you now learning?

Wiz

Hehe its funny how we all do the same sort of stuff when we start learning a 3D package, done me a light saber myself, and a mini-gun, and also made a start on an Audi TT back in the day looking good mate!

evil_genius_180

Thanks guys.

Yeah, lightsabers are fun to do and fairly easy. They're mostly cylinders and stuff. So, they make good starter projects. I've built 2 actual meshes (and a made a planet) in Blender, both of the meshes were lightsabers. That was before I decided I really don't like Blender and wanted to stop trying to make stuff with it.

@spacefighter: yes, please, no lightsaber rants. Trust me, I have more exciting stuff planned. I actually started on a ship last week, but something wasn't working right so I stepped back from that for a bit. I may get back to it or start another ship. I'm on a bit of a retro kick right now, so I may do something retro for my next project.

Freak

Nice Saber Mate.

Armondikov

Wiz wrote: »

Hehe its funny how we all do the same sort of stuff when we start learning a 3D package

And don't forget the ill-advised attempt at a head!

Wiz

oh god yes, the first head attempt, sod tutorials I can do this, how hard can it be, starts out as a human, then turns into an alien, and ends up like a blob with a nose... ah memories :P

Also doesnt matter how simple the object is, as long as it is done well, and you have certainly achieved that

SchmidtFG

I like the render, great piece of work especially the chrome material:).

evil_genius_180

Thanks guys.

I was looking at a couple Daedalus Class projects floating around here the other day where a couple people are updating the ship to make it look more modern. I was looking at Madkoifish's and I had an interesting thought. Instead of making the ship look more modern, why not make it look less modern? I personally love retro Sci-Fi stuff, especially those old rocket ships. So, I started retooling the ship to look more like those old rockets. Also influential in my design are 1950s automobile designs, I freakinA’ love cars from the 50s. Also, yes, there was a drawing circulating a while back of the Enterprise where someone had done it 50s retro style. There were even a couple great 3D models made from it and posted here. That too is an influence here. So, this is where I am so far:







ThereA’s still much to be done, but this is where I am after a few days working on it. I would be further along, but I recorded the latest episode of Defiance and some 1950s Richard Carlson Sci-Fi movies to my DVR, so IA’ve been also watching that stuff. I already watched It Came From Outer Space, which I hadnA’t seen in years, and The Magnetic Monster, which IA’d never seen. I still have Riders to the Stars to watch, which IA’ll probably do here in a bit. Watching classic Sci-Fi films gets me even more in the mood for retro Sci-Fi, so this is actually a good thing.

About the ship: Yes, it will be red. (if you donA’t like it, come to terms with it) Or, at least, partially red. I plan to do some textures with a more exciting hull pattern, but the material settings are similar to what will be on the final ship. Also, ignore the nacelle pylons, those are just place holders until I build the actual pylons. Also, I may do some more work on the connector between the sphere and the secondary hull, to blend it into those structures a bit more. Anywho, more to come.

Freak

Nice retro Daedalus Class. I think the red work with the look your going for.

evil_genius_180

Thanks Dean. I think it works best. I thought of some other colors, but I like red the best.

rojren

Looks snazzy. She needs a hood ornament though.

evil_genius_180

Thanks. And, yes, a hood ornament is in the cards.

bosun

Fuzzy dice, and painted flames ftw!

spacefighter

no fan of the daedulus but nice retro style, good colour scheme, and i like the spikes on the front of the nacelles.

evil_genius_180

Thanks. I've always been a fan of this design. The spikes are actually on the original Daedalus model from Sisko's office, as well as on the Enterprise in the TOS pilots (and whenever they used stock footage. ) Plus, they're very retro, so I had to include them.

I spent way too much time on the damn fins today. In fact, that’s all I did for several hours. But, that kind of time is worth it to get that look you want. My first fins were too small, so I started over. I sketched out the shape with the pen tool, then beveled it out to get the width. However, to get it to run along the nacelle took some hand work. Then came the sub patching, which revealed some errors that had to be fixed. So, I fixed those and here’s what we have. Though, I have to say that I never would have been able to do these in TrueSpace. To my knowledge, it has nothing like sub patching. So, I’m definitely glad I made the switch to Lightwave, it has so many more great tools to help me get the job done.

Since that took most of my modeling energy, I decided to start on the textures and at least make a color map for the nacelles. I want people to have an idea of exactly the type of look I’m going for. So, I opened up Inkscape and started drawing. I wanted to do a blend of 60s Starfleet and retro and I think I got that accomplished. The rest of the hull will be similarly patterned, so you see what the final colors will be (dark red and eggshell white.) Also, I found a cool free handwriting font for the name, because a lot of old planes and rockets had hand painted names on them. The chrome will of course be staying chrome because retro stuff should have chrome. Really, lots of things that don’t have chrome should have chrome, but that may just be my opinion.







I’m currently torn between grid lines and no grid lines. However, I’ll probably do them if for no other reason that real space ships aren’t poured into molds. They do have hull section separation lines, so I’ll likely be doing those as well.

Anywho, more tomorrow (or when I get it done. )

Schimpfy

I think I liked it more with the red nacelles, but I do like the fins on the tail ends of them. Since you're going this retro I don't see the need to add panel lines unless it's for a specific function or flows with the design theme. Remember, in the 50s it was more form over function and the rule of cool will definitely do this little project justice. :thumb:

evil_genius_180

Thanks. I'll do the panel lines on a copy of a nacelle body and see how it looks. That way, if I don't like them, I can always just delelete it.

rojren

I would think that a level of technology that can manipulate matter well enough to allow for transporters could enable the building of ships without seams.

Tralfaz

This is looking really good. Although, for a real retro look, the panels should be rivetted together like in the old Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers serials from the 40's and 50's.

captain_mills

Totally diggin' the engines... The whole thing is great, but those engines just scream retro to me

evil_genius_180

Thanks a lot, everyone.

rojren wrote: »

I would think that a level of technology that can manipulate matter well enough to allow for transporters could enable the building of ships without seams.

Maybe, but I still want to stick with the retro look and a lot of retro rockets have seams. In fact, as Tralfaz said, a lot have seams and rivets.

Tralfaz wrote: »

This is looking really good. Although, for a real retro look, the panels should be rivetted together like in the old Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers serials from the 40's and 50's.

I'm considering rivets, though I'm not sure I want all of that going on and messing with my smooth paint job. Though, as with the seams, I'll experiment.

XFozzboute

Don't know how I missed this but I really like it.

evil_genius_180

Maybe it's the beer's fault.

Thanks bro.

BC

evil_genius_180 wrote: »

Thanks a lot, everyone.



Maybe, but I still want to stick with the retro look and a lot of retro rockets have seams. In fact, as Tralfaz said, a lot have seams and rivets.



I'm considering rivets, though I'm not sure I want all of that going on and messing with my smooth paint job. Though, as with the seams, I'll experiment.

Actually the grid lines are not seams like in welds or gaps in plates or whatever. TMP showed that the “seams” are the framework that the armor plates slip into, and technobabble identifies the framework facing that sticks out between the plates as the shield grid. Of course some ships in trek seem to be completely smooth so not having them would not be a problem either. Personally I think the grid lines would probably ruin the car body effect the ship has now. If you use the grid putting lines of tiny rivets would probably work though.

I like the ship, very retrofuturistic

evil_genius_180

Thanks.

Yes, I know what the grid lines are. In Star Trek, they're supposed to be part of the deflector shield system. Through some Trek technobabble, the shields themselves are actually projected from the "grid" on the hull. I was just saying I may put lines in the ship, but not necessarily for that purpose.

evil_genius_180

It’s been a busy couple of days and tomorrow is looking to be another one. But, I've managed to find a few times here and there to pick at the nacelles and get some stuff done. I cut in the lines (and, yes, they will be staying.) They’re only half an inch thick, so they shouldn't be too bad. I’ll do some of the same width on the engineering and sphere sections also. And, I have the bussard collectors mostly done. I spent some time earlier making a bunch of stuff that won’t really be seen, but that’s how it goes. I also spent way too much time trying to figure out how to get the glows to activate in Lightwave before I finally just Googled it. Of course, I found the information I needed quite easily after I did.

Anywho, this is what I have so far. There’s not much more to be done on the nacelles.

XFozzboute

evil_genius_180 wrote: »

Maybe it's the beer's fault.

Thanks bro.

No no. Beer is my friend and would never do that to me. I might have to go and have a talk to beer, it has some explaining to do.

evil_genius_180

XFozzboute wrote: »

No no. Beer is my friend and would never do that to me. I might have to go and have a talk to beer, it has some explaining to do.

Thanks, I needed that.

I rarely drink anymore, but I used to have some wild nights when I was in my twenties and in the Army. Sometimes, I'd be at a club pounding brews (and harder stuff) and then wake up in my bed in my barracks with no recollection of leaving the club or how I got back to the barracks.

spacefighter

nice nacelles, looks like a torpedo. detailing under the nose of the nacelle is beautiful.