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3DStarfury Aurora (Babylon 5)

tricky2ktricky2k7 Posts: 9Member
edited April 2019 in Work in Progress #1
First of all, I recently found about this forum and loving it already. Now, to the point

This has been to me like an obsession (not "like", an honest to god obsession) for many years, until one day I finally decided to try and make a 3D model of a Starfury. Actually, no. At first, I only wanted to build the Revell's 1:48 kit but, before I even started building it, I saw a lot of things wrong. Features missing, wrong details and dimensions... As you may know, there's no actual original 3D model, or even a practical model, of this ship (or maybe I'm wrong). All the files, meshes and such are lost, or they say. Even Revell had to do with images extracted directly from the show. So, after some thought (not too much), and seeing that none of the 3D models out there were (imho) accurate enough (there are awesome ones in this site, really, but remember, I'm obsessed), I decided to make one from scratch, grabbing all the reference images I could, taking more than half thousand screencaps from the show and so on (not unlike most of you, i guess). Two perks, though, I had never touched a 3d modelling software before, and I wanted to make it fully printable with the idea of making a big "garage kit", 1:32 or so, in resin. Since I had no idea of 3D modelling, I started with the one software I found easier, which is probably the WORST for such an enterprise. Yep, Sketchup. So here I am, after a few hundreds (or thousands) hours and half way in, but also half way out. The most obvious, the cockpit/canopy, the back greebles, finishing the weapons, the bottom... and then panel lines, rounding edges, correcting mistakes, killing myself for choosing that software...

So far, around 250 solids optimized for printing. No textures, no fancy rendering stuff (i'm too old to learn all that)

aarfirb7k034.png

Post edited by Guerrilla on
Lizzy777lennier1

Posts

  • BolianAdmiralBolianAdmiral1114 Torrance, CaliforniaPosts: 2,560Member
    Sweetness! I'll be following this!
  • ashleytingerashleytinger1998 Central OhioPosts: 1,233Member
    Very cool!
  • tricky2ktricky2k7 Posts: 9Member
    edited March 2019 #4
    Sweetness! I'll be following this!

    Well, it's gonna be a looooooong ride. I'm slow as hell, and most of the time I expend it correcting mistakes (still a lot), smoothing the looks (still a lot more) and trying to figure out how to do non-linear shapes right, at which this-software-sucks (or I suck at this software, more likely)

    Actually, I'm seriously thinking about exporting the whole thing to .obj and give Fusion360 a try, though that'll mean having to learn yet another software from zero. That and reducing the solids count to something more manageable. Right now is about 250 (each solid has at least one flat side and mild angles to ease the printing process and avoid supports). When (if) i finish it, we may be talking about 300-350 solids. Print aaaaall that, test fitting, smooth it, cast it, test fit again... Waaaay above my paygrade, but a fun ride anyway
    Post edited by tricky2k on
  • liam887liam887322 SwedenPosts: 575Member
    What plugins are you using in SketchUp? SubD or Artisan tools will allow you to make the shapes you need, otherwise Blender 2.8 is pretty quick to get to grips with and good to shoot back and forth between SketchUp. Thats my workflow at the moment.
    tricky2k
  • tricky2ktricky2k7 Posts: 9Member
    edited March 2019 #6
    liam887 wrote: »
    What plugins are you using in SketchUp? SubD or Artisan tools will allow you to make the shapes you need, otherwise Blender 2.8 is pretty quick to get to grips with and good to shoot back and forth between SketchUp. Thats my workflow at the moment.

    Mostly I use Artisan for complicated curves that don't "flow" naturally between edges or boundaries (like the frontal piece of the bottom wing, the one touching the cockpit and the lower weapons group), and for those that do, the free ones Fredo6 Curviloft and Soap Skin Bubble. Still the pain is not really making those forms, but editing the forms once made. For instance, I need to make the curve of the "top wing to body" beam more pronounced, more "rounded" (see pic), but keeping intact both ends of the component. Any bending plugin I've tried messes all the geometry badly since you can't pick a point but you're stuck with the bounding box

    So I thought that, maybe, exporting what I have right now to another software with more capabilites with solids will help. I tried Blender 2.79 and some things seemed quite easy, but others not that much (have in mind that my experience with 3D software is just "making the starfury with Sketchup"). The mouse in Blender drives me crazy, nothing works like "it should", but I'm sure there's a way to change the mouse behavior in the options

    By the way, how do you go back and forth between Sketchup and Blender? Which filetype you choose to work with both?

    Post edited by tricky2k on
  • scifiericscifieric1122 Posts: 1,497Member
    This looks awesome!
    tricky2k
  • Looks really cool.
    I guess it would look fantastic with textures and all the fancy rendering stuff ;)
  • tricky2ktricky2k7 Posts: 9Member
    ulimann644 wrote: »
    Looks really cool.
    I guess it would look fantastic with textures and all the fancy rendering stuff ;)
    No doubt, ulimann, and maybe some day. If I was just making the model "as is" I'd definitely go for textures, but right now most of my time goes into making "building blocks", since each piece needs to fit to the next. Add to the mix that I'm super-slow and, after 9 days of my first message, I've only added the gun supports and the top wings beams that go right to the bottom

    hr1cge0k92y2.png

    Lizzy777
  • Adding the textures is also MY last step by making a starship. :)
  • NevetsNevets201 EarthPosts: 134Member
    Nice start.

    Always good to see a Starfury.
  • tricky2ktricky2k7 Posts: 9Member
    Time to work in the cockpit. I'm spending an awful lot of time in details that, after all, won't be seen in the model when printed. The helmet will be, roughly, 15mm in diameter, the head about 10mm tall, the whole body 70mm tall. Unless I get my hands on a good SLA printer, or order to print some pieces to Shapeways or such, this is going to be the death of me

    nhnlyxjaq0ca.png
    9vicq6hk2ngn.png
    bstfb0daprlf.png
    puncuzlfbolq.png
    Lizzy777slimdim
  • srspicersrspicer390 Posts: 335Member
    Looks great!
    I just started my journey into computer design after lurking here for years. I am a traditional model maker, have been for decades. ( I'll have to start posting both types of models here.)
    Anyway, I started using Fusion 360 last year and I really like it. My first introduction to that program was 123Design, Autodesk's free version before they stopped supporting it. You can use the free version of F360 as long as you do not make over 100K. I had also tried Blender, but too complicated for me.
    I designed & started printing my first model. I think you will be very pleased with the program. I had started to use Sketchup, but found it limiting in basic shapes, though many use it and create awesome models with it.
    Looking forward to more progress....
    Lizzy777
  • BrandenbergBrandenberg1655 CaliforniaPosts: 1,937Member
    My friend. If this is your first time, you obviously have talent.
  • tricky2ktricky2k7 Posts: 9Member
    edited June 2019 #15
    srspicer wrote: »
    Looks great!
    I just started my journey into computer design after lurking here for years. I am a traditional model maker, have been for decades. ( I'll have to start posting both types of models here.)
    Anyway, I started using Fusion 360 last year and I really like it. My first introduction to that program was 123Design, Autodesk's free version before they stopped supporting it. You can use the free version of F360 as long as you do not make over 100K. I had also tried Blender, but too complicated for me.
    I designed & started printing my first model. I think you will be very pleased with the program. I had started to use Sketchup, but found it limiting in basic shapes, though many use it and create awesome models with it.
    Looking forward to more progress....
    Thank you, srspicer

    I have Fusion 360 as well, free license (less than 100k, well, less than $1 for that matter :D ), but since I started this project with Sketchup I'm stuck with it. The things I've learned to do with Sketchup will take me again a long time to learn with F360. Probably, though, I'll end up exporting some or all the components to F360 when the hard work is finished, it looks that F360 deals better with solids (merging, combining and such) than Sketchup, just for the purpose of 3D printing readiness

    BTW, those Cobra engines look great
    My friend. If this is your first time, you obviously have talent.
    Thanks, Brandenberg, I wish. I'd just say I'm stubborn :D

    I've been away from the model for a few days, not much progress, though I think the pilot and seat are finally done, maybe just a few minor details to add. Now, to the cockpit

    1s7zaiqcu4wq.png
    msst8smct905.png


    Post edited by tricky2k on
    Lizzy777
  • FreakFreak1088 Posts: 4,361Member
    Very Cool!
    Got to love the Starfury. The Best Space fighter to grace the small screen. (well it never made it to the big screen. :p )
  • stolistoli79 Posts: 130Member
    Excellent model tricky, I've seen a few Starfury models, yours is great, will look a treat once its render ready. I use Sketchup as well, it has its limitations but for the time I have available, its not to bad for fun modeling. Fusion 360 was also recommended to me by a friend, I just may dive in and have a go at using it as well.

    Keep up the good work matey, I will be very keen to see how this model ends up, cheers.
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    This is some really nice work so far. Both the ship and pilot are looking great.
  • BrandenbergBrandenberg1655 CaliforniaPosts: 1,937Member
    Stubborn works... :)
  • DarkoneDarkone177 Posts: 258Member
    I love the Starfury. May I ask a simple request, try a new version of the starfury, something totally your design, and your imagination.
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