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Author
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Topic: Which modelling software and a couple other....
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Swampthing
Pilot
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posted 02-09- 09:14 PM
  
I think i'm in a spot that everyone was in at one time. I'm sitting here looking at these open plane docs and going "ok great, now what?". So I suppose i'll ask a few questions first. I've got these docs all full of specifications, but really no starting point. So what i want to know is what modelling software is everyone using? What's the most common software and easiest to use? Hopefully the answer isn't that AC3d program, while i see there's some nice plugins for it to make the job easier, I find it hard to justify spending 40 bucks on another piece of software when I allready have a major financial investment in Lightwave and 3dsmax. It might sound silly, but I figure why should I have to shell out 40 bucks for a low end piece of software when I've got the other two..... But it sounds to me as if using max might be problematic?Also I remember way back when before I shelved SDOE there being a mention of GTT doing a utility of some sorts. What happened to this? I assume it died with lack of interest or is it still in the works? Also has anyone made a utility or anything to help input flight model variables or is that not possible due to the complexity? Thanks for any info before I wade back in to this. IP: Logged |
DanW
Pilot
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posted 02-09- 09:39 PM
Use 3DStudio Max if you know how. Why spend more money. I just started messing with it a week ago. You can always get help in here. The best thing to do is open up a .sm file and play with it. Try using OPS. Its very alien to you get a hang of it, but once you do, you find yourself using it with ease. Plus Bryan always answers questions, no matter how small or insignificant they seem.IP: Logged |
Michael
Pilot
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posted 02-09- 09:46 PM
There are certain advantages to using AC3D. You can load in an existing aircraft, make all your new parts, swap them with the old ones and get the whole 3d model lined up and assembled before exporting the whole thing out complete with the .asc file, which you then turn into an .sm with Hippie's builder. However I have not been able to add new parts in AC3D without destroying the hierarchy of the model, so I do that later is OP Studio. (Positioning the parts in OPS is difficult because there are no orthographic views.) I can't say what advantages there are to using Max as I'm not using it. I suspect that it's easier for making the 3d models as obviously Max is a much more powerful program. AC3d is very simple and you can read the entire HTML manual in about half an hour. [This message has been edited by Michael (edited 02-10-2000).] IP: Logged |
Michael
Pilot
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posted 02-09- 09:46 PM
Oops! Double post.[This message has been edited by Michael (edited 02-09-2000).] IP: Logged |
Swampthing
Pilot
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posted 02-09- 10:27 PM
Thanks for the input guys. I'd really rather not use AC3D if possible. As i'm sure any of you who've tried 3dmodelling know, one of the hardest parts is learning the software and what it can and cannot do and how to make it do what you want. Quite frankly if I can avoid learning yet ANOTHER piece of modelling software, i'm all for it as I KNOW there's thing in max and lightwave I don't yet know. I guess i'll just start playing around with the models. Though I will agree when I opened ops studio i was like HUH? Guess i'll have to research that program a tad more.Here's to hoping I can figure this out as I've got about 7 nice models that I did awhile ago for another project that i'm hoping to pull into the game. IP: Logged |
JT
Pilot
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posted 02-09- 10:35 PM
ST,
I've used Max on all my Openplane projects. It's not the easiest road to walk, but it's getting easier all the time. There are some considerations, but nothing insurmountable. There are only about 5 or 6 Max Openplaners right now and it would be great if there were more! IP: Logged |
Bryan Russell
Pilot
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posted 02-09- 11:39 PM
IMO MAX should be no problem. I'm optimizing OPS to work with MAX rather than AC3D mainly because I don't have AC3D, so as JT says the MAX->OpenPlane thing should get easier.IP: Logged |
Sv
Pilot
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posted 02-10- 05:53 AM
I use AC3D for everything - with Hippie's plugins it works suprisingly well. But I would rather use 3DSmax, I just don't own it  Do you 3DSmax guys still export only triangle based LODS?
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-Sv =FC=
WWI in SDOE!
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DanW
Pilot
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posted 02-10- 07:06 AM
I was told to export quads...so thats what I do  IP: Logged |
roadtoad
Pilot
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posted 02-10- 10:55 AM
I'd stay stick with max and use OpenPlane to learn it better. JT can answer just about any question you have. I bought Nendo to quickly make props in my Bryce/Poser compositions as I saw the need, and soon found it was really quick at these lowpoly planes too. While I think its swell within its limits, it sure has crippled my max learning.IP: Logged |
JT
Pilot
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posted 02-10- 11:10 AM
>Do you 3DSmax guys still export only triangle based LODS?We can export triangles or quads... and if Hab ever fixes the Max2Obj plugin, we will be able to export polygons with more than 4 verts. IP: Logged |
Whirlwind
Pilot
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posted 02-10- 12:01 PM
I used Animation Master (nurb modeller) to do a body for a MC.200, just because it would do it more organically like an airplane shape. I used AC3D to do the Viper because a viper is less organic.IP: Logged |
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