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Old 05-04-2020, 11:40 AM
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Thales Thales is offline
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NASA What-If Cruiser

6wks ago or so I started building a Blender model for a What-If NASA Cruiser. It started as a image I found online that was some guy's drawing. I'm using it to make a lot more detailed set of textures (learning) so I can make something even more impressive next... like a rebel blockade runner at studio scale.

Here is the gallery of stuff so far: link

So here is the overall shape:


And here is what I have of coloring and markings:


And a mp4 of it on a turntable: link

I've done nearly nothing with the forward 1/3 of it so far. There is a bit more to do and all the "decal add-ons" and such I've tried either don't work or won't let me create my own decals to drop onto models unless I pay more money. So... trying to roll my own.

I've been creating more timelapse videos of the work, and there will be more of construction when I get that far too. They are all here: link
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Old 05-04-2020, 12:50 PM
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gregbal gregbal is offline
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Great design!
It has a sort of TREK 'First Contact' look to it...with the added bonus of the always-elegant NASA markings.
Shall be following with interest!
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Old 05-04-2020, 01:48 PM
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nikischutt nikischutt is offline
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This should be fun to build.

Nice work!
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Old 05-05-2020, 05:40 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nikischutt View Post
This should be fun to build.

Nice work!
I am aiming for a length of about 2.5-3ft when done. I'm happy with the geometry of the objects on the screen so far, but they need more detail to keep them from being boring.

I've spent the last bit trying to figure out how to easily/efficient create and apply decals to existing textures. I found a lot of paths in that regard that DON'T work, but claim to do so. The best so far, for making paper models, seems to be building the equivalent of a decal sheet that you'd have with a plastic model, creating another uv map on a "detailed" version of the object, then baking all the detail onto a simpler version of the object with less complex geometry... so it can still be constructed.

^^^^ That last paragraph explains a good 6wks of effort and research. At least for my needs, KitOps, DecalMachine, SlapIt, and several other add ons for Blender... none of them work (as in they error out when you try to do anything with them) or they don't provide the functionality I need. The KISS principle comes into play here. Figure out how to do it by hand and then simplify as much as possible.

Here is the original drawing I found that inspired all this: https://www.deviantart.com/mmark/art...-ISS-663616438
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Old 05-05-2020, 06:07 AM
mache777 mache777 is offline
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What if Nasa

H Thailes

Beautiful design work looking forward to seeing you develop your model.
3' is a big big for the space I have could the files be scaled down to half?

Sincerely

Tom
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Old 05-05-2020, 06:47 AM
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Thales Thales is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mache777 View Post
H Thailes

Beautiful design work looking forward to seeing you develop your model.
3' is a big big for the space I have could the files be scaled down to half?

Sincerely

Tom
I'm sure you'll be able to print them out at 50% and jam 4 pages onto one. I generally design them big so they look impressive, but also try to allow things to work such that they can be scaled down.
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Old 05-07-2020, 12:18 AM
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THE DC THE DC is offline
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Looking forward to it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Thales View Post
I'm sure you'll be able to print them out at 50% and jam 4 pages onto one. I generally design them big so they look impressive, but also try to allow things to work such that they can be scaled down.



Given the quality of kits you have designed in the past, I expect this will be a winner.

I'm still playing with the Enterprise ring ship you made and exploring fits strategies. Great kit!!!!
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Old 05-07-2020, 08:35 AM
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I'm learning a TON about the graphical design side of things with this one... and that was the main intent. I'm not making progress as fast as I'd like though. I've been having some neuro problems for the past while, and the doc hasn't settled on a diagnosis, but is treating it like I have fibromyalgia. So some days I just have no energy or I have a lot of neuro pain.

But, the things I have learned:
* What CG people refer to as "decals" are not entirely the same thing as what model makers think of
* KitOps, DecalMachine, and the like are far too overblown for what we need as markings on paper models
* Learn to love baking textures from a complicated, high poly object down onto a simpler one that can be unfolded.
* Learn to have many UV layers and manage them
* Many UV layers will drive you crazy
* Hide your detailed objects from rendering and being displayed once you have baked them onto the low poly version as a texture. If you need to rebake things, you really do have to re-enable that high poly object to make things work properly. [I wasted many hours trying to figure why I couldn't get a texture to bake.]
* KISS - duh
* I need more CPU and GPU. Even with a 8core i7 @4ghz and a GTX1060, I am waiting on numbers to crunch.
* CPU and GPU fans can make some noticeable noise when you really load them up.
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Old 05-07-2020, 01:12 PM
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Gorgeous Design!

Can't wait to try it.

James
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Old 05-07-2020, 02:23 PM
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dhanners dhanners is offline
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Cool design. What is the theory behind the four large U-shaped structures that connect the middle and rear sections? While I get the aesthetics of it, they seem a complex and over-engineered means of connection when a simple truss structure would accomplish the same thing, especially since the separation isn't that great of a distance. Or do they perform some additional function?
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