Designing Models

[Alcides]

Originally Posted by Zakopious

Book = $ 35
Rhino student version = $ 130 (Ebay)
Corel student version = $ 60 (Ebay)

Total = $ 225

The book is an excellent recommendation.
However, a 16 year old designer may not be able to afford the software unless he has a lot of support from his parents.
He wants to design free models, so he will not have any money coming in to reimburse the cost.

That's is why I talk about to adapt the techniques for me the main point of Roman's book is the complete process.You start with a 3d view and end with a paper model.

[RunwayOneSixRight]

Originally Posted by Zakopious

Book = $ 35
Rhino student version = $ 130 (Ebay)
Corel student version = $ 60 (Ebay)

Total = $ 225

The book is an excellent recommendation.
However, a 16 year old designer may not be able to afford the software unless he has a lot of support from his parents.
He wants to design free models, so he will not have any money coming in to reimburse the cost.

Good point, I don't have that sort of money and I do not have a job either....

-RunwayOneSixRight (Matthew)

[Andrew zippy]

I design my models using Serif Draw Plus, and according to the bumf it's supposed to have more features than say Corel Draw, and yet only around £80. It is also a full draw/paint program. Learning only took me one month, but then I was already a professional graphic designer, but any Serif product is very easy to learn and a great printed manual is also available. If you want or need a superior fully functional 3D design product then Hexagon is free and available from DAZ 3D | Free 3D software and content provided you have a 'free' Daz membership. Hexagon can model anything from a cube to a complex dinosaur, and also unfold the model to edit further. Daz also offer a free copy of Daz Studio, one of the two best programs for creating 3D scenes, but the learning curve for Daz software is steep and takes several months to learn, and yet I'd say it's easier than it looks, and I guarantee you'll be hooked on 3D media for life. Daz Studio would be excellent to design 2D images of people, animals, vehicles etc to add to any 2D model sheet.

You can also design models using any desk top publishing software, in the 1980's I created a whole Victorian workhouse using only Pagemaker, which is intended for page design, not modeling.

In my opinion it's not so much the design software that's important as one's own imagination and ability to adapt a program's tools to create a model. Obviously the more tools there are, the greater the options, and yet I can easily design a building with only the combined application of simple shapes. Of course you can also free draw a design on paper, then scan it.

Personally I feel someone has yet to produce a really comprehensive book on how to design card/paper models. Also, I'm forever bugging Serif to improve their Draw Plus product to include dedicated tools for us paper freaks. It is still impossible to stretch a tiled texture to a round turret roof, but is thankfully possible to do this with a 3D program like Hexagon, screen capture it, and then import it as 2D.

So ultimately I recommend a beginner starts with Serif Draw Plus. Yes it will cost you £80, but you can design all kinds of paper models, plus you get a full draw and paint program, and you can also do your own desk top publishing from sticky labels up to wall sized posters. I particularly like Draw Plus because one can set the page measurements to any scale. Serif offer a free trial version of Draw Plus to give you an idea of what can be done. Web design, photo editing and DTP software - Serif

[contourcreative]

I started the Bristol Britannia many years back, and it was based on the Welsh Models, 1/144 vacform and a whole lot of information i had accumulated. We do not use 3D programs but use the discontinued, but very ergonomic, Freehand MX to create the artwork.Also I use calipers and a range of measuring tools.

Not being a fan of paper facets in my subject, I've opted for more horizontal as opposed to vertical sections. This is actually quite difficult to execute and from an engineering perspective it is very time-consuming, but it creates a superior result to the vertical section approach.

I'll see if i can dig out the fuselage

[lancer525]

In my practical experience, unfolding curves is the most difficult part of translating a 3D shape to a 2D sheet. I found "Lamina" to be very good for creating unfolded shapes, but your model has to be nearly perfect for it to be able to do it.

Sketchup isn't too bad, but I wouldn't try an aircraft that had so many cylindrical sections in it. At least it has unfolding plugins.

Adding graphics has always been a hit-or-miss thing for me. I can't offer any suggestions other than trial and error.

Wish I could have been more helpful.

[ct ertz]

I do boats. I could help you with boats. I leave the plains to folks who know how! Sorry!
CT