Having some major problems... - Page 2

**airdave** · #11 12-05-2009, 10:29 PM

no, dave isn't wrong on that point...I know people who are serious Graphic and 3D designers who have been to school and taken years to learn their craft.
I have been using some programs for years and can out design many others using the same programs and yet I still don't know everything these programs can do and I am learning new things every day.

If you go to school and pay for a course to learn a program, it generally takes months or even years to complete those courses...NOT 3 HOURS

"It should take about 3 hours..."
thats the most ridiculous statement I have ever heard.

unless we are talking about how to operate a Playstation or Xbox?
but they won't design your model for you either.

you are talking about serious, professional design software that sometimes take years to create and perfect...and yet, you want to learn it in three hours?

and get it for free?

I'm sorry I used "3 years" as an example....I guess I could have said 17 years and then maybe you would have understood the specific number of years wasn't meant to be literal...I was trying to illustrate the idea of "substantial" time to properly learn the program.

and...
my comment about there not being a program that will do what you want it to do...referred to the idea of asking for a program that is free, a program you can learn in 3 hours, a program that will just read your mind, scan your images and miraculously print out the model you are dreaming of.

"all the software I have looked are too complex"
and yet others are using this software and achieving results...hmmm
I guess their 3 hour learning curve is quicker than yours or mine?

**lancer525** · #12 12-05-2009, 10:42 PM

Dave, you're entitled to your opinion. I disagree, think you've entirely missed the point, and don't appreciate your attitude. If the program is that complex, then it isn't suitable. I honestly don't think you have the slightest clue what's going on here. Yes, there are software programs out there that will do what I want. If you don't know what they are, then all you're doing is criticizing, and that is exceptionally counterproductive.

I remember the drafting instructor who told me that software is a tool. No tool should be so complex that you can't figure it out in less than half a day.

I'll take his statement over yours.

**RyanShort1** · #13 12-05-2009, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lancer525

I remember the drafting instructor who told me that software is a tool. No tool should be so complex that you can't figure it out in less than half a day.

I'll take his statement over yours.

That VERY much depends on the complexity of the tool, and the job. Some of the programs available really do take more time than half a day to learn IF you want to be able to do more complex operations.

Ryan

**RyanShort1** · #14 12-05-2009, 10:53 PM

For instance, I could learn to use Sketchup to make boxes and cylinders in half a day - but to do some of the more complex operations it really does take a LOT more effort into learning the program. Some of the other CAD programs are even more complex.

Ryan

**APA-168** · #15 12-05-2009, 11:03 PM

I'm not sure I want to jump into this, since it's getting kind of messy, but based on my experience as a semi-professional designer I would tend to go with lancer on this. It shouldn't be this hard to do what he wants to do. I think the issue might be a lack of resources. Not many people can do what he needs to have done, and so there are no tutorials showing step-by-step how to import the files, trace them, draw the skin and unfold it. If there were, I guarantee that he'd be able to learn it in three hours...ok, maybe six. But a lot less than three years. Or even three months.

As an aside, it's taken about three months for me to figure out (by trial and error) the functions of Inkscape necessary for my projects. Those functions are very basic, but being an open-source software it's not as slick and intuitive as some programs and further, I have absolutely no experience with vector graphics prior to discovering Inkscape. And you know what? 90% of those basic functions I figured out last week when I stumbled across a nice intro tutorial. A little help from someone with experience goes a long ways.

Lancer, do you possibly have skype? If not, get it. It has a screen sharing feature that is really handy. If you get skype, I will teach you to build your hull and generate the skin. I can walk you through it step-by-step.

**Alcides** · #16 12-05-2009, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lancer525

I remember the drafting instructor who told me that software is a tool. No tool should be so complex that you can't figure it out in less than half a day.

Your instructor lie to you. I've been in the IT business for 22 years, now. Except to use something very basic: like to use the web, write a note in notepad or something like that learn to manage a software takes a lot of time. Yes, word, excel or paint , too.

What you want to do can be done in: metasequoia, milshake 3d, blender, autocad, rhinoceros, sketchup but you have to learn the basics. You not need only to import your profiles , you need to resize then, align them and you need to be capable to move in a 3d world before you can work on it.

By the way a CNC machine is a tool and you need more than a half day to learn how manage it.

**Alcides** · #17 12-05-2009, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by APA-168

If there were, I guarantee that he'd be able to learn it in three hours...ok, maybe six. But a lot less than three years. Or even three months.

As an aside, it's taken about three months for me to figure out (by trial and error) the functions of Inkscape necessary for my projects. Those functions are very basic, but being an open-source software it's not as slick and intuitive as some programs and further, I have absolutely no experience with vector graphics prior to discovering Inkscape. And you know what? 90% of those basic functions I figured out last week when I stumbled across a nice intro tutorial. A little help from someone with experience goes a long ways.

When you reached the tutorial you have been playing with inkscape for 3 months, so you've experience with the software. You can follow a tutorial but it's a different matter to manage the tool.

And inkscape is a lot simpler than the most basic 3d tool. It's 2d so is a lot more intuitive than any 3d program.

**RyanShort1** · #18 12-05-2009, 11:36 PM

Tutorials ARE the weak point of most open-source projects. And yes, it's true that they tend to be a bit harder to learn, on the other hand, if you have an idea of what you want to do with it, fairly often I find that if I use help or web resources I can find out the solution.

Ryan

**lancer525** · #19 12-06-2009, 08:36 AM

So much for "designers helping designers"....

Except for Avery, everyone seems to be telling me "Oh, you aren't smart enough to get it. We have all this experience and you don't, and you can't do what you want because you're too much of a simpleton".

Avery: That's an exceptionally generous offer. I'm not so sure that my slower-than-dialup Satellite connection can handle it, but I'll certainly look into it, and take you up on it.

**PaperMakeiT** · #20 12-06-2009, 10:19 AM

You are right. Probably we were scared by the impact of your first post where it was difficult (at least for me) to understand what you have in mind. So, the only message I received is: "no one software in this Earth can supply me". The answers were: "yes, there are, but you have to learn them".

Let's start again.

You need to build a ship hull. I found on the net this free software specialized in building real ship hulls:
http://www.delftship.net/delftship/i...id=31&Itemid=4

I've never used it but it seems to be simpler then ever, given that it does just that and that it contains many already built hulls that you can modify.

Give it a look. If this isn't what you need, return here.
Designers will help designers. Promised.