Topic: Here we go again....

[Centurus]

I'm trying my hand again at making meshes from scratch.

It's going so so.  But, I am stuck.  Below is a saucer I made mainly last night and finished up earlier today. 

It's more or less where I want it to be, but the saucer with phasers is roughly 4100 polys.

If I learn to do more, I'll let you know.

[GotAFarmYet?]

First one thought is I hope you did the phasers seperate from the saucer, that way you can reduce the poly count on the saucer.

[Centurus]

Phasers are extruded, but separating the phasers from the rest of the ship is easy.  It's like kitbashing.  Just taking what I want, and throwing away the rest.  Just in this case, I'm detaching one part from the rest.  :-p

[Don Karnage]

you will put the bridge on top soon?

[Smiley]

Phasers are extruded, but separating the phasers from the rest of the ship is easy.  It's like kitbashing.  Just taking what I want, and throwing away the rest.  Just in this case, I'm detaching one part from the rest.  :-p

Yeah but if you created the phaser array by extruding polies originally on the saucer, you had to create the additional polies in the first place to create a strip of the right width to extrude them up.
It would use less polies to just do the saucer and then create a phaser array over the top.

However, that said, unless you use a boolean to join the two together and remove the underlying saucer sections, you'll get some flicker when the game decides whether to display the polies beneath the array or the array. Also, by using a boolean to join them together properly and remove the underneath, you'll be using more polies again.... lol!

[Centurus]

I actually tried using boolean.  My first time I ever did that.  I caused the arrays to be flattened and merged with the rest of the mesh, so it's like there were never any arrays at all.

Keep in mind, I don't know how to use alot of the tools when it comes to actually MAKING a piece from scratch.  All I ever needed up to this point was to know how to resize, align, rotate, and delete pieces.

[Centurus]

I'm gonna make another one from scratch.  When I get the basic shape done, I'll let you guys know.

[Centurus]

Here are my new saucers.  I'm trying to perfect my skills, but not sure if I'm getting any better. 

Anyway, take a look.   First saucer is 2,124 polys.  Second is 2,640.

[Tus-XC]

some saucer advice.  You need a min of 60-72 iterations at the edges.  this means that to drop the polies you will have alot of manual welding to do (there is no way around that).  The end result are smooth edges that don't have any flat parts on it.

Secondly, you don't have to extrude from the hull to make phasers.  you can make the general shape (i use a trapazoid) w/ splines.  From there make a circle spline, adjust till it fits what you want.  keep the modified shape selected and go to compound shapes.  Use the function called loft.  hit the button get shape and select your trapazoid.  You might have to do some adjusting but for the most part it should look right (there are adjustments that can be made in the loft modifier, such as rotate or scale, you'll want to play with these to get the shape right.

This is how i did it for the Gemini, the mccoy, the taggart.

[Centurus]

I have no idea how to do anything you suggested.     I'd love to learn though.  Be willing to show me when you've got some free time?

[Tus-XC]

Step 1a:  Create a rectangle spline. To do so, go to the create tab and click on the shapes button.  From there you will see a bunch of options for splines you can make.   Modify the rectangle into a trapazoid, by puting an edit spline modifer on it in the modify tab (its in the drop down menu), adjust the points a bit
Step 1b   Create a circle spline.
Step 2a:  Create loft, this is in the create tab, geometry, compound shape drop down (make sure the circle is still selected BEFORE clicking loft)
Step 2b:  click get shape, click on your rectangle/trapazoid thingy
Step 3a:  go to modify tab and then to the deformations roll out
Step 3b:  Click scale and reduce both points (you'll see to dragable squares, select both at the same time) and scale down the shape
Step 4a:  expand the loft + and you will see shape and path, click shape.
Step 4b:  click the shape that is on the path (not the original one, the one that is with your strip)
Step 4c:  Rotate it a bit so that the phaser angle away from the hull slightly

Step 5:  Admire yoru work

[Centurus]

I have no idea how to do the very first step.  The rest SEEM simple enough.  If you could elaborate the very first step, I'd be grateful.

Like I've said many times before, I have no idea how to make ANYTHING from scratch in Max.

[Centurus]

P.S.

I'm gonna hit the sack.  Gonna try this sometime either in the morning, or on Tuesday.  My mom's home all weekend and we have only one computer. 

[Don Karnage]

the red saucer you made, what is the 2nd ring on it?

[Centurus]

I'm trying out designs that I like to help me remake my Resurrection, which has a transwarp refit that also comes with additional phaser arrays.

[Centurus]

Hey TUS, think you could elaborate more on how to go about doing the stuff you suggested?  I can't get past the first step.

[Tus-XC]

get on aim or msn tomorrow and i'll try to help ya through it.

[Centurus]

WOOHOO!!!!  *skips around the forums*  I'm gonna learn to mesh!!  I'm gonna learn to mesh!!

[Czar Mohab]

Been folowing this for a while. Gratz on the learning exp.

Waiting to see the final results. I couldn't model to save my life, but with what I have seen so far, and knowing what I do of your instructor, Tus, I'll never have to once you've been learned.

Czar "It comes out odd, but its a compliment to you both" Mohab

[Centurus]

TUS hasn't agreed to do anything other than help me with this alternative method of making phaser arrays.  While it's a far cry from ever making a full blown ship on my own, at this point, I'll take what I can get.