Start making models

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[MacDude111]

I wanna start making models for ships in ship simulator. I have used photoshop but im not sure what programs to use to make them in. Can someone find me a link to the program and a link to a few tutorials?

[Stuart2007]

Hi

There is google sketch up which seems to be the popular free choice. I can't stand it, but some people have made some really good models.

I've used blender ( www.blender.org ) which is of professional standard and very difficult for the first day or two, but then very easy once you get the hang of it.

For blender tutorials see www.barrywright.clara.net to get you started. or try www.wikipedia.org and type in blender tutorials.

I only started modelling in 3d recently (I used to do it professionally about 13 years ago using microstation- but computers were only electronic abacuses bycomparison).

Also, Blender has a large support forum.

Any Qs just drop a line

Stu

[Shipaddict]

There is google sketch up which seems to be the popular free choice. I can't stand it, but some people have made some really good models.

urghh! Sketchup! I hate it myself but marvel  at people who can model things in it.

[Stuart2007]

How they can do it is beyond me. Yet, it does have some useful features on it.

Its main advantage is simplicity!

I tried using it to do some bits that blender made complicated, but to transfer between programs was so troublesome that I gave up and stuck with blender.

Stu

[Barry]

Re Blender I have posted on the thread try out model making in Vessel design Group if of any use.

Barry

http://www.shipsim.com/ShipSimForum/index.php/topic,910.0.html

[Stuart2007]

Hello Barry,

As I said in my above post... If you want to use blender... LISTEN to Barry. Thanks to him I'm making really good progress.

Hey Barry. Someone looked at my model (still an un-textured grey box) and recognised it as Pride of Bilbao

Stu

[Barry]

Hello Stu the problem is just getting started.
Took me about a year to try and understand  part of gmax for Trainz and a good while with Blender.
Usually something simple but stops any progress getting made. at all
Still having problems though as today even though boat and textures OK in Blender when exported to vrml2 they had crosssed into each other yet  later they exported worked OK.
Will change to obj. later in the year hopefully, when Stentec's next edition comes out.

I will give it a rest for a bit. Maybe a year or 2

Barry

 

[JHB]

3ds Max is always nice. It has a price so I would go for the trial version (a period of 30 days) and try it out.
I used about 1-2 months just to learn the basics of using editable polygon techniques to shape out a bow from a standard primitive like the cylinder.
I used 14 days just to create my first successful bow after maybe 10 attempts.
Totally I have been using 3ds Max from 2004-2007 and still learn something new even today. So what do you need?

1. A 3D modelling tool like 3ds Max
2. A 2D tool for making textures such as Photoshop
3. Time (maybe a lot of it)
4. Patience – yes, things take time, so does learning. It’s not done over the night
5. Goals – what do you want to make? Don’t go for the biggest cruise ship in the world in the first round.
6. Think simple – make simple stuff, like a house, stuff with rectangular/cubic shapes etc.
7. Do mistakes – do a lot of them. If it doesn’t go good in the first round then try again, again and again...
8. Never give up – maybe after 100 attempts you can start thinking about giving up…