3D Software?

Posted by path_rw:
Instead of starting a new thread, I'm just tacking my question onto here. How are you putting your models into space? Are you doing that in the 3D modelling program or are you exporting it into another format and editing it in a photo editing program?

You can do it either way. I personally prefer to render the ships over the background in the 3D program and then touch it up in a photo editing program if needed.

My program of choice is 3ds max. This is mainly because this is the program I learned on and the only one that I have taken classes on. It's really good for making objects to add to games because most of the game developers use 3ds max and will release their plugins to the modding community. I have been using it recently to create ships for Starfleet Command III. It is a an industry standard program with enormous capabilities. I would consider it to be the second best overall 3D graphics program with Maya being the best.

maya maya maya! lightwave is alright i suppose. im rather... not as tech savvy as id like and i get by with maya...i even used bryce 3d to make my very first enterprise

[Ares.]

^I was about to say that!

[Taranis]

I started with Truespace 3.2 free .. which was good enough for a neebee (like me) and like it enough to want to try getting a package simuler and more powerfull. a number of friends use Lightwave .. well I got it and I am still getting the hang of it I have yet to build anything myself as much as I have tried

I would also like to say hello to Axemman and FourMadMen I have down load your meshes and thank you for sharing them ..
Surak and the TypeF shuttel craft respectively ..
FourMadMen your shuttle are in my first thread in the art section. there are no close ups but their in there..

At the moment I am using Axeman'S Surak Shuttle recreating the scene in STAR TREK TMP, as it approches the Enterprise bridge airlock with Spock I will post it when completed

[USS Jack Riley]

Although I have not had time to do more than the tutorials, I downloaded POV-Ray. How easy is this program to use (tutorials are one thing, building up a starship is a whole other matter)?

[Professor Moriarty]

LOL!!! POV-Ray... easy... BWAH-ha-hahaaa!!!!

[Taranis]

Posted by Professor Moriarty:
LOL!!! POV-Ray... easy... BWAH-ha-hahaaa!!!!

Sounds bad if you get that reaction ?
Professor Moriarty
I love your work on the Enterprise. I have been following
it progress over in Sci-fi meshes.. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
outstanding

[Mr. Cellophane]

So, is there any news out there about a new version of Bryce?

[Professor Moriarty]

Posted by Taranis:

Sounds bad if you get that reaction ?
Professor Moriarty
I love your work on the Enterprise. I have been following
it progress over in Sci-fi meshes.. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
outstanding

Thank you. Within the next couple of weeks I'll be publicly releasing my POV-Ray Enterprise model #2...



...when you see source code, you'll understand why I was guffawing at your statement.

[Taranis]

Super mesh . I am a Lightwave user myself. I am constently amazed at the talent and what people can do on their Home Computer. do you know if a POV-Ray mesh work in LW? OR is that a no brainer ?"

[FalTorPan]

Posted by Mr_Tricorder:
My program of choice is 3ds max.... I would consider it to be the second best overall 3D graphics program with Maya being the best.

Autodesk , the maker of 3DS Maxis buying Alias, the maker of Maya. I wonder what the impact will be on both applications.

[USS Jack Riley]

Professor Moriarty:

See, there you go again throwing out technical terms like "source code."

Is this the same "Enterprise" that you used for that absolutely unbeleivably beautiful movie you made not too long ago? That was downright beautiful!

I wish Paramount would get off their collective ( )backsides and update the FX on TOS just to see that beauty on the screen. When I saw the Defiant on ST:Ent and the Enterprise on DS9, my jaw dropped. You just can't get a feel for how beautiful that ship is when half a nacelle was cut off due to poor compositing.

Again, great job. Based on my work with the tutorials, you must have an enormous amount of patience (far more than me!) to get this labor of love done.

[Captain Untouchable]

A lot of the meshes I see round on the internet appear to be in Lightwave format, or something else attributed to some piece of software which is probably worth more than my life insurance would be, if I actually had any. The free software like Blender...is it able to utilise pre-existing graphics from Studio Max and things like that, or does everything have to be done from scratch? Or are there pre-existing ship resources out there that can be downloaded for the people with the "lesser" software?

[GodThingFormerly]

For those 'nixoids interested, the solid geometry modeler BRL-CAD popular with aerospace and defense research laboratories worldwide was open sourced last year by the U.S. Army and is now available for free download.

TGT