Ray's TAS shuttlecraft...

[Warped9]

Current status report.

Presently I'm working on a rudimentary interior. After that I can finally mirror the model and then add the final asymmetrical details, one of them being the vehicle assignment markings (Starbase 25) and the vehicle registry number. Then it's final painting and rendering.

 

[sojourner]

Are you able to do image mapping in the free version of Sketchup? I didn't think it could do much in the way of using image maps to control things like bump, specularity, glossiness, etc.

No, no, and no. Even the texture mapping is fairly primitive and somewhat useless on organic shapes.

 

[Warped9]

The beginnings of a basic interior. I'm not going full out with this at this point. I just want a basic layout and I haven't figured exactly what I'm going to do with the forward viewport section yet.

The aft section is a standing height deck, but when you step forward you have to duck your head before seating yourself. The idea is that to retain eye level with the viewport than the seating would have to be higher and hence the deck level raised and thus less head clearance that prevents standing upright up forward.

I'll be adding some rough detail such as console placement and shape, 2-4 seats and some aft section detail. Note the double doors in the aft end which I think is a good idea. You also can't miss the double hull structure and the between hulls space allowing for mechanicals.

 

[The Axeman]

It's a shame that it doesn't really do image maps well, I hate seeing a model with the decals physically modeled into them. I remember I used to have to do it when I first started learning the basics, and when I had to go back and make changes it always hurt.

 

[Warped9]

It's a shame that it doesn't really do image maps well, I hate seeing a model with the decals physically modeled into them. I remember I used to have to do it when I first started learning the basics, and when I had to go back and make changes it always hurt.

It does image projecting although there may be limitations on the free version. I tried doing that with the markings and it wasn't working as well as I'd have liked so thats why I made the markings part of the detail. I'm leaving the actual lettering and such until after mirroring because the registry can't be mirrored or you'd end up with letters and numbers reversed. Also what about the lettering that goes across the centreline?

This is my first real model and so there are mistakes and oversights, some obvious and some not. Hopefully I'll be better on the next model. And one day I'll remake this design and correct the things I did wrong right from the beginning rather than trying to correct or mask over mistakes.

 

[The Axeman]

Usually when you project an image map on a particular surface you can select the axis that it's projected along. In Lightwave it's X for sides, Y for up/down and Z for front/back. You might have to split the model into separate surfaces to suit the decals, such as 'hull port', hull starboard' or 'nacelle port'. That way they can all have the same properties except for different decals projected on them.

 

[sojourner]

It does image projecting although there may be limitations on the free version.

The only differences in the free version and Pro version is the ability to export to multiple formats and some tools for architecture/building project management. All of the modeling/art abilities are identical.

 

[Warped9]

When I tried to image project the registry number and pennant on the side of the hull it kept treating the whole thing like a texture wall over the hull, which of course isn't what I want. In the end I got fed up and just added the pennant as a physical detail.

 

[BK613]

When I tried to image project the registry number and pennant on the side of the hull it kept treating the whole thing like a texture wall over the hull, which of course isn't what I want. In the end I got fed up and just added the pennant as a physical detail.

I've gone this route as well. One thing I have done to do the hull numbers and other text labeling is to cut-and-paste a copy of the target surface, rotate it appropriately for use with the drape tool. Depending on circumstances, I usually will put the text on a surface above the target, make the necessary adjustments to the text and drape it onto the target. Then it is a "simple" matter of moving the target back into position, explode the group, reselect and regroup .
The markings on my entry this month were done this way, only I created two different noses...and left myself a blank target in case I wanted to add more ships.
---
Excellent job BTW.

 

[Warped9]

The markings on my entry this month were done this way...

Nice!

 

[Warped9]

I now try to keep intersections restricted strictly to the faces and edges and/or components needed. But that doesn't solve my other speed problem. Now I have my model made and I just want to mirror it so I can add the two halves together and then add a few asymmetrical details, but all I get is the "spinning beach-ball of death." It's brutally slow and so annoying. I like using Sketchup, but this is quickly becoming unworkable. I've turned off all extras like shadows and edges and whatever else. I've purged unused elements. I've hidden what I don't need. I just want to copy and mirror the model so I can finish it off and render it, but it's just so goddamned slow. I've gone away for more than a half hour lunch and when I come back I still see the spinning beach-ball.



Is there nothing that can be done about this? When I check my Activity Monitor it looks like it's using nearly 100% of the CPU (assuming I'm reading it correctly). Is this even normal?

I have an older 1.42GHz eMac with Snow Leopard on it and 2GB RAM, but it isn't convenient for me to install Sketchup 8 onto that and transfer the files. Seems rather silly for me to have to consider going back to that from my current iMac with OSX Lion and 8GB RAM.

If I can't get this resolved a lot of time and work is going to go down the drain wasted. I'll have to try another modelling program and learn that from scratch and start all over again.

I'm not a happy camper at all right now. In fact I'm mad as hell.

 

[sojourner]

Sorry, I couldn't find much on sketchucation.com forums beyond making sure you have the latest software installed.

 

[The Axeman]

I can mirror it in seconds and stick appropriate image maps on it if you let me know what you want it to say. I dont know if Sketchup Pro will then convert it back from Lightwave to Sketchup format (i think it will) but at least you'll see it complete and in action.

 

[Warped9]

Axeman, I greatly appreciate the offer and I am considering it. I just want to see if I can rectify this on my own first.

I'm presently trying to simplify the model since I suspect thats what part of the problem is.

Maybe Sketchup is being taxed beyond normal? It seems to be a program that is used widely for architectural models which means mostly straight lines and blocks. But I've seen quite a variety of things done with Sketchup and so what I'm doing shouldn't be a problem.

From everything I've read I feel there's some incompatibility issue between Sketchup 8 and Mac OSX Lion. It will work, but it can get increasingly slow as the model gets more complex. This, of course, is a serious flaw as I see it.

Now it's possible for me to install Sketchup on my old eMac that runs with Snow Leopard which from what I read doesn't experience this slow down issue. But being a desktop computer I have to think about where I can conveniently put it since my desk is already taken up by my iMac. I also don't relish the idea of shuttling back-and-forth between computers just so I can mirror the damned thing.

 

[The Axeman]

When I first started making models in Lightwave there were a number of things that I did not realise about some of the tools i was using. I did not realise that I was often duplicating polygons right on top of the existing polys, doubling the poly count and not even noticing that it had been done. Several tools had similar effects, greatly increasing complexity and poly/point count to no effect on the looks. It may be that you have a similar issue with this model, something which is increasing the poly count massively without you noticing. A model as simple as this should only be in the region of a few thousand polys. If it's way more than that you may have done something wrong and not realise.

 

[sojourner]

Trust me, your model is no where near the limits of sketchup. Just to make sure, go to window/model info/statistics and see how many edges and faces you have. I've had models with nearly a 1/2 million faces and not had wait times like you mention.

 

[Warped9]

Trust me, your model is no where near the limits of sketchup. Just to make sure, go to window/model info/statistics and see how many edges and faces you have. I've had models with nearly a 1/2 million faces and not had wait times like you mention.

I think you're right. I just can't understand why this is happening. Are you using Mac or PC?

 

[Warped9]

Okay, here is the specific issue I'm having right now.

I clear away everything I don't need except my one half of a model. I select it to copy...and that's where I hit my first snag. Instead of seconds it's taking about half a minute for it to select and copy. Next I use Move/Copy (using Mac's Option key and the Move tool). I have to wait about half a minute before it does indeed display a copy, but when I click for it to paste it in place thats where it all stops. I get the spinning beach ball and it goes on and on and on and on... And it doesn't matter if I do it the long way by trying to simply copy and paste from the menu. I get the same results. I've tried making the model a Component or Group first and that doesn't help as it gets stuck doing that.

I'm not running any plugins. I have the most updated version of Sketchup. Nothing else is running and no extra windows are open. I just want to copy the model to mirror it but I keep hitting a wall.

I did a mirror a week or so ago (I posted images) and that model was little different from as it stands now except for a bit of added detail to the aft landing strut and the red Starfleet pennants added to the hull and nacelle. I've gone through Preferences trying to see if there is something that should be turned off or even on and I've come up with nothing.

I'm near the sand of my rope.

There's one other thing I can try. I got the idea from something I've read in regard to others having this issue. I will try launching SKetchup from an external hard drive and see if that does anything (which I doubt, but I'm desperate). Failing that tomorrow I will install Sketchup on my old eMac, import the file and see if it works better there with Snow Leopard. I'll have to install Sketchup 7 because 8 will only run on an Intel Mac and my eMac is a PowerPC.

 

[Warped9]

My mistake. I don't have Snow Leopard on my eMac because I forgot Snow Leopard only ran on an Intel Mac. I have Leopard on the eMac. I've installed Sketchup 7 on the eMac and made a copy of the model as a Sketchup 7 file. So far it doesn't really seem to be working any better. It's still brutally slow, maybe more so.


This is just fucking perfect...

 

[BK613]

Can you mirror parts of it with any success? Warp engine, lower half, landing gear? Maybe it is just one part that is causing SU to go loopy...