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[WIP] Z's Models

Adm_Z

Gettin' down and GUI!
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23 Nov 2009
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I considered naming this Z's first model, but I hope that with the sucess that this one has been sofar, I will be motivated to do more.:) Anyway, last night I found out that I actually owned a 3 inch die-cast model of the V-wing starfighter. :sweat: Who knew. Anyway, its detail is actually surprising for such a small little thing, and it is also held together by screws so I can dismantle it in parts similar to how one would build it virtually. It helped immensely, to say the least.

But on to things you actually want to see! Without further ado, I present my first (WIP) Model!

shot.png

screen2.png

Screen3.png

screen4.png

I started this only this morning, and I'm pretty happy with how its turning out. I only have a few sections to go before I start on the textureing... that is the part I am dreading.... :sweat:
 
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Ragnar

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Former MSFC Member
Texturing in MS3D is actually not that difficult compared to some other packages, it's fairly straight-forward :D

Great work on your first model, for getting that much done in a day is quite good for a beginner. I remember my first model took me three days, was horribly optimised and I binned it after the third day :p Re-did it in one day and it looked much better :lol2:

But yes, as I was saying, brilliant work for a first model :) I know MS3D can be somewhat overwhelming due to the lack of modern tutorials and iffy-ness of controls.
 
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thunderfoot

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Former MSFC Member
I like it. Looks very good so far. But I am unfamiliar with the V Wing.
 
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Ragnar

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Former MSFC Member
Looking good!

May I suggest that you be careful when creating faces using the "smooth" (I think its called smooth, its been a long time since I used MS3D) option on the 3D image window, it tends to not show what way faces are "facing" and you can get black areas on certain parts of your model. These black faces need to be reversed so they are facing the correct way.

It's just that I see a few black areas on the model and I'm not sure whether they are intentional or not :D
 

Adm_Z

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2,745
Yes, I think I may have to redo those floating deflector thingys. I used the "weld to nearest" option and, though it did what I wanted, it made those dark areas appear. No big deal, those weren't too hard to do.

I am having a hard time with the strange shape around the 'wings' though. It is difficult to get accurate, but I think I have dot it done for the most part.:)

Out of curiosity, how do I go about reversing the direction of a face?
 
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Ragnar

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I think there is an option in one of the drop-down tabs at the top of the screen, and I think Ctrl+F reverses them too, but don't quote me on that since I haven't used MS3D in years! xD
 

Adm_Z

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2,745
LOL thanks, My next task will be to fix that error.:oops:


But for now, behold!! I give you the brand new V-wing starfighter!!

screen7.png

screen8.png

screen9.png
 

Majestic

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Face -> Reverse Vertex Order is the option you are looking for mate.
I also unweld everything when working on a model, then at the end if you want to re-weld faces you can. It just makes building the model easier and then all reversed faces will show up better.
I normally keep my models unwelded and use material names for the welding in-game.
 

Adm_Z

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2,745
Cool, thanks for the tip.

So what is your opinion of my very first model!!! I just checked and it is actually just under 1000 polys. :excited: I'll be honest, I was dreading checking that because I really didn't want to find out that it was to high.:lol:
 
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thunderfoot

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Niiice! Well Done! Bravissimo! Now just the hard part left, lol.
 

Majestic

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Cool, thanks for the tip.

So what is your opinion of my very first model!!! I just checked and it is actually just under 1000 polys. :excited: I'll be honest, I was dreading checking that because I really didn't want to find out that it was to high.:lol:

A pretty good first model for sure, a lot better than my first attempts. You notice that the reverse vertex tool and the face tool will be your most used tools and your best friends in MS3D.

What is the poly count you are aiming for? For gaming purposes it's also rather important, although not essential that you have a target poly limit when you start a model. Like with my Star Wars fighters I have a absolute max of 1800 with a preferred max of 1500. However for my frigates I prefer a 4k max and my battleships a 5,500 max. It all comes down to whether you're using FO or A2 or some other game and whether you will be having heaps or just a few models constructed in-game.

But keep going it's great to see you are starting to model yourself, it will make your projects much easier as you won't have to rely on others to do the models and you can make them to your own standards and style.

Niiice! Well Done! Bravissimo! Now just the hard part left, lol.

Oh yes mapping a texture is the hardest part. Making the texture can sometimes be harder depending on how much detail you put into them ie my BSG textures take longer than everything else combined.
 

Adm_Z

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Yes, I bet the texturing will be dificult, but I am determined to get it done. :D I believe it won't take more than a day though. I managed to completely retexture a ship I hadn't even made, so why wouldn't I be able to do one I did make?:)

Oh, and I was aming for around 1-1.5k so I hit it right on.:D Though I still have to add the droid(which I might actually leave it out in the end) and the cannons.:angel: As it stands, its 989 polys. :cool:

Also, I like to think of it as more than "pretty good", but maybe its because I don't already expect these things from myself:lol2:

In my opinion, it is exact to my refrence model. It is not quite the same as the ones seen on wookiepedia, being longer and more angular, but it looks just like my model. I will probably adjust the overall scaling of the ship and make it more like yours in basic profile, but as far as detail goes, I am really impressed with how well it turned out. I didn't even know I could do something like this.:lol: Shows you how much I know.:angel:
 

Adm_Z

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Well, one week and several pain staking hours later, I believe she is finally done!! As she stands, her poly count is 1385(the guns and the droid added nearly 400 polys:shock:) and imo she is a beauty. I plan on displaying her first in my mod and then hopefully as a single ship download.:) Please tell me honestly what you think and since this is my first I am really looking forward to ideas on how to improve upon my results.:angel:

Initial milkshape renders:
vwing1.png

vwing2.png

vwing3.png

vwing4.png

vwing5.png

vwing6.png

Edit: oh, and I realize the colors are not exact to what you may normally see, the hull being a tanish color. I will probably add this tinge later on, but I left it white so I can make the imp version easier.:cool:
 

Jetfreak

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Really well made stuff, especially on detail work on the panels. Maybe just a little more contrast to further bring out the colors, other than that it's a great start. You've really hit the ground running with this one. :thumbsup:
 
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thunderfoot

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"Impressive. Most impressive. *wheeze hiss*"

A very fine job you've done here. The few critiques I am offering are minor.

1) Cockpit canopies should be more of a charcoal color which seems to look better in game. Canopies are translucent material over a space which has its own light sources within. Whenever I am doing a fighter, I cheat by using a color photo of an actual aircraft. I sample the canopy color in the photograph and use this to color the canopy on the texture.

2) I would exaggerate the contrast by about 5-10% more. And not much more than this either. To assist in bringing out the details in the aztecing on the large flat surfaces. The eye of the viewer should be drawn into the details of the textures and then be directed randomly across the mesh to other details.

3) I think a spot of color somewhere to 'tint' the textures overall would be excellent. Perhaps the droid dome. And it should be a shade which stands out a bit. Artoo's dome is royal blue for a reason. So one can see him in the long shots of Red Five. Since this is an Imperial fighter, perhaps a shade of crimson or red orange,
 
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Iashar_Koranin

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Former MSFC Member
Wow...I'm impressed....I've only tried once or twice to make a ship, but then
again, I didn't have a reference or anything, was trying to go off something in
my mind, and it refused to keep 1 shape. >.>
Lets just say my MS3D work didn't go so far. :lol2:
That's really a pretty cool looking(and fairly accurate from what I've seen) ship though!!


P.S. I would love it if someone looked at my art...its so lonely in there...
 

Adm_Z

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Really well made stuff, especially on detail work on the panels.

"Impressive. Most impressive. *wheeze hiss*"

A very fine job you've done here.

Thanks Guys, it means a lot coming from the masters.:lol:

Wow...I'm impressed....I've only tried once or twice to make a ship, but then
again, I didn't have a reference or anything, was trying to go off something in
my mind, and it refused to keep 1 shape. >.>
Lets just say my MS3D work didn't go so far. :lol2:
That's really a pretty cool looking(and fairly accurate from what I've seen) ship though!!
Thank you very much Iashar, it took me a long time to muster up the courage to commit to this project, but I encourage you to give it a shot again. The reason I chose this model was because of its sharp angular hull. A fairly easy thing to recreate, rather than trying to make something that is more complicated like an arc-170...( I don't think I"ll be trying that one anytime soon, especially when Amateurs looks so good.) So maybe you should try something similar?



Maybe just a little more contrast to further bring out the colors, other than that it's a great start. You've really hit the ground running with this one. :thumbsup:

2) I would exaggerate the contrast by about 5-10% more. And not much more than this either. To assist in bringing out the details in the aztecing on the large flat surfaces. The eye of the viewer should be drawn into the details of the textures and then be directed randomly across the mesh to other details.

I"ll try that.:cool: I previously had the paneling at a higher contrast, but thought from a distance it looked a bit too fuzzy. I think I"ll try to give it another shot.

1) Cockpit canopies should be more of a charcoal color which seems to look better in game. Canopies are translucent material over a space which has its own light sources within. Whenever I am doing a fighter, I cheat by using a color photo of an actual aircraft. I sample the canopy color in the photograph and use this to color the canopy on the texture.

*snip*

3) I think a spot of color somewhere to 'tint' the textures overall would be excellent. Perhaps the droid dome. And it should be a shade which stands out a bit. Artoo's dome is royal blue for a reason. So one can see him in the long shots of Red Five. Since this is an Imperial fighter, perhaps a shade of crimson or red orange,

1)I used a greyish color on the Y-wing, but on this one I had a hard time deciding. Because the bars around the glass are grey, much like the arc-170, black looked the best. However, I definitly think it needs to be just a bit lighter than absolute black because it doesn't look good against a black space background.:lol2:

3)The original had a tint of yellow to the textures making it more of a tan then a grey hull. I think I will use this in the final texture. As to the droid, the model I have has the droid the exact color red of the hull, but I agree a contrast would be nice.



Thanks guys, just the feedback I was looking for. Stay tuned for more pics.:cool:
 

Adm_Z

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Ok, so I have been playing around with the textures and here are my results.:angel:

Suggested edits:
vwing7.png

Imp. paint job:
vwing8.png
vwing9.png

Attempt at canon coloring:(not my favorite)
vwing10.png

And using my model as a template, here is a well used texture...very well used.:sweat:
vwing11.png
vwing12.png
But not too bad looking either.:cool:
 

Hellkite

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Adm_Z

Gettin' down and GUI!
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23 Nov 2009
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Thanks hellkite.:)

For reference, here is a pic I found of the model I"m using.
412b-Vx-PwL.jpg

Yes, its only a couple inches long.:lol: Infact, this picture makes it look bigger than actual size.:lol2:
 
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thunderfoot

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Former MSFC Member
And we have a winner! HK, I think he's been sandbagging you. From the looks of this, he's more than capable of doing up that Cardie carrier, rofl!

Kidding aside, she's a real beauty and you should be justifiably proud of her.
 

Adm_Z

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Maybe so, but I can just as well say that if I can do it, He can do it also.:p Probably better too considering it is his design. :lol:
 
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thunderfoot

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ADM_Z said:
Maybe so, but I can just as well say that if I can do it, He can do it also. Probably better too considering it is his design.

Z, I don't think you fully understand how this is supposed to work. HK is the "Idea Guy". He also serves as Executive Management on these things. Which is at about the same level of difficulty as herding cats. He's completely covered up already with taskings related to this. If you try to make HK be a "Production Guy" as well, you're actually lowering the efficiency of the entire team. When the Boss is on the Line with the trogs, they can't hardly work at all for keeping an eye on him in case he decides to stick an oar in. No guidance from On High, followed by the thunderclap from Olympus, means the project bogs down and the troglodytes start doing as they please instead of what they should be doing.

"Teamwork" n. - Lots of people doing exactly what HK tells them to.

Oh, yeah. My role in all this? Easy. I'm the designated shameless suck up. :excited::lol2:
 

Adm_Z

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Fine then, my excuse is that I don't want to be a 'trog':lol2:

And to be honest don't have the time.:cry2: That is if I ever want to finish this mod and get back to my BSG mod.:sweat:

I"m very glad.:):ty:

Here is a final shot of it in Storm3D.:)

It does seem have to have exaggerated shadowing. I don't know if it is an issue or just how the ship appears in s3d as the textures are much less detailed as well.
vwing13.png
 
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thunderfoot

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I really am seriously impressed with how your V-Wing turned out. I look forward to using it.
 

CABAL

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That looks great! As for the lighting, maybe there is just a directional light and no ambient light?
 

Hellkite

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Fine then, my excuse is that I don't want to be a 'trog':lol2:

And to be honest don't have the time.:cry2: That is if I ever want to finish this mod and get back to my BSG mod.:sweat:

Would you prefer designation of Minion Adm_Z ;)

Yep Thunder sandbagged

but back to topic

The model is truly impressive and add to that it is my all time favorite Starfigher in Starwars :thumbsup:
 

Majestic

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Beautiful work Z, for your first model you have surpassed my expectations as most people's first models are textures are well lets be honest not the best but yours is great, top quality stuff. Make your own stuff now. :p :lol:

You'll have to show me how to do that rust look on the texture as it looks great. DO you have a filter, or a brush to do it?

Z, I don't think you fully understand how this is supposed to work. HK is the "Idea Guy". He also serves as Executive Management on these things. Which is at about the same level of difficulty as herding cats. He's completely covered up already with taskings related to this. If you try to make HK be a "Production Guy" as well, you're actually lowering the efficiency of the entire team. When the Boss is on the Line with the trogs, they can't hardly work at all for keeping an eye on him in case he decides to stick an oar in. No guidance from On High, followed by the thunderclap from Olympus, means the project bogs down and the troglodytes start doing as they please instead of what they should be doing.

"Teamwork" n. - Lots of people doing exactly what HK tells them to.

Oh, yeah. My role in all this? Easy. I'm the designated shameless suck up. :excited::lol2:

Hey I am a jack of all trades, does that mean I'm letting the team down? :p

I personally think the jack of all trades ability is the best way to go, I learned this off Syf one of the best in the community. It's worked for him and worked pretty well for me too. Adm_Z seems to be going very well as well.

I raise a glass to all you jack of all trades out there. :thumbsup:
 
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Straxus

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Former MSFC Member
Great work on that fighter! It should have got more screen time in the ROTS. Maybe we will see more of it in the Clone Wars animated series.
Looks spot on!
 
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