asking the people with 3D experience

[squid]

Years ago started getting involved with 3D and even managed to make a KC-135 in 3ds max that got used in FF2 for F4 but the same reasons that kept me from doing it earlier or keep developing it afterwards. I have been always had one eye there though. These days for one reason or the other i am thinking to restart. One brief revisit to max was discouraging though as i couldn't remmember s***t ...

 

What i wanted to in a conversation amongst friends here (thanks FastCargo. He already gave me some first useful input) is whats your opinion / experience on using lighter modelling software like ... SketchUp and Bonzai3D to model high quality planes for SF ... instead of 3Ds max ... The reason i am thinking of that is that those applications seem to be more user friendly and easier to get familiar with and use them like a handy quickly accesible 3D design tool, like for example Photoshop and CorelDraw are to me, that i work with them anytime almost with closed eyes. 3Ds max seem to be like clutter overkill and the logics in its structure didnt got imprint in my head (or got fully perceived?) ...

 

and i often have also various vehicle ideas that i fail to transform to 3d look and i only get them off my head in the form of 2D sketches ... an easy handy fast tool to work with 3 view sketches to quickly build a 3D model would also help in that aspect as well.

 

I saw quite a few impressivelly detailed and very acurate A/C models made in sketchup although from what i heard it has many limitations ... and i guess i would finally need to use 3Ds max to export for SF , or even animate and texture, despite the animation and maping plugins that probably exist for Sketchup. Also , bonzai3D seems to have implemented all the modelling and otherwise features that are missing from sketchup, retaining though very similar friendliness ...

 

So you think its worth it re-learning to model in Bonzai3d / sketchup comparing to 3DS max or its pointless and basically 3ds max can be the same friendly and easy to use ? Or is there a chance maybe for some reason that using these light programs it wont allow me to achieve a high quality build for SF ?

 

 

Thanks :)

 

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FJi1nmVGKg&feature=related

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http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=84fcc1624de0621d8e2d437b16d23e78

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=dc03e743739c4f87c27f2d9f006d69eb

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=f39e0412290bcc714917e69390d054d0&ct=mdsa

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=ca8cf15e1cfbd8aece6e9d3c1197177b&prevstart=192

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=f485dcbd466f217286774cad40dd456a&prevstart=216

Edited March 27, 2010 by squid

[Fubar512]

3Ds MAX is still required, as the TW LOD exporter is MAX-only.

[FastCargo]

Also, stuff tends to be lost in translation to varying degrees depending on what you are transferring from.

 

Depending on what is lost will dictate how much effort the 3ds MAX modeler will have to do bring it into game.

 

Sometimes, you may not have a choice because you can't afford the admission price for 3ds MAX, even the student edition.

 

FC

[squid]

Also, stuff tends to be lost in translation to varying degrees depending on what you are transferring from.

 

Depending on what is lost will dictate how much effort the 3ds MAX modeler will have to do bring it into game.

 

Sometimes, you may not have a choice because you can't afford the admission price for 3ds MAX, even the student edition.

 

FC

 

 

These are key factors ...

[+Monty CZ]

I am still modelling in Blender3d and then after export import into 3DS

I do mapping and animation there. For me it is the easy way (how to precisely

put every one triangle into my model :-) )

I wish you good luck and looking forward for your work

MontyCZ

[squid]

Hi MontyCZ :) you map and animate in 3DS? why model in Blender ? :)

[squid]

anyone maybe have any resources in mind about how cross sections (included in some 3-view drawings) can be useful in modeling a plane in Max?

Edited March 28, 2010 by squid