Complete Noob!! :)

Post by **Garry Russell** » 02 Jul 2006, 20:54

Hi Tom

I guess the plans are a quite low resolution so look OK smallish on screen but when brought in larger as backdrops they are a bit pixelated.

Garry

TomNocturnal · Post by **TomNocturnal** » 02 Jul 2006, 20:57

The plans are of relitivly good quality??

Can you suggest on how to overcome this problem?

Or do you know where I can get a more detailed plan of a Westland Whirlwind?

Also, I didn't add them as Backdrops...
I used the video examples, where 3 planes are created and a material is assigned to each!?

Perhaps I should try the backdrop method!

Post by **DaveG** » 02 Jul 2006, 21:10

Don't go backdrop! More trouble than it's worth

Go into the Gmax customise menu and select preferences. Select the viewports tab and then click the button marked configure driver. Make sure you have the highest setting for the two texture size boxes. That should help.

Oh, and don't use the Heidi driver either

Post by **DaveG** » 02 Jul 2006, 21:14

There are some Whirlwind plans here: http://www.airwar.ru/other/draw/whirlwind.html
Don't know how they compare to the ones you have already.

TomNocturnal · Post by **TomNocturnal** » 02 Jul 2006, 21:18

Lol. Those are the ones I already have!

I take them into Adobe PS, and do all the cropping etc, but then we I import them, they look really bad!?

Ive just turned up the Texture settings and im about to re-import them to see if it makes a difference!?

Post by **DaveG** » 02 Jul 2006, 22:32

One thing I forgot, make sure you tick the "Match bitmap size as closely as possible" box. You should be able to display them pretty much as would appear in Photoshop.

TomNocturnal · Post by **TomNocturnal** » 03 Jul 2006, 11:06

Done this too! :roll:

Still no luck...

I have just hashed it together for now. Being my first project, im not too worried.

More questions though:

Also, if, when rotating around the 3 views, I have an out-of-alignment problem i.e. I do all the shaping from the front and left, but when I get to the top view, its out of line... I presume this is because my .bmp's are not of the same scales?! So the front of the plane on the left view, does not match up with that of the top view?

Next:
How do I change the anchor point of a shape?
My problem is: When creating the wing, I did it all as 1 first, then split it into 2 individual objects. Now, when I try and taper them individually, they both taper at the same end meaning I effectivly have two left wings.
(I could just rotate the object 180)

Next:
I presume this is a more advanced function.
I have found the "smooth" function, but my fuselage still looks pretty "un-smooth". I have aligned all the little "nodes" to the correct position on my plans, but it still looks a little...wrong! Is there a function that will "second guess" where the nodes should be and align them all with one another!? So that the fuselage takes on a more smooth and cylindrical form?

Last:
Should the wings join in the centre of the fuselage, or should the wings "start" at the edge of the fuselage where you get the funny shaped -sticky-out bit (dont know the technical name

) which (in real life) connects the wing to the fuselage!

The tutorials are great, but they dont offer much in the form of FAQ's of Help/Advice.
My GMax tutorials and Help files dont work either - so im working blind!

Luckily I have a wonderful group of people wiling to offer their help!
And, as this is my first attemp, I should really just bear with what im doing until its finished... then on the next attempt, it will be slightly better...etc etc etc (until I put Rick Piper out of a job :dance:

:k: )

I will try and post some screen shots of my project, so you can see how im progressing. Also it may help with answering my queries!

TobyV · Post by **TobyV** » 03 Jul 2006, 11:16

TomNocturnal wrote:the funny shaped -sticky-out bit which connects the wing to the fuselage!

The wing fairing?

TomNocturnal · Post by **TomNocturnal** » 03 Jul 2006, 11:22

The wing fairing?

I guess!?

Here:

The Grey bit is the bit im talking about!

Should my model be set up like this...
Fuselage be shaped like the grey part, with the wing seperate (white), attached to it...

TobyV · Post by **TobyV** » 03 Jul 2006, 12:03

Dont ask me about GMAX

I gave up aircraft modelling with the demise of AF99 as a useful tool

Yup that thing is the wing fairing and the internal structure joining the wings is the "wing box".