3d Model software

[Seismic]

This software is COMPLETELY free. the lastest version is $100 (US) It has a bit of a learning curve to it but after that it's really easy to use. I'll post a screenshot or two after I've installed it.

Bryce 5.5

[Samantha Arrow]

What does this do better/easier than what we can pull off on Google SketchUp

[Wolfgang of Borg]

Better: landscapes, Bryce is all about the fractal terrain kerjiggers
Easier: nothing, SketchUp's main feature is ease of use

[Seismic]

Honestly I can't use Sketch up. It seems to lack common sense from what I can tell.

[Samantha Arrow]

Honestly I can't use Sketch up. It seems to lack common sense from what I can tell.

I thought so too the first time I looked at sketchUp, but I gave it a second shot and I figured it all out.

[Daryn]

Id just like to say that you guys are doing a great job with whatever software you choose to use. Some really cool ship designs happening in these various threads. The software doesn't really have that much to do with that, it's all your creativity. Sure, software makes it easy, but you have to have the idea spark to make it happen in the first place.

Great job guys!

[SliceOfDog]

SketchUp's main feature is ease of use

Then I feel it's failing a little XD
I've been using it since I've seen so many of you guys making stuff in it, and while the actual creation and modification tools are nice, rotating, maneuvering and scrolling around while you're creating is a real problem. Making sure something lines up properly from every angle, particularly with the snap-to feature if you're not wanting your new shape to join onto your old ones, is a real problem as I'm finding it. Still, it's free, so I can hardly complain.

Also, I agree with Daryn. The amount that these programs are being used by our members is very nice to see.

[Wolfgang of Borg]

Then I feel it's failing a little XD

I've not tried it (booting Vista gives my comp a headache); i had the impression that it had a short learning curve, but from what you and Seismic say maybe they just cut down on features. In any case, 3D modeling using 2D user interfaces is inherently difficult.

Is there maybe a way to make it do splitscreen? I found Blender's ability to view a scene from two directions simultaneously really helpful re positioning things.

[SliceOfDog]

Is there maybe a way to make it do splitscreen? I found Blender's ability to view a scene from two directions simultaneously really helpful re positioning things.

I don't know in SketchUp, but I agree that splitscreen is really useful in these kind of programs. Unreal Editor, although mostly just a map maker, was great for that kind of thing. Had 4 windows open with different views, auto-arranged so you could see them all at the same time. And you could snap each view to any axis, or move it manually. Nice :p

[Wolfgang of Borg]

And you could snap each view to any axis, or move it manually. Nice :p

In a case of either convergent evolution or sensible copying, that's exactly what Blender does.

auto-arranged so you could see them all at the same time

OT: I am a big big huge massive fan of this feature, so much so that my computer does it by default for everything.
This is not my computer, but it is freakishly similar (even down to having the same eight-button mouse, tho i would kill for that keyboard):

[Seismic]

Right! Time for some Bryce pics!


Simple Frigate made up of 2 spheres, a cylinder, a torus, and 2 cones. the rocks are part of the program and the background was done in bryce.


This is merely a simple missile launcher turret I built in about half an hour. most of the work was trying to get the boolean to co-operate.

Also I just want to say sorry for the tiny pics. I should probably use a larger image size when starting a project.

[Wolfgang of Borg]

Yay toroids! I think every long-term space habitat / ship should have them, for artificial gravity.

[Seismic]

I stuck the asteroids in there to add some color.

[SliceOfDog]

Look nice Seismic! Is there a way to see them as a larger pic? Particularly the top one would be cool to see in more detail

[Wolfgang of Borg]

I stuck the asteroids in there to add some color.

LOL no i was trying to pluralise "toroid" (cos the plural of "torus" is "tori" which i hate), not shorten "asteroids"
I suck at words :[
was trying to refer to the toroidal shape of artificial gravity environments (tho if you wanted to spin it while firing the engines it would make more sense to mount them perpendicular to the plane of rotation).

[Seismic]

I could. It would simply take me a few minutes to copy the objects into a new scene at a higher resolution. Or I could Realize that I didn't save the scene as objects.

here's the new Image:

[Samantha Arrow]

That supercomputer is in an office cubical, wtf mate?

[Wolfgang of Borg]

Programmers love Xinerama, and the office in question is employee-owned.

EDIT: You seen Terry Pratchett's setup (he is admittedly a millionaire)?

Productivity is directly proportional to number of monitors.

Anyway sorry Seismic, i'm bad a staying on topic.

The texture looks good. Any hope of getting the engines to glow?

[Seismic]

I'd have to do some boolean work but it could be done. problem is getting it to work is 95% of the battle. the launch tubes on the launchers took me awhile as i had to subtract them from the stretched cube. and BTW the plasma coming out the back was done using a elongated sphere, a texture, and a spot light.
And that computer set up is Stupidly insane. I'll post the Wire-frame soon.

[Brome Teks]

Ah, primitives. How I loathe thee. The thing I like about Google SketchUp is that I'm not limited to just stretching around a few simple shapes to make my models.

Ship looks good though, especially the texture.