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General Forums => Films and Screenshots => Topic started by: LtHans on May 25, 2002, 11:41:30 PM

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: LtHans on May 25, 2002, 11:41:30 PM

I've recently started 3d modeling for the first time ever.  I downloaded a free....yes, free animation software ap called Anim8or.  I used it to create a Klingon Battle Cruiser and now I've moved on to another Sci-Fi game called Jovian Chronicals.

The Jovian Chronicals are a mostly realistic sci-fi pen and paper RPG set in the Solay system 200 years from now.  Earth is a plauge ridden cesspool, and all of the inner planets are colonised.  The most powerful colony is the Jovian Confederation.  They live in giant colony cylanders orbiting Jupiter (think Babalon 5).

I re-created their most powerful class of battleship, the Ypres class with Anim8or and added it to Orbiter.

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: cajun on May 26, 2002, 12:33:48 AM

Whered you find the tool? I'd love to make some 3D models :D

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: LtHans on May 26, 2002, 06:31:31 AM

Where else?

http://www.anim8or.com/

Download is only 500k.

I highly..... highly suggest you do the tutorials provided on that site.  Save the web page as a whole to your hard drive (you can do that you know).  That way when the site closes down someday, or while you learing you don't need the internet connection running.

It took me a bit to learn, about a day.  I couldn't figure out how to make a simple cube.  It just wasn't intuitive.  If you do the Eggplant tutorial you will find out that it is not about drawing a shape freehand, but but having the software make a polygon shape and then you move the points around to radically change what it once was.

Another shot of my ship as incentive for you to try.  I've only been at this a week I might point out.

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: LtHans on May 26, 2002, 06:57:13 AM

My favorite part of the ship.  The Engine flames.  I managed to stretch the Orbiter game program a bit to create a larger flame for the huge ship so it would look Ok.  The flames are only large enough for smaller ships about the size of an airplane, not a 510 meter warship like mine.

I created a little pyramid of flames to simulate a single larger flame.  Here is a pic of them on low thrust so you can see them.

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: Sancho on May 26, 2002, 10:48:54 AM

Does that use the glider flight model or have you tweaked the engine performance?  How long does it take to go from Earth to Mars in that mutha?  Is that a rotating artificial gravity section I see?

Nice work so far. :)

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: LtHans on May 26, 2002, 12:59:11 PM

Nope, just a simple single stage rocket, though very fuel efficient.  Nothing overly interesting about it other than it's looks.  I can't even launch from the ground, because the engines are accurate to the book, which is only .8 g accleration.

I've only just finished it and took it for one interplanetary trip from Earth to Jupiter (Ganymede specifically).  It took game time 16 months, and in real time about 30 minutes.  Jupiter was in the worst launch window available, about 6 months away.  Jupiter was behind the Earh by about 4 Earth months.  I just launched out of Earth Orbit anyway, and did a manual, seat of the pants slingshot close around the Sun to reach Jupiter.

The grav deck is not animated.  It is a grav deck though.  Rolling the ship works just as well, and seems to be the simplest way to fly such a ship.

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: Sancho on May 26, 2002, 05:58:06 PM

Interesting approach to the Jupiter transfer, slingshotting around the sun.  I haven't tried any multi-body transfers like that, just straight from Earth to Mars (http://www1.jump.net/~cs3/mars/) once.  I'm still trying to figure out the multi-body part of the transfer orbit MFD.

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: LtHans on May 26, 2002, 08:24:39 PM

It wasn't a multibody trajectory, as the Sun was the reference of my Transfer MFD, Source was my ship, and the target was Jupiter.

There is no computer assisted aid to do that manuver.  As I said, I just winged it.  In some cases the Transfer MFD just won't produce a trajectory that will intercept the planet your heading towards, and you have to wait months for the Earth to move to a good spot.  That isn't true. If you have enough fuel, you can launch whenever you want.

My ship does.  I wanted to try it from this crummy of a launch window to see if I had the statistics of the ship correct.  I figured that if I ran out of fuel getting to Jupiter from there, then I would need to go back into the ship's configuration file and up the fuel efficiency number.  Turns out I didn't.  I made it with 6% fuel remaining.

What I did was thrust directly at the Sun.  I've found that thrusting towards or away from the body your orbiting tends to shift your whole orbit, but not lose you any forward velocity.  Your giving yourself a whole bunch of vertical velocity.

To visualise the planetary arangement, looking down from the top of the solar system (from Polaris star), Earth was at 9 oclock, Jupiter at 12 oclock, and everthing orbits counter-clockwise.

Because Jupiter is moving, I new I would have to aim for about 11 oclock with my orbit path.   Alot of thrust towards the Sun, with some thrust a smidge behind the sun made my elipse of an orbit extend out to about 11 oclock where I wanted it.  Then some retrograde thrusting to make the intercept lines overlap was all it took.

Hans.

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: LtHans on May 27, 2002, 08:58:11 AM

Moved onto other models now

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: Iron2 on May 27, 2002, 09:02:47 AM

LtHans is this a multiplayer game? and can you provide web adress?

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: LtHans on May 27, 2002, 09:15:12 AM

Nope, not multiplayer.  It isn't really even a full blown game.  It is very detailed about physics and gravity, but no combat of any kind, and not much else to do other than fly places and see what is there.  That is what I like about it though.  It is very similar to MicroSoft's old Space simulator.

Its a free download, and has tons of add-ons made by second hand developers on their spare time, including WarBirds/WW2 Online's Roger "Frying Tiger" Long.  The DeltaGlider Mk3 included with the base game was redone by him, and it shows.

http://www.orbitersim.com

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: Monk on May 27, 2002, 11:14:10 AM

 ya'll hurting my brain cells:)

 Cool game though, I just somersault with my Space Shuttle:confused:

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: LtHans on May 27, 2002, 09:25:24 PM

Hey.  Common story.  My first shuttle flight went way out into space.....then came straight back down.

I had no idea what instruments did what and the rest.  Even getting to the International Space Station took me a week.  Don't even mention how long it took me to get to Mars.

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: LtHans on May 28, 2002, 05:37:36 AM

Got her up and flying.  I had to move parts around to make it lay down in a prone postion, which wasn't too hard.

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: Sancho on May 28, 2002, 06:27:38 AM

If you get it to transform into airplane mode for atmospheric flight I'll be impressed. :D

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: udet on May 28, 2002, 04:22:44 PM

is anim8r easier than 3d studio max?

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: udet on May 28, 2002, 04:26:59 PM

just downladed it.looks pretty cool for such a small program.

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: udet on May 28, 2002, 04:47:16 PM

wow...this IS a complete program.

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: LtHans on May 29, 2002, 02:22:48 AM

Yeah, wasn't too difficult to do.  That ship on top was my second "real" model I've EVER made, and the robot was right behind the ship.

I've only been at this two weeks or so.

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: LtHans on May 31, 2002, 03:30:19 AM

Got my Pathfinder Alpha into a three ship Vic formation.  One mesh that you fly, but looks like multiple ships.

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: CDR Akira on May 31, 2002, 01:58:28 PM

So you like Gundams Leutinant? Have you had a go flight record or just stayed behind in promotions?

Nice job just tell me to fly in space.

cause........................





I've BEEN ADRIFT NEAR PLUTO FOR YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: LtHans on June 02, 2002, 07:28:15 AM

Guess what this is shapping up to be.

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: Sancho on June 02, 2002, 04:06:06 PM

Quote

Originally posted by LtHans
Guess what this is shapping up to be.

I know.  An easy kill for this:
(http://www1.jump.net/~cs3/3d/viper020529.jpg)

Your ship is limited to the laws of physics while mine is not! :D


Actually looks like a really nice Starfury model. :)

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: LtHans on June 02, 2002, 05:33:33 PM

It is a good day to die!

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: LtHans on June 02, 2002, 08:34:21 PM

Finished my StarFury wireframe.

Title: Nice prog....check out the ship I made!
Post by: aharder on June 03, 2002, 12:46:43 AM

Took a little while...

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: LtHans on June 03, 2002, 01:27:02 AM

Hey, its not the machine, its the man, remember?

Guess who flies this?

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: CDR Akira on June 03, 2002, 11:37:37 AM

Now make a star fury with the omega squad from B5!:D

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: Kevin14 on June 03, 2002, 03:11:24 PM

Is it possible to make WWII airplane models with that, if you could that would be sweet, nice models anyway!

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: CDR Akira on June 04, 2002, 09:57:13 AM

If you did you could be flying a P40 to mars:D

Title: opinions,opinions
Post by: CDR Akira on June 05, 2002, 10:14:50 AM

It seems no one likes my opinion

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: LtHans on June 09, 2002, 06:43:17 AM

Ok, now just tell me where Wilma is, 'K?

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: CDR Akira on June 09, 2002, 12:42:05 PM

:confused: Whats that from?:confused:

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: Crowwe on June 09, 2002, 09:24:55 PM

Battlestar Galactica! Used to watch that when I was a kid... remember the robots that would walk around with a single red light in the visor?

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: cajun on June 10, 2002, 12:59:38 AM

Look! I modeled a Gloster Gladiator :) , stuck it in a program I wrote... well actuelly copy/pasted most of it:D  so I could take screen shots, but not all came out right here is the best 1:

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: cajun on June 10, 2002, 01:01:27 AM

The prop and canopy were supposed to be transparant but it didnt work right for some reason...

Well I did the modeling now all HTC has to do is stick it in Aces High :) lol

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: udet on June 11, 2002, 03:05:39 PM

a landscape i did a long time ago in 3ds max

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: udet on June 11, 2002, 03:06:48 PM

it's supposed to be on mars durinbg a dust storm...whatever :)

Title: OT: Creating new ships for another flight/space sim, Orbiter
Post by: Kevin14 on June 12, 2002, 06:41:19 PM

LOL, turn that into a tile for a map, make the map space invaders or something, 262s and 234s only

Title: Here's another on that took a while.
Post by: aharder on June 17, 2002, 01:36:57 AM

3DSMax rocks any other program out there.

You can't see it very well, but it's Canada fighting Extra Terrestrials. Why? I don't know. Go Canada!
Yeah so what if it's wishful thinking(A real Canuck War budjet? Ha!)