Beowulf blueprints

[Trent]

Speaking of windows on a free trader, here's a link to a site I use that features a thread dealing with making a FT in a free, high end but difficult to master 3d modeller called "Blender".

I've gotten obsessed with making a decent spaceship in blender3d (Haven't got it right yet) and a great guy there names "profnull" (Professor null) helped me with a problem I had making a classic, stock FT.

He fixed the problem and showed me where I erred. The thread contains some images of my classic FT effort, focused on the windows.

http://blenderunderground.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3193&p=30833#p30833

I obviously added windows, and tried to make them logically: I.E. as small as practical, but large enough to be useful and positioned for optimum visual coverage while weakening the hull as little as possible.

 

[far-trader]

Interesting read, wish I understood more than half of it

Profnull would see another student there for the sharing of this, if I had the time and brain cells to learn Blender Old dog, new tricks and all that...

 

[far-trader]

DAMN! I wish I knew where these came from, they're niiiice. I'd love to ask the artist what software he used.

I know I saw them on the web some time back, can't quite put my finger on where right now. Maybe Gadrin recalls. I'm sure I bookmarked it but I lost a bunch a while back. I'll have a look later though.

 

[Trent]

Interesting read, wish I understood more than half of it

Profnull would see another student there for the sharing of this, if I had the time and brain cells to learn Blender Old dog, new tricks and all that...

Well, hell, far trader. Don't you already do 3d art? Or is that someone else I'm thinking of? If you know how to use a 3d modeller, picking up blender is easy, as you don;t have to learn the basics, just learn blender's way of doing them.

 

[far-trader]

Well, hell, far trader. Don't you already do 3d art? Or is that someone else I'm thinking of?

Nope, somebody else I think, unless you count fooling around with SketchUp. I've given a few different 3D modelers a try in the past and found the learning curve always too steep for my tastes. Or my antiquated hardware nowhere near up to the task, the old model/1bis just doesn't cut it

 

[Gadrin]

DAMN! I wish I knew where these came from, they're niiiice. I'd love to ask the artist what software he used.

I'm not sure I agree with the "turbofan" on the FP intakes unless this is a FT converted to serve maybe as an atmospheric craft that may use some sort of air breathing engine. That could be what it is and why it has those honking missile launchers, it's been turned into an air defense craft of some sort, possibly after blowing it's jump engine or during a military emergency.

Some of the windows seem to be armored over, supporting the "converted to military usage" theory/

They're old pics.

I'm pretty sure they're from a long-established Traveller site. Probably
Google for Traveller Rings and just look thru them.

There's another picture with it "crash landed" but the size is off on the
figure they've got on the hull, making the ship look like a shuttle.

>

 

[Trent]

They're old pics.

I'm pretty sure they're from a long-established Traveller site. Probably
Google for Traveller Rings and just look thru them.

There's another picture with it "crash landed" but the size is off on the
figure they've got on the hull, making the ship look like a shuttle.

>

Know where it is?

 

[Trent]

Nope, somebody else I think, unless you count fooling around with SketchUp. I've given a few different 3D modelers a try in the past and found the learning curve always too steep for my tastes. Or my antiquated hardware nowhere near up to the task, the old model/1bis just doesn't cut it

There's a little freebie called "Anim8or" that's quick to learn and use. It's capabilities are limited but I've seen it model some ships that are more complex than a beowulf or most other traveller ships.

It could have you making some simple things fairly soon, and has done some tolerable enterprise models.

Here's a linky: http://www.anim8or.com/main/index.html

It takes you to a gallery showing what anim8or can create. A lot of the pix were objects made in anim8ot but rendered in something else as anim8or is limited, but even so it can make decent renders.

So, if any of you little guls out there have ever looked at the pretty pix of traveller ships and said "Gee, I wish I could do that..." you can try it with anim8or or blender 3d. Anim8or is quicker and easier to learn, I've been told, than blender 3d (That thing can do neat stuff, but it's a monster to learn, and this is coming from a guy with an I.Q over 140, no joke...)

Maybe anim8or could serve as a gateway to better programs for you.

As to your computer, FT, well, a lot of places are going to be holding back to school sales AND a lot of places are going to be trying to dump their machines that were infected with windoze vistugh to make room for the upcoming windoze 7, so this might be the time for you to make a few illegal deals, score some stars and pick up a new machine.

I know, I know, the horrors of windoze vistugh are enough to make an aslan cringe, but if your current clunker's as slow as you make it out to be it might be worth getting a new one even if you have to hold your nose while using it.

 

[Beech]

Know where it is?

Here's the other pic, the scale is way off but a great image.

God know where I got it from, I will have bookmarked the website but I've done that with hundreds so it may take some time to find....

 

[Gadrin]

Know where it is?

No, but I do remember going back to in once (this would around 1999/2000) by hitting the Traveller WebRings and just going to
every site.

It was under Art or 3D links.

>

 

[Trent]

Here's the other pic, the scale is way off but a great image.

God know where I got it from, I will have bookmarked the website but I've done that with hundreds so it may take some time to find....

Thanks.

Damn, they weren't kidding about the scale! If that thing's 200 dtons, the guy must be the jolly green giant...

 

[far-trader]

Thanks Trent! I'll check out Anima8or, it sounds interesting and I'm always willing to try new things, I just don't have much patience if I don't see progress before... oooh shiney!

(old joke, new version goes... SQUIRREL!)

I'm too easily distracted.

On the computer front, I do break down and buy a new box every so often (this one is what, 4 years old, so it's only 4 years out of date :nonono: ). I tend to go through a Luddite phase first where I just want to smash all the evil machines (and I think I'm nearing that phase again)...