a 3D ship design prog...

[Commander Truestar]

What I would love to see is a 3D ship design prog.

Something where you would:
1 Choose a design rules set
2 Step through the regular design and be given both a data sheet as normal PLUS
a "Cadd sheet" with blocks representing each item that has to be visually "placed"
in the design.
3 Once you have your paper design, click as desired on the 3D blocks to drag them into
place. If you need to enlarge it, cilck and drag the corner anchors on the boxes to
change dimensions. If you need an "odd shape", click on a non-anchor part of any
line to add an anchor to create it and then select that anchor. At this point there
should be a diolog box allowing for a "striaght pull" or a "curved pull" to create an arc.

The difference between this and, say Illustrator(which I already use) is that this would:
A: be in 3d
B: Give me volumes so that I can make volumetrically correct deck plans for any ship with
simple to use(but not nearly simple to program) visual tools.

Marc

 

[far-trader]

I hear you It's basically what I've wanted to program myself for years but never get around to. Not sure* I have the requisite skills for one thing. My idea was along the lines of:

1 - Build the ship per design rules.

2 - Be presented with a "soft" 3D ghost shell of the rough hull size and shape and the elements (jump, maneuver, power, command and computer, weapons, staterooms, lowberths, vehicles and craft, and cargo) as blocks with required connecting faces for external and/or internal "connections" as required.

3 - Drag and drop the elements into the ghost shell which stretches within a limited parameter for the shape to accommodate the elements while maintaining the correct overall volume and shape.

4 - Fill in the connecting bits (corridors, common spaces and such) as the program keeps track of both the allowance and a running total of the remaining (generally fuel) hull volume.

5 - Finally, once happy with the layout, view and save (and print option) orientations of the ghost shell (an xray version of the ship), a solid hull external view, and deckplan format of the ship.

* EDIT - actually, I'm sure I don't have the skills What I'm not sure about is my desire and ability to learn them

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Like wow man!

That would be great and it should have a "flow" feature to let fuel tankage mold into void and waste spaces. Or even infrastructure, magazine ammo, robot arms, grapplers, etc.

Yep, let me know when it gets done, huh?

 

[far-trader]

That would be great and it should have a "flow" feature to let fuel tankage mold into void and waste spaces. Or even infrastructure, magazine ammo, robot arms, grapplers, etc.

Yep, let me know when it gets done, huh?

Barring a leap in a couple areas of technology to speed things along I should be done on or about the day after the end of the universe :smirk:

Of course if somebody has huge wads of cash to throw at the problem I'm sure we can get it done much sooner

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Dude, Sir Kin-igit....

Umm, if I had oodles of money, I be hiring some one who can actually program in with some better time to completion estimates.

 

[far-trader]

Umm, if I had oodles of money, I be hiring some one who can actually program in with some better time to completion estimates.

You misunderstand That's exactly what I'd be doing with the oodles of money, I'd just be the project director (and skimming off the top )...

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Race ya!

OK, first one to get oodles of money and a super cool and easy to use 3d ship construction program, wins!

What say thee, good knight?

 

[far-trader]

OK, first one to get oodles of money and a super cool and easy to use 3d ship construction program, wins!

What say thee, good knight?

You're on Baron

 

[sandmanninja]

3ds Max gives you volumes for objects and shapes.

I've made some megatraveller ships a looooong time ago, but lost them in a HD crash.