Hey im posting this as a new thread instead of on one of the ship threads because i dont want a ban warning like chris and bacon got.

Jig im really impressed with your ships. how long have you been modeling stuff, what do u use (3ds max?) and what tutorials are good for beginners (how did you start out ?) ?

I wouldnt mind knowing what program was used to make the ships though i can never get anything good useing the ones i've got at the moment !

That's because the really good ones cost £500

ahhh thats why

i wonder how long it must take to make a ship like that?

ok i use 3d studio max 5, i have been modeling for about a year. i bascily taught myself. for ggod tutorials i would reccomend
http://www.scifi-meshes.com/ there are some top 3d artists over there who have written tuts in max maya and lightwave. for a tut in milkshape i`d say westwoods big book on modding has a good one in it, you ca nget that from afc armada site. if you get lightwave which i think is fairly cheap (around the £500 mark) http://www.lwg3d.org/v3/index.htm for good tuts and resources.

Thanks for the info jig!

forgot to say, milkshape is a good modeliing programme, and the licence is only £25, i have not used it myself but i lot of the guys who mod armada use it, one who springs to mind is map, or major payne. one of the best modders in the armada community. so if you want to get into this sort of thing, milkshape is a good way to start.

have to try milkshape then! thanks

i got 3ds max 7 for cheap. found it at a garage sale for $2. yes, i find most of my computer hardware and software for very very very cheap.

or

i get the opensource or beta versions of software.

My favorite modeler of all time has got to be Wings3D.

http://www.wings3d.com

I've suggested this program before. It is a subdiv modeler, for those who know what that means. Basically it means that it thinks a bit oddly if you're already indoctrinated in the old-school of the modeling world. It takes some time to get what it's doing but once you do, it's worth the effort.

It's free to download. You can even get the source and play with it. It has a forum and I recommend at least browsing through it.

Read the manual, whose link is found on the main page.

For tutorials of how to use it:
http://www.geocities.com/paulthepuzzles/aardvarks.html

This link is also found on the main page.

The texturing tools of this program are still limiting. I suggest Ultimate Unwrap, even though I dont like the interface.

Im really happy youve only been modeling a year jig, maybe i can get that gd in a year although i dont get much time to try it. Id rather do coding like gav does than 3d desing but i will never have the time to learn that, i may just have the time for some basic 3d modeling. Do you make your textures in psp ?

P.S. Also while i think of it any more info on the intel system. that screeny revelead some stuff but can we get the full low down (yes ive been asking for months sorry to keep badgering you).

i tend to make a high poly model and use renders of that for the textures, i then import them into psp and just stick the renders onto a 1024 by 1024 tga file, i the nreduce it`s size to 512 by 512 i then uv map in ultimate unwrap 3d. the easiest way however is to use cgi pics for your textures (i have some excellent ones for the klingon raptor and the nx-01)
as for the intel system, can`t help you there at all. i`ve not had that bit yet

Sorry if i've missed something but what is the Intel system?

the in game intel mate, he wants to know how it`ll work.
no more off topic please guys. lets kee pthis one for 3d stuff only ya.

Jig can u animate too ? and if you can have you animated the ships firing yet?

yes i can animate but no i have done none for the ships i`m working on.

ha ha jig may end up doing quite a few animations, as i dont expect to be anywhere near that proficient in the near futute