USS Defiant Lightwave tutorial

# 1 26-11-2011 , 01:17 PM

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Well its been a while since I tuched this thing. It has been interesting and I have a few tut segments to go, so far I have kept up with it...even though the tools are wildy different. I have stopped about 70% of the way through this tut to clean edges. I always knew this puppy was going to be a bitch to smooth..well I was damn right!!!!!

I have spent a good part of the day deleting/adding/deleting edges all over the place..what a bitch...Im glad I stopped when I did!! I have noticed a few lumps and bumps so I will have to go back and try to edit them.

I think LW is superior (thus far) in some of the modelling tools it has...and obviously the smooth command (whatever it is LOL) is a lot more forgiving and there appears to be MUCH less worry about edges, tris, ngons etc etc...I could be wrong...Im sure some one who has used LW may be able to enlighten me?

Anyway here are a few snaps...hopefully I will finish this before I retire. I have now opted to ignore the poly by poly modelling and will do the rest myself as I know how...foloowing the tut only for refs etc...too hard otherwise. For this cross software experiment I think Im doing rather well....anyone else done a cross software tutorial..I would be interested how you coped etc??

cheers bullet

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bullet1968

"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes

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# 2 26-11-2011 , 02:49 PM

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Nice job for following a lightwave tutorial! I emailed Milivoj he'll probably get a kick out of it.

Not sure about the yellow though mate might try just an occlusion render and then colorize in photoshop if I wanted a tint. Might show it off a bit better.

Have fun.
Dave

From a readers' Q and A column in TV GUIDE: "If we get involved in a nuclear war, would the electromagnetic pulses from exploding bombs damage my videotapes?"

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# 3 26-11-2011 , 03:03 PM

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Forgot to say I personally think Lightwave is so much easier to model in than Maya, not saying its better but it's defiantly easier!

Dave user added image

From a readers' Q and A column in TV GUIDE: "If we get involved in a nuclear war, would the electromagnetic pulses from exploding bombs damage my videotapes?"

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# 4 26-11-2011 , 03:06 PM

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Thanks David...yeh wasnt going for orange...had my arse kicked by a secret squirrel LOL...got a better colour but will follow advice and keep it grey from now on. Yeh it has been hard to follow with the different tools etc.....I didnt like LW's UI...and nice pun at the end you dag LOL.

cheers bullet

bullet1968

"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes

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# 5 30-11-2011 , 02:56 AM

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Ok I THINK I have cleaned all the edges up...I ended up with a lot of floating terminations...not much I could do and it doesnt deform the model...tris and ngons too...but DILLIGAF.....taken me too long just to adjust it from the LW way.

Anyway a quick shot so you know Im plugging slowly away with it.

cheers bullet

P.S thanks to some weird people who helped me in some extra knowledge...and it was meant to have a black background...ooops...LOL

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bullet1968

"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes

Last edited by bullet1968; 30-11-2011 at 02:59 AM.

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# 6 30-11-2011 , 03:11 AM

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Nice render user added image

I wouldn't worry about a few tris and ngons much, not like this thing is going to need to flex or bend and if it's not interfering with your render well...

Life's to short.
Dave user added image

From a readers' Q and A column in TV GUIDE: "If we get involved in a nuclear war, would the electromagnetic pulses from exploding bombs damage my videotapes?"

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# 7 30-11-2011 , 03:55 AM

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Finally, not even a smudge of yellow made it's way in user added image

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# 8 30-11-2011 , 04:48 AM

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Thanks David, yes you are right, lifes too short.....and yes it isnt going to be anything but static so as long as the textures dont deform all will be good.

LOL yes Miss_Nova no yellow just for you...did you get harassed at a circus by a dude in a big banana suit? LOL....you really dont like yellow...but yes plain grey from now on.

P.S this is what the renders were meant to look like LOL

cheers bullet

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bullet1968

"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes

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# 9 30-11-2011 , 05:02 AM

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looking good bullet!

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675

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# 10 30-11-2011 , 05:25 AM

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that looks great bullet

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# 11 30-11-2011 , 06:07 AM

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Thanks ct and Pixal....I appreciate it. It has been hard the last couple of days sorting edges LOL. Now that is done I will start cutting panels and add greebles (not many) true to the ship and not the tutorial...I will probably not finish watching it for modelling (I will watch it for tips etc...good tutor IMO) now the main hull is done. I will do the rest my way..Maya way..it certainly was a learning experience. I have learnt in future to do it Maya's way...if I can do it LW way I would but the tools are so different.

Thanks again guys

cheers bullet

bullet1968

"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes

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# 12 30-11-2011 , 02:52 PM

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Ok the main modelling on the hull is done....yay user added image

...so now just to cut panels and stuff...finished the front section tonight..whew.

cheers bullet

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bullet1968

"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes

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# 13 30-11-2011 , 02:56 PM

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LOL scratch those images...I have just been looking at some more of the refs and the hull underneath doesnt match...matches the tut but not the image...sigh.....this has got me twice now.

Im leaving it...bugger it....its on the tut model too...and it would take a day to fix...

bullet1968

"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes

Last edited by bullet1968; 30-11-2011 at 03:04 PM.

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# 14 30-11-2011 , 03:07 PM

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LOL yes Miss_Nova no yellow just for you...did you get harassed at a circus by a dude in a big banana suit? LOL....you really dont like yellow...but yes plain grey from now on.

Originally Posted by bullet1968

haha make that a mad man in a chicken suit. looks so much better though, it's neat and clean when you keep it simple like that.

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# 15 02-12-2011 , 08:41 AM

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maaan, i was sure i've posted a reply here a few days ago, but now i don't see it! Well, it was late and i was a bit tired, so who knows : ) here it goes again : )

Nice work! I'm looking forward to seeing it finished! I hope you could follow my workflow, and my hat down to you for following a tute in Lighwave while working in Maya! Many of the modeling tool's are the same (at least in principal) in all software's but it's the little differences that can drive you crazy! : )

Tri's are ok, specially in flat areas, no problems, but ngons i would avoid altogether as a principle! To unpredictable, and in most projects you can't afford them, so best to develop methods and ways to eliminate them!

Looking forward to the Maya rendered version! : )

Milivoj

Last edited by ra_monk; 02-12-2011 at 08:45 AM.

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USS Defiant Lightwave tutorial

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