Sopwith Pup on Skis 1/32

[Pgtaylorart]

Well, this is just fascinating and I so appreciate seeing an entirely new way to approach model building.

George-san, as I have said before to both you and Bo, I see endless possibilities with this sort of computer aided design, and in my case, not only for models but for furniture projects.

I don't want to hijack this thread but, in case others are interested, is there an entry level software program that allows a semi-computer literate person to play with these sorts of ideas and concepts? I mean like really simple.....such as they may be using in the local pre-school classes between naps and clay.

Any thoughts would be appreciated!
Cheers,
Michael

Michael,
Bo pretty much answered your question with all the same options as I would suggest. Maya is also my main 3d program. I use it all day long for my animation work and once you climb the steep learning curve you can build anything. But since I started designing and building paper models, I began using Rhino3d. It's designed more for creating very accurate prototypes for the product design industries. It has one tool in particular that Maya doesn't. It can accurately unfold curved surfaces. This is mainly used for sheet metal fabricators, but us paper modelers make great use of this. Complex shapes like ship's hulls and rounded fuselages can be flattened, printed on paper then built into shapes that would be impossible for me to design on flat paper with my limited math skills. Maya and Rhino aren't cheap, but you really can't beat them for what they do.

I hope that helps,
George

[uncletony]

... It has one tool in particular that Maya doesn't. It can accurately unfold curved surfaces. This is mainly used for sheet metal fabricators, but us paper modelers make great use of this. Complex shapes like ship's hulls and rounded fuselages can be flattened, printed on paper then built into shapes that would be impossible for me to design on flat paper with my limited math skills.

Indeed, this is a feature that I sorely miss in Maya-- not just for creating paper models but for designing PE! I used to use form*Z for designing stuff and I used this kind of tool to replicate the complicated sheet-metal origami brake cooling ducts on my Alfa Romeo race car, which we then cut out on a CNC plasma cutter to fold up and weld. Anyway…

There is a workaround in Maya -- you can use the UV mapping tools to unfold a solid accurately but it is tricky.

[Pgtaylorart]

Thanks, Martin and RAG!

George

[uncletony]

So, let me get started with Sketch Up and see how I do. I think that once I have some practical experience with any drawing program, knowing what my needs are will be a lot clearer. I just need to be sure I am spending the time on working on the design, not learning a software program that is beyond my abilities at this point.

Thanks!

Yeah; I remember saying something similar about 35 years ago -- "I just want a simple drawing program to run my little pen plotter so I can design my sculptures" -- the next I knew I was teaching myself assembly language & C and learning about implementing Phong shaders...  Beware the rabbit hole

[Pgtaylorart]

I fell down the rabbit hole about 30 years ago at art school when I had a class with James Blinn (of the Blinn Shader fame) who was a guest professor from JPL and Cal Tech. You 3d guys should know the name. (Sorry to name drop but I still geek out about that... )

George

[uncletony]

Yep pretty heavy nerdball name-drop .  Very cool 

[Pgtaylorart]

Phong Shaders? Weren't they a sub group of the Khmer Rouge?

I have no comeback. All I can say Michael is, very nice...

[IanB]

I've just found this and, like everyone else, I'm awestruck!
 I'm struggling to figure out LibreOffice to draw PE parts for my Bentley build, and you guys are talking in a totally foreign language that I just wish I could understand.....The results are obviously worth the effort!

Ian

[uncletony]

Phong Shaders? Weren't they a sub group of the Khmer Rouge?

[Pgtaylorart]

Phong Blinn......

Of course...how could I not remember him....he invented the two handed back scratcher.....they actually tried to have him be a replacement for the Pillsbury Dough Boy but myopic American audiences were just not ready Asian dough that wasn't made into pork dumplings.

He was also the third drummer in Spinal Tap.

[BigBlue]

He was also the third drummer in Spinal Tap.

A shorter life expectancy than a RFC pilot in late 1915!

I am just catching up here, George... truly wonderful stuff.

[Pgtaylorart]

Thanks, Big Blue!

[coyotemagic]

I am just catching up here, George... truly wonderful stuff.

Same here (although it's impossible to keep up with you and Bo!).  Truly magnificent work, George, far beyond my comprehension.
Cheers,
Bud

[Pgtaylorart]

Thanks, Bud!

[LukasTheLight]

Hello George!!!

I just realized that by returning behind my workbench I miss so much from other builds But then one finds spare moment for look into another topics and is simply stunned I love it!!!

Lukas