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The Construction of a Custom Plane (Read 4599 times)
Reply #15 - Jan 9th, 2009 at 7:43pm

Felix/FFDS   Offline
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First - WHAT modelling program are you using?

Before you start on any of the detail questions - you NEED to have some familiarity with the program itself, and do the program's own basic tutorials.... this assumes that you do not have 3D Modelling experience!

 

Felix/FFDS...
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Reply #16 - Jan 10th, 2009 at 2:37am

Dickert   Offline
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Where to start???  Google man!!!  Or better, Flight sim comes with GMax.  Load it to your hard drive and start working through those tutorial files under the help directory.  They are not about aircraft, but first you need the basics.  Then you can follow the instructions in those tutorials but sub in your starter project instead.  Eventuall build up the aircraft project.  One important thing to remember is to set the right scale in gmax.  One unit equals one meter.  Everything is done in meters.  Use the real measurements converted to meters.  If you are designing your own aircraft, make drawing and scale things off of those.  Do everything to actual size.

Have fun.

Harold
ps.  I just uploaded the newest version of my aircraft (HD - 1 Swift) a few evening ago.  Check it out here or go to my web site at www.dickert.ca/swift
 

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Reply #17 - Jan 10th, 2009 at 8:48am

Alrot   Ex Member
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Quote:
this assumes that you do not have 3D Modelling experience!


I agree on this, I knew it since I saw this post the first time

and BTW ,My dear friend Shadow .
VC is always  much more difficult than the exterior model


and yes, to give you a response we have to know what modeling software are you using.
 
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Reply #18 - Jan 10th, 2009 at 12:17pm

Shadow   Offline
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Um. . . can you make aircraft in the FSX SDK thing? If not then I will be using gmax.
« Last Edit: Jan 11th, 2009 at 4:52pm by Shadow »  

I'm not the best designer. . . meh I think I'm pretty good for 14 years old. . .
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Reply #19 - Jan 11th, 2009 at 4:47pm

Shadow   Offline
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I started planning all the dimensions for my plane in meters, and another question popped into my head. . .

Are windows done in the model itself or while painting Questioning
 

I'm not the best designer. . . meh I think I'm pretty good for 14 years old. . .
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Reply #20 - Jan 12th, 2009 at 11:44am

Travis   Offline
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Shadow wrote on Jan 11th, 2009 at 4:47pm:
I started planning all the dimensions for my plane in meters, and another question popped into my head. . .

Are windows done in the model itself or while painting Questioning


You're asking all the little questions.  Start working with the modeling program a bit, and then come back and ask questions like that.

But to answer a couple of your queries:

You don't need to rescale anything.  The modeling program will scale things for you.  It programs itself in either meters or feet and you decide how big you want it to be in the sim, and make it that big in the modeling program.

The SDK is NOT a modeling program.  It just contains usefull info and resources, plus a couple of tools necessary to make a model.  Gmax is a modeling program, and the only free one available for direct conversion to FS.

Windows are at your discretion.  Some people opt to model the windows directly into the 3D model.  Others make them using a painting system.  Generally, the AI specific aircraft will have them painted on, while the flyable aircraft will have them built in.  This is not a rule, however.  The smaller aircraft (Cessnas and the like) are always modeled with the windows.  Most jetliners, or anything larger than a business jet, can be made with the windows not modeled in.  It's truly at the designer's discretion.

Now: GO GET TUTORIALS!  COME BACK WHEN YOU'VE READ THEM! Wink
 

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Reply #21 - Jan 12th, 2009 at 11:07pm

Shadow   Offline
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Ok... this is the last for a while... should I build a bigger less complicated jet first or a smaller more complicated prop plane?

P.S. the prop plane would use these engines:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Electric_GE-36
 

I'm not the best designer. . . meh I think I'm pretty good for 14 years old. . .
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Reply #22 - Jan 13th, 2009 at 6:15am

Brett_Henderson   Offline
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Try modeling that engine and blade set... It will be good practice.. Then we'll go from there..
 
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Reply #23 - Jan 13th, 2009 at 8:02pm

Shadow   Offline
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Ok I will, FSX is finally in stock, so I will be picking it up in a day or two. Anything else that may be useful to me?

(other than Gmax)

And should I download Gmax and start work on the prop set now or wait a few days until I get FSX
 

I'm not the best designer. . . meh I think I'm pretty good for 14 years old. . .
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Reply #24 - Jan 13th, 2009 at 9:24pm

Brett_Henderson   Offline
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EVERY OUTER MARKER SHOULD
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Just make sure you get the deluxe version.. it has the SDK..  or, I think the gold edition does too.
 
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Reply #25 - Jan 13th, 2009 at 10:46pm

Dickert   Offline
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Shaddow, don’t worry if it is a big or small aircraft.  Some small aircraft can be as complex as a big one.  My aircraft for example only has a 14 foot wingspan yet has very complex gear, flaps, spoilers, reverse-thrust, etc.  A big cargo jet has no cabin windows so it’s fuselage may actually be simple.  A big fuselage is just scaled up but has the same shape and complexity.
Get the program at http://www.turbosquid.com and later when you get the flight sim modified version, you can upgrade.
Start working through the tutorials doing the exercises, yet all the while trying to relate how each sample thing the tutorials has you build could be applied to modeling an aircraft part.  A flag pole could be a pitot tube, or a static wick for instance.  A spiral stair case could be flattened and changed into a turbine stage.  Get the idea?  When the tutorial has you “cut” a section out of a cylinder, that could be a canopy out of a fuselage.
Start making an inventory of the small simple parts and as you learn more about modeling, make the next item.  You will have many many parts by the time you are done.
Also, try to keep the vertex count low initially.  You can always add detail later.  12 or 16 sided wheels instead of 36 sides for example.
Google for answers first, post questions when you are really stuck.  Even then, sometimes an important point may be missed no matter how many people answer your question, such as when my VC was stuck for a half a year for a simple thing like the illegal 16 letter file name I had for my Planar BMP while it should have been a max of 15!
So modeling any aircraft may also have you pulling your hair out, but it still is a great feeling of accomplishment. 

Harold 
 

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Reply #26 - Jan 15th, 2009 at 8:08pm

Shadow   Offline
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k I get what you mean but what is the flight sim modded version???
« Last Edit: Jan 18th, 2009 at 4:59pm by Shadow »  

I'm not the best designer. . . meh I think I'm pretty good for 14 years old. . .
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Reply #27 - Jan 15th, 2009 at 10:57pm

Dickert   Offline
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Does it ever fly fast
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Ontario Canada

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Gmax is a paired down version of 3D Max.  3D Max is one of the major programs used in the film and animation industry, with top of the line render engines, tools, effect, etc.  Gmax is the “light” version.  There are also game specific light versions optimized for various games of which Flight Sim is one.  So for example, there is no render engine since you can look at your results within the game – that is the reasoning.  So you design in Gmax, compile your aircraft or what ever you are making with Makemodel, and see it within Flight Sim.  So the flight sim Soft wear Development Kit (the SDK) has the version optimized for MS Flight Sim.  Or at least that is my understanding of it.

Harold
 

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Reply #28 - Jan 17th, 2009 at 3:29pm

Shadow   Offline
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Ok... Your probably wondering when the questions are going to stop...

This one has nothing to do with my plane though...

Is fire included with the smoke or only on specific planes???
I would like to know how to make (Fake) engine fires...

Yay FSX is getting here either monday or tuesday!!!
But I can't get it installed until he gets back (2 weeks from Sunday)

Hopefully he will install it the first or second day after getting back.
 

I'm not the best designer. . . meh I think I'm pretty good for 14 years old. . .
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Reply #29 - Jan 18th, 2009 at 5:02pm

Shadow   Offline
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An FSX Aircraft Builder
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Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

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Ok any difference in the end product building the windows into the model or just "painting" them on? Smiley
 

I'm not the best designer. . . meh I think I'm pretty good for 14 years old. . .
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