A Caravan...don't laugh

[pks1414]

I want to try and make a caravan, one exists at the airfield I am putting together. So far I have only built square things like houses and hangers, how do I bend things etc. Any suggestions as to the best way about doing this.


Thanks


Paul

 

[toprob]

Here's a tutorial on creating cars, should work with caravans
http://www.windowlight.co.nz/cars.html

 

[nickw]

LOL

Caravans is something I am working on for our airports. Lets just say that some of the ones in Ireland are not exactly homes of the "admirable".

 

[Firestriker]

Nick,

If your caravan (we call them trailers in the states) has flat sides, I would just draw the side profile using a line (spline that is closed) then copy it and translate them to the desired width. Attach one spline to the other making it one object. Next add a Cross-section modifier to make it a spline cage, then a Surface modifier to give it a skin and now you have your the basic 3d shape for the body. Collapse it to a Editable Patch or Editable Poly and add what other details you might find necessary. Build a couple of wheels and texture it and your done.

Lou

 

[ei6265]

in Ireland are not exactly homes of the "admirable".

LMAO! Priceless!

 

[pks1414]

Caravan

I tried the method from windowlight but I'm sure I must be doing something wrong, only one side seems to be solid. I drew an outline of the object, closed the spline then converted to editable mesh. After extrusion all sides are there apart from one. Have I missed a step or something.

Plus if anyone has got any ideas where there are some good shots of these things to use (Sides and front etc) I would appreciate it. Failing that I will have to go back to the airfield and take a picture....and have all these people thinking...okay, thats weird

 

[toprob]

Try Extrude first, then convert to mesh.
Any old digital camera can do the job. Taking texture photo for flightsim does require a bit of indifference to the locals -- just pretend you're an air accident investigator.

 

[pks1414]

Extrude

Thats the bit I am having problems with, I cannot seem to get the extrude to be available once I have closed the spline. Is there another step in between?

 

[arno]

Taking texture photo for flightsim does require a bit of indifference to the locals -- just pretend you're an air accident investigator.

You indeed need to get a bit used to people not understanding what you are doing.

I once was at an airshow on a local Dutch airfield and half of the time I was with my back to the planes and the show, to take photographs of the buildings (because I had the chance to see them from the airside). Then you see a lot of people think "the planes are on the other side".

Or even better was the time when I was on another Dutch airfield, where they have a lot of para flights as well. So while I was walking around the terrace and taking pictures of all the buildings, a woman next to me starts pointing to the sky and telling me that they are coming. As if I cared .

Thats the bit I am having problems with, I cannot seem to get the extrude to be available once I have closed the spline. Is there another step in between?

Have you tried using the menu here? I have seen that sometimes it is not available in the box at the side of the screen, but using the options in the menu works fine then.

 

[pks1414]

Extrude

I have tried that as well, just cannot seem to get the effect as shown in windowlight. I just get left,back,front and blank..very odd

 

[toprob]

Thats the bit I am having problems with, I cannot seem to get the extrude to be available once I have closed the spline. Is there another step in between?

I can go straight to the Modifier List dropdown from closing the spline. This is strange -- do you get the Extrude option in the list for any of the spline objects?

Arno --
I've just come home from photographing an airfield today, and all I can say is it doesn't get any easier! What's that old guy doing photographing the toilets??!!!
Luckily the aero clubs are always very helpful, and quite interested in what I'm doing, except that many don't know anything about the simulator. They always seem surprised when I show them printed screenshots.

 

[pks1414]

Baffled of Evesham

Nope, this is really weird. Can someone do a walk through on a simple line creation and where I actually look for the extrude. I am absolutely fine with editable mesh etc, but this is doin me crust in

 

[Firestriker]

After you have your closed spline made, convert it to an Editable Mesh. Then you can extriude and add a Cap Holes modifier.

Lou

 

[toprob]

Nope, this is really weird. Can someone do a walk through on a simple line creation and where I actually look for the extrude. I am absolutely fine with editable mesh etc, but this is doin me crust in

Here's a screenshot to go with the Windowlight tutorial. After closing the spline, click on the Modify tab (the blue curve), drop down the Modifier List and choose Extrude. You can then alter the Extrude Amount in the Parameters.

-Robin
Windowlight Design