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Blender 2.70, Blender2FSX Tools (Video Tutorials)

H

Hal Dale

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Another question for the experts.

I am working on the nose gear pictured in post #157. I have made each separate part like Kris suggested except the wheel hub. I watched a video showing how to make a hubcap. He made one half of spoke and then used the mirror and array modifier but, he is only making the outside view. I was wondering if I should go about it another way since both sides will need to look the same. Maybe with a Boolean cut and then the array modifier. My problem is making the holes between the spokes since they are not a standard shape. Does anyone have a suggestion?

Thanks in advance.

Hal
 
krispy1001

krispy1001

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Hi Hal!

There are a lot of different ways to make an object. It comes down to what works, what is easier, and what you prefer.

There are two ways that I would suggest trying first. The first way is to use a cylinder,delete the two faces duplicate all verts and size them down, make faces. The second way is to use a circle. By using a circle you would duplicate, extrude, and make faces until you have the shape that you want.

Here is an example of using a cylinder:

Delete top and bottom faces.
upload_2015-8-15_18-27-14.png


Duplicate verts and size them down, shape as you need, and make faces on both sides.
upload_2015-8-15_18-32-6.png


upload_2015-8-15_18-36-51.png


Duplicate the inner verts again and re-size them.
upload_2015-8-15_18-50-44.png


Start adding faces for the spokes.
upload_2015-8-15_19-1-42.png


Fill in all faces for spokes.
upload_2015-8-15_19-4-18.png


Fill in inner cylinder faces.
upload_2015-8-15_19-7-2.png


That is how I would start out modeling the rim. Of course there is still a lot of work to make it look exactly the way the image looks. But that is how I would suggest starting it.

You would follow the very same steps if you start with a circle.

I hope this helps!

Thanks, Kris:)
 

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H

Hal Dale

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Thanks for the help Kris.

All I have to do is figure out how to make the curves at the end of the spokes. I think I can use the spin tool or the bevel tool to make them. Now all I need to do is add the details and put the parts together. Once you get the hang of Blender I think it much easier than either Sketchup or Freecad. I tried both in the past.

Hal
 

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Hal Dale

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Kris

I have finished watching your videos on texturing. I may have missed it but, why do you guys use Gimp for texturing? I would think you could do all of it with Blender? It just seems to be very clunky and prone to errors and problems having to switch back and forth between all of the programs you have to use just to export something into FSX or any of the other simulator programs.

Hal
 
Dutcheeseblend

Dutcheeseblend

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Hi Hal,

Well, in the General Chat section of this forum, might be an answer to this question. Mind, when exporting the model to FSX, textures aren't exported along with the model.

DCB
 
krispy1001

krispy1001

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Hal Dale said:
Kris

I have finished watching your videos on texturing. I may have missed it but, why do you guys use Gimp for texturing? I would think you could do all of it with Blender? It just seems to be very clunky and prone to errors and problems having to switch back and forth between all of the programs you have to use just to export something into FSX or any of the other simulator programs.

Hal
Click to expand...

Hi Hal!

There is a very, very good reason that Gimp or PhotoShop is used for texturing. Blender will give you a good start for your texturing but it does not have the control that Gimp or PhotoShop gives you. I know that Blender has texture painting but even when you use that function, you will still find your self using Gimp or PhotoShop to clean up and detail your textures.

I hope this makes some sense to you. It will become more apparent to you as you get more into your modeling.

Thanks, Kris:)
 
H

Hal Dale

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Kris

That makes sense. It sure would be nice to be able to do everything in Blender and then have a seamless export to the major FS programs. From what I have seen in the numerous videos I have watched it seems very clunky with all you have to do to get something into any of the flight simulators. That may be why a lot of people give up before finishing. It's going to take a lot of technical expertise and patience to see a project all the way to the end.

Hal
 
Pyscen

Pyscen

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Ohhhh... If only it would be so simple...

Keep in mind... Blender wasn't created with FS in mind... You would be surprised what Blender can do... Animate, Scupturing, Video editing, and more...

I'm actual able to use Photoshop Elements, which is much cheaper than the full Photoshop version. The interesting thing is... with Blender you can create certain textures within textures by baking.... so what FS can't do... you can cheat somewhat without adding vertices or additional polygons.
 
Chrismot

Chrismot

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Hi Kris and all...,

I'm trying to texture my plane ... I followed the Krispy tutorial video with a material containing multiple textures (Diffuse, Specular, ...). Gimp, I create a Normal Map My fuselage + basic color. So two .png files, two .bmp files and two .dds files DXT5 (NormalMap.dds and Color.dds).

In Blender, I create a new material with two textures, Color (Diffuse) and NormalMap (Bump ... "Geometry: Normal"? Checked). Normal Map texture and the base color appear both in the preview of the material, but impossible to transfer the full material on my model ...! I had forgotten something, but what?

I create a UV map for the fuselage, but in UVImage Editor window I unable to load the two images (NormalMap + Color ...)! How to do...?

Thanks for your help
 
Dutcheeseblend

Dutcheeseblend

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Hi Chrismot!

What do you mean exactly with "impossible to transfer the full material on my model"? Can you put other materials on the object (test it with a green or purple or yellow colored material)?

- What image filetype do you use in Blender?
- Have you set the mapping of the texture to UV? Is done in the Texture tab, Mapping section, Coordinates dropdown.

Geometry: Normal checked is correct, by the way.

Let us know ;)
 
Chrismot

Chrismot

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Hi Dutcheeseblend,

Dutcheeseblend said:
What do you mean exactly with "impossible to transfer the full material on my model"? Can you put other materials on the object (test it with a green or purple or yellow colored material)?
Click to expand...

With a compound material of a color, no problem!

Dutcheeseblend said:
- What image filetype do you use in Blender?
Click to expand...

PNG filetype, no problem with one image...

Dutcheeseblend said:
- Have you set the mapping of the texture to UV? Is done in the Texture tab, Mapping section, Coordinates dropdown.
Click to expand...

Yes, with the same way as for a single image. But in the "UV/Image Editor" screen. in the selection of the image "Browse Image to be linked", I can not load two (that of the color, and that for my NormalMap ... !!!) ... This is where I'm stuck!
 
Dutcheeseblend

Dutcheeseblend

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Hi Chris,

Sorry for the late reply..

Chrismot said:
Yes, with the same way as for a single image. But in the "UV/Image Editor" screen. in the selection of the image "Browse Image to be linked", I can not load two (that of the color, and that for my NormalMap ... !!!) ... This is where I'm stuck!
Click to expand...

Yeah, I see... strange...

I never encountered this problem (at least, not that I'm aware of..). I believe, for an image to show up in the Browse Image to be linked menu (and in all other image selections within Blender), the datablock must be present. So, in the image below, the filepath for the file itself is set (1) and from that, a datablock is set (2). Is this correct at your setup?

chrismot_01.png


Let us know ;)

Daan
 
Chrismot

Chrismot

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Hi Daan,

Yes, everything is ok! I have two different images, one for color, the other for NormalMap, and the two images are correctly set as on your image. In the material preview, the display is absolutely correct! But I do not see the results, nor in the UVIname Editor window or in the 3D window ...!

Thank's for your help...
 
Dutcheeseblend

Dutcheeseblend

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Hi Chris,

Can you select the images in one of the other image dropdown selectors (like in the Background Image selector, or change the image of Color into NormalMap)?

Can you show us an image of your UV Image screen
 
Chrismot

Chrismot

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Hia Daan,

here the two images loaded into textures: one for color, the second for NormalMap...

FuselageColor.png
FuselageNormalMap.png


Here is the correct result preview of "Material" ...

Material.png


From there, I do not know how to explain to the editor "UV / Image" simply using the material I just created with two images! If I select the color image, I will not have the NomralMap and vice versa

UVImage Editor.png


Thanks for all
 
Dutcheeseblend

Dutcheeseblend

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So you can't select the images (either color or normalmap) in the dropdown next to "+ New" in the UV Image editor? Strange...

Settings seem correct to me..
 
Chrismot

Chrismot

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Hi Daan and all,

I finally found!

It's actually easier than what I was trying to do: I thought that to have a rendering in FSX, you had to get this rendering made in 3DView in Blender screen with "Solid" ViewPort Shading. For this reason I was looking for a way to create a triple image (color, Normal and Specular) via UV / Editor. ... Impossible!

BlenderToFSX is able to see himself as three images are used in Material> Textures; He then interprets all the information to create a rendering in FSX ...! Everything simple, but I had not understood.

Thank's for all...
 
krispy1001

krispy1001

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Chrismot said:
Hi Daan and all,

I finally found!

It's actually easier than what I was trying to do: I thought that to have a rendering in FSX, you had to get this rendering made in 3DView in Blender screen with "Solid" ViewPort Shading. For this reason I was looking for a way to create a triple image (color, Normal and Specular) via UV / Editor. ... Impossible!

BlenderToFSX is able to see himself as three images are used in Material> Textures; He then interprets all the information to create a rendering in FSX ...! Everything simple, but I had not understood.

Thank's for all...
Click to expand...

Sorry Chrismot!

I have not been on for a couple days. I am happy the you figured it out.
 
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