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FSXA So how do I make these windows?

F747fly

F747fly

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Hi there,

I was going to ask this when I got the rest of my A350 model finished but since I probably need to do a similar thing on the nose aswell (I'm guessing) I thought I'd ask it now instead...

So basically the question comes down to making the windows on the side of the aircraft, I'll have to cut them out but they all need to be the same....

Any suggestions?

P.S. sorry for the newbie question :rolleyes:
 
Well, it helps to know what program you are using, first off (I'll assume you're using either GMax or 3DS Max). Create a spline with the shape of the window, then add an edit poly modifier and extrude the surface out to the width of the aircraft. Select the fuselage, then go to the compound objects menu under the create tab and use the Boolean tool (or ProBoolean, if you're using 3DS. This tool produces cleaner results and makes mesh cleanup easier), then select "pick operand", set the operation type to "Cut" -> "Refine", and select the shape of the window.
 
UnitedExpress4180 said:
Well, it helps to know what program you are using, first off (I'll assume you're using either GMax or 3DS Max). Create a spline with the shape of the window, then add an edit poly modifier and extrude the surface out to the width of the aircraft. Select the fuselage, then go to the compound objects menu under the create tab and use the Boolean tool (or ProBoolean, if you're using 3DS. This tool produces cleaner results and makes mesh cleanup easier), then select "pick operand", set the operation type to "Cut" -> "Refine", and select the shape of the window.
Click to expand...

Sorry forgot to mention that I'm using Blender 3d, but booleans work the same way as it does with 3DS MAX... But I don't know if there's a ProBoolean equivilant, I'll see though.....
 
I'd create a whole window section and use the array modifier to duplicate it as much as needed. The length of the window section should be exactly the distance from the left side of one window frame to the left side of the next one. This again must coincide with the offset in the array modifier. You can then easily weld all window sections together with "Remove doubles". To cut out the window, you can use the boolean modifier. Hope this helps...

Cheers :)
 
capt_x said:
I'd create a whole window section and use the array modifier to duplicate it as much as needed. The length of the window section should be exactly the distance from the left side of one window frame to the left side of the next one. This again must coincide with the offset in the array modifier. You can then easily weld all window sections together with "Remove doubles". To cut out the window, you can use the boolean modifier. Hope this helps...

Cheers :)
Click to expand...

Thanks, but wouldn't the boolean modifier make a whole mess of the mesh...? Or can I avoid that?
 
F747fly said:
Thanks, but wouldn't the boolean modifier make a whole mess of the mesh...? Or can I avoid that?
Click to expand...
If it's anything like Max, it'll add a bunch of extra vertices around the new cuts. This is unavoidable and will need to be cleaned up manually (unless there's a method which does it automatically. If there is, I guess I've been doing it the hard way for a long time...)

Sent from my SPH-D710VMUB using Tapatalk
 
Another thing in Max that we have is ShapeMerge where we can make a template in Splines (outline shape) and select the fuselage, go to ShapeMerge, pick shape, add, and bing, it burns the lines into the side of the fuselage (one side only). You then select the polygons of the windows and detach and add plexi material. You might investigate to see if Blender has a similar option where it can cut surfaces with Splines.

I decided to do my windows with textures. I want my baby smooth. Also, it would add a gazillion polygons. But... I dont know. Might change my mind.

Some hints about making Booleans. Make sure the windows plugs are equal in complexity and scale to the fuselage surface. It helps in Max.

Also, maybe you could cut the windows with a different program, then bring it back into Blender?
 
lionheart said:
Another thing in Max that we have is ShapeMerge where we can make a template in Splines (outline shape) and select the fuselage, go to ShapeMerge, pick shape, add, and bing, it burns the lines into the side of the fuselage (one side only). You then select the polygons of the windows and detach and add plexi material. You might investigate to see if Blender has a similar option where it can cut surfaces with Splines.
Click to expand...

I will look in to that, seems like a rather interresting way of doing that... I'll have a look what I can find in Blender.

lionheart said:
I decided to do my windows with textures. I want my baby smooth. Also, it would add a gazillion polygons. But... I dont know. Might change my mind.
Click to expand...

Well, I thought about it aswell and decided to cut them and perhaps also make something of a very low-poly interior. I guess the poly count doesn't have to be enormous, I might do it with cuts of 10-12 polygons... Also I won't actually move them after the cut, the surface will remain smooth for what it's worth ;)

lionheart said:
Also, maybe you could cut the windows with a different program, then bring it back into Blender?
Click to expand...

Also something I could look in to, although that might course some export/import problems perhaps (I'll see what I can find about it)

Thanks for the help! :)
 
Good practice on when to create parts:

I always cut windows and doors while i still only have 1 half the fuselage created. Also if your fuselage is not the same shape for each window area I create a template shape to cut the window and copy it several times for each window. Then i weld all the templates together as 1 part. Then i cut the windows out. If the fuselage is the same shape i cut out 1 window do my clean up and make sure it's smooth then i reuse that section of the fuselage for each section that has a window. If there is only doors on the left side i create the right side of the fuselage after i create the windows then proceed on making my door cutout. Now that all the windows and doors are cut then you can create the interior from the exterior walls.
 
Might also work... Thanks! :)
Although I might have found the golden nugget for Blender, in the form of the knife projection tool. You would simply poject the window shape and then it makes a cut in the fusalage... I'll try if that works as soon as I get to it...
 
okay so this knife project tool seems to be the answer (atleast for Blender) see:

a350%20XWB%20v3.blend%2018_zpswg3r8qrv.png
 
It is! :) Well I wouldn't have thought of this feature even excisting if it wasn't for a extensive google search... but there you go...
 
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