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Spline Modelling or "Cylinder" Modelling?

Spline or "Cylinder"

  • Spline

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • "Cylinder"

    Votes: 1 100.0%
  • Total voters
    1
J

joaogodinho

Messages
42
Country
portugal
Hi everybody, here to make a poll, question is; you prefer Spline Modelling or "Cylinder" Modelling to make the aircraft in GMax. If possible tell me why do you prefer it, I'm modelling a plane and need to see which one is the best;)

Best Regards,

João Godinho

(Don't know other word to call, what I call the "Cylinder" Modelling lol)
 
This is a bit of a "loaded" poll, as to be perfectly honest, it really depends on the part of the aircraft you are modeling as to which method is really best suited. Often I find the "cylinder" method easy in certain applications, and others the spline method works best (for example, when shaping wings).

Overall, I would have to say that I use the "cylinder" method on more % of the aircraft itself, mainly because that it how I have done it for many years, and I have gotten quite accustomed to it, and I can do it fairly quickly and efficiently. Popping out a wing using spline, though, you can't beat that!

Happy modeling!

Best,

Owen
 
I'd be the same Owen, I learned back in FSDS using the cylinder method and I just stuck with it through to max. Althought I could'nt really vote on the poll, because I use the spline method and even modelling from a single poly probably just as much now.

Whatever suits the job at hand
 
Thanks for the replys;

Well, I think I'll model that way too, model the fuselage with spline and the nose and tail from a cylinder. The wings, most likely with spline,

Once again, thanks for the replys guys.:)

Best Regards,

João Godinho
 
I use a variety of techniques too - spline extrusion, spline cage, box modelling or even start off with a simple plane and edge extrude. These days I mainly use a combination of spline and edge extrusion
 
Hey Owen and everyone else. :) Here to be of assistance when I can.

- BTW ..... I can thank Owen for taking the time to get me started with GMax. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here. ;)
 
joaogodinho said:
Nice... But then you already have LOTS of experience with GMax.
Click to expand...

Much of it is trial and error, my friend. Nothing beats poking around the program yourself to see what does what. I'll be honest in saying that I use perhaps 20% of the total tools available in Gmax, simply because that's all I need to get the job done. I'm not one to add complexity to my workflow for complexity's sake.

Best,

Owen
 
tealmad said:
Hey Owen and everyone else. :) Here to be of assistance when I can.

- BTW ..... I can thank Owen for taking the time to get me started with GMax. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here. ;)
Click to expand...

Hi Greg,

Good to see you - hope you can share some of the tricks that you have picked up along the way since I gave you some pointers. ;)

Best,

Owen
 
Ok, it's time for a newbie to 3d modeling to ask an important question... What is meant by "spline" modeling??? :confused:

I've been trying for six weeks to get a decent A-7 fuse made, and have thrown out 7 versions. :mad: I can't figure out how to get the section forward of the wing mount, with the cockpit/nose area, mated to the intake area. The two different shapes just don't want to mate smoothly, nor form from one tube. I'm trying to do this as an ai model, so don't want to get to "over poly'd"

Don H
 
spline modeling is basically when you create (using splines) a wireframe of your model, and then you add a surface modifier over it to fill in the holes.

Something like this:
1.jpg

2.jpg

3.jpg


In the 2nd image i've added a crosssection modifier to 'build' the splines connectng each peice - you can also model these yourself.


Probably the easiest thing you can do with splines is to create a wing, all you need is the shape of the airfoil like in these pics and you extrude from it, creating a 3d part. Of course you can also build the wing - creating each cross section as a spline if its needed (for a certain shape or where the engines meet etc.)

4.jpg

5.jpg

6.jpg



Search google for 'max spline modeling' or other variations on that, you'll see what you can do with it.
 
What About Other 3D Packages?

:scratchch

Hi All

Gmax & FSDS seem to be the norm for modelling FS aircraft. But since discreet no longer support Gmax & have chosen to side with there flag ship product 3D studio one needs to ask if FS X will be supporting this and other professional 3D packages. (can find no Model Data On Microsoft Site for FS X)

I have been using Lightwave 3D, Solidworks 3D CAD, Photoshop & Illustrator for years now. I do a fair amount of technical modelling, design and animation work and would just love it if Microsoft FS X was to support some of these higher end packages with the necessary compilers....

Would anyone else like to see them support the same if not similar packages?

Great Site Guy's THANK YOU.
Paul Clark.
 
Hi Paul, FSX includes an exporter for 3ds studio max, and from what Ive read there hoping to release exporters for maya and other major apps, not sure if this has changed recently though.
 
Don H said:
Thank you for the reply, Alan, it explains alot. Can this be done with FSDS3??
Click to expand...

No problem, not to sure about FSDS 3, havent used it since version 1, I know they added booleans to it, so maybe theres some spline features added.

I'm sure on of the FSDS gurus will know for sure.

Alan
 
FSX Deluxe version will ship with the tools for Max 7/8. Some weeks (months?) later, ACES will release the same tools for GMax. I'm very sure the release of the GMax toolset will be widely 'advertised.' ;)
 
Don H said:
Thank you for the reply, Alan, it explains alot. Can this be done with FSDS3??
Click to expand...


For practical purposes, yes. In FSDS you can create a template (aka spline) and extrude it x distance, creating a structured "tube" (whether it has a circular shape or not, it's still a tube). You can either set it up to be created with a number of cross sections, or you can add the cross sections yourself.
 
spline, mesh?

I think I spine model more then I do meshing a cylinder. I use the spline method only if the cross selectoins are availabel from a drawing. In my opinion I only use it on non-constant symetrical cruve fuselages!
 
I found that I prefer spline modeling, seems like it's more smooth that poly modeling. Altough spline modeling has some limitation... But still... From what I've been learning by myself, much dependes on the type of the aircraft.
 
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