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View Full Version : Please help me with Spline Modeling

MadCat2k
05-27-2003, 02:37 AM
Don't know if this is the right place to post but I've been modeling on and off weapons etc using Boxes and dragging the odd vertex around for the past 2 years. Out of that I've probably put in about 1 month of modelling experience, if even that.

So now I am trying to move on to splines. I figure that's where I'll be doing most modeling in future and think it's best to start off there.

Now ok, I know you're going to say "You shouldn't be trying to model Apaches, Comanches, Hinds, Chinooks and Sea Hawks at such an experience level. " and you're probably right.

So I decided to do the Rhino Tutorial on Splines from the 3DSMAX tutorials.

Load it up, see the Rhino and think "Sweet, I'm gonna make this".

So page after page I get a little more confused. I'm dragging and putting everything together and snapping everything in place in all different views but IT looks a mess. I had no idea what part was what because there were *lines* all over the place. I was following a tutorial though so I just had to read and had a guide.

Anyway I completed it and had my little Rhino done. I have to admit I messed up in places where I had to open the file of the next part of the Tutorial to move on, however.

So now I was ready to take on something bigger. I went looking for blueprints for Comanche and found some...acceptable ones.

Found a tutorial on how to set up blueprints and followed it.

Everything seemed lined up and ready to start my spline modelling world.

So I start on the cockpit window of the Comanche..MESSED up real bad first time so had to restart.

Let me explain what I do know about splines first. or at least this is what I think I know.

1) A spline cage consists of 3 to 4 vertices (Is that correct? I just call them Vertex is there an actual difference?).

2) You have to add a Surface Modifier for it to...uh..visualize

3) You use the Connect Line tool and SNAP using "S" on either Vertex or EndSomething (I forgot what it's called)

Now anyway I actually managed to make the cockpit area in different viewpoints by adding lines, etc. But I don't know how I did it. It was HELL and I was constantly having to remember where which part was. For such a simple thing I would expect I could remember it. Even in perspective it looked like a mess.

http://www.d2depot.net/news/uploads/image1.jpg

http://www.d2depot.net/news/uploads/image2.jpg

Ok, so there it is. Would you say that is the correct or crap way to use splines? It took me 30 minutes just to do that. For the life of me I can't figure out how to connect from one view to another (So I kind of trace around the side blueprint, but then I have draw and connect in the front and then the top. The lines are all over the place and it looks so complicated).

This is where I stopped I didn't know how to continue. I got some car blueprints and started on that next thinking it would be easier.

Bad IDEA>

http://www.d2depot.net/news/uploads/image3.jpg


So then I trace (Correct word?) around the side blueprint and finish that. Now how am I suppose to connect everything from the other views/blueprints. I tried to draw new lines on the top and front/back but once again I was lost where to connect them as they didn't even look like they were anything like they should be (In other words, they didn't fit one part of the blueprint and even if they did it was looking nothing like that in perspective).

Also I am using 3D Studio Max 5.

http://www.d2depot.net/news/uploads/image4.jpg

This is how I am really confused. So technically the Green on the top blueprint is where I would create new lines and then line them up at the Front blueprint. Sounds easy, right?

I mess it up somehow and it looks weird. Next I am trying to figure out how to carry on with the lines. Do I keep using Refine to connect or just continue tracing the different areas of blueprints? Even if I trace it just doesn't work for some reason.

Would it help if I record a short 2 mb DivX or XviD movie of myself trying to do this? So you can see what I am doing wrong...

So I am at a loss :( All the tutorials out there on splines are for cars that expect you do be pro at it already (Yes I did try them and failed in first 5 minutes) or modelling a human head (Which does not interest me the slightest bit).

I could always try box model the Comanche but I am sick of doing that. I want SPLINES!! ahhhhh

Driving me mad here. It would be really cool if I had someone who could talk to me while I model and I could tell them what I am doing and the person could also see my work area and draw little circles on areas. Wish there was a Internet Training tool like that which was used often.

Can someone help explain a bit more about how to connect lines from different sides (Only word I can think of)?
Xilica
05-27-2003, 02:48 AM
not to repeat yourself, but my best bet is to do the rhino tutorial with max, even though you have gone through it go through it 4 or 5 times until you can DO the tutorial. believe me, practicing and taking your time on that tutorial until you can do it the whole way through will make you a better spline modeler.

best of luck to you dude :)
MadCat2k
05-27-2003, 02:51 AM
Thanks for the prompt reply. I think I'll have to go through it a few more times. Right now I am like "Ok, yeah, yeah I'm reading..put this there, put that there." but asking myself "What am I putting and where am I putting it".
gaggle
05-27-2003, 10:52 AM
The Commanche shots looks fine to me. It's an early start of course, but I see no problems with them. You need to get to a point where those lines aren't confusing you before moving on I think, but the good part is that'll likely come by itself with a bit more experience. With some training in this you'll be wondering why you ever thought it was confusing in the first place. Good stuff.

I agree with Xilica to redo the Rhino tut a few more times. It's actually not easy to get good results with it, a lot depends on sitting there tweaking bezier-handles and whatnot. But just get to a point where it's not confusing to work with. Once you get there you'll hardly have to use the Surface modifier before the very end, you just "see" the surface based on the spline-cage.

And stay away from cars and even the commanche for a little while I think, making that from splines is not neccessairly at all easy. What you need to do to get through it, is think ahead. Once you feel ready to do, say, a car, make sure to give plenty of thought to how you will lay out the lines. Draw on paper and research the best way you can lay things out so everything interconects properly.. really getting in all the details and keeping everything nice and pretty like the various renders you see pop up on CGTalk from time to time is like putting together a gigantic jigsaw. In 3D. It takes plenty of time and effort and skill.

Hope all that ranting made sense.
MadCat2k
05-27-2003, 04:35 PM
Great reply, that helped me quite a bit. I have gone through the Rhino tutorial again completely to end and for some reason he loooked more like a freak, but I think if I keep doing that tut I'll be able to perfect it.

As I am a newbie modeller I think I am going to go through the 3D Buzz VTM #4 on how to model an alien head. If I can at least understand a bit about construction and following a concept/blueprint correctly it should help me in future with spline modeling.

Do you have any idea what I should start on after I perfect Mr. Rhino here?
edaddy
05-27-2003, 06:05 PM
most important thing in spline modeling (imo) is to plan out yr spline cage before hand. Which isn't too hard to do if you just break it down into sections and do one at a time
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