Most Beautiful!!
Becco check out the price tag on this ship! Long slow whistle...
http://www.the3dstudio.com/product_details.aspx?id_product=76035
Nice ship though.

Mandrake7062: Thank you. That 'ship' is out of my price range but when you consider how long these models can take to make the price starts to look quite modest. 

That is looking very, very good.

Quote - contrafibbularities: I will do the 'curve' outline once I see if the idea works in obtaining an accurate Command Module!

Mandrake7062: Yes, have a look at a spline in point mode and you will see it is coloured. For making problem free UV maps, from a lathed spline, the colour graduation should look smooth. If it doesn't try optimising the new spline. If that doesn't do the trick optimise the base mesh before using edge to spline. Broken colour graduation usually come about when a model is formed from several parts. As always, it's easier to do than write about.

Back to the Command Module a couple of modified cubes inside a HyperNURBS are being used to form the overall front and rear shapes. Control points are kept to a minimum which helps in creating a bump free mesh. Points are moved about so that the mesh fits the window area.

is it possible to post al lil tutorial about making the command module?

Thank you

Chris :)

FarawayPictures: Thank you. Have you made any 3d LEGO models lately?

Chris: Once I have a complete module I will add a few more explanations of anything I've missed out so far. The command module panelling has slowed things down, not because of the difficulty but time consuming. A bit more attention is going into the command module because I will be getting that 3d printed to make a master mould from. The 3d print version will be quite plain, with no window frames, sensor dishes of bevelling added.

Quote - FarawayPictures: Thank you. Have you made any 3d LEGO models lately?

No, I'm actually building the Trumpeter 1/16 scale M16, it's a beast! and quite time consuming.

FarawayPictures: My 1/16 scale Tiger 1 will soon see off the M16 :-) It's the Heng Long Radio controlled one and it fires small plastic pellets. I keep meaning to atke it apart and paint it properly but still haven't got around to that.

The M16 looks like fun!

Mandrake7062: Those 1/16 tanks are BIG and upgrade parts don't come cheap. I have my eyes on a metal gunbarrel for my Tiger 1.

See one in action at YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIAaxu7Yp7c

Sounds like you need one of those mini laths Becco

The command module progresses with some cutting shapes added. The red nose was done first to evaluate this mehod.

It looks like your cheating here somehow, can't quite put my finger on how, but, yep your cheating. ;)

Hi Becco, I'm not too sure what I'm seeing with the cutting method. Are you going to actually slice the model into pieces?

p.s. I'd have loved a 1/16 Tiger, but the Tamiya kits I was looking at are just waaaaaay too expensive.

Mandrake7062: No cheating here - just a method I'm trying out for cutting the panel shapes into the command module mesh.

FarawayPictures: Those shapes will be cut into the other mesh, tidied up and extruded. The Tamiya Tiger is expensive so I opted for a Heng Long tiger - I got mine for about £50

Looks pretty nice, you know I was kidding. Took me so long to raise those panels.
http://www.renderingsystems.com/index.php
Wolfgang showed me this applet, you've probably seen it by now, or use other means. Good for me though as I'm not so great at photoshop. I like the bake obj as a start off point, on some objs.

Mandrake7062:  I've found all the Eagle to be time consuming but the end is well in sight with mine. When the command modules are made then it's more or less just the walkway details to finish. Still waiting for a Tamiya 1:35 PANTHER  (Sd.kfz.171) Ausf. A model to arrive though. It has taken months to aquire the real parts but I'm sure they they will look nice on the real Eagle.

I mostly use only Bodypaint for texturing models. I also use Genetica (there is also a free version) http://www.spiralgraphics.biz/ and MapZone (free)  http://www.mapzoneeditor.com/ for making textures to use in Bodypaint.

wow ... looking very clean! good work!

Chris :)

Now onto the rear section of the command module. Using very few control points at the HyperNurbs stage meant the shape needs refining. For this I use a Cinema  **FFD **(deformer). The deformation is confined within the confines of the FFD - this was positioned so that the front loop of points are not affected. 

More time with another tool but all being well it will be time well spent!

Looks real nice. Cut those sensor disks in yet? Man that came out smooth as a babys butt.

Mandrake7062: Thank you. I'm not cutting the sensor dishes (and windows) until the base mesh has had some more attention. The rear panelling has been done though. Just moving edges around to remove 'undercut' surfaces when I make a mould from the 3d printed version.

Nice!!!!

looks damn clean ... good work!

Chris

A basic interior similar to the original Eagle has now been added. The real Gemini kit pilot has more surface detail than my digital version but this should be ok. The pilot was made with the free MakeHuman software from: http://www.makehuman.org/blog/index.php

Very nice detail you have going there Becco!
I've been playing with the AT-AT-Walker
http://www.kdf-computers.com/download/at01f.jpg

Mandrake7062: Thank you - the 'detail' has slowed progress down! I have no idea what an AT Walker is but the detail look nice enough - did you make it? I notice that Terragen renders cylinders faceted - is that a problem with Terragen or something caused by you?

That's from Star Wars. The phong is something I'm struggling with, and why that test was done. I keep trying to target in on the right curving angle in PoseRay to export with proper obj. & .mtl file for TG2.  I don't want to use the hypernurb because I think your right and it makes it look to plastic.
The knee joint is hypernurb.
The hip joint is not, nor the trans.
So I just need some more testing to get everything like the hip joint and I should be able to move on..

I've been formulating some bodypaint, ideas and strategies in my head, but I'm going to keep mulling them over. In a month or so I'd like to shoot you a pm about them and see what you think.
Your getting closer to your bodypaint work. :)

I've been Bodypainting some of the walkway and shelves. These have mostly been UV mapped seperately so I can use the textures on any future Eagle model/s which have different details. So the walkway 'box' and shelves are sort of generic items. 

Nice, I need one of those. That bad boy had engines on it? Seems a bit odd.

Mandrake7062: Thank you. You can have my Cargo Pod (and a radio active container) when it's painted. You will to need tweak the Cinema materials though because I use duel materials - a rough cinema one for texture development with Bodypaint and a corresponding Maxwell one. My cargo pod doesn't have many connected tubes - just simple poke through!

Beauty! Becco I remember the show having the two small quads on it. Or was that a reference render. Dang getting old. hehe

Nice Looks great with the cargo carrier, Cockpit came out great also, makes mine look beat up. hehe How about a slot along the side to indicate the pull out ramp? I know, not shown on the original. ;)
A progress update on my Walker. Made an Evil Empire Insignia for the front.
http://www.kdf-computers.com/download/Capture58.jpg

Mandrake7062: Thank you. My command module could be better too - that's why I'm calling it 'version 1'. Room for improvement, so a 'version 2' command module will be made after the whole Eagle is up to being usable. There is some texture detail still to be added along the sides of the Cargo Pod but I don't know if this will represent a pull out ramp.

Your 'Walker' is coming along nicely - are you leaving the texturing to last? I manage to texture complex models by UV mapping and texturing sub assemblies as they are modelled - I find it so tedious leaving making selection tags until the end! I doubt my Eagle would have got this close to being finished if I had left all the painting until last.

I have been looking at the map for the body, but that's about it so far.
The body gets streaks of dirt coming off each one of those small boxes, sort of what I wanted to talk to you about.. getting that lined up right.
Have to stay focused on the modeling though because there are all sorts of design flaws in the blueprint, overlapping feet, no connection between the frame and transmission, fun stuff.

Looks great Becco, like your Sun light too. That walkway render is a beauty also, model is really looking sharp. I like the detail seen at the back walkway door!
Update on Walker: I finished the engine in the rear, worked on the neck, and did some basic head points. UV mapped the body, as per your suggestion, baked it and added a touch of zinc, So there is no AO activated in this render.
http://www.kdf-computers.com/download/Capture89.jpg

After studying the backdoor more closely, wouldn't it make sense to have those support beams spread across more and the crossmember a bit higher and maybe a step box, so they can get in and out of the door. Just a little nitpicking.