A couple weeks ago I downloaded Wings3D just to dirty my hands with it and see what all the hoopla about it was. After a couple hours of playing around with it I started getting into the interface. I must say its quite an enjoyable experience working with this little user-friendly program. Although Im not thoroughly acquainted with it, I managed to get something more than a cube out of it. So heres an animated gif sequence on the model. What do ya think of my Intergalactic Spacestation?

Message edited on: 02/16/2006 18:28

great fist model, now try blender ;P

Very impressive. You have to love W3D for its powerful simplicity. If it were for that fact that it can't do boolean operations and it doesn't have a native renderer, I'd still be using it today as my main modeler. As it is, I use it as a prelim sculptor then import into 3DS Max.

<strong>bandolin</strong><br />
[Former 3DS Max forum coordinator]<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.renderosity.com/homepage.php">Homepage</a> ||
<a href="http://www.renderosity.com/mod/sitemail/">SiteMail</a> ||
<a href="http://excalibur.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/browse.php?user_id=70375">
Gallery</a> || <a href="http://www.renderosity.com/mod/freestuff/index.php?username=bandolin">
Freestuff</a>
<p><em>Caution: just a hobbyist</em></p>

I'm gettin' sick and tired of people just picking up the program, and being better than I am now..;) j/k..;) looks like you've got the knack..Ka-Ching!..;)

Ack! Not only does the Heretic use that abomination....he damn-well animates the gif aswell....!!!!!!!

"Although Im not thoroughly acquainted with it, I managed to get something more than a cube out of it" You can make cubes!!!! WOW!! Marc (going to bed!!)........

I really like the program myself. I think it is the fact it does not do everything that makes it so good. Just a small set of tools very well executed. Like the perfect screwdriver.

Darn....that's better than my first model, my second model, etc.... How did you do the wavey solar collectors and the iron girder work? :)

Lol, welcome aboard Quest! That's a very fine first model, and much more ambitious than my first. Now, the next model you'll have to build is a "comfy chair" for his Emminence, Cardinal TheBryster.;-) Either that, or a horse, because no one should look a GIF horse in the mouth.

ROFLMAO! @ all the funny stuff above. And WOW! at that model. dito what Pakled and Pedrith said. I nearly fell out of my seat when the image started rotating, sheesh, some people just love to show off :P Hugs

LOLguess Ill take all your comments as a positive thing, thanks! 3D Studio Max is my mainstay, been using it since revision 3 when DOS was king and Windows nowhere to be seen. Done freelance work with it and was part owner with five other people of an enhanced music CD company which relied heavily on 3D Max as its base. So with a user-friendly program like Wings3D it actually feels good to let the forms fly free. With the higher end programs there is a steeper learning curve with almost mind boggling options and features but you need to practice with them often and one can never remember where certain things are after a few months layoff. Im sure there are hidden features in W3D that Im not even aware of right now. I downloaded Blender also and it too seems like an OK program. Seems to be more robust than W3D but its interface not as user friendly as W3D. An intuitively complicated interface tends to push all but the most persistent newbies away. Im sure its no where near as intimidating as 3D Max and Lightwave but it needs a little bit more than casual attention to get under its skin than Wings3D. Sorry if it seemed like I was showboating with the animated gif but sometimes a models intricacies cannot be fully appreciated until its viewed from different perspectives. Besides, its only 121kb and when Im finished with it, its going into my freestuff so stop your yammering! ;)

Create a cube, tessellate it using triangulate method. Then use inset and allow for the thickness of struts to your liking. Then use intrude to eliminate the center portions. Duplicate along the Y axis and move down along Y then rotate girded cube 90 deg. along its Z axis and combine. This now can be further duplicated to make the girderwork as long as you need it, combining and duplicating along the way.

Message edited on: 02/17/2006 00:24

Before creating the grid go into its dialog and change rows/col from 10 to 1. Then create the grid. Scale using radial Y to as big as you need it and fine adjust its thickness along the Y axis by scaling if need be. Rotate grid 60 degrees. Duplicate along the Y axis and move the copy down along the Y axis. Rotate the copy 60 degrees and move so that the ends butt together then combine and duplicate and do the same procedure for as long as you need the panel.

LOL...your Eminences chair done entirely in Bryce as a quick draw...so as his Eminence doesnt complain.

ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;-)

Oh but wait ... what happens when the blond looks at all those animated gifs? She ends up staring at that chair for way too long ;p

ROFLMAO!!! That looks like a "comfy chair" all right!! A most excellent chair, complete with scroll work!

BTW, your GIF animation looks great! I may steal your idea next time I display a Wings freebie.;-)

Be my guest Danamo, mine were done using ImageReady.

Ang, the chair is not an animated gif. Nothing's going to change so you can stop staring at it now. ;D

Message edited on: 02/17/2006 12:49

Ok :P

LMAO....Thanks Quest for explaining how to make the girderwork and the panels. I'm sure that I'll make good use of it at some point. David :)

good going quest :)