3d Firefly meshes by dug

If this is the "other ship" you mentioned:

Then unfortunately I can't help. I made that in the demo version of Cinema 4D, and the demo doesn't let you save anything. Its gone. If I had a few hours, I could probably re-create it---possibly even make it better.

But first I need to find a good 3D program which is both free, and has reasonable limitations.

Cinema 4D was very easy to use, but the demo doesn't let you save.

Maya Learning Edition looked promising, but it puts a watermark over any renders, making it useless for my purposes (though I suppose I could make the models, and then render using a seperate program.)

Rhino is Windows-only. I'm going to try it on Virtual PC, but even that only allows 25 saves with the demo.

Blender would seem to be perfect, except for the fact that its incredibly hard to figure out.

Anyone know a good 3D program with a free demo that isn't too limited?

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Friday, February 20, 2004 3:11 AM

DUG

That was the ship I was thinking of.

Blender is the program I'm working with. You're right that the interface is....byzantine. And by "byzantine" I mean wtf is that all about? I'm reading lots of tutorials and message boards to help me along, and after a week am figuring a lot of it out. The Worldforge script makes a great asteroid in one click, and the Beast script can make that asteroid hairy in one click. OK, hairy asteroids are weird, but educational nonetheless.

If you find a better program, let me know. In the meantime I'll keep banging my head against blender.

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Friday, February 20, 2004 3:44 AM

I have a modeller working on Serenity as we speak ;) I should have screenies for you guys soon.

"I do the job... and then I get paid. Go run your little world."
-Malcolm Reynolds

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Friday, February 20, 2004 9:22 AM

DORAN

I've got some few
Serenity updates.. I haven't had the time to finish this up yet.

http://vbulletin.newtek.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=138326#post138326

I've got a previous post at:

http://vbulletin.newtek.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16938&highlight
=firefly

As for 3d packages.. I think Truespace3D has a demo.. and even Lightwave3D has one if you order it from Newtek. It's a time limited full featured demo.

I'm partial to Lightwave.

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Monday, February 23, 2004 4:34 AM

I've got someone hooking me up with the R6 version of Cinema 4D which was included with a magazine CD awhile back. When that happens, I'll try to re-create that ship, and I can make it available to anyone who wants it at that time.

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Monday, February 23, 2004 8:58 AM

BROWNCOAT1

May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one.

Very cool looking ship. Are you designing Serenity as well?

"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

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Monday, February 23, 2004 9:47 AM

^Me? Heck no. What you see above is the upper limits of my current capabilities.

I might be able to make rough versions of some other FF ships like the Brutus, but I doubt I could do Serenity justice.

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Monday, February 23, 2004 10:12 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by dug:
I could see us building up a database like the guys over at http://scifi3d.theforce.net/ have for Star Wars.

If you check out the viper, thats mine, in the "other" section.

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Monday, February 23, 2004 12:36 PM

GHOULMAN

I remember someone over at the trekbbs.com (full of marketing people and producers. Horrid!) did a great Serenity last year. The TrekArt forum has some nice guys there or at least I hope they still are as it's been a year since I posted there. Good spot to talk about work in progress and get tips from Trek geeks who have been doing it for centons.

Tell 'em Plum sent ya.

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Monday, February 23, 2004 12:39 PM

Yeah that was me, same user name there as here.

Dug, having some weird problems with your e mail, came back with a violation error, presumably because I mentioned some file formats in it.

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Monday, February 23, 2004 1:55 PM

There are producers at TrekBBS? News to me....and I should know....

Great SF+F forum there. I'm doing my best to....re-dress as many as possible. In sort of a brownish color.

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Monday, February 23, 2004 1:57 PM

Rick Sternback posts in Trekart now and again.

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Tuesday, February 24, 2004 5:48 AM

Added a bit more to my model, I think this is the first time I have worked on it in six months.

Its an even bet as to wether I will finish this before the movie comes out.

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Wednesday, February 25, 2004 12:28 AM

FREDEP

wow...
that's just... SHINY
Wonderfull job, like the textures too, very serenity'ish

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Wednesday, February 25, 2004 4:53 AM

In a few days time, I'll show you what my modeller will have done ;)

I also think I'll be able to get some of the Serenity interior modelled. No promises, but the guy I want doing it jsut saw Firefly.. and was amazed.

sooo I'm optimistic! :)

"I do the job... and then I get paid. Go run your little world."
-Malcolm Reynolds

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Wednesday, February 25, 2004 9:55 AM

Well I hope his serenity isnt too much better than mine or it will crush my spirits and mean I am less likely to finish mine :)

There will be interiors in mine too, although just what you see through the windows, no plans on the cargo area yet.

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Wednesday, February 25, 2004 10:32 AM

It'll be a 3d mesh for a game, not CGI quality (though I gave him a limit of about 50k.. gettin pretty close to CGI lol).

The innards will be complete innards. A lot of the mod will be shots within the ship, so I need the freedom.

"I do the job... and then I get paid. Go run your little world."
-Malcolm Reynolds

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Monday, March 8, 2004 8:50 AM

DORAN

Is that 50k poly count, mesh file size, or resulting render image size.. ? I'm wondering because for exterior, interior, etc 50k is miniscule for anything other than rendered images.

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Monday, March 8, 2004 9:06 AM

50k is the poly limit for the ingame serenity model ;)

"I do the job... and then I get paid. Go run your little world."
-Malcolm Reynolds

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Tuesday, March 9, 2004 5:11 PM