my DC-8 Project

[Mr.FaosFX]

I was working on the inlet ports STILL last night when I came from work but I found I dind't complete any work, instead, when I woke up today and looked at my screen, I had a page full of cute furry birds ... Then I remembered, I was looking baby birds, oh how you can get distracted, lol. Now, on to work.

 

[Mr.FaosFX]

I have added a poll to the thread, make your votes now as this will impact the future of the DC8 series. You guys have two options.

1. Once I am done with a variant, I release it with no VC only wing views ... this allows me to focus on the next variant and release that one until I release all of the variants, then when that is complete, I start work on the VC and release these for each variant in the form of an update.

2. I don't release anything and keep an aircraft that you can possibly fly, repaint or even couple with a 2d panel in my system until the VC is complete. The completion of the VCs may take months!!

I would choose option one, I would rather have something I can fly while I wait for the rest of the goodies to come. Remember that the VC is a whole different project, so if you choose option 2, the DC8 may not see anyone's desktop until over a year away maybe even longer who knows.

 

[Heretic]

If you don't make a VC for this bird, I'll have to make one. And I don't want to do that. Because it intereferes with other stuff I have left to do.

 

[Mr.FaosFX]

If you don't make a VC for this bird, I'll have to make one. And I don't want to do that. Because it intereferes with other stuff I have left to do.

I am making a VC for this aircraft but I want to focus my attention on finishing the series first before I embark on more involved projects. Overtime I'll see how the poll plays out. So far its 50/50, this is going to be really interesting.

*** If it ends up being a tie or the numbers are too close together, the project will revert to option 2 since both parties can't be satisfied.

 

[Mr.FaosFX]

Keep the votes coming, just an update. I finished up modeling the plug covers for the inlet ports ... I did not like the results. This means I will scrub the nose cone design and go high detail around the inlet port area, sorry guys but for me, it has to look right ... I'll be separately modeling the plug covers and then modeling the concave part around it and then the opening at the center, when I've got it right, I'll have to implement in to the DC8 and redesign the nose cone area ... this will take a while but I would rather have something that looks like I've put all my time and effort into it rather than, bah he just made it so it "sort of" looks like the real thing but looks good from far away.

I may spend a long time on this, no updates till I get this completed. Keep the votes coming, I'll be inactive here as I work on the new inlet ports.

 

[Tejal Bernardo]

And is there some VC that could be merged with this airplane ? and the instructions to do so. that would leave you a lot of time to implement the VC

 

[Heretic]

Aerosim has a VC monopoly on this bird in FS9, so no, there isn't a VC.

 

[Mr.FaosFX]

Aerosim has a VC monopoly on this bird in FS9, so no, there isn't a VC.

Don't go crazy guys, I WILL make a VC. If anyone else chooses to do a VC for the DC8 that is a task of their taking.

In FSX you can design a VC for any aircraft and implement it. You have exterior and interior, in FS9 however, the design of this idea is flawed and this the reason you can't go crazy with detail in FS9 ... if the resulting project contains too many polygons when bundled with the VC and anything else, in FS9 this might result in an export failure ... now you know why authors have to compromise, should I add detail here or should I take some away from here?

In FSX however, this limitation is gone, the external model is separate from the VC or interior itself, so you are free to add as much detail as you like with out comprimising any of the other stuff.

That is when I design the VC, don't be upset if the FS9 version has less realism or detail than the FSX version, I will do what I can, but I can't promise a top of the line VC with FS9, for FSX I can but FS9 limits you in terms of how much automation or detail you can add.

Just to recap on the polls, the polls will close when the design of the current DC8-73F is complete. I would say a good 2 or 3 months from now, depends on how things in my life impact my time with this. So far, people are in favor of the VCs and that is quite understood. When the polls close, I'll draw up the final decision.

Not many votes have been cast but its quite early. So if you can, start spreading this thread around so other people can vote.

Later.

 

[Mr.FaosFX]

The entire nose area will undergo tweaks and improvements (again; will I ever leave it alone? lol), all part of the fun and refining proccess of the DC8.

This new nose has better flow and a cleaner mesh, the only difference with this nose and the previous is, this nose will be skinned with planes once finished the last was skinned with the surface modifier which, doesn't really give you control of the end result.

I will also immediately spline in the plug covers, I will be with this until the end of the weekend, the results should be real good.

Also I am re-doing the top of the window area, window openings will also be fine-tuned. The window at the top will no longer be flat but curved! These modifications should be the last and the nose should look real good after that.

Off to work now, later guys.

 

[Mr.FaosFX]

you must tell me how would you make a ship hull, you can answer me in another thread I have an idea reading tutorials, but Idon't know how to finish those damn boats.

With splines of course, the surface of ship hulls have a LOOOTTT of flow to them and you can't design it with a box or cylinder and achieve the precise flow, you can actually to an extent.

PM me with a picture of one of your boats and the area you are having a problem with.

 

[Mr.FaosFX]

yes, splines, cross sections, and modifier Surface, but I can't figure out how to finish the bow. not take into account I know very little about 3d design.(insignifican detail), is for that I'd like to know how you would bring to a conclusion the damned boat. I haven't any particular ship in mind,( and a lot) I finish the last cross section near the prow but how I close the bow.
There is another method according tutorials using Loft, but have little control on the final output.
If you want I would send you some blueprint of some ship, and you say how you would deal with it. I guess the remaining of the boat would be boxes and cylinders

Send me the blueprints and I'll build a sample boat for you. Working on the DC8 I have already developed different modeling techniques and I can tell you for sure, I rarely use cross-sections or the surface modifier.

If you scroll back a few updates, pay attention to the wing root area of the DC8. I built that using bezier corner lines [at no point was any of it converted to a spline, I just refer to it as a spline because a line is part of that category] and snapping many many lines together creates a wireframe using just lines [so I all I've been doing up to this point is just creating wireframes and skinning them with planes] the turbines of the DC8 were done like this too, even the pylons ... I can't even remember the last time I used a box or a cylinder. After I get the overall shape of what I intend to make, I then tediously start adding more lines and making them intercept each other where I use cross-insert to create new vertices...I also use the interpolation to see the imaginary corners that don't have vertices and then manually create vertices in those locations using refine and snap toggle enabled. When all my work is finalized and I believe I have a very good looking wireframe, I skin the whole thing not using surface but using planes by snapping the vertices to the wireframe, this gives me 'my skin' for the mesh ... it takes longer but I enjoy watching the plane take the shape of the wireframe, it is so easy because you can build what you want they way you want it and then really really skin it ... its like taking a sphere and turning on wireframe ... the wireframe is what you would have done with the lines using bezier corners and then turning off wireframe and seeing the skinned mesh.

Here is a sample go a ship frame I built, this only took me about 5 minutes to make...

Do you see the corners that don't have vertices? YOu can control these by adjusting the interpolation and when it looks
smooth enough to you, you can put a vertex there by refining having snap toggle for vertices enabled. Then you just create
a bunch of lines to form the wireframe, you keep working at it till it looks to your liking.

I'll be awaiting the blueprints!

 

[Mr.FaosFX]

All right Mister FaosX, very clear for me , I hope you can do a minitutorial, sending that boat, I think a have a fisher boat
Edit: I see that difficult
Edit: I attach two little jpg. images

I think I need to take an aspirin after seeing those blueprints but I can understand them to a point, lol. By the way these vessels make a lot of horse power, they have 35 thousand diesel powered engines...sure love to put that in my car, I'll see what I can come up with next week.

As for the DC8 project, expect some news this week.

 

[Mr.FaosFX]

Hi, please, It's not needed you make the boat, nly suggest what could be the best way to achieve his construction . as said before I have not clear how to close the bow and finish the boat , thanks
the ship is "very typical here" The boat seem a little tug boat, but I don't navigate with him, in the atlantic ocean.
Edit: we all want to see the DC 8 finished ¡

Oh ok, thank god you stopped me, I was already creating folders for the project, LOL! We can start this in another thread, probably people have already started to come in thinking i've posted an update only to find out were having a conversation about boats, lol!

The DC8 exterior model is about 50% complete the other 50% is landing gears, flaps, cargo door, and other details.

 

[Mr.FaosFX]

Alright back to the DC8 nose now...

I've modeled in the inlet opening covers, this is the effect I was looking for which I didn't have with the previous inlet ports, it just didn't look right.

The nose cone mesh is still not skinned but that is coming up next. Work has also started on the top of the window area to correct the mesh in that area and enhance the window that sits on top of the others.

The total polygon count at this stage is now 8,574 which is pretty cool at this stage, still much detail to be added.

Keep tuned.

 

[Mr.FaosFX]

I would like to gladly announce that my DC8 project will be released under the HJG (Historic Jetliners Group) I have joined the team and this should help a lot in the long run :-] Not to fear, Tony has no problem of me continuing updates on this thread, so progress on the DC8 can still be followed here!

I believe that this was the right decision as they already have many things in place. Their FDE has been tweaked for years and that saves me from creating an FDE from scratch, this should be an awesome experience.

Please continue to vote and visit for updates here. I should have the new nose section completed this week hopefully.

Off to work on the DC8 now, later guys.

 

[Mr.FaosFX]

And what about the boat, you forgett, can you make some kind of tutorial about how you would do the ship?, what all the mess yesteday for?

That's this week, I have not forgotten about that :-] Don't worry I got you covered, lol.

 

[biggard]

Great looking model! And congrats to joining HJG. Does this mean we won't get a paint kit for this bird?

 

[Mr.FaosFX]

Great looking model! And congrats to joining HJG. Does this mean we won't get a paint kit for this bird?

A paintkit is a must, being an aircraft painter myself, you will see a paintkit a full fledged paint kit with all the layers, too early now to speculate.

 

[hairyspin]

... too early now to speculate.

Or bump, reflective, fresnel......

 

[Mr.FaosFX]

Just finished the plug covers for the inlets, all these are mirrored at the present moment...

Keep tuned for the next update, I am now going to skin the inlet ports, I'll show an udpate of that probably in a few hours, if I do get them completed.