Roadware

The bridge set for filming (which my bridge is based on) and the actual model itself don't fit either, the angles at the nose that the windows are on are off, so I was going to have to adjust anyway. I figure that the windows are about 6 feet tall ( 1.83 meters ) if that helps. I always knew that the Nostromo and Narcissus were badly scaled, but hey, it's a movie right? If you look around you will find all kinds of issues including the landing gear orientation, etc. But that's part of the fun.:facepalm: :lol:

Great to hear you fixed the reverse issue - this just keeps getting better and better. I should start working on the refinery model so we can dock to that too

BTW I figured out the mirror issue.... It was a 'wrong' setting on the converter....:embarrassed:

Um, No.

I also have the Narcissus shuttle but I'm working on getting the atmospheric handelling right. Also there is a scale issue between it and the scale of the Nostromo as released currently, namely, the shuttle is too big in relation to the Nostromo to fit in the space where it should be docked. So... I did a little math based on some numbers I researched and decided to re-scale Nostromo up by about 11% and take the shuttle down by about 15%, it still gonna be a tight fit. I wonder if since the shuttle shots were done with only a section of the hull, that they figured no but would notice the inconsistancy... hmmm.... will this affect what you're doing for the bridge? I don't want to trip you up.

Cooool , you don't think small do you?

here's a link to a recent picture of my next vessel add-on the Leonov from 2010.
http://www.orbiter-forum.com/album.php?albumid=396&pictureid=3209

OMG!!!! that's FANTASTIC. I was just posting a comment under the Nostromo thread about this topic! The issue here is that Orbiter has three visualization modes:

1) external
2) default interal (what we have now) I've set the cfg to allow the mesh to be seen in the mode, it can be set to invisible too. Adding a a mesh with "inverted" normals relative to the rest of the ship will create a very realistic cock-pit environment. The limitation however is this: the POV is anchored you can pan in all three diamentions but can't move, so only things that are in the line of sight can be viewed, modelling stuff around corners or under tables etc would be pointless.
3) VIRTUAL COCKPIT. This is relatively new feature. Open the Delta glider scenario, and click the F8 button twice and you'll what I mean.

I've been working on the Bridge, But it would again probably need to be cut way back

http://www.cowandgator.com/images/stories/misc/bridge1.jpg
http://www.cowandgator.com/images/stories/misc/bridge2.jpg

Hi Roadware,

Yeah, the darn mirror thing, not sure why that happened re-exporting the mesh doesn't seem to solve the problem. I know that there is a disconnect between axis sequences between Anim8or a 3ds2mesh utility and the final mesh product. My solution was to re-orient the model in anim8or first then export as 3ds then run it through the converter utility.... There is another utility in the Orbiter SDK that allows one to scale and orient models. For whatever reasons I never had much success using them and prefered to do things in anim8or. BUT maybe... doing the re-orient in anim8or confuses the 3ds2msh converter utility?

WHat do you think?

BTW what would I have to do to convince you to do a mock-up of the interior of the bridge in sketch-up? frankly my artitistic modelling skills are too elementary to make it look nice MAYBE we could make the inclusion of the coomand deck your first Add-on cuz you do desirve a lot of credit for the great job you did on the original model.

I noticed that the ship is mirrored ( the dish is on the wrong side..) , not sure why, but the whole thing is reversed??
any thoughts?

I AM IN TEARS DUDE!!!!!!! :10sign:
I now see what you mean by the exhaust ports reversed I will try to fix these.

I know I'm getting ahead of myself... but how about in space docking maneuvers?

http://www.propstore.com/content/propstorecollection/nostromo/alienHD-1252485.jpg

http://www.propstore.com/content/propstorecollection/nostromo/alienHD-1252640.jpg

http://www.propstore.com/content/propstorecollection/nostromo/alienHD-1252707.jpg

No problem with down loads, I'll give this a go and tell you how it went

Here's a link to my drop box.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9722507/Alien.zip

Let me know if you can access it, should be no problem. Simply copy the folders as they are from inside the "Alien" folder ino your "Orbiter" folder, making sure all file directories match, if it promts you to over write it should be safe, but just incase you might want to install it on a clean version of Orbiter 2010. I stromly recommend you download and install the latest star field textures avaible here,

http://downloadorbitersim.com/?page_id=35

fab eye candy, set it to "Visible" in your visual settings menu through the launch pad, maybe dial it back to a 0.3 intensity instead of the 0.5.

PS Orbiter sound is also very recommended.
http://orbiter.dansteph.com/index.php?disp=d

Enjoy your time with your friends, its good to walk away from hobbies every once and awhile :thumbup: I am happy to hear that you are able to get it flying, I do believe I can still pare down the detail with out loosing any of the fun of this model. I found some of the issues, but not all. maybe later this week I can find the bugs.

I'm gonna take some time today to hang with friends for Labour (Canadian spelling) Day. Have a happy Labor Day in the US. I think with all the tweeking and finishing the accomanying system we might aim to release her as part of a complete package containing Nostromo and LV426. My artistic ability in 3D modeling is very 'beginner' at best but I think it would be cool to also add a couple bases on LV426. One would be the crashed alien ship, the other, some distance away could be the colony / terra-forming base from Aliens. What do you think? Maybe get something ready in time for Halloween, a 'holiday' treat for all our fellow sci-fi fans?

Chris

Hi again,

still working between orbiter and anim8or to get the scale right in orbiter etc... in the mean-time I've made a beta version of the planet LV426 (the planet from the first two films) I've used the original planet textures etc, but I still have to build the rest of the system. Watching the first 20 min of alien, it looks like LV426 is actually one of three moons of a larger ringed planet. Though there could be debate on this point. As the intro to the film and their approach seem to suggest LV426 has rings, later on while they are on the surface, you can see a large ringed worls and a companion moon hangingin the sky over the horizon, so I intend to make LV426 a moon of that larger planet. This would also account for the apparent lack of rings for LV426 in Aliens when the Sulaco arrives.

Hi Steve,

Good news, by hacking the Obj mesh into component chunks ie command section main hull naccelles etc etc I've been able to get the whole model into Orbiter and I am flying her as a static model. She still needs textures / a paint-job, but seems that there is only minor frame rate drag which happens often anyway due to some of the high res add-ons that are out there now. I actually think as computers are getting better exponentially, I'd like to keep her as is. but there are still a few normals / facing issues in the aft section expecially the booster nozzels. I was able to fx the ventral pylon pipe and the aft ventral ribbed pylon by making them a separate mesh and fliping them in anim8or, however the nozzles and two struts and two small hoses on each of the octagonal booster pylons have normals issues that are too difficult for me to address this minute.

I'll keep testing tonight and then see about textures and animations tomorrow and into the week.

I found that by focusing on removing details like the tiny pipes on the octagonal booster beams and making very smiplified landing gear the file size wasn't too bad. I can post a link to the files I've created just to show some of details that got removed as they will still have the normals flipping issue, but just to give you an idea.