General Question What program do you use to design/make spacecraft?

[MartyMan]

Hi.

I am currently using sketchup to design my spacecraft, than export to 3ds and so forth. I am having lots of difficulty extracting the textures to make it into that bmp than dds. (When extracting to 3ds they don't come with it as jpgs).

So I was wondering what programs most people use to design their ships, and how the get their textures.

Can you say the advantages and disadvantages of your program please?

marty

 

[PhantomCruiser]

I'm still in the noob stage, and have been using anim8tor. When I get some time I'll try wings3d.
Pros; well, it's free. The newest version can UV map. Lots of tutorials around.
Cons; Have to remember to re-orient for Orbiter, and it didn't seem 'intuitive' to me...

 

[Urwumpe]

1. Pen and Paper for initial concept. (cheap)
2. Eclipse/Java for doing optimizations and more complex calculations during the initial design process, for example finding the optimal stage ratios for a rocket.(free)
3. Anim8or for making the meshes. Texturing with UVMapper. (free)
4. Modules with Microsoft VisualStudio 2008 Professional. (Usually expensive, but cheap if you are student)

 

[eveningsky339]

I use anim8or to model, VS 2008 (free) for modules.

 

[Arthur Dent]

I use AC3D to model the meshes and texture wrapping (cheap)
paint.net for texture creation (free)
And a texteditor (nodepad++) for coding (multistage.dll & spacecraft.dll vessels) (free)

 

[Hielor]

Wings3D for modelling.
Pros:
-Free.
-Very intuitive and easily discoverable UI (everything is under contextual right-click menus)
-Allows texture mapping
-[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=3901"]Plugin[/ame] for direct export to .msh format, fully supports the .msh format (although you'll have to manually convert the textures to dxt, but that's simple)
-Supports numeric input for accurate placing of objects (just hit the tab key when doing something)
-Uses a "winged edge" modelling paradigm which prevents you from making models with problems (ie, floating/unattached edges or vertices)
-Is consistently being worked on and improved

Cons:
-X-axis is reversed from Orbiter (although the plugin compensates for this)
-UV Mapper isn't the best

 

[EtherDragon]

Meshes = AC3D (~$80)
It's a great modeling program for the price, and there is a free Orbiter .mesh import/export plugin available.

Modules = VC++2008 Express (Free!)
I setup a couple starter project on OH to get people going faster if enterested.

Textures = Paint.net (Free!)

AC3d (~$80)
http://www.inivis.com/

Paint.net
http://www.getpaint.net/download.html

VC++ 2008 Express Start up projects (Free!)
http://www.orbithangar.com/search_quick.php?text=etherdragon&submit.x=11&submit.y=7

 

[Zop]

I´m also still at the noob stage

Initial idea and design : my fantasy mostly,some inputs from sci-fi,real world.
First sketch: Pen and paper
Model : Gmax (pro=free,easy to learn,logical to use,powerful functions for texturing,con=sometimes prone to crash,no updates anymore,no .dds compatibility) with the 3dstomsh plugin
Textures: Gimp (free,powerful,available .dds plugin)
Spacecraft3 until artlavs OrbiterShipYard is complete,with numerous examples,especially from Greg Burch (thanks!!!)

 

[MartyMan]

I´m also still at the noob stage

Initial idea and design : my fantasy mostly,some inputs from sci-fi,real world.
First sketch: Pen and paper
Model : Gmax (pro=free,easy to learn,logical to use,powerful functions for texturing,con=sometimes prone to crash,no updates anymore,no .dds compatibility) with the 3dstomsh plugin
Textures: Gimp (free,powerful,available .dds plugin)
Spacecraft3 until artlavs OrbiterShipYard is complete,with numerous examples,especially from Greg Burch (thanks!!!)

What is OrbiterShipYard?

 

[Hielor]

What is OrbiterShipYard?

http://orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?t=10383

...you posted in that thread....

 

[MartyMan]

yeah i found it, but it doesn't work for me =(