Can normal humans create mods?

[Suma]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Kegetys @ Sep. 13 2002,11:06)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">O2 is made for modeling, and thats what all BIS models are done with...[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
This is true. There are very few exception when some parts of model were modelled in 3DStudio first, but most our models were created directly in O2 - and that is because we think it was the most efficient way to create it.

I understand some people may prefer different modelling packages, but still O2 is full-featured modelling studio fully capable of creating models (especially low-poly).

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (KTottE @ Sep. 13 2002,12:25)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Not to piss anyone off or anything, but 3D Studio is better as a polygon-modeler than Maya =)
I would know since I&#39;ve tried using both for my polygon-modeling.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
I disagree

What I lack in 3d studio is proper nurbs to poly conversions and good polygon reduction tools.

Not to say that 3ds is lacking all forms of programmable parametric splines.

It is though very much about your own preference, just as you said. I started many years ago with 3d studio 4 (note: this is not 3d studio max, I am talking about, but the original dos version&#33; ). Later I moved on to Softimage and the transition was murder. After a while I got used to it and would never have gone back to 3ds.
Softimage is good for IK and animations in general but Maya is better for modelling, so I switched to that after a while. The transition there was murderous too. I love it now however. I did some modelling now for OFP in 3dmax 5 and I missed a lot of functions that you have in Maya.

Now, I am not at all some expert at modelling - I&#39;m just a happy amateur as most of us It is just that I have had access to this software from my university the last six years so I have played around with it a bit.

Maya & Softimage are professinal production tools - they are used in more or less all movies - all from Jurrasic Park to the new Starwars movies. 3d studio max is the budget choice. There is a considerable difference in the price tag

[SelectThis]

When I first got O2, the question was "how to best make a model that will work in OFP"...The choice I had was to either learn 2 different 3D modelling programs (having never made a 3d model in my life) or just learn one.

I chose to just learn one program, O2, basically because I would have to learn how to use it anyway to get the model to work in OFP. The learning curve is steep but not too difficult.

So my advice is, if you know how to model using a different program, then use that program, if you have no experience with modelling then learn how to model in O2.


PS. Don&#39;t start off with a helicopter like I did, with so much interior and exterior surfaces, it can be a real pain&#33;

SelectThis

[Grokk]

WOOOOw..
You never modeled before that heli selectThis??
Cool..


Anyway.. I&#39;m just going to try, for I accidently became 3d modeler in a mod team I joined when I started playing around with milkshape.. Only before I got any real 3d editing experience I messed up my pc, lost my keycodes etc. (and all of my ofp-maps )
So now I&#39;m just trying again.. But then with o2.

[KTottE]

Weeell, why would you want nurbs to polygon tools anyway?
That will make for some insane poly-counts.
If you model with polygons from the get go, you won&#39;t need poly-reduction or nurbs to polygons.

But, it is like we all say, a matter of personal preference.
At the end of the day though, Maya is better for stuff like Jurassic Park. There&#39;s no denying that.
But right now, Maya is cheaper than 3D Studio MAX. Atleast if you&#39;re buying Maya Complete. Which contains everything except the fancy things like Fur and so on.
Maya Complete goes for 20,000 SEK (~&#036;2000) and 3D Studio MAX 5 goes for about 40,000 SEK (~&#036;4000)

And STT is right.
First you should do simple stuff like weapons, and very square vehicles.

I already knew how to model in 3D Studio MAX, so I use that.
Not only because it has support for some sweet plugins =)
but because it takes me about 1/4 of the time to make a model in that as it does in O2.

Now, I don&#39;t know if STT is a fast learner, but if you are just getting in to 3D, O2 would not be my choice of software.
With the lack of documentation, and certain important features (O2 Light does not have an extrude function, for one) it can be very difficult to make models with it if you know nothing of how 3D works.

I recommend checking out articles and tutorials at other general 3D related sites to get a hang of how it works, then start modeling for real in O2.
http://www.3dlinks.com
that site has a lot of that stuff, and a lot of links to other 3D sites. There you can also check on some of the differences between Maya, 3D Studio MAX, Truespace and other commercial modeling packages.

Cheers, KTottE

[Grokk]

So that&#39;s why i couldn find extrude.. lol.. It isn&#39;t there at all..
Alas.. I havent got the funding to get 3d Studio Max.. And also not for Maya or whatever..

[Intruder]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (KTottE @ Sep. 13 2002,07:57)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">If he should get 3D Studio MAX it might very well take 2 years before he can even start using it. That baby costs a bundle.

But, like I&#39;ve explained to many people over IRC and MSN, do not start your modeling career in O2.
If you have no clue whatsoever about 3D Modeling you shouldn&#39;t think about modeling in O2.
So, I suggest d/ling a free modeling tool, check out some tutorials for that and get a good feel for how 3D Modeling works before even trying to model in O2.
Then again, if that free tool can export to .3DS you might not need to model in O2.

Here&#39;s three, free, modeling applications:
Anim8or
Open FX
Wings 3D

Cheers, KTottE[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Thanks for the links mate, I downloaded the Wings 3D program, and it has the ability to export as .3ds and .obj, has anyone used this program to create models to import into OFP before?

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (KTottE @ Sep. 13 2002,15:36)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Weeell, why would you want nurbs to polygon tools anyway?
That will make for some insane poly-counts.
If you model with polygons from the get go, you won&#39;t need poly-reduction or nurbs to polygons.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Because the only real modelling is nurbs modelling With the great poly reduction and optimization tools, it is no problem.

The polygon optimization functions in Max are a disaster. Instead of producing something at least a bit symmetrical it creates a web-like structure of the polygons. The Multi Res modifier is even worse

In Maya you have your nice nurbs model that is easy to work with. When you want it polygonized you just define a couple of LOD levels (you can even specify polycount) and it generates them with very good results.

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">But right now, Maya is cheaper than 3D Studio MAX. Atleast if you&#39;re buying Maya Complete. Which contains everything except the fancy things like Fur and so on.
Maya Complete goes for 20,000 SEK (~&#036;2000) and 3D Studio MAX 5 goes for about 40,000 SEK (~&#036;4000)
[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

Yeah, the prices have dropped very much. Maya Unlimited 4.0, that I am using, goes for about 7,000 €/&#036;. The first Maya that I used (1.0) had a price tag of about 100,000 € (the same for Softimage&#124;3D) - then my university had three or four licenses, so you had to wait in line to borrow the package for a week. Now it is part of a site license: i.e unlimited number of licenses for students. So there has been quite a change

[Rotor]

Wow guys, thanks for all the info. I never expected to have so many people helping me. OFP is truly a great community&#33;

I&#39;m beating myself in the head for not learning Maya when I had a chance - the computer lab at my old High School had 3 dozen computers all with Maya on it, and a teacher that knew quite a bit about the program (even though he was a total ass). While my friends were making people and bouncing balls, I was surfing the web... sheesh, hindsight is 20/20&#33;

Anyways, it seems that the best route I&#39;m seeing here is to try and enter myself into modeling using basic learning tools with better-supported freeware beginner programs, then transitioning into Oxygen. I&#39;d rather not pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for a program if I don&#39;t have to, and I doubt I will model for anything other than OFP. I guess I need another hobby, so I might as well give it a go.

Its looking pretty daunting already... not only do I have to make the model, but then I&#39;ve got to apply the flight stuff to it, and the instruments on the panel, and the actions, and the seats, and where the troops sit... sheesh&#33;&#33;&#33; I&#39;ve got quite a bit to learn&#33;

Any other advice appreciated

Mike

[Gourka]

Just about Maya. You can download a free version of Maya Personal Learning Edition