Getting started in 3D: How would you build an CG airship?

[Pete Wood]

I am really new to 3D software and, as I have mentioned elsewhere, it (ProDesktop) is not as sophisticated as the Rhino software that most (all?) of you are using.

I am looking for hints and tips on what, where, how, why. So discussions like the above are really beneficial for me - so I can decide how best to START :)

I hope to eventually be able to show school kids - I'm a trainee teacher - aged 11-16 how to use ProDesktop. An airship would, I believe, be a great project to develop on screen, and it would be fantastic for them to be able to build it. We have a laser cutter, which I used for the first time two weeks ago (and it is fantastic!!). So I am hopeful that, with the help of this forum, I can plan a project that the kids would really enjoy.

Please keep the advice and construction guides flowing.....

[Charles Adams]

Building in 3D is completely different from building a physical model of course. But you still need a baseline in the form of good drawings before you can even start. Then, rather than turning those drawings into construction patterns for parts to be cut out of material, instead you take those drawings and develop the patterns needed to create the 3D forms. The exact method for doing this depends on the software you are using.

Most programs are mesh modelers and they have tools for creating basic shapes (called primitives) which most people use. You can create a primitive such as a sphere and then distort it (stretch, squish, etc.) until you get a shape that is close to what you want. Then trim it, chop it etc. Copy, paste, clone, mirror, and rotate in order to build the shapes you need.

Rhino and a few other programs are SPLINE modelers. This is a more complicated approach to modeling and really requires that you know exactly what you are doing in order to get where you want to go. This type of modeling is very similar to drafting which is why I enjoy it so much. I am used to developing my own patterns from 2D drawings and I find it very easy to extract exactly the profiles I need from the drawings in order to build just about any shape I want.

This requires that you first know which method you will be using (extrude, loft/skin, sweep, revolve, etc.) and then figure out how to get the profile needed to make the shape. It seems not as many modelers use this method because it is more complicated and can be daunting if you aren't familiar with drafting/blueprinting.

I am actually writing a book on this subject which is due out later this year. It's a lot to talk about and there seem to be very few good resources on this subject for beginners! My book will show people how easy it is to make drawings using a computer, illustrate the basics of orthographic projection in order to demonstrate how blueprints are created, and provide an introduction to the process of making patterns from 2D plans. I also delve into some "power tools" like 3D software which can be invaluable in the pattern making process. All of this is generic and not specific to any program or platform so the concepts can be applied by anyone.

:)