Tutorial Request : Simple Spaceship

[dawmail333]

I would like to have a bit of a pointer in the direction I would need to go to make a simple 3Dish spaceship. Anyone?

[Mr Frojo]

Can you post a picture of what exactly you want to replicate?

[dawmail333]

Something like the one in Ash's sig is a nice example, but it wouldn't need to be THAT fancy.

[Myrddin]

There's a spaceship in Ash's signature?

Some people may guide you towards Shape3D as it can, and may as well will, give you a more professional three-dimensional look to your object. On the other hand, if you aren't confident with or don't want to use Shape3D, you could simply try ovoid shapes, gradients, and alpha masks here and there to create your desired result. The positive side to using Shape3D, though, is that you can save the settings used to either come back to them later or modify them to present a different angle of your spaceship in your work.

Using Shape3D would be easier but then I feel using basic shapes, gradients, and a more old-school approach yields a far more gratifying result and is personally my preferred method to work. I believe that if you're ever with a version of PDN that hasn't the ability to install plugins - like someone downloading it and not wanting to or restricting the download of plugins - you should feel comfortable and successful with your skills in the use of the basic, built-in functionality.

[Ash]

There's a spaceship in Ash's signature?

:?: :o :?:

What? where? Who?....what? :shock:

[dawmail333]

Yes Myrddin, I was expecting to use Shape3D, but how?

And Ash, sorry, I must have gotten a few things mixed up. I don't even know if I thought I saw a FFX or FFXII airship in yours. My bad. :oops:

[Bob]

Effects > Render Spaceship. :oops:

Well, my advice will be to use a 3D creation program (like Blender) to make 3D stuff.

[david.atwell]

Blender is about as clear as mud...

[Bob]

Well, it's a 3D editor.

You can say (at least here ) that GIMP's interface is [insert not so kind word here], because other applications on the market do a better job interface-wise (at least for the majority or a important part of the targeted users).

3D is another story.

You must represent 3 coordinates in a 2D space (your screen), for example.

Thus, due to the number of features and new concepts involved, extra complexity can't be avoided.

But if you have a better tool to mention, do so!

[oma]

not worthy of a tut but here is a very simple space ship 3 layers 3d shape

background layer white

next 3 layers any color you with ship to be.recommend all are same color though

same 3d shape cylinder shape on all three color layers

scale 1 hor 22 depth 1 height 1

ball top 1. bottom .010

axis 1 0

axis 2 90

axis 3 88 camera angle 23 anti a 5

resize the layers madjic wand background invert selection and adjust size of the layers

simple enough?

[Mr Frojo]

Blender is about as clear as mud...

Just at first. You get used to it though. Its not like the GIMP with a bad interface. Its just got a different interface.

And if you a simpler but not nearly as powerfull 3D modeler, you can try Anim8or.

@Oma. That looks really good. Nice and simple, but still looks good.

[Bob]

@Oma: Beautiful!

[oma]

very simple one but didn't know skill level dawmail333 was working at if you have any problems with the resizing of the layers just let me know I can do a few scren shots then and put in the tuts section. although its just a matter of selecting transparent portion of layer inverting selection and using the move selected pixels tool. just keep the bottom most rung of your space ship the top layer second ring of space ship middle layer and top portion will be down there just above your background.

chow OMA

PS post your creation in the pictorium for us to admire. !

[MadJik]

An idea for that:

spaceship:

01.:Colors: Choose a dark color as primary (black) and a light color as secondary (white).

02.:LinearGradient: Linear Gradient from center (dark) to top-left (light) 60-80% of the surface is dark.

03. Effect/Distort/Tile reflection: angle=45, size=60-80, curvature=5-20.

04.:PolarInversion: Effect/Distort/Polar Inversion: Amount=30, quality=7

05.(optional: repeat Ctrl+F)

06.:DuplicateLayer: Duplicate the Layer and press F4 to set the blend mode to lighten.

07.:Horiz: Flip the layer horizontaly.

08.:MergeDown: Merge the layers down.

09.:Plugin: Use the plugin Effect/Distort/Oblique: Hor.=200, Ver.=200, Qly=7.

10.:DuplicateLayer: Duplicate the Layer.

11.:Horiz: Flip the layer horizontaly.

12.:Properties: Press F4 to choose the blend mode (difference,negation,lighten,darken, screen or xor).

13.(optional: use other distort effects like Rect to polar or polar to rect inversion)

14.:LassoTool: Find out your spaceship in the image...

[barkbark00]

^Robot penguins?

Madjik's KaleidoGen plugin works well to generate v random techy shapes v...

[oma]

good one Madjik

not quite as simplistic as mine but I really think closer to what our fellow forum member was after. after I re read the original posts I realized he was after something like the FXII styles.

I think you should put this one in a little basic tut for the new users would give the newbies some basics and a quick picture they can expand upon.

chow OMA who is now off to make a little space ship.

[oma]

Yeah,Beautiful! The skill level dawmail333 is vrey high.

yes realize that now :oops: i just took a look at some of his work. especially like the sig dawmail333 has .

So what ever you come up with dawmail333 please post it for us to admire in the pictorium.

chow