WIP, but forgot how to...

24

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  • ViallyVially Posts: 343

    Vially, what you might want to think about is making some plumming style joints/bends, so you can use them where needed.

    Edit - Not sure coz I have not tried it, but you may be able to do this by Box modelling (See Max's video to see how ?).

    Hi John, I like the idea of having some extra "plumbing" fittings laying around, but to be honest, it it works well I think the thick line and deleting what I don't need would be a better option. The "T" connection is the one that I would be most interested in, if it can't be done with lines, then I'll havbe to figure out tubes...

  • ViallyVially Posts: 343

    So my next delema is the seat cusion, and while it is just a box, of sorts, due to the way I made it, I run into yet another "Hmmm" moment.

    Is there a way to break a line based on a point?

    In the image attached you can see the cusion starting to go around the framing, however, when I did is, I cut my main box in half and applied my curve. I then broke apart the points and pulled the bottom front to "Behind" the front bench frame... All good so far, Except...

    When I try to shape the curve around the railing a little better, the bottom of the top half of my "cusion" goes with the curve, not a good thing.

    So what I need to find out is if there is a way to Break the bottom line of the top half of the cusion, where it 'meets' with the front of the bottom half... I hope the picture makes more sence than that did.

    And while I was writing this, it occurs to me that I probaly should have created the box, split it in half, extruded the top over or even with the frame, Then applied my curve... so okay, Maybe a moot question, but I still want to know how I can break that line :)

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  • ViallyVially Posts: 343

    And I killed it...

    Not sure what I did, but every time I try to select a face in the cusion, Hex crashes...

    Apears to have saved into the file as well, reloading it doesn't help, just crashes again. But, I think I've decided to go a slightly different rout anyway, so will try to open the file, select the whole cusion and delete it....

  • JonnyRayJonnyRay Posts: 1,744
    edited March 2019

    Ctrl-Shift-S (on Windows anyway, I'm sure there's something similar on a Mac) is your friend! I use this a TON when I'm modeling with Hex. It creates an incremental save. (e.g. MyBus001.hxn MyBus002.hxn, etc.) For my car project, I think I'm up over 300 incremental saves through the process. Each time I like what I have done or I'm worried about what I'm about to do, I hit that and cover myself against unexpected results like corrupted files. :)

    Post edited by JonnyRay on
  • ViallyVially Posts: 343
    JonnyRay said:

    Ctrl-Shift-S (on Windows anyway, I'm sure there's something similar on a Mac) is your friend! I use this a TON when I'm modeling with Hex. It creates an incremental save. (e.g. MyBus001.hxn MyBus002.hxn, etc.) For my car project, I think I'm up over 300 incremental saves through the process. Each time I like what I have done or I'm worried about what I'm about to do, I hit that and cover myself against unexpected results like corrupted files. :)

    Awesome! Do you delete after a while? or Have a 6 Terrabyte raid setup to house all those saved files?

  • ViallyVially Posts: 343

    See, so this is how my brain refuses to work with me sometimes. I have been sitting here trying to figure out how to get the basic shape of the frame down, to use for the cusion, all attempts so far to box model the cusion have caused crashes and my brain to explode...

    So I'm staring and staring thinking... How am I going to do this...

    I get up and walk away for a minute, and get that lightbulb moment, then kick myself for it taking so long to get bright... I ALREADY have the basic shape... DUH! Use the frame as the outline... Copy Paste, Copy Paste move up one, Select Loop, Select Loop, Bridge.... Should give me enough to save and shape from there as needed... I just feel so stoopid now

    I feel so glad to have a direction again and so bad for waasting so much time trying to figure out something that should have been easy...

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  • ViallyVially Posts: 343

    So Bridge doesn't work, but Extrude does laugh

    Have a seat cusion now, except one wierd aspect, I know how to put these points together again, but why did it do this when the center point for all these radia should have been the same?

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  • ViallyVially Posts: 343

    Okay, I am doing something seriously wrong with hte geometry on this thing as Hex has started to crash again when I select a face on the cusion. This is not an overtly complex shape, in fact I would say it resembles a bar of soap. I can load the model file, I can work on the chair frame, I can select lines within the cusion, I can select points on those lines, all without any issues. I cannot select a face on the cusion, doing so causes Hex to close.

    There is no warning, no error message, no indication that something is wrong other than I get the "wait" cursor for a second or two, then desktop.

    In the previous post I show where Hex is not completeing a chamfer based on the center of the associated chamfer curve, but I have no way of telling if this is the issue (or if this is being caused by my model shape.

    Any ideas what might be going on and/or how to fix it? This is the 4th IItteration of the cusion, and I'm getting tired of having to start over again and again, due to this issue/crash.

    Thanks,

    V

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  • ViallyVially Posts: 343
    edited March 2019

    And, after posting that I went back into the model, attempted to select a face and crashed. So reloaded it, and welded those points together into a single "center" point...

    Issue resolved, Something in the faces as circled in previous image was causing an issue. I don't know what, I don't know the cause, I only know the resolution for THIS instance of the problem...

    Then again my computer Gremlin could be sleepy still and not had time to muck it up yet... laugh

    Post edited by Vially on
  • Wee Dangerous JohnWee Dangerous John Posts: 1,605
    edited March 2019

    Vially, I have not read all the comments, just looked at the last picture and spotted where you've gone wrong (so please forgive me if I've jumped in with the wrong answer).

    About the T joint, if I remember correctly Johnny made a video a while back, ll see if I can find if for you.

     

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    Post edited by Wee Dangerous John on
  • ViallyVially Posts: 343

    Hi john,

    That is pretty close to the answer I came up with on my own. for getting the shape. I essentially followed the Bench Frame for outline, extruded that up for the shape, then closed it up. The front corners have a different radius chamfer than the back, (just an angle to get around the vertical frame.)

    I then gave a 2 point chamfer around the entire top.

    My issue came from Hex crashing once I tried selecting a face after I had gotten the final shape I wanted, I think, not sure but I think I have that resolved by welding the points I circled in one image together, the front corners 2nd chamfer was not aligning and created a bunch of crossing faces... no idea why, will put it down as a Hex thing I need to watch out for.

    I'm actually satisfied with the shape, so going to add some final details and move on to the next aspect. (Seat Back Cusion.) I'm trying to be careful with what I do, as I need it to stay symetrical for resizing when needed to change.

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  • JonnyRayJonnyRay Posts: 1,744

    Vially, for those crashes when you select a face, sometimes I have seen this when the surface is what they call "non-manifold". Basically it means you have one or more points that are inside the mesh when they should be outside. When you run into those, try switching to vertex selection and see if you can find the offending points that need to be moved. Sometimes edge selection can help too since it will highlight the whole line helping you find those pesky vertices that are trying to hide from you!

  • ViallyVially Posts: 343
    JonnyRay said:

    Vially, for those crashes when you select a face, sometimes I have seen this when the surface is what they call "non-manifold". Basically it means you have one or more points that are inside the mesh when they should be outside. When you run into those, try switching to vertex selection and see if you can find the offending points that need to be moved. Sometimes edge selection can help too since it will highlight the whole line helping you find those pesky vertices that are trying to hide from you!

    Thanks Johnny,

    Sounds like something I will need to look out for, my image 3 posts ago I think sums this up and was the problem.

  • ViallyVially Posts: 343

    So now I have a new issue, that I can only really explain as "what the hell is this?"

    I made a tube, I flattened it down to .125 and shaped as desired... no problem. I applied a smoothing of 2, which gave me a nice fabric type of look... exactly what I was looking for, great. Save.

    Closed that model and opened the main madel and imported the "ribbon" I had just created. I went to do the final bending of the piece in place, when I notice all these random vertexes that were/are NOT there in the original ribbon file.... They appear as a part of the ribbon, but are nothing I can see on thier own, nor can I select them to try to get them back where they might belong... so I am once again left with "What the hell is this?"

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  • ViallyVially Posts: 343
    edited March 2019

    Updated,

    So I went through and selected each vertex individually and the orbitting ones, never show up as being somehow associated with ANY of the ones highlighted within the object. I realected all of the ones as shown in the above image, and the very far outside left vertex is NOT shown any more...

    I have no idea what the heck this is about.

     

    And a third time selecting all, only two extra show, do it again only 1, 4th time selecting and there are none....

    Post edited by Vially on
  • ViallyVially Posts: 343

    Progress has been made this weekend, actually just this morning. Trying to piece together everything I learned elsewhere on other projects to get this "part" of the bus actually completed.

    Some UV issues. Think I'm going to move the front legs forward a bit, they just look too far back for the rest of the frame. and I need to do the seaming on the back cusion and the head cusion. But I think I'm 98% finished with this 'piece' to the puzzle. laugh

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  • Looking good so far.

  • ViallyVially Posts: 343

    Thanks.

    More work, I think I'm done with it for now. Couple of things I need to address, but requires a PHD in UV Mapping, that I just don't have right now ;)

    But I need to make some sort of progress, even if in my own mind, so I'm moving on to other parts of the bus, may come back to this to add more details, but Like I said, I think for now this goes into the library of pieces that need to be put together for the final bus.

    G8F is in the image, and is only partly on the seat so it can be seen how she is fitting onto it, I'm pretty happy with the dimentions and overall structure.

    So 1 part down, 20K more to go laugh

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  • KitsumoKitsumo Posts: 1,216

    Looks great. Yes, UV mapping can be tough but it'll be worth it in the end, I'm sure.

  • ViallyVially Posts: 343

    So basically what I have been doing is breaking my original reference model down into parts I can use as a starting point to rebuild this thing, and what I have done is hit another snag... Minor, but it has more to do with my own lack of mechanical knowledge than Hex.

    Attached is an image of the engine for this model, and while very detailed, I do know enough mechanics to know that this is.... wrong. Belts are doubled up on pulleys, aspects are just floating in space, a lot of parts are going through main structure, etcetera.

    I suspect that Hex didn't import the OBJ correctly, shuffling things around, they are there and what is there, is highly detailed AND in the wrong place, (from what little I do know about engines.)

    Anyone know of a good engine reference site where I might be able to gather some extra reference material to see if I can fix this thing while fixing it. wink

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  • KitsumoKitsumo Posts: 1,216
    That does't look terrible. Depending on the type of engine, pullies often have multiple belts on them. But i can see that some of the parts are out of place. It's hard to tell since i'm on my phone right now. How detailed do you want your engine? Will it be used for close-ups?
  • ViallyVially Posts: 343

    Not really close ups as such, i  can see it being open for some "checking the oil" or trouble shooting shots.

    But yeah, there is actually a lot out of place... and when I said double belts, I mean on the same section of pulley, there are two belts going to two different areas.

    So essentially this is a lot of detail, that for what I can tell, is just way out of whack.. Most of the components are just floating, there was never anything holding them in place, or indicating how they are associated to the space they occupy. Example is the radiator, it is just there, I didn't remove anything from around it that was integral to it being there, just the walls to the space it is in. There is a pulley in space, it has no function that I can figure out. "Canisters are 1/2 in the block, there is one fusing with the battery, I've never seen a radiator hose go into the valve cover. The two vertical objects in image 3 are the leaf spring structure, being held in place by.... There is a hose coming out of the right side of the engine, looks like it "might" be radiator return line, except it goes nowhere near the radiator, and just ends (can be seen best in first image)

    So yeah, it's a mess, Oh, did I mention the exhaust goes through the front axle, which in turn goes through the main frame?

    A lot of this I'm not too worried about, again, this is just for reference on how they made the model, I will for the most part be re-creating it, but I'm looking at this going... WTH?!

    Why I'm looking for a reference material I can also work from.

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  • ViallyVially Posts: 343

    Okay, well... In looking at this model long and hard, I've come to the conclusion that there are 'parts' of it I will probably use and keep, I may continue even working on it, however it is more of a project than I really wanted to take on... So I'm switching gears and going to use the 'parts' I want to keep in a completely different design. Will probably be a hybrid no-name type of thing, which fits my story a whole lot better since the idea behind the bus is that it is NOT what was expected for the tour at all...

    With that in mind I found some other images I will use, (I also have a name TYPE so I can look for plans,) but I think I am going to take this bus more in the direction of the attached image.

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  • KitsumoKitsumo Posts: 1,216

    Ok. I see what you're talking about. Belts that run through each other and things like that. It may be better to model the whole thing from scratch. It wouldn't have to be super detailed, once you put a dirty, greasy looking texture on it and run a bunch of cables and wires over it, you can barely see the engine anyway. I have a pre rigged flexible tube you can use for hoses, wires or whatever. Or I can show you how to make it yourself. What time frame is this, 1930's?

    extension cord

    Here's the cable. Ignore the plug on the end, it's not permanent. It was made to be an extension cord, but you could expand it to be a radiator hose or shrink it to be a single wire.

  • ViallyVially Posts: 343

    It is images of the Mercedes 0 2600 All weather bus. 1935-1940. Seats 30 roughly, so size wise it's just about perfect. The next in the series has a back door, on the left side as well, and I think I like it's styling a little more than the 2600. There appears to be a whole range of styles in this class, even some that are down right bladerunner"ish" in look. (attached image, just a wee bit ahead of it's time.) The 2600 has just about a full 360 in various images on it, but only 1 is full straight on front, I think I did find a passenger door side (left) as well. From there it's guesswork

    The hose looks great, is it strictly a DS/Poser prop? And yes I would be interested in it, it appears it might make life easier, and lately I'm all about easier.

    And now this thing I have called a job is going to get in the way of my modeling again for another 12 hours.

    Thanks

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  • KitsumoKitsumo Posts: 1,216
    I modeled the hose in DS, but I'm pretty sure the process is similar in Poser. That hose was about 45 segments or so, but a 10 segment hose can be done in about 15-20 minutes. The slowest part is separating and labeling the segments. I'm away from home right now, but once I get back I'll see if I can package that and upload it for you.
  • JonnyRayJonnyRay Posts: 1,744

    Jen Greenlees created a tutorial about rigging a simple cylinder to bend and move in Daz Studio.

  • JonnyRayJonnyRay Posts: 1,744

    Jen Greenlees created a tutorial about rigging a simple cylinder to bend and move in Daz Studio.

  • KitsumoKitsumo Posts: 1,216

    Sorry for the delay. It turns out I never UV mapped the darn thing. Luckily I was able to add one in DS without having to re-rig the whole thing. If the UV map doesn't show up at first, you may have to go into the texture settings and select UV Set down at the bottom of the menu. If you need it for Poser, you may be able to export it, I've never tried.

    zip
    zip
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  • ViallyVially Posts: 343

    Hey cool, thanks! Actually thought of a few other things it might be useful for as well, but one thing at a time for now.

    And no, no poser, trying to get to the point where it is gone.

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