good tutorials needed

[dobbo049]

hi

anyone got any good tutorials starting from quite simple one to more complex.

i want things like modeling a machine like a tractor or something alike that, anyone got any good sites?

Stuart :rolleyes:

[Stiglr]

A new set of video tutorials on How to Build Aircraft in AC3D for v. 6 is on my to-do list, but that's a long list right now...

It's in the works.

Edit 7/26: I have 4 episodes done on this already, so maybe the wait won't be as long as you might think... hold tight...

[wind]

you could always try blender tutorials since most 3d modelers hold the same concept of creating shapes, extruding, and munipulating, onlything different is the interface

[Stiglr]

Progress report on "How to Build Aircraft in AC3D v6.0"

7/31: I now have 6 episodes in the can, and rapidly counting...

[nightoftheroundtable]

yeah but those files are huge. I can't begin to imagin how many mega bytes are contained in each of your files.

[Stiglr]

It's video. You need it to be close to full screen to have any chance of seeing the detailed operations with vertices, lines, surfaces, etc.

Sorry, but that means BIG files.

But, i'm flexible...and all ears. If you have a way to cut down the file size...and still make them viewable let me in on it, and perhaps I can work it into my production method. :)

Also, I've been known to cut a couple of CDs for a fella who asks nicely, and save him the horror of hours-long downloads... ;)

[nightoftheroundtable]

hmmm I would like to have these CD's *wink* *wink*. but I dunno how you would send them to anybody?

[Stiglr]

You're in Washington, it's probably one day by USPS Snailmail.

I'm still creating the last of the installments; but once they're done and ready for distribution, I'll post back here and you can email me your address.

How's that for service? ;)

[nightoftheroundtable]

thats pretty good service will I have to pay for shipping and handleing?

[Stiglr]

Well, when I send off a CD I "ask nicely" for $10 for shipping, handling and content creation...provided the recipient thinks it's worth it. Haven't been stiffed yet... ;)

One time, I got two nice bottles of wine for my troubles, in addition to the sawbuck... that was a really nice gesture... hic...hiccup...

[nightoftheroundtable]

$10 seems like a fair deal. how far in to detail do you go. I dont mean to sound rude but couldn't you create a tutorial and post it all on a webpage?

[Stiglr]

No, those are fair questions...

Yes, I could put it on a website; in fact, one guy actually starting doing just that, and I picked up at least one great technique with a relatively new feature of AC3D that is really serving me well. But, even with screenies, there's no substitute for watching it done. Seeing the mouse moves, the menu dropdowns, the before and after...

But, I digress...you were asking how in-depth the tutorials go. Each is 15 - 30 minutes in length (again, one reason the file sizes are so large), and they're .wmv movies.

Pt. 1 Starts with learning how to gather the right 3-views and set them up to help you create more accurate results.
Then Pt. 2 shows you how to import and align the 3-views.
Pt.3 shows you two different strategies for creaing a fuselage...

And so on and so on, step by step, blow by blow video examples and narrative showing you how to create an aircraft: cutting canopies, wings, control surfaces, wheel bays, engines, landing gear, all of it. Then, for good measure at the end, we delve into creating 2D guides for skins and actually texturing the model with the TCE...I may even throw in an episode on doing cockpits, since some people that even model aircraft exteriors have an innate fear of doing pits for some reason...been there.

The concepts actually could be used to create ships, cars, tanks, guns, buildings, too... but i wanted to specifically show how to build aircraft because of the hell I went through as a total 3D noob, trying to get a basic vocabulary in the subject AND learn how to build aircraft, along with a few specific things that make aircraft challenging... like wing roots, control surfaces and glasshouse canopies.

[nightoftheroundtable]

that sounds pretty good. I did not mean to offend when I asked how detailed it was. it sounds like a pretty good little collection of tuts. but I was also wondering if it was possible to put this stuff up on a website.


edit: oh you already stated that one guy was posting it on a website

[Stiglr]

Well, just having changed my web provider, I have quite a bit of space, so I will look into whether I can host the files myself. Previously I've relied on generous space donors! ;)

I don't think, however I will bother making a web page screenshot version of the series, though.

Hang on, I should be finished with "production", such as it is, in the next few weeks.

[nightoftheroundtable]

looking forward to seeing it.

[bigdog1250]

I am also new to the program and am looking into creating a car. I have a project for my senior year of highschool and these tutorials would be very helpful. All I have done so far was mess around with putting pictures as a background and tracing them out. I extruded the thing to be the correct width but I have no idea where to go from there. I have plenty of time (several months, 6) maybe more to work on this project so time is at my side. I would gladly send you $10 for your tutorial. Let me know vai pm. Thanks

[Stiglr]

Sure thing. I still have a couple of episodes yet to film, but they cover stuff for after the model's shaped... so, if you're in a bit more of a hurry, I can cut a set of CDs for you now...and get you the others when they're done.

PM me your snail mail address and I'll burn a set.

[nightoftheroundtable]

thanks I got the first three cd's. man thats great stuff :D. I can't wait for the last two installments. great job on the tuts.

[sdven]

Hi Stiglr,

I realised this is from quite some time ago, hope you still reply here.;)

I'm new to AC3D and I would like to try this out if this can help me to model an aircraft hangar with aircraft and animated workers in it. That is for my thesis that dues in 4 months time. Been browsing through this forum for good tutorials, looks like your tutorials have very good feedback. I would be more than happy to pay you $10 for your tutorials too. Please let me know if you can post that to me. Thanks!:)

[Stiglr]

One caveat: my tutorials have NOTHING whatsoever to do with animation. AC3D doesn't support any kind of animation, although there is a plug in that helps in creating animations for X-Plane, a flight simulator.

You can get really deep into animation in Blender, which is a free modeling software. However, it is a LOT harder to learn than AC3D. For this reason I prefer to do my object creations in AC3D, even though I know Blender is more than capable of doing the job.

Also, if you have a 4-month deadline, that might be very aggressive for taking on learning 3D modeling from the start and ending up with any complex object like an aircraft or a hangar or animated workers. That's quite a bit of acquired skill to be able to do that.