Helping hands with ship curves :(:(

[FirePhoenox]

Building a Carrier ship aprox in size is 800x400x200, i have most of the frame done but I really do stink at curves. So my question is will anyone be willing to join my game if i setup a multiplayer on my PC and be so kind to help with the curved parts? Not sure if this allowed but I can offer a small donation for your time in the form of paypal.

 

[Malacodor]

Have you already found the integrated tools for circles, ellipsoids and tori (donuts)?

 

[Jojomo]

Do a keel outline (the "backbone"), then do frame outlines ("ribs") at every X blocks along the backbone/z axis.
The size of your ship will determine the value of X (e.g. for a 1000m long ship you might get away with X=10. Smaller X values are better, but more work.)

Then just fill in the space between each rib without worring about curves. The result is virtually identical to a trully curved surface, assuming X isn't too large. If X is small enough the resilt will almost certainly be truly identical, seeing as we build at 1m resolution.

 

[JinM]

How long are the curves you want to draw? Is it a long one going over the length of the ship or is it a curve on one of the sidewalls going up down? Do they have multiple angles or multiple minima(=lowest points)?

 

[FirePhoenox]

I will upload a picture of what I am doing, I have a rough idea but it still looks to sloppy.
[doublepost=1476677671,1476677613][/doublepost]its ok I guess lol, I was trying to get it more even, the jaggedness drives me nuts

 

[DrTarDIS]

Is the ship symmetrical?
double symmetrical?
Got your copy/paste big enough to lay out a "completed" curve at least the ship's smallest dimensions?

If you answered yes to all the above, it should be kinda easy to do your ship, right?


Like dis,

copy/paste a few times, makea bigger "brush" by copying part of what you just did, paste that...

...
do the same thing across a different plane for a while, build a shape.



The scaffold in that pattern is a placeholder for "oopse I forgot to add" futureproofing. big hulls take time, updating them is a PITA, I'm trying to make it something I can remove-replace into the next year of patches. I recommend you lay out your systems in a way you can readily re-lay them, and build in some "dumb space" into any ship you're looking to make with a x*10^7 block volume. It hurts to watch them rot.

why don't you steal one of the derelicts and make it live again while giving it a new paintjob?

 

[FirePhoenox]

thanks for the reply, I am symmetrical. I will try the copy paste idea and see what happens. thank you again for the detailed replies everyone its much appreciated

 

[JinM]

Maybe this helps you too: Draw Function Graphs - Plotter
Function: x^(1/3)
And then set the axis of the graph to 50 units length into x axis.

Ah sorry, the first one is not very good for you. Here use this one:
GraphSketch

 

[Lukwan]

I get a natural arc on my curves by shifting over one block for every row. The width of the row is derived using a Fibonacci series;
For a more a pronounced curve I just use the number series itself for the block-count

(0+1=1, 1+1=2, 1+2=3, 2+3=5, 3+5=8...) *As found everywhere in natural structures of growth like tree-branches.

1
22
333
55555
88888888
-13131313131313
-21212121212121212121
3434343434343434343434343434343434

(or)
1
-2
-2
--3
--3
--3
---5
---5
---5
---5
---5
----8
----8
----8
----8
----8
----8
----8
----8
----13...

 

[JinM]

There comes the math. =)

 

[FirePhoenox]

thanks everyone for the posts, I can do normal curves but this is like a double curve, it curves in one direction but also rounds off as it travels up and around the corner.

 

[MrFURB]

One trick that I use for multi-axis curves is drawing out each axis independently instead of getting my brain all worked up trying to make multiple 3d curves meet up perfectly. Do stuff on the x axis, and when you have that shaped correctly then just add height to and delete the original flat blocks.

 

[Malacodor]

Use Paint or a similar program to draw the curve once from the side and once from the front or whichever directions make sense. Do this in such a way, that each pixel corresponds to a block. Then start in-game with one of the curves. This curve will look like the curve you want from one direction, but not from others. After you're done, start the other curve from the same point, but this time modify each block's position in such a way, that it is at the same depth as the corresponding block of the first curve.

 

[Jojomo]

thanks everyone for the posts, I can do normal curves but this is like a double curve, it curves in one direction but also rounds off as it travels up and around the corner.

I've already posted a method to use above that handles double curvature just fine..

It's a method that's used in real life ship building, and in SM (by me, and probably others).

 

[FirePhoenox]

i'm sorry, I just can't get it, either I don't understand or this shape i'm trying to get won't work.

 

[JinM]

Can't you outline the shape on a A4 papper? First from the side, then from the top? And finally from a 45% angle?

 

[FirePhoenox]

So after 3 days, this is how far I have come... any thoughts?

 

[Malacodor]

Took a while to spot the difference, but it looks pretty good.

 

[FirePhoenox]

any takers on trying the nose? I can upload the blueprint? and like I said I can make a donation thru paypal. I love doing the logic and insides, the outside is my weak point and I don't really want to spend 3 more days just to get the shape right but I also know no matter how good the inside if the outside is not on par then its back to the drawing boards

 

[Malacodor]

A ship that size takes its time. I suggest you look for a build server that allows you to upload your ship. That's probably the best place to find someone to help with building.