Hello all,
I'm attempting to build the hull of a ship within 3DSmax (and possibly in Maya as well, but I'd like to stay as much as possible in 3DS), but I'm having the most ridiculous time getting it to look right and be physically accurate. (I'm trying to make a model of the Titanic, and I want it to be physically accurate according to the historical dimensions of the ship.) I've tried two methods: the first method involved using several splines, then stitching them together with a Surface modifier (see here: http://www.3dkingdom.org/index.php?name=Ne...cle&sid=77). The results for these were hull-like in nature, but the explanation of how to construct the stern/bow of the ship was not very well-written and thus the hulls I made had no fronts or backs. (If someone could tell me in detail how to do that based on the information in the tutorial, that would be amazing!)
The second attempt I tried was in Maya. Now, for the record, I'm terribly uncomfortable with Maya - the interface is just too intimidating for me, and although I've tried a few books on it, it just is uncomfortable. Somehow, though, I managed to make a hull using the Loft command - however, the "Loft" command is different in Maya than it is in 3D Studio -- is there a similar tool in 3DS?
Really, any help would be appreciated regarding how to begin construction of the model - tutorials, tips, suggestions, anything. What I'm aiming to do is start off with the basic shape of the ship (hull) and work my way upward, increasing in detail as I go along. I've got blueprints and more reference pictures than you can shake a stick at, so that's not a problem. It's the problem of getting started that's killing me.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!