Okay, I used the search and I came up with about a half-dozen old topics on detailing and Strata, but I've noticed that the only thing that annoys the regs more than not searching is bumping old topics, soo ...

Anyway, I've been getting used to Strata3D and I'm doing ... well, if not decently, then at least passably okay. Sort of. I've a couple of questions however:

-Texture maps. What's the easiest way to create them so that I can just import them into Strata? There's a load option, but the edit map option doesn't seem to have any tools for actually EDITING it ...

-Windows and stuff. Should I do this in Strata or Photoshop? If Strata, what's the easiest way to do it so that it will look good? I'm especially curious for the bridge/cockpit set, but I'd like to detail windows all along the ship's exterior, as well ...

Responses are appreciated. Thanks.

kt

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Quote

Originally posted by Kaelis Tuar:
**Okay, I used the search and I came up with about a half-dozen old topics on detailing and Strata, but I've noticed that the only thing that annoys the regs more than not searching is bumping old topics, soo ...

Anyway, I've been getting used to Strata3D and I'm doing ... well, if not decently, then at least passably okay. Sort of. I've a couple of questions however:

-Texture maps. What's the easiest way to create them so that I can just import them into Strata? There's a load option, but the edit map option doesn't seem to have any tools for actually EDITING it ...

-Windows and stuff. Should I do this in Strata or Photoshop? If Strata, what's the easiest way to do it so that it will look good? I'm especially curious for the bridge/cockpit set, but I'd like to detail windows all along the ship's exterior, as well ...

Responses are appreciated. Thanks.

kt

**

For making textures, I like to use Illustrator (if I need the real crisp lines and schtuff) and Photoshop. I do all the texture editing in Photoshop (and not in the modeling program).

If you have no polygon limit (while classes sometimes limit your polys, you're also limited by the capabilities of your computer), then theoretically you should do as much detailing on the mesh (the actual model) as you can. Sink the cockpit into the hull, etc.

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I've only recently got the hang of strata (I'm a mechanisto convert) but it's definately a superior program. The real trick is to get the hang of the extrude and lathe tools. I do most of my stuff just using them...

But I am having trouble figuring out cockpits for some of my models... I'd be interested to see if anyone has an answer.

~A~

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"How can I make it go faster?" -Me-

As everyone seems to be posting Strata problems, I've got one aswell, I have got the version of strata from ewans site, but it's running really slow, everytime I move an object it has to do the little spinning icon thing and takes a few seconds. This happens in GL Flat and the Shaded views, it works as normal in wireframe, but I can't work very well in wireframe. I think it's to do with the one of the textures on my model at the moment, its quite a big file, but I don't want to delete it as I've spent ages positioning it and scaling it etc.

How will I sort this out, should I allocate more memory to Strata, If so, how much? Or is there away to make the textures temporarily invisible?

TheRedeemer

(I apologise for the hijacking of this topic)

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Quote

Originally posted by Azdara:
**I've only recently got the hang of strata (I'm a mechanisto convert) but it's definately a superior program. The real trick is to get the hang of the extrude and lathe tools. I do most of my stuff just using them...

But I am having trouble figuring out cockpits for some of my models... I'd be interested to see if anyone has an answer.

~A~**

Well there are two ways to do inset windows using the free version of Strata... The method I used for my Personnel Carrier (pic to follow) was to use lots of extrudes for the windows along the sides, and lathes for the curved front of the ship. I created two 2d shapes, one with the hull without a cut out and one with - like this:

Then I copied these shapes to a new file and saved it as I will need hem later. After that, I used the extrude tool to make two objects with the desired depth - one from the cut-out shape (depth so it was the width of the window), and one from the non-cut-out shape (depth so it was the space between the two windows). Then I arranged these two shapes so that they were lined up correctly to create one window, non-window segment. Then just duplicated along for the length of the main body (without cockpit). To finish this section off I made a copy of the non-window section and made it just shorter than the entire length of this windowed section and reduced it by 90% to make it sit inside all the gaps to create the effect of the inset window.

The cockpit was made using the same techniques, but using lathes instead.

The easier way is to simply made an object anti-matter and recess it into the side of the ship. Give it a texture that glows slightly yellowish and it will look like a window. This gets slightly trickier when you are working with curved surfaces, and doesnt work at all if the object is only a mesh.

/rambling
ewan

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Cool, I'll try these. Thanks.

kt

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http://forums.starwars.com

Quote

Originally posted by TheRedeemer:
**As everyone seems to be posting Strata problems, I've got one aswell, I have got the version of strata from ewans site, but it's running really slow, everytime I move an object it has to do the little spinning icon thing and takes a few seconds. This happens in GL Flat and the Shaded views, it works as normal in wireframe, but I can't work very well in wireframe. I think it's to do with the one of the textures on my model at the moment, its quite a big file, but I don't want to delete it as I've spent ages positioning it and scaling it etc.

How will I sort this out, should I allocate more memory to Strata, If so, how much? Or is there away to make the textures temporarily invisible?**

I'll answer this as I have a free 5 mins Well, for a start, I usually allocate Strata over 128Mb RAM. What specs does your system have? Even when I am working with huge files ((url="http://"http://homepage.mac.com/ewanc/falken/falken.jpg")the Falken(/url) had no textures smaller than 512x512 - each with various maps - and had a lot of objects in it; I think the final model file was over 6Mb due to all the textures) and the lag wasnt too bad with it... and Im using an old Powerbook G3 Pismo (400MHz, 320Mb RAM, 8Mb graphics card)

Next, only use GL Flat - shaded doesnt do too much more, and takes a bit longer.

You can stop it showing the textures in the preferences - (Edit > Preferences... > Windows > Show Textures). This will stop it showing the textures as they would when they render. However, you will want to keep this one while positioning textures as otherwise it will just look a mess. Therefore you may want to use (Edit > Customise Menus...) to assign a key function to the preferences for ease of use when turning it on or off - but thats up to you. I use ( apple ) + ( ; ).

Hope that helps a bit
ewan

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"In this world gone mad, we won't spank the monkey - the monkey will spank us!"

I've been fiddling with Strata 3D but still haven't got the nack of it. So far, I've been undertaking a gigantic project which, if finish, will rival that of Cold Fusion and Magma. Virtually all the models I'm doing from scratch are created by using M e t a -Tools Infini-D version 4.0. The detail texturing I make, I usually start with Freehand when it comes to making decals and paneling, then I move it to Photoshop where I add some filter FX. After that, I import the finished picts into Infini-D where I manipulate them while at the sametime, using some of the built-in texture making feature.

The result, A graphic that is at least EV: Nova quality, if not, just a little better because of some of the minute details that I added. So far, I finished doing the UE Shuttle, the blaze gun, and am currently working on the UE Freighter, I also have a UE fighter which is right now sitting doing nothing. I apparently started this project long ago but I kind of abandoned it until Cold Fusion lit my interest to continue this project once again.

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(quote)Originally posted by Jules:
**I'll answer this as I have a free 5 mins:)

~A~

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"How can I make it go faster?" -Me-

(This message has been edited by Azdara (edited 08-08-2003).)
**