[drdoe]

I'm trying to model the spaceship from the animated tv-series Futurama (just for fun), and I've come across a problem.
The hull itself isn't hard to model, but on it (I've attached a picture) there's a bumper sort of thing that runs around the hull. I've tried modeling this bumper as a part of the hull, but when I subpatch, it smooths out too much, and loses its definition.
I've tried weighting and moving the points where the bumper and rest of the hull meet, but then I of course lose the smooth goodness of subpatching or there's still a lack of definition.

So instead I tought I'd try to make the bumper on a different layer as a torus-like shape, but I don't know how to make it follow the curves of the subpatched hull.
Any ideas?
I also have to figure out how to make the windows and other stuff curve like the hull, but I guess whatever works for the bumper would work there as well.

Whatever help you can offer would be much appreciated

using LW7.5 by the way

[Techi]

id try either of the below...

either use another shape through your ship (easy option)

but id advise you just create it on the current hull like the picture in the bottom right


sorry bout qality had to do it in paint im at work

[Fallenswordsman]

Any chance of seeing the mesh of what you've got so far? Been trying to do a couple of Futurama models myself but the ship was way down my list of priorities.

Splines would be an obvious choice for modelling method.

[drdoe]

sure, the one I've attached here, has a bumper, which has been weighted to preserve definition. The hull has been modeled from a basic box with some beveling, cutting, moving and so forth, and a smoothshift for the polys that extend to form the bumper.
I'm still a newbie, so there may be better ways of doing everything I've done so far...
Can't remember how much I've messed with the polys, so there might some areas where the subpatching comes out all wrinkly
oh, and the tail-end of the ship isn't completely accurate

[R4s1n]

I didn't look at your model but try this...
After you make the subpatched Red Ring, around the hull, select the polys that go around and use bandsaw/bandsawPro to make a few cuts. That should slightly decrease the roundness and it will prevent the creasing that happens with subpatched weights.

That's my 2 cents.

[Mark]

Yep, bandsawing is the way to go to create the bumper. Just add further cuts like r4s1n says to increase the definition.

To get the windows, smooth shift with zero offset. Then scale down the selected polys to get the size/shape you want. Then simply keep applying smooth shift to get the geometry. Again, if it gets too smooth after you're done, bandsaw around the edges to increase the definition.

If you've been following Philips McLaren tutorial, then the part where he defines the headlights from the curvature of the bodywork may be of some use... (sorry, can't tell you which part it was since I've just realised that I've boshed all my downloaded tutes *DOH* )

[drdoe]

thnx, guys, I'll give it a try...

and when I get some money (read: when hell freezes over) I'll get going on that McLaren tutorial... I've been wanting to do that for a long time now