Goran_M

You would save an enormous amount of time by modelling however much you want to model in AC3D and THEN exporting it to X Plane. Doing it in bits and pieces is not really efficient and time saving. Remember, I modelled 6 wingboxes before I was happy with my final one. Try to cut corners wherever you can but NOT at the expense of the final result. Goran

No, it hasn't been baked yet. I was just messing around with it. I'm thinking of actually taking a day off this project. I've been spending a ridiculous amount of hours working on it so I might just do some fun rendering stuff on it today. That's what happens when you don't have a normal job. Some parts of the cockpit are proving difficult to model and place in relation to other parts. I spent the better part of last night modelling some side panels and trying to place them properly in relation to the glareshield and I failed miserably. I think I lost a few hairs while spending 5 hours trying to do it. So in the end, I deleted it and I'm going to try again maybe this afternoon or tomorrow. Goran

Very first render of the cockpit. No lighting. This is going to be fun. The cockpit is still, obviously a WIP.

:-\ My brain hurts from putting in these knobs and panels!!! Calling it a night. Progress...

3 hours of work. face plates for the glareshield, screws to screw them in, throttle levers, parking brake, gust lock and other small miscellaneous objects. Just the VC at this point has over 23000 vertices!!?? Also, I can't find it and neither can Javier, but how does one chamfer sharp edges and corners. Blender doesnt seem to have it unless I use the knife cut tool and do it the long way. Time for a break. Goran

Nearly done with the main panel. Seats, side rests, centre pedestal and overhead panel next.

When designing small and detailed objects in ANY 3D application, you have to have "3D vision". So when you're designing the engines, as you design the nacelles in planemaker, they are represented as half circles looking from the front. In your mind, you have to know where those circles are in a 3D perspective and you have to adjust the image in your mind as you adjust the vertices in planemaker. When you have managed to have that somewhat figured out, designing the nacelles should be easier. Don't rush it. It took me 4 hours to design 1 engine of the Hawker in Planemaker. Goran

Something new to show. After I finish the pit, I'll add some thickness to the walls.

It's actually possible to make a nice rounded nose in Planemaker. Tricky, but it can be done. I've done a few. Once you got the technique down, it gets pretty easy. Goran

Nothing wrong with being a beginner. As a matter of fact, I find that the newer you are at something, the more people will be willing to help you out in becoming proficient. Looking at Javiers CRJ, it's hard for me to comprehend that he once had absolutely no clue in designing in 3D. Work with blender, create some things, mess around with them in the settings, see what different things do and then take it from there. You WILL make mistakes with any aircraft you design, but you have to recognize them and do what you can to fix them. THEN you will get well earned respect. Goran

What was scary was he offered to help me model some of the smaller things on the Hawker. I can only imagine next weeks announcements. "I'm going to start a Beechcraft Private Jet Project". Wonder where he would have got the blender files. : Rafael, I want to tell you something. You are making yourself look worse to more and more people. You are also grossly insulting those of us who actually spend a LOT of time on these projects. Modelling a hi res aircraft of any kind, be it for MSFS or X Plane takes an extreme amount of patience. No one is saying you can't do it, but you CAN NOT DOWNLOAD ANOTHER AIRCRAFT (PAYWARE OR FREEWARE) AND SAY YOU ARE MAKING IT. This is STEALING. Nothing less! You will be caught out and depending on the other party involved, almost definitely prosecuted. You are wasting your own time and other peoples time with these posts. Don't bother posting anything here unless it's an apology. Goran

Thanks. I'm pretty happy with how the wings turned out. I'm using a few little tricks that I kind of found through trial and error through making the other GA aircraft I made with Blender. It was those little moments where I decided to fool around with a possible new technique and voila!!! I discovered a way to model something. The wingbox was a prime example. Goran

Ugh, I feel like such a tool. Indi, put me in another category. A Grade Tool. >

I feel I'm working a 9-5 job with overtime!! :-\ Anyway, Total progress so far with (almost) all parts put together.

After 2 or 3 days trying to model the wingbox, spending hours on each one (I made 6), I finally modelled it to the point where I consider it to be as close to perfect as possible!! Keep in mind the real wingbox of a Hawker is a chamfered square where the wing inserts and elliptical/rounded towards the front and rear. So it was just like fitting a square peg in a round hole and make it go through smoothly. I have to credit Javier and Nick for their input and their methods. I took both sides techniques, combined them with mine and came up with my own method. And I cannot believe how easy it turned out to be!!! However, in saying this, I could not have modelled it to this point in this amount of time without their input, so full credit to them!!! Without their input, it would have taken me a lot longer. THANK YOU!!! Now, the unveiling.

My only tip I can give you at the start of your project is RESEARCH EVERYTHING. You can never have too much info on an aircraft you are designing. The ERJ is quite a project. Sometimes, I think I've bitten off more than I could chew with the Hawker but I'm definitely going to finish it. Goran

Looking more like a Hawker every day. And yes, it really is 3am when I took that screenshot. TIME FOR BED! Goran

The windows are a 3D object. I modelled the outer window frame first, then the inner window frame, did a few extrusions, some nudging here, resizing there, and came up with the finished window. Then built the aircraft around it. Goran

Thanks guys. It's slow going and at times very frustrating when some little thing gets messed up and I have to start something again, but I always say patience yields the best results. xpvideos, I'll keep your offer in mind. Goran

Engines are DONE after 6 hours of listening to Enya and Mike Oldfield. Getting that sag in the middle and still keeping the engines looking elliptical, not to mention building the INSIDE of the nacelles was kinda interesting. Goran

Don't worry. It's not out of being nice. I can model in 3D but I SUCK at texturing. But get this, I can process pictures and manipulate pictures in Photoshop. I have no idea why I can't make textures for X-Plane. It just doesn't work. Anyway. Going by that 1 screenshot, I think I could use your texturing expertise. Actually, can you texture some other aircraft for x plane, load up the sim and take a few screenshots. Only 2 or 3 if possible I'll be in touch! Goran

Reworked the windows and roof and finished up the nose. Roof was a bit "dimply" and windows were a bit too narrow. Anyway. Back to work. Goran P.S. I noticed the front and side view pictures are slightly off. Going to fix it.

Theo If you like, when the time comes, and the 747 project does not go ahead, you can do textures for my Hawker 4000. If you're good at texturing, I'll be glad to have you on board this project with me. Think about it and let me know. Goran

I've started skinning the aircraft. Section of the nose, cockpit windows and most of the fuselage. Goran

I'm not sure I understand your comment, airbus. You MUST build a Planemaker model before starting on the Hi Res 3D version. 3d versions exported to PlaneMaker have absolutely no flight characteristics unless they have already been made 100% in PlaneMaker. If you make a plane with no tail and elevator in Plane Maker but then add them in a 3D program and export it, the exported plane will NOT fly properly because X Plane only reads the aerodynamic surfaces of PlaneMaker Aircraft. Goran