Topic: 3D Modeling WIP Topic

[silicone_milk]

I only have one version of Java installed located in "C:/program files (x86)/Java/jre6/bin"

Running on Windows 7 64 bit. Maybe I need the 64 bit java runtime installed instead of the 32 bit one?

[kat]

Possibly yes, remember we're talking about an app that was first written back in 1999 when Q3 came out (right on the cusp of Windows 98, ME and XP?). Are there any compatability modes that you can use ("right click > properties" the .jar file, see what options are available).

[silicone_milk]

Tried running as administrator and in compatibility modes. No luck. It simply appears I'm missing a binary.

[kat]

That error references a *.dll file which should be in "windows\system32" (not sure what the equivalent on Win7 is), if you're using 64 bit Windows there might be a different path/folder available? If you have "system32" try moving them there.

[kat]

Just tried getting javaMD3View to work on Win7 as well, no go. I don't even get any errors, nothing happens. On the subject of MD3 files, I've moved (and updated) the export info to it's own topic so it can be better maintained and updated rather than being buried in WIP. If you have any finding to add when you're exporting post them there (this includes issues and fixes you may encounter preparing for export).

[kat]

There was a topic on Polycount about desks... got me fiddling with Blender's internal rendering stuff (this is my desk btw). The materials are pretty simple, just a white diffuse with 'edge' rendering for the SketchUp look, then a second render using similar materials but black diffuse set to "Wire" render. The two rendered images are then just 'faded' together in Photo-paint for that IKEA paper instruction sheet look!. heh.

[ratty redemption]

very nice render.

[ratty redemption]

wip images of an alien jellyfish i'm modeling in blender 2.62

images 009-017, or there abouts, show just the mesh, which started as 1/8 (45 degrees) of the overall diameter, with the remaining 7/8 sections being duplicated with mirror modifiers. the last of these images also shows the merged sections, uv seams and my uv test pattern to check for stretching and uv scaling, relative to each uv island.

the next set of images will hopefully either be test renders of the materials and lighting, or my wip of the rigging. the animated creatures will become part of an abstract animation, which i'll most likely upload to youtube, i'll then post links to my currently empty youtube channel.

edit: i forgot to mention i used 100% quads, which i'm still trying to get used to.

[ratty redemption]

[ratty redemption]

last 3 images of this set:

[kat]

Not sure how realistic a representation you're after there Ratty but the tentacles of jellyfish tend to originate from the central mass.. where you've got them they'd be problematic for propulsion (they'll be a pain to animate as well without looking a little odd - you might have additional issues with 'seams' if you make the jelly transparent because you'd have to figure out how to hide the join between body and tentacle). Other than that, pretty interesting.

[ratty redemption]

thanks for the advise kat. previous to beginning the modeling i had studied several videos on youtube of how real jelly fish were constructed and propelled themselves. so i had made the conscious decision to have my tentacles growing out of the dome area, partly to emphasize these are alien, but i hadn't considered it being problematic for the reasons you drew my attention to.

i'm currently watching some more video tutorials on rigging in 2.62 as it's several years since i first attempted to rig and animate a model with bones. if when i next work on my model, i run into too many problems i'll simply relocate the tentacles as you suggest.

any more advise is welcome as always.

[ratty redemption]

thanks to kat, i decided to test the tentacles being attached to the inner part of the creature, and i think i prefer this version. plus it looks more like an earth jellyfish, which can't be a bad thing.

the last image shows the uv stretching which i forgot to test previously, i'm reasonably pleased with the results of that so far.

[kat]

When you concept ideas up they generally have to have some grounding in what we understand as reality. If the tentacles were attached to the outer rim they would result in 'drag', they would likely make movement impracticable, because if you think about the motion, the outer carapace moves a large distance in order to push the 'fluid' out from under it in enough volume to create the necessary forward motion. This would mean if the tentacles draped some distance behind they would potentially suffer 'stress' due to the amount of movement they're be required to do to 'catch up' as they are forcibly pulled thru the 'fluid' the creatures is swimming through. That's why the generally attach to the body mesh, it leaves them free to dangle and drape behind without causing problems for forward motion.

That's a long winded way of saying 'where' they are placed isn't so much important as 'why', one could imagine creatures living on gas planets being structured in similar ways to the way they are on earth simply through the practicalities of fluid dynamics - shapes may change due to differences in 'fluid' density, but would that necessarily mean they would be that vastly different in principle of motion?.

Interesting creatures jellyfish .. lol

[ratty redemption]

very cool, i recently watched a couple of short documentaries on jellyfish and those didn't explain how the creatures actually propelled themselves, so what you said makes a lot of sense, thanks very much kat.

also my jellyfish 'swim' in both liquid and gas, as in the case of my first animation, where i've already rendered the back grounds, based on some previous abstract art i did years ago using psychedelic procedural generated clouds in blender. i might oneday recreate the gas/clouds with particle physics but for now i'm just faking it, he he.