Swoopy 'Moustache' Seaplane

[kitflubber]

Daryl J.,

What are cheat lines?

I did some more work. I separated the flaps/aelerons, added actuators. Added turbine blades to the engine. I can't remember how to step and repeat transforms, had to rotate turbine blades by hand. Sigh.

[Daryl J.]

The black lightning stripe on the side of a Piper J-3 Cub is a cheat line.   Although getting to be a bit wide, the red stripe on the fuselage's side of a Raspberry Ripple aircraft is also a cheat line.  Basically, it's a thin stripe separating the two main colors that emphasizes the color's impact and adds visual interest.


HTH,
Daryl J., flumping about with a 'definition'

[kitflubber]

[quote 'Subdivision' algorithm is almost like painless PSR session (without groan, bitch and whine ).
Every sharp edge of the basic shape is 'sanded' by the algorithm and the process can be repeated until the shape is smoothed! 

The most popular is the Catmull–Clark algorithm.

[/quote]

ElectrikBlue:

You need to point out another fillip in this mess: you have to go in and select what EDGES and what VERTICES must remain 'hard,' that is, sharp. That's how you make the trailing edge of an airfoil sharp, rather than a blunted homogeneous mess, as Subdivision does by default. Don't even get me started on the arcana of hard vertexes and hard edges interacting badly. You figure it out with practice, like anything else.

[ElectrikBlue]

'Subdivision' algorithm is almost like painless PSR session (without groan, bitch and whine ).
Every sharp edge of the basic shape is 'sanded' by the algorithm and the process can be repeated until the shape is smoothed! 
The most popular is the Catmull–Clark algorithm.

ElectrikBlue:
You need to point out another fillip in this mess: you have to go in and select what EDGES and what VERTICES must remain 'hard,' that is, sharp. That's how you make the trailing edge of an airfoil sharp, rather than a blunted homogeneous mess, as Subdivision does by default. Don't even get me started on the arcana of hard vertexes and hard edges interacting badly. You figure it out with practice, like anything else.

Yes you are right, I was trying to explain the subdivision avoiding the vocabulary of a 3D modeler!

The possibility to add a weight to vertices and edges is a powerful feature of Strata software.
This feature helps to define creases and edges that have to remain sharp, 'weights' corresponds to the force exerted during virtual 'sanding'. 

[kitflubber]

Sorry Electrikblue, was mostly venting. I keep learning. So you worked on developing 3D software?

[kitflubber]

By the way, put on turboprops as an alternative, after see how cool looking a Bombardier 415 is!

[ElectrikBlue]

Ooooh... very nice turboprop version!
What you really need now is a decent rendering software to make enhanced quality pictures of all your beautiful planes!
Strata seems to be a good solution to build the models, but if you had the chance, try a rendering that supports features like Radiosity, Global Illumination or Final Gathering...
(most of time only available on very expensive software )

Sorry Electrikblue, was mostly venting. I keep learning. So you worked on developing 3D software?

Yes, I used to work on Computer Graphics since the mid 80's, but now 3D is just a hobby.
I learned a lot of things about surface modeling and rendering, that still are more or less useful!

[kitflubber]

Thanks, Electrikblue!

Well Strata has the advantage of being cheap, and it's what I use at work... I have ben doing raytracing on most renders to save time, but Strata does have Radiosity as well. Maybe I need a second computer just to  render, like we do at work.

[cthulhu77]

Dig the strakes, and actually like the prop version better than the jet.

[solidmodeler]

I think the prop version is great. Maybe with some swoopy blades. Like these...

http://aerosamara.com/airplanes/para/foto/8.jpg

[kitflubber]

I think the prop version is great. Maybe with some swoopy blades. Like these...

Ooooh, Like that! Or even more radical, like the Carter Copter Gyro plane -- it has flexible composite blades, shaped like scimitars.

http://www.cartercopters.com/cctd.html

Sorry here is the direct link to the props.

http://www.cartercopters.com/propeller_system.html

[solidmodeler]

I would love to see a Carter Copter in flight. What a machine.

[sequoiaranger]

IIRC, there was a character with a wavy mustache named something like "Snidely Whiplash" that was the nemesis of Dudley Do-Right of the RCMP.

Maybe you could have the seaplane in "villain black" being chased by a bright red, belted Mountie Hawker Typhoon (large chin) fighter!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dudley_Do-Right

[kitflubber]

Oh I loved that cartoon. There was a lot of sly humor that was not really for kids. The opening credits always had the supposed actors 'real names.' I remember Snidely was 'played by' Hickey Pimpleton, and Dudley by a gentleman named Fenton Fagg. I kid you not!

Good idea for the planes -- thought the Moustache plane is so feminine looking, maybe Penelope Pitstop would like to fly it.

[kitflubber]

If Penelope Pitstop had this plane, she'd probably do something like this to it.



http://images.google.com/images?q=penelope%20pitstop&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi