Project Airbus – Talk

Post by **Alexis** » 04 Feb 2010, 01:39

Having a few days to rest between my exams, I thought of starting on another aircraft I like, to keep the rust off my joints. Don't worry, work on the 380 is not being set back

.
I have started and finished the fuselage shape today, still a lot to be done. Planned features I have in mind.
Exterior:
-Openable passenger doors
-Working airstairs
-Emergency mode: deployable exit chutes and emergency exit doors open
-Hopefully a basic wingflex
-Anything I can think of and learn to do in timely fashion
Interior:
-Full virtual cockpit and cabin (don't expect any FMCs)
-Wingview only model for the non-VC guys (how can you fly in 2D?)
-Perhaps some working luggage bins, lavatories, galleys and a couple of big screens (when flying it's nice to have a GPS or something to look at).

If FS9 can't handle all the polygons and features, I'm considering a port to FSX with all of these features (if I can get the textures to look right in there!) and a lighter FS9 version.

Texture artists needed!

Naturally I'll be working on it in my free time, when not studying or working on any PA project, so when it's done (shouldn't be very long though).

Post by **Tom Collins** » 04 Feb 2010, 07:18

So far so awesome!

Post by **GaryG** » 04 Feb 2010, 11:39

hey, good luck man

Atomic_13 · Post by **Atomic_13** » 04 Feb 2010, 11:54

Looks great

A321 · Post by **A321** » 04 Feb 2010, 14:06

Awesome !

Post by **Alexis** » 04 Feb 2010, 14:36

Fuselage moving on. Engines added, started their interior.

A321 · Post by **A321** » 04 Feb 2010, 20:41

Alexis, the best 717 Modell I've ever seen !

Please more Screenshots !

Best Regards,
Lukas

Jason9001 · Post by **Jason9001** » 04 Feb 2010, 22:44

Hey Alexis thats looks great :shock:

I think you will make the best 717 for FS...

One thing more now maybe you can help because i'm making a MD-8x famely and B717 and MD-8x have the same fuselage because i still have some problem with modelling the nose shape of the MD-8x...

:lol:

Post by **Alexis** » 05 Feb 2010, 04:01

Still pushing, I thought of working a bit on those jets. The inside is done. I still need to cut out the reverser fins and add the small details on it. Mapping it will be a pain in the arse...
Front of the engine:

Inside the engine, rear view:

The closed engine posing for a shot:

Jason9001 wrote:One thing more now maybe you can help because i'm making a MD-8x famely and B717 and MD-8x have the same fuselage because i still have some problem with modelling the nose shape of the MD-8x... :lol:

Well, the nose shape takes a lot of observation around your model. What I did was stop the fuselage right before the cockpit. Then build the ceiling and after that the windows by hand -tweaked a bit until I got them right. Afterwards I made a sphere with as many sides as the fuselage (48) and made the nose, extruding it towards the back, cutting anything I didn't need and fixing by hand.

A much simpler way would be to continue extruding the fuselage forward, simply following the 3-views and getting a correct shape w/o windows. Then Boolean-cut the window area and remake it by hand as it should be. This way, you'll get the shape properly, and only need a little tweaking (thought of that later). Be sure to rotate the view around the fuselage to make sure you got the shape right. Also take note of the cross-section of it.

You'll find accurate cabin cross-sections on documents around the web (I could e-mail you the one I use). The 717 has a double cross-section all the way until after the front door, where it gets simple (ellipsoid) and ends with the nose. On the back side, it goes elliptic after the engine base, and towards the back it gets more square, creating a flat triangle on each side of the tail as it reaches the back. Check photos on airliners.net and check the sun's highlights and reflections on the shape, you'll see that stuff clearly.

Jason9001 · Post by **Jason9001** » 05 Feb 2010, 10:07

It will be great if you could send

Can you please make the front part and post some images how to shape it will be more easy because sometimes its a bit hard to understand GMAX etc.

A321 · Post by **A321** » 05 Feb 2010, 15:15

FS9 AND FSX or FS9-Only or FSX-Only ?

Lukas

Post by **Alexis** » 05 Feb 2010, 15:25

FS9 for sure, FSX once I get the hang of exporting there. If FS9 can't handle all the polygons and textures I'll be throwing at it, I'll make an exterior+VC and exterior+WV version for FS9, and an exterior+full interior (cockpit, cabin and wings) for FSX.

I thought of giving it a try in FS9 to see how it would export and it looks OK. I still have some surfaces to smooth properly and a load of stuff to model for the exterior only. Already at about 25000 triangles, expecting it to hit FS9's limit easily, exterior-wise. With blue are the parts that will be moving, with red the static details.

Post by **GaryG** » 05 Feb 2010, 15:44

Is that a starwars space ship?

joking obviously, you`re proceeding fast... a sign of countless hours of experience.

Keep it up

Atomic_13 · Post by **Atomic_13** » 05 Feb 2010, 16:00

PAIRBUSBEST wrote:Is that a starwars space ship?

It's flying using The Force

Techmen · Post by **Techmen** » 05 Feb 2010, 17:06

one way you can save on polygons is to not have a virtual cabin visible in the exterior model, im not a fan of modelled in windows because you can't customize them at all expecially if an airline has a non standard configuration

otherwise looks real nice so far.

Post by **Steve** » 05 Feb 2010, 17:32

Looking good!

A321 · Post by **A321** » 05 Feb 2010, 18:23

Great !

Post by **Alexis** » 05 Feb 2010, 19:55

Techmen wrote:one way you can save on polygons is to not have a virtual cabin visible in the exterior model, im not a fan of modelled in windows because you can't customize them at all expecially if an airline has a non standard configuration

otherwise looks real nice so far.

Indeed, but I want all the details on it. The configuration of the cabin is easy to change (for the modeler of course), but I don't think I'll be doing many of these. One with mixed and one with economy only. Hopefully tonight I'll give it some wings to fly with, once I'm done mapping the interior of the fuselage, the Force is not enough to keep an aircraft airborne (feeling a choke on my neck).

Post by **GaryG** » 05 Feb 2010, 19:59

Alexis wrote:the Force is not enough to keep an aircraft airborne (feeling a choke on my neck).

*coughs*

A321 · Post by **A321** » 05 Feb 2010, 20:55

Do you search a Painter ?

Post by **Alexis** » 05 Feb 2010, 21:07

It is still early, but yes, I am reaching out to people, to help me finish it.

A321 · Post by **A321** » 05 Feb 2010, 21:24

Allright

Post by **Steve** » 05 Feb 2010, 21:26

What ya need Alexis? You can reach me here or on facebook.

Post by **Alexis** » 06 Feb 2010, 02:23

The fuselage is mapped, and wing shapes finished. I need to cut out the gear bays, doors and control surfaces. Hopefully tomorrow I'll get some time off studying (it'll start again) to work on it a bit more.
Here's the wing's shape (still a WIP). If anyone has any good reference images, especially of the wingtips, link me.

And here's the wingroot, took me the whole night to implement on the fuselage properly and map it. The fuselage exterior is mapped and ready for texturing. I'll put a test livery on it, after I make the window glass.

A321 · Post by **A321** » 06 Feb 2010, 02:28

Awesome

nzeddy · Post by **nzeddy** » 06 Feb 2010, 10:17

Looks great so far.

Nice work Alexis.

groundwolf · Post by **groundwolf** » 06 Feb 2010, 12:19

Saaaaaaweeeeeeeeeeetttttttt !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

love it!!! now i wonder if i could fit this in my VA too hmmmmmmmm.... maybe LOL

Post by **Alexis** » 07 Feb 2010, 03:19

Finished modeling the fuselage interior and mapped most of it (not the cockpit area). Also unwrapped the fuselage. What is left to be done for it is add the gear doors and perhaps the stairway under the main door. I might add the tail exit as well, if the polycount allows me to.
Here's some shots of what the cockpit looks like from the outside.

And a shot of the empty cabin.

Tomorrow there won't be a lot of modeling time for me, so I might prepare some placeholder textures for it.

Post by **Steve** » 07 Feb 2010, 05:19

Holy crap! You're making good progress Alexis!

A321 · Post by **A321** » 07 Feb 2010, 12:55

Fantastic ! :!:

Post by **Alexis** » 07 Feb 2010, 15:18

Still spamming on the forum...
Corrected some shapes, mapped it and exported to FS for a test flight. Added the exterior model's cockpit as a VC to get a sense of scale in FS. Seems OK, but there are a more things to be added to the fuselage (and a couple of things to be fixed).
It scared the crap out of me because it wouldn't export, due to messing up something in Gmax.

Thomas · Post by **Thomas** » 07 Feb 2010, 15:55

very good!
lol, the project airbus: boeing 717

Post by **GaryG** » 07 Feb 2010, 16:00

Thomas wrote:very good!
lol, the project airbus: boeing 717

no no... this project is entirely from Alexis... it is in no way involved with PA.

Otherwise it would be in the previews

A321 · Post by **A321** » 07 Feb 2010, 16:24

Great Alexis, very good !

Tranceaddict · Post by **Tranceaddict** » 07 Feb 2010, 17:57

PAIRBUSBEST wrote:
Thomas wrote:very good!
lol, the project airbus: boeing 717
no no... this project is entirely from Alexis... it is in no way involved with PA.

Otherwise it would be in the previews

a very keen observation & therefore deduction. However this isnt the entire story yet

Post by **Alexis** » 07 Feb 2010, 18:42

Tranceaddict wrote:A very keen observation & therefore deduction. However this isnt the entire story yet

:lol:

Thomas · Post by **Thomas** » 07 Feb 2010, 18:56

sorry, i didn't know the model was affiliated with Project Airbus
either way, could this be an opening door for Project Boeing?
Who knows, given the standard of your models you could easily surpass the standard of Project Open Sky! :mrgreen:

Post by **Alexis** » 07 Feb 2010, 19:01

Thomas wrote:sorry, i didn't know the model was affiliated with Project Airbus
either way, could this be an opening door for Project Boeing?
Who knows, given the standard of your models you could easily surpass the standard of Project Open Sky! :mrgreen:

The 717 is my first attempt at making an exterior model for FS. It is good practise for me on all aspects (modeling, mapping, animations and XML coding) for any future PA projects I will be working on. That, and the fact that I have not found a complete and good 717 on the net led me to make my own. That's explanatory enough I guess. :mrgreen:
Regarding POSky's high standards, I hope I get up to these, or surpass them. That kind of competition can only bring higher quality stuff to FS. Thankfully, FS9 has a limit on how many details it can handle, so modelers don't go nuts by adding more and more.

Tranceaddict · Post by **Tranceaddict** » 08 Feb 2010, 13:46

and Alex definitely needs to stay within limits hehehehe

his detailing can easily go to the limit

Post by **GaryG** » 08 Feb 2010, 14:59

Tranceaddict wrote: However this isnt the entire story yet

Ok then, I would say that as far as I know.

A321 · Post by **A321** » 09 Feb 2010, 17:19

Any new Updates ?

Post by **Alexis** » 09 Feb 2010, 18:05

Due to exams, none.

A321 · Post by **A321** » 09 Feb 2010, 20:09

OK, Alexis

Post by **Alexis** » 10 Feb 2010, 20:14

I'll be staying up late tonight working on the 717. I have to get used to long nights because of the All-Star weekend.

Post by **Alexis** » 11 Feb 2010, 01:53

The nosegear took me quite some time so far. Tomorrow it should be done. Keeping the fuselage smoothing proper was the tricky part of things. The cuts around the gear bay messed up the mesh, so I had to create and position some vertices by hand to keep it smooth.

Post by **GaryG** » 11 Feb 2010, 07:19

Very nice job man.. keep it up as you always did.
Looks like the night shift paid off.

Post by **Alexis** » 11 Feb 2010, 10:49

PAIRBUSBEST wrote:Looks like the night shift paid off.

LMAO. It did, but went slower than I thought it would.

Post by **Alexis** » 23 Feb 2010, 15:22

I've carved some of the control surfaces on the wings. Completed the nose gear and started on the main gear. Progress is slow because I'm focusing on the 380. Can't wait to get my hands on the 717's VC!

Post by **GaryG** » 23 Feb 2010, 15:48

Thanks for this update. Even in priorities, there is the top most priority and the bottom priority.

Post by **Alexis** » 23 Feb 2010, 23:43

OK, I couldn't keep away, I'm a workaholic... Give me my water now!
Here's a shot of the finished rudder:

And here's a quick animation showing the wingflex action, as it should look in FS. Hopefully I'll get it working.
[youtube]soXSVkl0Stc[/youtube]