Help! RealFlight Evolution Aircraft Design for newbs.

spykez

spykez

Member
Good day, all! I was wondering if there was an up to date series of tutorials on how to design aircraft for RF Evo.

Meant to try a while back several years ago and admittedly, I gave up, but I'd seriously want to try again. I know Boof69 posted a link to a PDF in 2020 but I was wondering if anyone else had other resources, especially for a nub.

I understand one needs a CAD software. 3DS Max? Fusion 360? Blender? What's the current recommended program. Thanks for such beginner questions.

Basically, I think for my first project, I just want to stick some foam boards together, place some control surfaces, a speedy and a motor and hope for the best, but the long term goal is to design or copy helis.

Thanks again all
 
3DS Max, Fusion 360, and Blender are all options and any other programs that can UVMap, set origins, parent/child relationships and export FBX files.

I personally use a combo of Wings3d and blender, both are free for non commercial use. I use wings3d to make the shape of the plane and UVMap then transfer it to blender and set origins, parent/child relationships and export FBX files.

some tutorials

RealFlight KEmax

forums.realflight.com forums.realflight.com
 
Thanks, I need to
legoman said:
3DS Max, Fusion 360, and Blender are all options and any other programs that can UVMap, set origins, parent/child relationships and export FBX files.

I personally use a combo of Wings3d and blender, both are free for non commercial use. I use wings3d to make the shape of the plane and UVMap then transfer it to blender and set origins, parent/child relationships and export FBX files.

some tutorials

RealFlight KEmax

forums.realflight.com forums.realflight.com
Click to expand...
Thanks so much for your reply! So prompt, I was just about to go to bed!

I was reading that link - forgive my ignorance and am a little confused. It says I can start with any program capable of editing 3d objects and but a final step to do with object relationships, I suspect, setting the CG and pivots (still trying to figure out what pivots are) have to be done in 3DS?

Or is the case that the advice in that link is dated and today this can this be done in Blender now as you write.

If Blender than I'm a happy person, as that may mean initially I may only need to learn one 3D creator app.

Has anyone yet (kindly) done a newbie friendly tutorial through all the baby steps needed?

If I recall correctly someone did a video on how to create an aircraft - not sure how long ago, probably more than five years ago I reckon, I just can't seem to find it on youtube.

My blender skills are rubbish but I suspect I may be able to extrude some simple polygons to get a straight wing monoplane with a conventional tail with a v-stab and 2 h-stabs - but how to put in 2 x ail, 2x ele and 1x rudder. not so sure.

Wondering in fact if it may be simpler to do a delta with a v-stab. even 2 elevons and getting it to fly with no rudder will be a simple start.

What do you think?
 
I found Boof69's thread the forum below:

RealFlight 9 - Designer's Corner

Discuss custom content creation for RealFlight 9
forums.realflight.com

I'll try and go through this as I've no access to 3DS at the moment. Not sure I can get a free educational trial for that nor fusion, there's some vetting procedure there seemingly.
 
Pivots in realflight are object origins. the CG of parts in rf is handled by the weights of assigned componets and the shape. eg if an obect is hollow at one end the the cg is baised to the other.

yes I use blender not 3ds max or fusion 360. If you have experience in a different modeling program you may be able to use it and skip aquiring blender. as long as it can UVMap, set origins, relationships, some way of seting the smoothing and and export FBX files.

3ds max used to be the only version when knifeedge had a dedicated exporter built for exporting KEX files (RF's 3d files format) but rf can now import FBX files (a standard 3d file) and make a KEX file.

here is a video tutorial it is super long so I have not watched it in a long time and am not sure how newbie friendly it is.
 
Thanks. I found this as well.


I need to try and understand this, and see can I do the same on Blender.

I suspect it may take me about a week (I know nothing about Blender).

I'll keep watching here and post if I find out anything new in the interim. Else if anyone has any great RF/Blender videos of relevance to this enterprise, be very grateful! THanks.
 

I found this interesting video on blender, someone may find it useful even though it's not quite real flight specific.

Frankly, this guy's foamies are pretty amazing given the budget he has, in my opinion.
 
Plopping this up here too. Clearly very introductory but I found it helpful. Maybe someone else might, too.

 
spykez said:
Thanks. I found this as well.


I need to try and understand this, and see can I do the same on Blender.

I suspect it may take me about a week (I know nothing about Blender).

I'll keep watching here and post if I find out anything new in the interim. Else if anyone has any great RF/Blender videos of relevance to this enterprise, be very grateful! THanks.
Click to expand...
is this blender?
 
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