Which software for Pivot creation?

gsjames

gsjames

Member
Is there any open source/ freeware software that can be used to create pivots? I have a 3D solid modeling CAD program (Shark FX) http://punchcad.com/products/sharkfx7.htm which can create the actual surface/solid model, but from what I am reading in the forums the only software which can be used to create the pivots is either 3DS Max ($3500) or DE (<$3500). Is that correct, or is there another piece of software that can be used for this purpose?

Thanks in advance, and I apologize if I've missed something in the threads before posting.
 
I've downloaded Blender and am studying the manual. I may have missed a reference in these forums that Blender is not only capable of 3d modeling (which I don't need) but is ALSO capable of creating pivot points. Is that correct? Thanks!
 
Yes, Blender can do your pivots. If you get it figured out, please post a tutorial here. Seriously.
 
jeffpn said:
Yes, Blender can do your pivots. If you get it figured out, please post a tutorial here. Seriously.
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It's THAT bad, huh? I'm going to see if I can do pivots in Shark FX before I try Blender, given what you are saying.
 
There have been people to use Blender. There's even some threads here about it. But I can't understand them. I'd love a flexible-style tutorial on doing pivots in Blender.
 
Attached is a zipped .3ds file of the basic layout of the SSC combat plane "Battle Axe". This is what I am using to learn on and besides there are no RCCA-type combat planes modeled as of yet.

Where to go from here?...
 

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The wife has to be at work at noon tomorow, so I can take here and meet you at Boys Ranch around about 12:40.
 
flexible said:
The wife has to be at work at noon tomorow, so I can take here and meet you at Boys Ranch around about 12:40.
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That sounds good to me. I don't have anything to fly, but at least it will give me a good excuse to go to Roy's Toys for Big Boys :)
 
Did you make this in Max or Wings. It is turned the wrong way. If you are working in Wings, I will bring my lap top with wings on it, I don't have Max on the lap top.
 

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flexible said:
Did you make this in Max or Wings. It is turned the wrong way. If you are working in Wings, I will bring my lap top with wings on it, I don't have Max on the lap top.
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Actually it was made with Shark FX which is a 3D CAD program that incorporates some special features for aircraft design and analysis. Although it appears to be turned around, and IS as far as Wings or Max is concerned, it was in fact made using the standard aerospace coordinate system. In that system, which is standard to the aerospace industry and aircraft design in general, +X is along the fuselage nose to tail, +Y is out the right wing and +Z is up. I can of course easily rotate the model to match any coordinate system, but I made this one using the coordinate system that I am most familiar with.


However, from looking at the screen shot that you posted, it looks like the export>import from Shark to Blender to .3ds turned the coordinates around.

Thanks for the catch. Looking forward to catching up with you tomorrow.
 
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jeffpn said:
For RF, +Z is aft, +Y is up. +X is right.
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Yipes! :confused: :mad: I'll have to think a little bit to figure out the rotation angles from standard aerospace coordinates to RF coordinates. Thanks Jeff!
 
That's the way Wings 3D works, anyway. In RF, the Y and Z are switched. I'm really not sure how Max handles axes. The worst that will happen once you import the plane into RF is that it may be upside down, sideways, or backward. You'll figure it out.
 
Welcome to forums.

Any friend of Flex's is a friend of ours. That is a nice looking Battle Axe. When you get it finish you'll have to fly against mine. (Work In Progress ) post 34 and 35 in this thread

I have worked with a lot of people trying to get there creation in to RF with all different programs. So far I have compiled a big list of program out that will not work. Where the problem comes in, is that program that you love to model in, have at work, or already own and want to use, cant export out a 3DS file that maintains the Hierarchy, Pivots, and texture structure what works properly in the Command line 3ds to Kex converter. The extra information gets stripped out during exporting. Some thing about NODE structure and blah blah blah..... Me being just a hobbyist I have no clue about that. I just love to play and try to work things out. I did DL you zip file and played with. Here is what I found

1. Fist off 21 197 polyies , Max Poly limit is 20 k ( way to much detail on the engine )

2. Model off axis, but your aware of this all ready. Flex posted a Pic of it loaded in 3d Max. ( below is a Pic of it loaded in Deep Exploration )

3 Model came in to Deep Exploration as one solid model. ( No grouping information came it with it so I guessing you exported it as one part or assembly. )

4. Pivots. Usually when I import in a model in to Deep Exp from other people, the Pivot point ( rotation point of a object) will be dead center of the mass or center the scene. I have even see pivots moved to the far boundary of the objects, ( like against a wall if the object was inclosed in a boundary box. Your model imported in with a Pivot point set on the engine propeller shaft. I'm up loading a picture to show you. If you tried to move it in your program to this location then you might be in luck for pivots points being transferred with the 3ds file properly

I would like to see you export the model again with all the major parts separated. L wing R wing L R aileron , Fuselage, model engine ( all small parts of the engine can be combined ) L and R Horz stab L & R elevator , V stab and Ruder.

If that program can place the parts in proper hierarchy and export them with pivots in place you all about 75 % there. Hope this info helps.


Terry.

Ps in Wings 3D there is a option we use to swap X and Y on exporting to a 3ds file, so we are not really modeling side ways.
 

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Have Put it into Blender,pointed it in the right direction & scaled it to 60" wingspan from 6".Culled 6594 Polys from original 21185(mostly doubles).Done some Re-Nameing & used Helpers to do Pivots on Ailerons.
Could not find CG published on Web to shift the origin to,just guessed.
Currently at 14591 polys (12218 being the motor&tank)it needed a ~CS_COLL mesh before Blender would spit out a Kex.Mapping still required.Good Luck. :)
*Delete .rfx & unzip
 

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jeffpn said:
There have been people to use Blender. There's even some threads here about it. But I can't understand them. I'd love a flexible-style tutorial on doing pivots in Blender.
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I can try to do a tutorial on creating a plane in Blender. I've used Blender (at home) and Max/AutoCAD/Visio (at work). A lot of things in Blender just make more sense.


Let me look at some Windows desktop recording software and see if I can do a screencast (or a few) on how to do a model.
 
If I recall, I understood the hierarchy in Blender. I like Wings for the model generation. If you could cover just the pivots moving and rotating using Blender, that's all I'd need. Thanks!
 
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