A few days ago someone I know in the maritime industry contacted me - He said that he'd like me to design the new look of his company's website. I said that my expertise are not known for building websites, but for 3D designing with AutoCAD... However that's exactly what he actually wanted - Something that will put his website in a different league! I said that what he is asking for is a very tall order (as I don't know how to build a 3D interactive website). Still, since he and I are good friends - I decided to give it a shot. Now since the company's website will be all about the maritime industry, I naturally started to envision floating ships everywhere! But since I felt very lazy, I decided to get 3D models of ships from the Internet (instead of creating everything myself in 3D, and that too from scratch). However, nowhere did I find models of ships that were to my satisfaction. Either they were too simplistic (as if a child had made them). Or they were of some vintage design (resembling the Titanic) - Until I came upon this webpage: http://www.turbosquid.com/3d-model/vehicle/vessel So the designs over here are really great! Fabulous actually, and reflecting the latest trends too! However when I looked at the price of each 3D design for sale up there - My head started to spin... Surely, if I put my mind to it, I also can create 3D models of ships that will be just as good (if not better)! So seeing the price listed on that page, was enough to motivate me into creating this: It right now isn't as complicated as the models available on that wedsite - But that's because this model of mine has just been created a few hours ago. I haven't had the time to put more detail in it. So if say I work on this for a week - Than surely my model will exceed the complexity of the ones that are up for sale over there... But still, I just can't believe their pricing - To call it a highway robbery would be a gross understatement... Moral of the story: Don't be lazy, specially not when it comes to something that we ourselves can make for free. Or else the world at large is only too eager to rob us blind. My ship in AutoCAD ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) My ship in AutoCAD 2 ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) My ship in AutoCAD 3 ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) My ship in AutoCAD 4 ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) My ship in AutoCAD 5 ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) My ship in AutoCAD 6 ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden )
I tried a bit of rudimentary 3D modelling on Blender many years ago S-H. I found it quite hard starting off so I can appreciate the work put into your ship model. Good work! Nice detail in the propeller and anchor.
Those look pretty good.... nice detail. I wouldn't have the patience to work on a single project for a week... so I admire your stick-to-it-ness.
As I am completely computer challenged I am in awe of your ability to design something that. Very impressive! (I had to look it up just to find out what Auto Cad was.)
I get what you are saying Frank, it's often not easy at first - However I took naturally to it, as I could always visualize engineering drawings from a very early age. I mean I knew what they meant, and how to read them. And that's only because as a toddler I was always playing with my father's engineering drawing instruments... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4xZmBpXIzQ Today's CAD software of course makes it very easy to draw objects in 3D. However the method to apply (of how to visualize everything as in our own minds as a concept at first) - Is exactly the same as how people make engineering draws. Basically a way of expressing a 3D design, on a 2 dimensional piece of paper... So once your mind is trained for that, using CAD software, be it AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Maya, or Blender - All become very easy, and a lot of fun too, and deeply satisfying to the core, (aside from giving a sense of achievement)! 8) In fact, if you ever feel like redesigning the entire page layout of the GarenStew, (this time in 3D), just let me know, as I'll be glad to do it for you! Actually this model of the ship was created in less then 20 minutes. But that's because I was doing it freehand, meaning that I drew it unrestricted, in a way that simply looked OK to my eye - I wasn't really conforming to any real world maritime standards of size and shape. Otherwise then it would have take a lot longer. But as for the detail, yes, if I do work on this for a week, then I can obviously match it exactly to any real world ship! Well, you may call yourself "computer challenged" - But I see someone like you as a person with potential! Someone who hasn't been spoiled by other people's useless notions, that you'll first need to unlearn in order to learnt this type of thing! However generally speaking, AutoCAD 3D (or any other designing/engineering software) is today used to save designing time. It really cuts it short by a lot, and we can easily work out any potential problems too, before even a tiny grain of materiel is used to create something like a prototype. So no need to make any wax or clay models today, just create it in any 3D CAD software, watch it from every angle, improve upon it, play with it (also see how much abuse it can take before it's breaking point arrives) - And so speed up your own creativity!
