Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with modeling

Help me build the Enterprise!

kbanas — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:05:33 -0800

I'm building a model and I have a few questions about applying decals. I have a bit of experience with this, but could use some pointers for my specific issue. Read on! So, I'm now on my second attempt to build the 19" AMT version of the Starship Enterprise (NCC-1701). You know, this one.

I ruined the first kit but learned enough in the process that a couple months later I went out and bought it again in the hopes that I could finish the deal.

This is the fourth model I've tackled since I got into the whole scene about six months ago, just so you have a gauge for my level of technical know-how. I am not a guru by any stretch of the imagination, but I do have a little bit of experience at this point with pretty much all aspects of plastic model building.

So, my question is largely one of technique. Soon (I hope) I will finally be to the point where it's time to put decals on my Enterprise. I went out and ordered a custom set of decals from CultTVMan.com and I really want to make sure things look sharp. I have bottles of decal setter and decal softener and I have used these in the past and have been pretty pleased with the results.

However, the Enterprise is really one of the first models I've built where I want to pay really excellent attention to symmetry. For example, the "NCC - 1701" decal that goes across the saucer (see here) and the "racing stripe" that goes on the warp nacelles (see here) - I'm trying to think of how would I go about ensuring that when I apply these decals I do more than just eyeball them, because I could see that turning out really poorly.

However, all my ideas seem to involve making small guide markings on the hull of the ship with like pencil or little pieces of tape and this all seems very convoluted and I am unsure that I will have success and so I wonder - for those of you who do any kind of modeling is there any technique you've found that works particularly well?

Thanks!

What 3D software do I use for Architectural models suitable for 3D printing?

Yellowbeard — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 13:19:50 -0800

Hey all. Similar questions to this have been asked, but I think my formulation is unique. I am trying to model some stone walls for architectural models. I need the stone texture to show up in 3D so it will print on a 3D printer. I am not sure what the best 3D software to use for this application. I started out using Blender, but after many hours of use, while I can build some basic shapes, I can't get the textures right. I am beginning to think that learning Blender in order to make the simple shapes I want is like learning Linux in order to try and write a letter to grandma.

I also tried Rhinoceros, but have bumped up against the same basic problem. While I can figure out how to make basic shapes, I am having a real problem getting textures mapped on to them. It is important to note that the textures must be "real" 3D as opposed to mapped on jpegs. The texture of the stone must actually print in a stereolithography machine.

Anyway, I am not even sure what the right questions to ask are, much less which software is right or how to go about doing what I want to do. I am willing to do the work to learn the appropriate program(s), but, at this point, don't even have a clue as to which path to start down.

Hell, the right thing to do might be to just hire the work done. Then again, if I want to make changes later, I can't make them myself.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Btw, I am male, using Windows XP pro in a PC. I can be contacted via the e-mail address listed on my MeFi page.

YB

good research materials on the subject of electric cars, 3d modeling and/or entrepreneurship?

groovinkim — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:40:29 -0800

good research materials on the subject of electric cars, 3d modeling and/or entrepreneurship? my boyfriend is the son of a mechanic and dreams of starting his own electric car company (not for the everyday consumer, more like higher end sports cars). he does a lot of online research. he's very intelligent and relatively knowledgeable about cars, engineering, etc. when he gets that dreamy look in his eye and starts rambling about the technical specifics i usually don't understand a word he says. his feelings were hurt initially because i was skeptical about the project. he has viable ideas, but he's more of an archetype of a creative genius/professor than a pragmatic businessman. but i do think that his business has potential.

his birthday's coming up relatively soon, and i'd like to help him by getting him some books and magazines on related subjects.

some things i can think of that i could possibly get him reading materials about:

- electric cars in general. manufacturing processes, the market overall, engineering of them, etc.

- 3d modeling. he's mentioned that he plans on acquiring dual lcd monitors, a 3d scanner and whatever else he needs to make clay models. i don't want to buy him any of that stuff (not that i could afford it anyway) because i'm sure he's very specific in what he wants/doesn't want and probably already has his software of choice picked out. but if there are good books or magazines for a beginner, that could be useful.

i'd much rather have him rent or share a workstation somewhere here in seattle than invest a bunch of money in equipment, but he's weirdly paranoid about using public workstations and the slight possibility of his designs getting disseminated without his knowledge. i really doubt that would happen but haven't been able to successfully talk him out of his paranoia. i'd really like to find local people doing it that would be willing to talk to him about it so he doesn't accidentally buy something crappy, but if there's a consumer reports type magazine that covers related products that could potentially help.

- starting a business, specifically the economic aspects (licensing, getting funding, attracting investors, patent laws and copyright laws, etc.) i do sales/marketing for a voip company currently. although it's not my passion in life and i plan on switching careers, i think i can help advise him on marketing, networking and related topics. but i know nothing about starting a business... i've always worked for other people's small/midsize companies.

also, if anyone happens to know about related college or non-credit programs in seattle, that'd be of interest too. he's currently a programmer making a good living but he never finished his bachelor's. he preferred teaching himself. although he's generally good at self-education, i really feel like it'd be helpful for him to get hands-on experience with 3d modelling, advice from someone knowledgeable on the subject etc. while i don't think you need a degree in business to start one, i've also seen several friends start small businesses that were great ideas that failed miserably. my outside opinion is that they failed in part due to lack of sufficent research/knowledge.

i also feel the need to include a rambling offtopic paragraph about how i <3 metafilter. i work full time and go to school full time so i don't have much time to spend here, but it inspires me that there are still little pockets online where intelligent people communicate in a usually-respectful way. i'm sad that there was no seattle meetup and i didn't have time to organize one myself.

Now...In 3-D!

mattdidthat — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:10:00 -0800

With what imaging software was the new Sci-Fi Channel logo created? The logo looks like it was built from cardboard or HD polyurethane foam and then photographed, but I'm certain it's not that simple, and I don't think its creators used Photoshop--I think they used a 3-D modeling program. Note the different lighting effects and shadows here, and here.

What 3-D modeling programs would I use to create those effects? Are they compatible with Illustrator CS4? I'm on a Mac.

What are your favorite ABM resources?

proj — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 14:49:27 -0800

Looking for the best resources for learning about agent-based modeling and social science simulation. What are your favorite resources (online or offline, though online would be a nice start) for agent-based modeling and social science simulation? I have a small amount of experience with C++ (and Pascal way back in high school), though it was over 10 years ago when I took the classes, but I'm comfortable with the idea of programming. I'm comfortable with learning a new programming language but want to maximize my efforts.

Googling has produced a number of results but I'm curious if anyone feels there are especially good resources out there. Syllabi would even be nice if they include readings as well as "labs" that I could use as practice.

There's no great urgency for learning this; I'm merely trying to acquire it as a skill before I finish graduate school.

A (3D) Model Education

PaulingL — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 11:03:32 -0800

ChemistryFilter: How can I use a molecular model that was given to me to learn about the wonders of chemistry? I was given a molecular model set for Christmas.

Basically, I have a strong interest in chemistry/biochemistry, and hope that I can go through some exercises with this set to learn more about chemistry.

Any ideas?

I would love to be able to become better at "picturing" certain molecules, bonds, etc.

My chemistry knowledge is quite basic so I have a lot to learn. Even small things have helped thus far. For example, I made a model of ethyl alcohol and it really put into perspective just as to why some atoms are terminal and why some aren't.

Thanks!

Someday, I'll be a real modeler...

xiaolongbao — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:00:57 -0800

How can I master financial modeling? I'm a first-year analyst at a small investment bank. We had internal training in financial modeling (rather than contracting to an outside firm for classroom training), and I left feeling confused and wanting to really grasp it. Although I majored in finance and have an IT background, I never had the opportunity to really build a model from scratch myself. I'm interested in learning to build DCF, M&A, and LBO models. My grounding in accounting is relatively solid, though a bit of review wouldn't hurt.

I've been looking into courses in my area (NYC) and they seem to run $2,000 or so a course. I'd try to teach myself, but I have a short attention span, relatively limited free time, and am not sure I could seriously dedicate myself to learning without professional instruction. I'd also like to wipe it out over the course of a few weekends, so the courses seem ideal in that regard due to their compressed format.

So, should I bite the bullet and shell out $2K for each course (each teaching one concept, like just DCF, or just Public Comps), or are there other alternatives I should be considering? Thanks!

Baby baby, I'm taken with the notion...

Spyder's Game — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:05:19 -0800

My one-year old is a beautiful kid. Really. Should we try to get him into modeling or acting? I want to hear the good and the bad. I know, I know - EVERYONE'S kid is the most gorgeous child around. So, just assume that I'm telling the unvarnished truth, and that he's a very good looking baby. I know this, because people routinely stop us on the street and tell us so. Not in a "hey, they've got a kid, I, a complete stranger, should say something nice." way, but in a totally unsolicited, they're just moved to say something way.

So, the wife and I have talked about putting him in front of a camera to see how it works out. Modeling, acting, whatever. We live in Burbank, and know a good amount of people in show biz, but none who know anything about kids modeling or acting.

We want to try it out and see if it works for him. If he seems to enjoy it, we'll keep going. If he hates it, we're done.

So, any experiences that you all have had with this, good or bad? How would we even start? I would love to hear your opinions.

Is it possible to buy off content owners in the adult entertainment business?

Anonymous — Sun, 18 May 2008 05:18:12 -0800

I want to help a friend get some nude photos removed from the 'net before they cause real damage. A classmate desperate for tuition money recently posed for a large portfolio of nude photographs. The photographer runs a largish, profitable erotic amateur model site, and has made the photos available online both in his free sample area and for paid subscribers. These photos will ruin my friend's (soon-to-be) career should they ever become public knowledge, and she hasn't told a soul at school except me.

I told her I would have been happy to loan her the money had she told me beforehand that things were so bad, but since she's already been paid I'm wondering if the photographer might be amenable to bribery. If I offer to pay him to remove the photos, do my fellow MeFites think your average semi-pro pr0n-monger might spring for it? He is local to me and has a real-world presence, so I know who and where he is. Cost is no object, but if I'm going to open negotiations then I'd like to know what kind of damage I might be in for. Or do we just wait and hope that nothing ever comes of it?

Oh, the dilemmas of youth!

liquorice — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 23:20:59 -0800

I’ve been asked to try out for a modelling agency, sounds pretty sweet, right? Unfortunately, the only person not supportive of the idea is me. How do I convince myself that this may be a good idea? One day, while waltzing along singing tra-la-la between classes at uni - that's college to some of you - I was approached by a woman bearing business cards for a modelling agency. She told me she was scouting for an agency that had recently moved to Melbourne, and that I was "just beautiful". After a five minute chat, she'd explained how it would work. If I was interested, she would set up a coffee or dinner meeting with the heads, who would basically look me up and down and ask me whatever questions they had, before moving to the next step.

Now, I've received compliments about my looks, and I've been told more than once - not just by family - that I should or could be a model. Caveat: I don’t actually believe these two things are related. I do not find models attractive but they are, on the whole, tall and skinny. I happen to be tall and skinny but I realise taking on something like this will impact on my esteem, anyway. So this does seem like an intriguing and possibly fun prospect, but it's about now that I should mention that I am deeply self-conscious and insecure about my looks. Being looked over by people who will no doubt nitpick every aspect of my appearance won't do me any wonders, and being in some kind of clothing catalogue where any person can look upon and judge me - in my mind, always harshly - certainly won't either.

At the same time, this could be an excellent opportunity to boost my self-esteem and overcome the issues that plague me on a daily basis. Maybe even become comfortable in my own skin and as a person. It may sound like I’m jumping the gun, they haven’t, after all, even said I’m suitable but I don’t even know if I could handle a meeting!

So I'm conflicted. Could this be a great opportunity I shouldn't ignore, or will it end up with me in the foetal position on the floor? Is there a good chance this could severely damage the level of self-esteem I already have? Do you know of anyone, perhaps a bit insecure, who has benefited from doing some modelling work? I've tried dealing with the identifiable aspects of my life that have caused these insecurity issues, but to little or no avail. Could this then be a healthy step for me, or should I just enjoy the fact that I was even asked and keep it as a story for when I’m old and grey?

I don’t wish for this to turn into a discussion about my lack of healthy self-esteem. I realise this is something I need to work on but it’s not something I wish to deal with in a public forum. I do want to emphasise, however, that this more than just a “I have the occasional bad hair day” thing. It has been suggested before that may I have BDD.

What Happend to 8th & Ocean?

ThePinkSuperhero — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 20:22:26 -0800

Why was MTV's 8th and Ocean only on for one season? The show was, presumably, popular- it was rerun a lot on MTV while it was on, and season one was released to DVD. And there was some talk of a second season. But it never happened (and according to the TWOP forums, after the season finale, they stopped running reruns of the show). Why was the show cancelled? Was there ever any news on this? I looked on Google; even the Television Without Pity forums provided little information. So what's the scoop? Feel free to e-mail me on the topic at any point in the future.

pop my ride

Hands of Manos — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 19:21:39 -0800

I want to teach myself 3d modeling and am looking for the easiest package to learn that is closest to Adobe Illustrator. I want to teach myself 3d modeling. I'm proficient in Adobe Illustrator and traditional drawing however I would like to add that z axis to my work.

I've tried Z Brush, Cinema 4d, Strata, Poser and Sketchup. All of these work sort of well, but there comes this learning curve that is beyond my means. I've got a book for Cinema 4d but its written in so much odd jargon that it loses me

I've considered giving Maya and 3ds Max a try however for some reason they frighten me.

Lastly, please GOD do know I'm not trying to do a shameless plug for my artwork but only trying to give an example, I'm trying to make this (link) into, say, something like Pixar's look. Also, I'm limited to books in my area so online tutorials are a plus.

So does anyone have any ideas?

How extensively are professional magazine photos retouched?

zembla3 — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 12:33:40 -0800

How extensively are professional modeling photos retouched (i.e., those in Vogue and similar publications)? I've heard that this is a common practice, but I'm curious as to how much the photos are altered from the original image. Was this possible before the advent of Photoshop?

3D Charts/Graphs in OSX

AMP583 — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 08:22:34 -0800

Help me create awesome 3D graphs/charts in OS X. I am part of a small graphic design firm that is looking to create 3D graphs, charts, etc on OS X for use in print, web and other media. Excel doesnt allow enough customization and outputting to Illustrator via bitmap doesnt do me any good since i need a high-resolution graph for print. Illustrator graphs/charts but i need a program that will allow me to create more substantial/complex graphs like surface charts similar to topographical charts, radar graphs, etc. Any suggestions?

It's nekkid time!

Anonymous — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 21:22:53 -0800

How does a female break into non-pornographic nude modeling? As part of the process of growing more comfortable with my body, I would like to do a little nude modeling. Not porn, just modeling for a life-drawing class at a respectable institution. Is this a good idea? Has anyone had pertinent experiences? Who do I contact? Will I sound like a freak for emailing a professor "Will you let your students draw me naked?" Have you ever had awkward run-ins with students outside of class--"Hey, I done drawn you in yer burfday suit!" Thanks!

I'm interested in trying modeling. Are there any options for a 28-year-old woman?

cadge — Sat, 14 Oct 2006 19:53:45 -0800

I'm interested in trying modeling. Are there any options for a 28-year-old woman? At the risk of getting all Vainfilter, people in my life have sometimes asked if I have ever thought of doing modeling. I'm 5'8", and I think I have the figure/legs/posture to try it. My skin's not the best, which is the main reason why I never really looked into it, but that's clearing up now thanks to meds.

Now I'm 28, though, and I get the impression that this is pretty much "senior citizen/don't bother" in model-years.

Does anyone know anything about modeling? Should I not bother, or are there options I'm not aware of? Are there any resources where I could learn more?

get my mac on?

slipperywhenwet — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 18:12:49 -0800

Apologies for yet another mac vs pc question, but... I haven't really been able to find detailed and recent information about the current scene.

I'm an architecture and design student, so I use a lot of fairly intensive software -- the standard adobe stuff (photoshop, illustrator, indesign, a bit of premier), but also a lot of modelling programs (Rhino, 3dMax, autoCad) and a wee bit of Processing and other coding/visualization work.

Given that I tend to do a lot of graphics stuff, is going with one of the 17" iMacs a mistake? I know I'd have to use the modeling/CAD software in windows.

As far as I can tell, the iMac that I'd want (2Ghz processor, 1GB ram, Radeon X1600 card), at about $1400 + tax is a touch more expensive than a fairly equivalently spec'd out PC -- what kind of performance can I expect?

I'm less concerned about the Adobe products, as according to this
a universal versions of all those can reasonably be expected to appear sooner or later, but am I going to be taking a hit to my ability to do 3d modeling and CADing?

learning to model

delmoi — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 04:17:23 -0800

I'd like to learn basic 3-d modeling. Right now I have 3-d studio max r4. Are there any good online tutorials or guides that go over the basics. A little background: I've been doing a lot more 2-d art lately but one of my biggest stumbling blocks has always been arbitrary shape perspective. Like, I can draw simple primitives like a cylinder or a cube or whatever but not any sort of curved shape like a face, or a flame, or a car or, well anything not composed of primitives.

So I figured rather then teaching myself to do that right away, I'd just learn to create meshes in 3ds max. I have an old copy of r4, which seems to work pretty well, but I don't have the tutorial CD that goes with it.

I know it's possible to create these sorts of objects in max pretty easily, but what's the best way to go about learning how to do it? I have sort of a feel for max, like I know how to create primitives, stretch them, combine them with Boolean operations, etc but that doesn't really get me anything I couldn't do before.

As a side note, I may be able to get a copy of Maya (version 5) sometime soon. Are the two programs similar enough that skills picked up in one would be transferable to another? Is Maya 5 much more powerful then 3ds max r4? Would it be worth holding off learning Max in favor of Maya? (not that I want to start a flame war here :)

Need links to free 3d models for architecture

Dean Keaton — Sat, 01 Oct 2005 13:37:23 -0800

I am in need of 3D models to use in architecture renderings. Since I am a starving student, free is the only price I can pay! I have been to 3dlinks.com and 3dcafe.com but their selection is.... crap. Thanks for the help.

Need help researching modeling agencies...

ieatwords — Fri, 23 Sep 2005 16:29:23 -0800

I'm researching how to start a modeling agency. An actual agency, not a "pay us a fee and we'll make you famous" scam. I have some industry experience but I need to know about a few fundamentals. 1. Who are the modeling agencies direct clients? Is it the designer (i.e. Guess, Christian Dior, etc.) or is it an ad agency? 2. Who pays the models, the agency or the company that a model does work for? I'm assuming agencies take a percentage or a fee. 3. Any other basic insight you can provide into starting a modeling agency? Thanks for your help!

decision tree maker software?

Kwantsar — Thu, 22 Sep 2005 15:14:28 -0800

The best free or supercheap decision tree software? I don't have a lot of time to learn to use it, and I'll need it (probably) for only a few weeks, so ease of use is more important than features. A nice-looking output is a bonus.

Free/Open Physics modeling software

kuatto — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 18:30:52 -0800

I am looking for free physics software (as in beer *or* speech) to model motion of a solid object in 3D. More specifically, I am looking for a package of java classes or other low level constructs that I can extend myself. Any Ideas? If no freeware exists is there any good commercial software packages out there? I would prefer freeware though. Thanks.

Virtual Cities

b1tr0t — Thu, 10 Feb 2005 00:50:27 -0800

Are there any consumer-grade virtual city products out there? Back in '92 or '94, it seemed obvious that an impossibly costly but "killer" internet app would be a click-to-nav 3D city, built out of photographs of an actual city. Games like Grand Theft Auto and Katamari Damacy demonstrate that it could be done if you subset the city properly and keep the models simple enough. Has anyone done this at the retail leve, or research level? I'm looking for something that is more like version 3.0 of maps.google.com and less like Snow Crash. Bonus points for something better than craigslist and citysearch for someone contemplating moving to a new city.

I like to model.

lkc — Mon, 04 Oct 2004 22:06:31 -0800

looking for a simple 3d-modeler [--->] I am trying to find a simple 3d modeling program for my dad who is a paper and pencil artist (i.e. not super tech-savvy). Mostly something to be able to move a simple model of a person around and view it at different angles. I have the personal edition of maya, but that is definite overkill. Rendering and textures are not important, just a playfield to be able to work with a few premade models would be enough. Any suggestions?

Child Modeling

cedar — Wed, 25 Aug 2004 20:50:06 -0800

Kids, modeling and a confused father. I'm going to try this in a concise paragraph... on preview, forget it (more inside). I have good looking kids, emotive and bright (seven, nine and twelve - a girl and two boys respectively) and have been approached by an agency that would like to explore advertising and modeling work for them. I live in the woods but I'm not a bumpkin. I have family involved in various media related fields and have done a bit of research and by all indications this is a legitimate offer by a reputable firm. It's not as though I'm contemplating loading the brood into the family Truckster and heading out to the big city for fame and fortune. This isn't about paying for crappy headshots.

I should mention that I'm not particularly advertising or corporate friendly by nature but also don't want to arbitrarily blow off something that could be an enlightening and educational expierience for them. The potential money isn't a big factor, I know the odds and am not at a place in life where I need to be particularly mercenary.

I was wondering if anyone had any expierience with the fascinating business of kid pimping?