IT, Linux and other Open Source Software Discussion

[shiv]

I notice that this topic was in the now dead GDF and I am restarting it here for purely selfish reasons.

I want to learn 3D modeling and am labouring through some very nice Blender tutorials. But Blender is too toooooo powerful for my needs and will take some getting used to..

In the meantime I have found another Open Source and practically unknown software called "Wings3D". This seem to be something that:
1. Comes down to my idiot level
2. seems to be doing things that I want.

Has anyone used it?

Let me explain. I don't want to create new 3D shapes. I am not going to remake Avatar.

I want to take three (front, side and back) silhouette of an aircraft, place them on x, y and z axes and built a virtual 3D model of a plane. Is that possible at all?

[jamwal]

Have you watached any video tutorials ?

[sandy]

https://arstechnica.com/information-tec ... sdropping/
Serious flaw in WPA2 protocol lets attackers intercept passwords and much more
KRACK attack is especially bad news for Android and Linux users.

[Marten]

Shiv saar, thanks for this thread. Shall ask someone in the field and get back. Don't hold your breath though -- most of the 3D chaps that are in my friend circle are pricey. Staring at wireframes all day must have some effect.

[shiv]

Have you watached any video tutorials ?

I am watching a series of 25 videos. I have done the first 7-8 with many repeats - and they are very good. I will get somewhat familiar with blender eventually - but I am looking for a very limited capability and trying to see if there is a short cut.

[shiv]

In my mind I can picture a 3D grid with an aircraft in it. In my mind I can see myself numbering each point that corresponds to something on the aircraft - something like X1, Y7, Z12. If I can build this grid on a computer screen and join up the points I would have wire mesh of the aircraft. But to learn 3D modeling I have to wipe out what is in my mind and learn what the computer program understands. That is the problem

In fact I believe I could build such a grid using 3 x 2 dimensional silhouettes. But the language and jargon used in software is so different...

[A Nandy]

I notice that this topic was in the now dead GDF and I am restarting it here for purely selfish reasons.

I want to learn 3D modeling and am labouring through some very nice Blender tutorials. But Blender is too toooooo powerful for my needs and will take some getting used to..

In the meantime I have found another Open Source and practically unknown software called "Wings3D". This seem to be something that:
1. Comes down to my idiot level
2. seems to be doing things that I want.

Has anyone used it?

Let me explain. I don't want to create new 3D shapes. I am not going to remake Avatar.

I want to take three (front, side and back) silhouette of an aircraft, place them on x, y and z axes and built a virtual 3D model of a plane. Is that possible at all?

I have used Maya and Blender for 3D design using the 3 side planes and ortho views you mentioned. Its a lot of fun once you get over the initial learning curve. I was using Blender to propose an idea to the railways for new freight vans. Animations and everything included: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaveR471LaQ

Let me know what you need and we can try it out. The concepts should carry over to Wings3D too.

[abhijatT]

Sirji if you just want to have some fun , try Simpleplanes , but it is more of game.

Sent from my SM-A700FD using Tapatalk

[Tanaji]

Anyone has any experience of using pfsense? Did you buy an appliance our reuse an old desktop? The latter seems expensive from a power consumption standpoint. There are quite nifty appliances available but they are expensive...

Also what use cases are you running with it? I just want to play with it to see what can be done with it...any suggestions on how to get it cheaply running? I suppose VMs is the answer but then you have to build an entire network which is a hassle...

[AbhishekC]

Shiv saar, thanks for this thread. Shall ask someone in the field and get back. Don't hold your breath though -- most of the 3D chaps that are in my friend circle are pricey. Staring at wireframes all day must have some effect.

That is so bludy true.

When I was in this field, the graphic designers used to charge upwards of Rs 3000 per second (of flash programming!).

The colleague of mine to who I asked to do something for me came back with the question - can you afford me? As if he was some high end prostitute negotiating a service.

[AbhishekC]

Shiv,

Hats off to you for trying to learn 3D on your own. Have you tried RhinoCeros? I found it easier than Blender. Blender has a contextual interface, which means it changes in response to what you are doing. That's what made it confusing for me. If you want to stick to it, I would suggest getting basics of 3D in place before attempting it, as you would understand the stage of 3D design you are in - so you will understand Blender interface better.

If you want to do only airplanes, why don't check out some Flight Simulator download from torrent? FS is not sold anymore. So hopefully it is not illegal to download it off torrent now I believe FS had an airplane designer. But not sure.

[jamwal]

Shiv saar, thanks for this thread. Shall ask someone in the field and get back. Don't hold your breath though -- most of the 3D chaps that are in my friend circle are pricey. Staring at wireframes all day must have some effect.

That is so bludy true.

When I was in this field, the graphic designers used to charge upwards of Rs 3000 per second (of flash programming!).

The colleague of mine to who I asked to do something for me came back with the question - can you afford me? As if he was some high end prostitute negotiating a service.

Why do you expect a friend or colleague to work for free ? The hardware and software costs lakhs in addition to very expensive training and very skilled time consuming work.

I find this attitude of people taking offence on being asked for payment very cheap and lala chaap like.

[AbhishekC]

Why do you expect a friend or colleague to work for free ? The hardware and software costs lakhs in addition to very expensive training and very skilled time consuming work.

I find this attitude of people taking offence on being asked for payment very cheap and lala chaap like.

The upshot is that I learnt to do it myself. Flash programming is not difficult to learn. It is prima donna attitude of that colleague that was hilarious. He is still a friend BTW. It was not the fact that he was expecting to be paid, it was the price, because what he was doing was not very difficult and the software he was using were all pirated.

I guess you can't get over the fact that I am anti Modi that makes you adopt an attitude like this.

[jamwal]

I dont know nor care if you are pro or anti Modi.

[shiv]

Shiv,

Hats off to you for trying to learn 3D on your own. Have you tried RhinoCeros? I found it easier than Blender. Blender has a contextual interface, which means it changes in response to what you are doing. That's what made it confusing for me. If you want to stick to it, I would suggest getting basics of 3D in place before attempting it, as you would understand the stage of 3D design you are in - so you will understand Blender interface better.

If you want to do only airplanes, why don't check out some Flight Simulator download from torrent? FS is not sold anymore. So hopefully it is not illegal to download it off torrent now I believe FS had an airplane designer. But not sure.

I will look at RhinoCeros. Maybe it's too early but I feel I am getting somewhere with Blender. The most difficult part is to remember the controls (so far). But I do want to do 3D animations - in a limited way. I might as well put in the effort required. I have done some rudimentary 2D animations using Synfig Studio but 3D is the way to go.

Flight Sim part is not something I had thought of.

[shiv]

I find myself plodding along on Blender. I have constructed 3/4 of a MiG 21. But creating the cockpit is a real bugger. I can create an approximate one. Hey maybe this is the wrong thread. Maybe a separate thread on 2D/3d modelling?

I might do that if I can find an alternative image hosting site other than Photobucket which has become faltubucket for me now.

[Vayutuvan]

Blender is not good for that kind of 3D cad work. You. We'd at least autocad or better still solidworks or Siemens plm, Catia or Pro-e.

Opencad or scad also might do the trick. Blender is definitely the wrong tool to use, IMHO.

[Vayutuvan]

Rhino is ok. Spaceclaim is another.

[shiv]

Blender is not good for that kind of 3D cad work. You. We'd at least autocad or better still solidworks or Siemens plm, Catia or Pro-e.

Opencad or scad also might do the trick. Blender is definitely the wrong tool to use, IMHO.

There is s huge $$ gap between the products you have named and Blender - which is an issue for me as a complete outsider in the field. I do know that almost any young person around has a non legal version of CAD or AutoCAD. That said I moved out of Windows 15 plus years ago.

The thing is that I am not looking to do AutoCAD work. I am simply looking at 3D models and animation where Blender seems to do fine as far as I can tell from demo videos.

[Raja]

If you are getting a hang of Blender and feel like its giving you what you want to see then stick to it. Otherwise give Rhino a try.

[shiv]

^^I think I will do that - credit must go to a series of very lucid informative videos on the Blender website which helped me come to grips with the basic modeling controls. Shading/Texture is another matter but I do want to do a small animation of a MiG 21 in flight, ugly as the model looks to me. I think it helps to have an aim - if I simply wanted to learn Blender I would never have been able to get this far. But I want to tell a story using 3D animation of aircraft. Not planning humans and animals.

[shiv]

My First Blender animation - a Brick MiG 21 being blown by the wind..
https://twitter.com/bennedose/status/926051441860517889

[jamwal]

Not bad at all for first effort.

Is there a good alternative for Lightroom ? Don't want to pay every month and is quite expensive anyway.

[chilarai]

I use darktable http://www.darktable.org/
sometimes i use rawtherapee as well http://rawtherapee.com/

YMMV ..i am not even a half amateur ..so i do not have a very high demands on my processing ...