Hard Light Productions Forums
Off-Topic Discussion => Arts & Talents => Topic started by: Stunaep on October 03, 2003, 03:46:36 pm
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Why, oh why did Netter Digital decide to use Lightwave for B5 SFX. If they had used max, every B5 model made by the fans would be in Max format. Which I have. Instead they're in LW format. Which I don't. I do have a uber high-poly B5 mesh, with some 400 000 polygons, and maps with resolutions of 2000x3000 and above (made by an estonian, natch)
So, long story short, I've decided to move on to high-poly animating, so I'm looking for the following in 3ds format :
ISA Whitestar mesh
Jumpgate mesh
Jump vortex mesh/tutorial
Maps of the Epsilon nebula and planet
EA Starfury
Centauri or Drakh vessels.
Suggestions?
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Maybe because Lightwave is better than Max :p
:lol:
Personal preference, but still... It shouldn't be hard to find max models of anything really. Can't you load .lwo files in max? Lightwave can load .3ds files(albeit the support does suck)
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nope.
And I could switch to lightwave, but that would require
a) Getting lightwave
b) learning it.
I've spent two years getting to where I am in MAX. I don't want to spend another two years doing the same in LW
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I too would love to find such models, but then again I'm a n00b at Max!
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http://www.ultradrive.com/b5_3d_index.htm
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*hugs Tiara* Good linkage. :)
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Originally posted by Stunaep
Why, oh why did Netter Digital decide to use Lightwave for B5 SFX. If they had used max, every B5 model made by the fans would be in Max format. Which I have. Instead they're in LW format. Which I don't.
Boy did you ask on the wrong forum :)
Babylon 5 had a very hard time getting off the ground. At the time B5 was made everyone used models for the effects stuff. The problem with models is that they cost a lot.
In the end they found an easier way to do everything. If everything could made by CGI then the cost per episode would be slashed dramatically. The next problem was that getting a PC to do the work was prohibitively expensive. The rendering wasn't to hard but getting the CGI onto video tape was more expensive.
The solution was to use the Amiga/Video toaster as a solution. With that the output was already in a format suitable for recording to video. Since the Video Toaster was made by Newtek and came with either Lightwave or its predecessor Lightrave bundled with it it wasn't hard to see why they picked LW as their startiing point.
Oh. BTW it wasn't Netter Digital who were to blame. They only took over later. Foundation Imaging were the ones who made the first models for B5.
If you want to blame someone blame Discreet for not having a version of 3DS Max available for the Amiga :D
Then blame the fans of B5 for all using Lightwave since none of the models available on the net are the same ones used in the show (apparently the original models were all lost! :rolleyes: )
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Look for Diverse-3d.com. They have some sweet models. :D
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To kara:that one I heard, but I figured that it'd have been logical for the fans to make models in the same package as FI/ND used. I mean, they could fairly well guess the techniques used, get the same effects more right etc.
and looking at the max/lw B5 models ration, exactly that happened
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Yeah but considering B5 would probably never have happened if they hadn't used the Amiga there wasn't really much of a choice.
Once the pilot was done and they went over to PCs there wasn't much point in changing since they had all the models in LW format already. :)
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Originally posted by karajorma
(apparently the original models were all lost! :rolleyes: )
arf. that's an excuse I've heard for a lot of shows, to explain why they won't sell CD sountradks, models or whatever. I'l always a lie. You really think the guys who made the original models don't have make backups? yeah :p
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I loved my Amiga. :(
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Originally posted by Venom
arf. that's an excuse I've heard for a lot of shows, to explain why they won't sell CD sountradks, models or whatever. I'l always a lie. You really think the guys who made the original models don't have make backups? yeah :p
Personally I think that companies should release the CGI models they make to public as a matter of habit. I really can't see why they'd want to be protective of them. They know that the fans are going to make their own versions anyway and any render with a Shadow BattleCrab or Omega class destroyer is automatically a free advert for B5, so why not release them?
I mean do they really think that if they release them they might appear in an episode of Andromeda or Farscape? :lol:
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Earth Force 1 (http://geowproctor.simplenet.com/meshes/ea13ds.zip)
Drakh Shuttle, Drakh Fighter, Drakh Cruiser, Shadow Spitfire, Shadow Scout, Shadow Battlecrab, Thirdspace Fighter, Thirdspace Capitalship, Brakiri Avioki Cruiser, Narn Heavy Frazi Fighter, Narn ThNor Cruiser, Narn TLoth Assault Cruiser, Narn GQuan Cruiser, narn BinTak Dreadnought, Narn Defense Platform, Narn MilitaryBase, Raider Fighter, Centauri Sentri Fighter, Minbari Fighter, EA BreachingPod, Z'ha'Dum, ISA Advanced Whitestar, ISA Bluestar (http://www.eon3d.com/archives2.htm)
You know, google is your friend :p
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Originally posted by karajorma
Personally I think that companies should release the CGI models they make to public as a matter of habit. I really can't see why they'd want to be protective of them.
coz they cost a damn lot ( check any siet taht sells meshes. crappy meshes cost a lot, first grade meshes like the ones used in movies or series costs much more ). there' also copyright things, and other legal issues.
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If you made them it's your right to set the price on what they cost :D
I can understand why they wouldn't want to release anything generic that they might be able to use in another place. Effects are a good example of something I probably wouldn't release for free but as I said before what on Earth can you do with a shadow battlecrab mesh that isn't an advert for B5?
In comparison what are the B5 meshes doing at the moment to earn money for their creators or owners? If Foundation Imaging released them with a disclaimer that they must be credited every single image would be advertising for their company.
Yeah I know about the legal issues but quite frankly I can't see why the people involved don't realise that highly recognisable models probably benifit all the parties involved more when they are out in the public domain than locking them up in a safe and never using them again.
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Yeah, there's a lot of B5 models out there in MAX format. I have several that I just found from a simple search.
Of course, it's better to make your own. ;)
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Originally posted by karajorma
If you made them it's your right to set the price on what they cost :D
I can understand why they wouldn't want to release anything generic that they might be able to use in another place. Effects are a good example of something I probably wouldn't release for free but as I said before what on Earth can you do with a shadow battlecrab mesh that isn't an advert for B5?
In comparison what are the B5 meshes doing at the moment to earn money for their creators or owners? If Foundation Imaging released them with a disclaimer that they must be credited every single image would be advertising for their company.
Yeah I know about the legal issues but quite frankly I can't see why the people involved don't realise that highly recognisable models probably benifit all the parties involved more when they are out in the public domain than locking them up in a safe and never using them again.
Coz that how it works :p
I can add a last reason, tho if you really want to question this more: some people just hate to share their stuff :p.
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Yep. That's the real reason I suspect. :)
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Originally posted by Venom
arf. that's an excuse I've heard for a lot of shows, to explain why they won't sell CD sountradks, models or whatever. I'l always a lie. You really think the guys who made the original models don't have make backups? yeah :p
only, of course that wasn't never brought up as an excuse so not to release models/soundtracks whatever.
And it's not like the executive producer/writer of every other show posts regularly on the Internet.
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Originally posted by Shrike
Yeah, there's a lot of B5 models out there in MAX format. I have several that I just found from a simple search.
Of course, it's better to make your own. ;)
You wouldn't want to post any of those links now would you? I've been browsing Google now for a while, and haven't found one single mesh of an EA Starfury.
And of course it is, but I do have the modelling skills of a frog hanging from a guajava tree, so that might be an issue.:p
Oh, Tiara. I love you.
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Originally posted by Stunaep
only, of course that wasn't never brought up as an excuse so not to release models/soundtracks whatever.
And it's not like the executive producer/writer of every other show posts regularly on the Internet.
Who talked about posting on internet? I suppose that if it's known, it must have been discussed somewhere, don't you think?
And why would they announce that for no reason?
"Heh! Let's tell everybody we have lost our meshes!
-Yeah, let's do that! Sounds like fun!"
:p
PS: "the meshes, soundtrack, whatever" was an exempled and not directed at B5
PS2: hmm, no reason, but I feel like loving Tiara too, today :p Therefore I shall grant you, Tiara, 2 minutes of my love today.
Gee, I'm so happy today, I'm off, gonna kill some dogs.
I hate dogs.
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What's with you people! How can anyone hate dogs!
I mean, wouldn't Comissar Rex be a lot more boring if it had a cat as the leading star!
Jeez.
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Dogs are stupid, drool a lot and keep licking my hands for no reason ( no food there, heh st00pid! ). And they are stupid. And they smell. And all my friends have big dogs, so they smell, drool, keep licking even more. Plus they are REALLY stupid (well, they're dogs, after all).
Yes, I claim it, I'm xenophibist, I hate dogs.
Actually, that's not true, I just don't like them much, to be honest, but I feel like being a complete tard today.
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Okay all you 3D Max fiends, someone explain how I get my background to look like a real environment rather than appearing the same no matter what angle the camera faces! :D
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either map it on a flipped sphere or use environment mapping in the Material Editor.
In other news, I've got 90% of the B5 models I want in 3ds max format.
Except one.
I haven't found one Starfury mesh in .max or .3ds format. Help?
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EDIT: NM Stu already covered it.
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Originally posted by Stunaep
either map it on a flipped sphere or use environment mapping in the Material Editor.
In other news, I've got 90% of the B5 models I want in 3ds max format.
Except one.
I haven't found one Starfury mesh in .max or .3ds format. Help?
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Thomas Banner had a nice one. Very detailed
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Originally posted by Stunaep
You wouldn't want to post any of those links now would you? I've been browsing Google now for a while, and haven't found one single mesh of an EA Starfury.
And of course it is, but I do have the modelling skills of a frog hanging from a guajava tree, so that might be an issue.:p
Oh, Tiara. I love you.
http://www.ultradrive.com/b5_3d_index.htm (http://www.ultradrive.com/b5_3d_index.htm)
First link that popped up.
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I think the lost B5 models thing came about when they were makeing LOTR (not Tolken) and the fact that there was not a one origonal B5 model in the movie, they aparently tried contacting Siara to see if they had a copy of any of the models they had been given (as they were makeing a B5 game at the time) but nope, none from them. I still have a hard time wraping my brain around it, but it seems to be true
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Originally posted by Deepblue
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Thomas Banner had a nice one. Very detailed
Egad! I've found his thunderbolt, but still no starfury. You don't have it by any chance, no?
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I did until my hard drive fried. :(
EDIT: Thats weird. When I try to get to Diverse 3d I get a 404.