Making SE4 ShipSets with Moray
 

I've just started using the Moray modeler with POV-Ray. I've been through the tutorials in the help file and have created my first simple ship model.

I would like to have more information on some of the more complicated aspects such as CSG, using bezier patches, splines, intersections, etc. HyperionBase has a link to some Moray tutorials but only the Basic Tutorial link works, the Advanced and Expert links do not.

Anyone know where I can find any other Moray tutorials, tips, faqs, anything like that? It would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Re: Making SE4 ShipSets with Moray
 

Hey, I could help you with the CSGs.
Okay, first, make a new scene, light, camera, etc. Next, make a cube and a sphere. Leave the cube where it is, and move the sphere to one of the corners of the cube. Now, make a CSG group (the button has a little U on it). Put the cube in the CSG first (order IS important). Next, add the sphere to the CSG. Change the CSG operation to "Difference". (The combo selection box) Texture it all, and render. You should see a cube that has a corner carved out in a curved manner. Next, try "Merge". Finally, try "Intersection". Now, re-order the CSG group so the cube is second in the list. Go back through each of the operations.
CSGs are very good tools to use for making about anything.

Re: Making SE4 ShipSets with Moray
 

I could use the help too. I just d/l'd moray early Last week along with povray. So far no luck in getting anything to work right in it..

not the program itself...i have a hard time putting into the model what i want, especially linking the peices together then adding a texture. so far all i made is a 3-d looking pile of dog "stuff"

Re: Making SE4 ShipSets with Moray
 

Thanks Instar, That's what I was looking for. I've done a ton of Quake and UT mapping so am very familiar with the concepts involved in 3D editing, UnrealEd2 in particular uses CSG a lot. Just wasn't familiar with the exact steps involved. Do you use Bezier patches much?

Moray+POV-Ray is a pretty cool set of tools. Thanks again.

Re: Making SE4 ShipSets with Moray
 

I use bezier patches a lot, in fact my united flora shipset (universal shipyards) is made almost completely out of bezierpatches.

One of the most important things is the texture you use. Even the worst shipdesigns will look good with the right texture.

Henk

Re: Making SE4 ShipSets with Moray
 

ack, this is my 1st venture into 3-d. done skinning for a coupla other games but not 3-d.

would like to have the ability to make own ships so I do have to use other peoples stuff (ie texturize or other eye tricks)

How the heck do I see what I have rendered...as that "final" 3-D figure?

ack, darn thing looks like a psychodelic picture instead of a solid figure.... *grumble*

[This message has been edited by pathfinder (edited 21 January 2001).]

[This message has been edited by pathfinder (edited 21 January 2001).]

Re: Making SE4 ShipSets with Moray
 

If you're using Moray, you have to render the picture with Povray. You must have both programs to get it to work.

Re: Making SE4 ShipSets with Moray
 

Henk, do you design your own textures or do you usually start with one from the Moray Library and mess with it or do you perhaps use third party texture sets? If it's the Last option, where's a good place to pick up some good textures for ship hulls? I'm just using the base metallic silver Library texture for the ship hull right now and I modified that texture to create a nice bronze for the other parts. Do you rely on the texture itself for the extra details on the ship hull or do you create all the small detail from 3D shapes you've embeded into the hull of the ship with different textures and colors? I can see how both approaches would work.

Re: Making SE4 ShipSets with Moray
 

I do have POVRAY Instar, I am missing a step somewhere. I believe it is something to do with linking the objects together. I thimk...

Re: Making SE4 ShipSets with Moray
 

Pathfinder, what happens when you click on the "render" button in Moray? You may need to go to the Renderer options and set it to show the render in the Moray 3D frame. If you switch to POV (which runs in the background) and see the render there, then that's your problem. POV should run when you click on "render" in Moray. If it doesn't, your install is messed up. Also, are you using Moray v3.2 and POV-Ray 3.1?

Re: Making SE4 ShipSets with Moray
 

Moray 3.3 and POVray 3.1

Re: Making SE4 ShipSets with Moray
 

Are Moray and POVray shareware, freeware....? Where can they be obtained? Thank you.

Re: Making SE4 ShipSets with Moray
 

Moray is shareware (about $80 US) and povray is freeware.

Moray from: www.stmuc.com/moray
povray from : downloads.com (cnet)

Re: Making SE4 ShipSets with Moray
 

"do you design your own textures or do you usually start with one from the Moray Library and mess with it or do you perhaps use third party texture sets? If it's the Last option, where's a good place to pick up some good textures for ship hulls? I'm just using the base metallic silver Library texture for the ship hull right now and I modified that texture to create a nice bronze for the other parts. Do you rely on the texture itself for the extra details on the ship hull or do you create all the small detail from 3D shapes you've embeded into the hull of the ship with different textures and colors? I can see how both approaches would work."

Ussualy I start from scratch when making a texture. Some examples of textures should be downloadable from Universal shipyards under the se4 extra's menu (made by Andrey)

When rendering a picture in moray/povray try to switchon 'anti-alliasing'under the render options menu and set rays to something like 2x2 or 4x4, this will make many textures look smoother and less psychedelic.

Also check out Andreys site, the ora planet forum and site, the forum's are there especially to discuss artwork and questions.

Re: Making SE4 ShipSets with Moray
 

Henk, Thanks.

Do you have the link to Andrey's site? I had already downloaded his sample textures from Univeral Shipyards but haven't played with them yet.

Also, do you know how to lock your CSG object's evaluation state so that they don't revert every time you load up your scene?

Re: Making SE4 ShipSets with Moray
 

Another question.. Does anyone know if MDL model viewer software exists anywhere out there? I know that I once had a Quake MDL viewer that would allow you to load up the model and the texture (skin) and then rotate and view it from any angle. I'm sure the id MDL format probably isn't compatible with Moray, though.

If it exists anywhere, this MDL viewer would be really handy since in Moray you have to re-render the model anytime you want to see it from a different perspective (in final rendered form, that is). Any ideas, comments, suggestions?

Re: Making SE4 ShipSets with Moray
 

not sure if they were MDL or not but cnet's download.com had several different kinds of viewers available/listed.

Re: Making SE4 ShipSets with Moray
 

I looked but I didn't see anything that would view Moray .mdl files or Pov-Ray .pov files.