[WIP LEARNING][0.30] Soyuz and learning 3DS

[RoyalVengeance]

Please don't be too harsh. I've decided to learn to model yesterday. ( June 21th , 2016 )

Never touched Photoshop, Unity nor 3DS Max before. It'll be a learning process I'll document.

There's a long story involving a work accident, this is not the place to discuss it . But I'll be stuck in this very chair for the next 6 months. 

I love learning things ,got plenty of time on my hands and I got a pretty good PC ( FX-8350 +GTX 780 ) (32 inches 1440P Panel + 27 inches 1080P panel ).

 

[CURRENT/ON HOLD] :So I begun this model to grasp the basics ( Soyuz Launcher ) ( One evening of work ) : 

Spoiler

Wasn't happy with it : 

Getting the basics of modelling slowly XD

 

[OUTDATED] : Ho , I've made some progress by observing @RoverDude on his streams ( Texturing wise ) So I began working on a Soyuz Capsule ( 3 days of work for the first version ( See spoiler-seption for latest version )). 

Spoiler

First try :

Fighting Unity : 

Textured in 3DS : 

Wasn't pleased with the shape so : 

Basic texturing ( By hand ( Mouse ) ) : 

Figured out why it was always grey in-game : 

Making progress on textures : 

More progress : 

Fun with panels ( Theses are hard !!! ) : 

A lot more progress on textures ( 28th June 2016 ) : 

Pretty much final texture ( 28th June 2016 ( Afternoon ) ) : 

Pretty much the final products ! ( SO HAPPY !!! ) :

This is " Made " by " Koskosmos  , so the spelling is in " Kussian " hahaha I'm such a Nerd XD

 

Spoiler-seption !

After the resizing decision ( Complete rework ) : 

Spoiler

Base model in 3DS :

Texture done : 

Textured in 3DS :

In Unity :

In-Game : 

The resize itself and the whole reason for complete rework, down to Mk 1.5 , between Mercury ( Mk 1 ) and Apollo ( Mk 1 to 2 ) :

Effectively Mk 1.5 ! :

Proportions with a Kerbal are correct ( Pretty proud of that now XD ) :

Jump for victory on complete re-design :

 

 

 

[OUTDATED] : 28/06/2016 :  Happy with it so far ! First true re-edit of the post . Working on the OBM ( Orbital Module ( The round thing on the top of the capsule XD ) ). Moving to mod version 0.3 ( Progress is progress XD )  Stay tuned !

[OUTDATED] : 29/06/2016 : OBM is finished ! I figured out ( With the help of @Redneck ) ladders and how the hatch works . Config files are A-Ok and crew transfer works like clockwork. 

Spoiler

Hatch model and hold on bars :

Final texture :

Textured in 3DS :

Unity ladder, Airlock and collision mesh ( Thanks to @Redneck for the reference links ) : 

 In-Game : 

The Koyuz system so far :

 No IVA ( Yet ) , no command in the OBM :

 Gotta transfert for EVAs :

 Hatch works :

 EVA bars are working as intended : 

Very happy with it !

[CURRENT] : 29/06/16 ( Evening ) : Realized the proportions are jacked. Decided to re-do the whole thing with proper size in mind ( Smaller than Apollo MK 1-2 pod , bigger than Mercury Mk 1 pod ). This means a complete re-model ( For the hatch of the OBM to actually fit a Kerbal helmet ) and be still visually correct ( As much as KSP permits ). Also committed to do a Gemini KSP equivalent , since it's mostly ( I know it ain't exactly ) the same Mk 1.5 Size than Soyuz is. There's no equivalent 2 Kerbals pod in KSP yet , it ain't Soyuz-related, but I want to try making one for learning and practicing my ( Poor ) skills at modding. Stay tuned for this entire re-work ;). 

[CURRENT] : 30/06/16 ( Morning ) : The resizing for the Soyuz Descent Module is complete ! Ditched all the previous files and started from scratch. Makes for good practice I guess. Textured a tad darker and hopefully more stock-friendly. Will begin work on the OBM's resizing this afternoon. Enjoy !

Spoiler

All-new base model in 3DS :

Texture done : 

Textured in 3DS :

In Unity :

In-Game : 

The resize itself and the whole reason for complete rework, down to Mk 1.5 , between Mercury ( Mk 1 ) and Apollo ( Mk 1 to 2 ) :

Effectively Mk 1.5 ! :

Proportions with a Kerbal are correct ( Pretty proud of that now XD ) :

Jump for victory on complete re-design :

 

[CURRENT] : 01/07/2016 : The rework of the OBM is complete ! Like the Descent Module , scale is correct and it' been started from scratch. It uses the " New " Mk 1.5 size for the bottom and the stock Mk 1 size on the top for docking ports and other Mk 1 stock size parts :). Here it is ! :

Spoiler

Model in 3DS :

Scale reference check with the new Soyuz Capsule :

New texture : 

Textured in Unity :

Ladder / Airlock / Colliders in Unity :

In-game :

With Capsule + Docking port :

Scale and EVA / Ladder check :

 

[CURRENT] 02/07/2016: So ! Figured out I was going to need a Heat Shield that fitted the Soyuz Descend Module and the ( To come, WIP ) Gemini capsule. And it's done ! Quite proud of this piece. I'll also need the decoupler that's going to go between the heat shield and the Soyuz Service Module ( To come, WIP ) , that will be fun too.... Working on it right now ! For now , here's the Heat Shield (1.875m) :

Spoiler

Model in 3DS :

Textured :

In Unity :

In-Game :

Under the Descent Module :

Jettison test :

Works like clockwork !  

[CURRENT] : 02/07/2016 : Decouplers are DONE ! I realized I needed 2 custom-sized ones : One between the Orbital Module and the Descent module ( Effectively Mk 0.75 or 0.9375m ) and one between the Heat Shield and the ( To come , WIP ) Service Module. Here they are both ! They function just like the stock ones and I'm really digging this black scheme that matches the new Heat Shield as well ! Stay tuned for the Service Module ! :

Spoiler

Base model in 3DS :  

Texture : 

Textured in 3DS :

In Unity :

In-Game :

Under the Heat Shield :

The small one :

The whole System so far :

In action ! :

Final Heat Shield sep :

 

 

 

Quite proud of those pieces ! 

  [CURRENT] : 03/07/2016 : About time I finished doing this pesky little thing XD. The " Skirt " of the Soyuz Service Module is DONE ! I'm debating making the round parachutes for the capsule as well , the stock radial ones are so big and ugly XD. I'm doing the service module itself now ! Stay tuned ! :

Spoiler

Some frustrations in Unity for the colliders XD : 

 

 

 

Fits a Spark : 

 

 

Or a Terrier ! :

 

 

 

Beginning to look like the dream coming true ! :

 

 

 

[CURRENT] : 04/07/2016 : Service Module tanks are DONE ! Cranked these ( Ugly, I'll give you that XD ) puppies in less than an hour ! Fuel tanks are so much easier than all the rest I've made so far XD. So now the Orbiter is COMPLETE ! I'm so happy ! It does need balancing because with a Terrier, this thing has ridiculous Dv XD. Here is the dream made possible by kicking my butt to learn stuff ! Enjoy ! 

Spoiler

Didn't capture model or textures, it's just a simple cylinder after all XD :

 

Service module being handy  :

 

 

Let's make ourselves a Soyuz ! :

 

 

SAVE YOURSELVES, FOOLS ! :

 

A tad too much TWR :

 

 

 

Jeb approves the Soyuz :

 

 

 

Steerable during re-entry, like the real deal :

 

 

 

Edited July 4, 2016 by RoyalVengeance

[ForgiLaGeord]

Looks awesome, and it's very cool of @RoverDude to give feedback on stream

[RoyalVengeance]

4 hours ago, ForgiLaGeord said:

Looks awesome, and it's very cool of @RoverDude to give feedback on stream

@ForgiLaGeord That's incredibly nice of you ! And yeah having @RoverDude help me out on figuring why things didn't work and giving direct feedback on stream was pretty awesome ! I told him how grateful I was , he's modest as always , such an awesome guy.  

[liquidhype]

Nice to see more people getting into modeling. Also cool that someone as busy as RoverDude taking the time to motivate the beginners.

I must say, you chose quite the complicated machine for your first project. Soyuz, or any R7 derived lifter is no easy undertaking. Multiple people have already made Soyuz (and its cousins) for KSP though, like Raidernick, DECQ, BobCat and myself. But I'm guessing your goal here is just to learn modeling, and not intending to release it as a mod (at least not yet). 

In any case, if you need some reference material for your models, you can find my Soyuz STa model here. It's basically the same as what you are trying to model, with the main differences being mine does not include the shroud, LES or the spacecraft itself. Instead it has payload fairings, Fregat upper stage and a payload dispenser. The engines might also be slightly different, depending on which version of Soyuz you are going for.

Good luck with your project, and don't be shy if you have any questions when it comes to modeling, config files, Unity and all of that. People here are very helpfull. Looking forward to see your end result  

[RoyalVengeance]

@liquidhype Wow, your model is amazing ! Superb work ! As I mentioned , Tantares , mods from DECQ, BobCat and yourself are miles above mine, I really wanted to learn more than anything else and add cheap alternatives parts for my own career in KSP. I really don't see this becoming a mod to be released anytime soon. I'll keep tweaking it though , especially the texturing by hand in photoshop is indeed difficult with a mouse and 0 experience XD. I'm a fast learner tough , I might be able to turn out something not too bad XD . Thanks for your support ! Much appreciated

[liquidhype]

32 minutes ago, RoyalVengeance said:

@liquidhype Wow, your model is amazing ! Superb work ! As I mentioned , Tantares , mods from DECQ, BobCat and yourself are miles above mine, I really wanted to learn more than anything else and add cheap alternatives parts for my own career in KSP. I really don't see this becoming a mod to be released anytime soon. I'll keep tweaking it though , especially the texturing by hand in photoshop is indeed difficult with a mouse and 0 experience XD. I'm a fast learner tough , I might be able to turn out something not too bad XD . Thanks for your support ! Much appreciated

Most people start out by modeling a simple fuel tank, so I greatly admire you for going straight for Soyuz. Keep up the great work and don't forget to have fun

[Deimos Rast]

Go big or go home, eh? I'm impressed all around - by your skill level so far and not letting the accident slow you down too much. Now you just need a "Soyuz in 6" countdown and you'll be golden...

Seriously though, keep it up!

[h0yer]

Looks really nice already

Here, a neat blueprint/pic I used to recreate the R-7 with mostly procedural parts, I hope it might be of use in your exercise...

Have fun learning stuff, learing is always awesome, godspeed

Long live(s) the R-7

 

 

[RoyalVengeance]

8 hours ago, Deimos Rast said:

Go big or go home, eh? I'm impressed all around - by your skill level so far and not letting the accident slow you down too much. Now you just need a "Soyuz in 6" countdown and you'll be golden...

Seriously though, keep it up!

@Deimos Rast Wow thanks ! I wouldn't say my " Skill level " is anything but poor XD I indeed need a " Soyuz in 6 " countdown XD. 

6 hours ago, h0yer said:

Looks really nice already

Here, a neat blueprint/pic I used to recreate the R-7 with mostly procedural parts, I hope it might be of use in your exercise...

Have fun learning stuff, learing is always awesome, godspeed

Long live(s) the R-7

 

 

@h0yer I did use this marvelous blueprint for the booster and the bells of the engines  Quite the find ! As far as looking nice, I still have a whole lot of work to do XD. IVAs, OBM, etc... I'm pleased with how the capsule turned out, especially after the re-model. Textures are really a pain though XD.

[DECQ]

Liquidhype rights, many began with a simple tank, Soyuz  rather complicated for the novice modder but you very well coming out, keep it up !

Edited June 28, 2016 by DECQ

[RoyalVengeance]

1 minute ago, DECQ said:

Liquidhype rights, many began with a simple tank, Soyuz  rather complicated for the novice modder but you very well coming out, keep it up !

Well thank you ! I really wanted Soyuz the way I wanted it to work in-game ! So I jumped into it straight away ! Sometimes I wish I would have started smaller but hey , it pushes me to learn a whole lot more a whole lot faster XD.

[Joeybafoey]

Can't wait! I hope the mod stays relatively simple though, otherwise it would just become Tantares. Good luck!

[Deimos Rast]

Imagine that. "Oh dang, I accidentally made Tantares, one of the best mods out there. Guess I have to start over now."

[RoyalVengeance]

@Deimos That would be surprising XD Tantares is much bigger , better and miles above what I can do. I doubt this will even get released. It's just modding for my own little career. If I get enough request I might just release it one day, but I'll point anybody every day towards Tantares and many other modders out there that are much more talented and are miles ahead of me. It's more to show the learning process itself. With a bit of ( Terrible ) humor mixed in. And it's kinda my " Social activities " for as long as I'm stuck in that damned chair. 

 

[Redneck]

Sounds like you got a game plan with your unfortunate but extra time. I think its a great plan. Ive done a lil modeling myself if you have any questions ill be more then happy to try to help. But it looks like you got it going on already. Get well man! 

[RoyalVengeance]

@Redneck I'll PM you if I get stuck anywhere along the way ! Thanks for the kind words as well ! Much appreciated !

[RoyalVengeance]

So the size is a concern. It's too big. Way too big compared to the Mk 1-2 pod, which is the Kerbal version of Apollo. And it needs to be bigger than the Mk1 pod, the KSP Mercury. It needs to be a 1.5 size. I've decided to make the jump and re-work the 2 pieces I have right now and convert them to 1.5 size. Just changing the scale in the config files messes up the ladder and EVA hatch . And I've decided , by looking at 100s of references to also work on a Gemini, since it's " Pretty much " the same size as Soyuz ( I know it isn't really the same ) and there's no 2 Kerbals pod equivalent to it in-game at all. It'll be a long re-do-everything-you-just-did-because-yhea. But I feel it's better to do it now since I'm only beginning and well , I'm learning at this will make me learn a lot. Let's do it !!!

Crude but effective scale image, all these were in the same scale , i just chopped them and stacked them to compare sizes, Turns out I was right !

Edited June 30, 2016 by RoyalVengeance

[RoyalVengeance]

Updated ! Complete rework on the Soyuz Capsule is done ! Effectively need to make a whole system based on " Mk 1.5 " size. It'll be fun

[RoyalVengeance]

Update ! Complete rework on the Orbital Module is done ! Bottom is the " New " Mk 1.5 size for mating with the Soyuz Capsule and the top is the stock Mk 1 size to fit docking port / Mk 1 size parts. Starting work on the Service module . I'm thinking about a modular system of tanks for monoprop / batteries / reaction wheels / fuel / oxidizer / maybe even Xenon. The bottom where there's the " Skirt " will be effectively be a Mk 1.5 to Mk 2 size adapter plate and engines mounts , also having spots for RCS thrusters . I'm not sure if it will be a Mk 1 or Mk 0  size engine hole though. I have to decide . Looking at references , it might be Size 0 like the Spark, 

[RoyalVengeance]

Realized I'll need a Heatshield for the Descent Module . Working on a custom one right now. It'll serve on the Gemini capsule as well. Also in with the modular Service Module for the Soyuz system, the " Skirt " will be an adapter plate and engines mount. I have work for a while now. I didn't want to just steal @RoverDude's stock heatshield model and texture, I'm doing one from scratch right now.  

[OrbitalBuzzsaw]

Cool!

[RoyalVengeance]

@OrbitalBuzzsaw Thanks !

 

[Cooboo]

Looks awesome man! Keep up the great work

[RoyalVengeance]

@Cooboo Well thank you ! Much appreciated ! 

[RoyalVengeance]

Update ! Heat Shield is DONE ! I was concerned with the Jettison part of it and the weird Mk 1.5 ( 1.875m ) size , but it worked out much smoother than I thought ! I'm feeling the modelling part of it is getting way faster as I progress trough the learning curve, it took about 20 minutes of modelling , I was surprised how fast I was able to crank this one out of 3DS. The texturing part was a lot more time consuming for such a small part tough..... I didn't want to just slap the Soyuz texture on and call it there... The underside of it was a challenge. I wanted to do a Stock pixelated brown color , but after a few tries I really wasn't able to get the effect without just ripping it off from @RoverDude's texture, which I really didn't want to do , so I came up with this riveted weathered black scheme that I really like ! It'll blend in nicely with the future Gemini capsule as well  So my goal is achieved with this one ! Time to do the decoupler now for the Service Module , I'm hyped for this one ! Wish me luck !