TOS Enterprise Nacelle Question

I'm having a bit of a problem with modeling the nacelles on the TOS Enterprise. (I'm using Max 4.0.) Specifically, I'm having a problem with the area at the rear of the cut-out area on the inside of the nacelle. (I'd post a pic, but apparently I can't attach one to this message for whatever reason.)

Anyway, I created the overall mesh for the nacelle from a cylinder and extruded a spline for the shape of the part that's cut-out on the inboard side of the nacelle. I then subtracted that from the nacelle mesh and scaled the verts so the backside of this cut out area was the correct size & shape. To try and get the correct appearance for the aft end of this cut out part of the nacelle I selected the verts on the backside of the cut out result and scaled them until they were in a straight line along the nacelle's Y-axis. Then I dragged those verts foreward until the correct appearance for that shape was achieved.

The problem is this: The aforementioned portion of the inboard nacelle isn't flat, as it should be. It is "scallopped" and slightly wavy in appearance (horizontally).

Is there a "best way" to do this? My solution seemed simple, and
almost produced the desired result, but I'm sure there's a better way to do it. I was hoping anyone who has done the Enterprise in Max might be able to help me out with this.

Thanks in advance!

[Thomas P]

Well, the picture would have spoke a thousand words - you need to be able to self host images cuz we don't (the server would be filled up in no time).

Based on your description, you may want to select the specific faces (sounds like the are all adjacent) and assign a smooth modifier to them - just don't set a smooth value and don't set auto smooth either. When you first assign 'smooth' it does the exact opposite and 'flattens' everything first (actually it makes the selected edges in the face lines instead of curves). I find this very useful after Booleans subtracts that leave unwanted and odd surfaces.

You may want to consider a shape merge versus the Boolean but you may get the same effect after the scaling.

I know what you are talking about. I'm someone who built the ship before so I know of what you speak.

You got the shape of the curve wrong in the spine for cutting out the shape. That curve is a very specific curve.

create a spline that is the shape of the inside wall of the nacelle slot. Extrude it out and shape it so the outer side is bigger. (make it trapezoidish) Then boolean subract that from the nacelle cylinder.

Listen to Thomas, he knows what he's talking about. I'd give you the same advice.

[Thomas P]

He would be referring to thomas7g - He definitely knows of what he speaks!

Exactly. Maybe I should have made that clearer...

If you're still having trouble getting the shape right, perhaps you wouldn't mind sending out the mesh to some of the more experienced modelers. I assume that with all this talk of ShapeMerge and such that you are using Max, so I wouldn't be of much help; but there are Maxers out there.

This is a pic of the error I was talking about.



Hey, I'm glad to hear from you guys! I saw your model of this ship, Lightwaver, and really liked it. (I'm currently using 3D Max, BTW.)

Thomas7G: I guess I'm having trouble visualizing what you're talking about. Are you saying I should make the spline round in front, with a trapeziod-ish shape on the opposite end? I should then extrude that, and boolean subtract it from the warp unit to achive the correct shape?

I was trying to follow along with JIngram98's Enterprise nacelle (he was having the same problem I am), but I'm still at a loss to understand how he did it so smoothly.

hmmmm.... that looks like a smoothing error. you may not need to reboolean.

go to edit mesh mode and select all the facets on the face in question. Then give it a unique smoothing ID number. That should solve the problem. (I hope)