Challenger 2 MBT UK Help

[Yoshi 10]

I'm modelling the British main battle tank the Challenger 2, the topic is on the addon discussion thread. My problem is several things I need help with and because I'm new to the modelling lark.

I'm having problems with this list of things.

I can't seem to model the tracks, is there a certain type tank uses? I'm also having trouble with adding a hole where the driver's head pops out, it's just one face at the moment and I'm looking to insert a hole or square into the existing face. Is that possible?

Also, I'm wondering if I need to add my own animations, or will I be able to use in game ones, if not how do I go about the following:

Hatches, recoil on the turret and stuff like that.

[Miroslaw Kowalski 54]

For the hole you may look at the 'Boolean' modifier :)

[surpher 1]

This might help.

Blender. 8 methods of cutting holes

[PuFu 4600]

For the hole you may look at the 'Boolean' modifier :)

as a rule of thumb: never use booleans unless there is no other way around it (no matter what sort of polygon modelling software is in use).

@yoshi:

1. Tank tracks animation is done in a certain type of way for ArmA, via textures. Best way is to check the samples provided.

2. Each type of tank uses (not for all) a similar, but yet different type of track model. The one used by challenger should be available on the web (images of it)

3. Regarding the holes (in any sort of mesh). Although i am a max/maya user not a blender user, i would use existing modelling tools to create the whole (a combination of inset and extrude or simple face delete) rather than booleans, since it fucks up (in max, maya and modo anyways) the overall topology. You can obviously find ways to do it using existing tutorials provided online for blender.

4. You will need to create all your animations for your tank from 0, in O2. Animations are defined in the model.cfg for the .p3d, and are in text format (not keyframed for obvious reasons), using a combination of selections sets and available type of animations. Again, biki and samples should clear those things up for you.

[x3kj 1247]

as a rule of thumb: never use booleans unless there is no other way around it (no matter what sort of polygon modelling software is in use).

Reminds me of:" Son, stop jerking off, it makes you blind". Boolean is a nice tool, but you have to be carefull if you use it and always clean up bad geometry/vertices afterwards.

And if you make a boolean with a cylinder you have to use a sensible side count for the cylinder. That's what most beginners do wrong: use too many sides on cylinders and just use boolean to join everything.

Although, if you don't know yet how to make holes Yoshi, it's propably better to not use boolean because it can produce messy results. Using a cut tool is a different option, and one of the essential tools in polygon modelling.

[PuFu 4600]

Reminds me of:" Son, stop jerking off, it makes you blind". Boolean is a nice tool, but you have to be carefull if you use it and always clean up bad geometry/vertices afterwards.

And if you make a boolean with a cylinder you have to use a sensible side count for the cylinder. That's what most beginners do wrong: use too many sides on cylinders and just use boolean to join everything.

Although, if you don't know yet how to make holes Yoshi, it's propably better to not use boolean because it can produce messy results. Using a cut tool is a different option, and one of the essential tools in polygon modelling.

This is a bit of a knee jerk, isn't it? I know quite well what boolean operators do and don't thank you. Sure, i use it on limited geometry myself when i find that the alternative is too time consuming ot there is no alternative to begin with. But because of the manual cleanup and overall messy results, one need to pay extra care and use such booleans of small patches of detached geometry in order to have less manual work in the end.

The overall idea i was trying to out out there: don't use it thinking it's an easy win solution because it is far from it....

And it is funny to see someone lecture me when modelling is concerned...

Edited January 19, 2014 by PuFu
ipad typos

[x3kj 1247]

And itis funny ton see someone lecture me when modelling is concerned...

It was not intended to be lecturing you - it was to explain your answer to those that do not understand why they shouldn't use boolean. Sorry if it came across that way.

Edited January 19, 2014 by Fennek

[Zek 1]

Hi Yoshi,

I found this video a while ago, it may help you with the tracks:

good luck!