3D Modeling Software

[Smivs]

what is the most practical polygon count for a ship?

More is better...

Within reason, perhaps, but don't over-do it. There are far too many 'spaceships' out there (not just in Oolite but SciFi in general that are just over the top. Why would they be covered in bumps and bulges, and trenches and recesses? Considering that most of these are presumably built in space (ie zero-G and vacuum) the fabrication of such a thing would be a pointless and un-necessary nightmare.
And in a universe like the Oolite one, where materials are cheap and lots of ships are needed and have to be built cheaply, the simpler the better. With no drag etc in space a cube is probably the most logical shape for a space-ship, surely?
These fancy designs may look cool, but they just don't make sense in reality - a bad case of form over function. Probably the nearest thing we have to a 'large space ship' today is something like a maritime supertanker, and their hulls are about as basic as you can get. OK, the superstructure and deck surfaces may have quite a bit of detail as it is easier in a dirtside shipyard to add these parts externally, but in space, where micrometeorites (and laser fire) are constant hazards, all this stuff would be much more logically fitted internally, within a hull large enough to contain it all.
So personally I would keep them relatively simple.

[Ranthe]

I also wouldn't consider Blender easy to use. Sketchup does fit that bill though. And even in the free version you can use add-ins from sites like sketchucation. Their plugin manager is especially useful.

<sigh> I can't even get my head around Sketchup... and as for Blender, even stuff at the level of "Blender for Dummies" is too hard. I need "Blender from Frickin' Retarded Idiots"...

(I'll be in the corner, playing with GIMP and Krita.)

[spud42]

lol.....

and providing the details by means of a fitting normal map

if i knew what that was i would give it a try... i need to go to some TAFE course on 3D modelling for dummies(or fricken retards) ......

[maik]

what is the most practical polygon count for a ship?

More is better...

Within reason, perhaps, but don't over-do it. There are far too many 'spaceships' out there (not just in Oolite but SciFi in general that are just over the top. Why would they be covered in bumps and bulges, and trenches and recesses?

For purely aesthetic reasons, to differentiate themselves, and appeal to a certain buyer demographic.

[Smivs]

For purely aesthetic reasons, to differentiate themselves, and appeal to a certain buyer demographic.

Well, that certainly works for cars! There are some incredibly ugly cars around at the moment, but people are still buying them.

[cim]

Why would they be covered in bumps and bulges, and trenches and recesses?

It does make the scale clearer - if the surface features are a consistent scale across the setting, you can tell the difference between a small ship and a far away ship much more easily.

The trick is to make the scale-determining features also be functional, of course.

[Smivs]

The trick is to make the scale-determining features also be functional, of course.

Port-holes/windows etc. Nice 'human-scale' objects - perfect. But you do need to be quite close. Mind you, if you can't see them you just know IT'S BIG!

[spud42]

The trick is to make the scale-determining features also be functional, of course.

Port-holes/windows etc. Nice 'human-scale' objects - perfect. But you do need to be quite close. Mind you, if you can't see them you just know IT'S BIG!

reminds me of the opening sequence to Red Dwarf..... there he is painting in space ,( i never did understand how that was possible), the camera pans back to slowly show a huge red ship...

[NigelJK]

There are some incredibly ugly cars around at the moment, but people are still buying them.

And just to enhance the aesthetics they buy them in white. :0=.