Kurtis

I know it's only been a few days since my last post, but there's been some significant progress. Retopologised the gun-ports and squared them out correctly Guns ports have been installed (portside only for now, working on the other side as I speak) They're rigged so that they can be opened at will Rear quarter galleries have had further tweaking and development I've readjusted the 'rear tansom' part of the ship, I'm hoping it now meets closer expectations (also hoping I've got the correct part of the vessel!) I've reshaped the center wall piece so that it now indents inwards; I figure it's a lot more interesting than a straight wall I've installed a simple galley chimney I've had to rebuild the rudder clamps shipside due to the reshaping, but they seem to look and feel better On the whole, I'm starting to be very pleased with my current progress; it's beginning to feel like a proper ship of the line! I've added 'auto-colors' in the software which shows each object individually. Downside is it makes the ship look like a squishy toy but it's not permanent. Here's some new images:

I'm hoping to start building the top-side stuff shortly, but I'm looking for blueprints. Does anyone know where I can find them for the following items?: The steering wheel The cannons themselves (I'm also looking for information about how they were used; how the ropes were used, mounted, etc) The lanterns The bell I have reference images for all of the above, but specifically I'd like to have the measurements if they're available.

Some new updates: I have binned the old quarter galleries and completely rebuilt them! I'm not sure what I'm gonna do with the backplate, I'm deliberating with either just deleting it completely and trying again with it. Alternatively, just leave it there and decorate it. Right now it just feels sort of 'attached' I want to work a ltitle more of the shape where it starts at the hull. I'm trying to decide whether to try to tweak the shape, or hide the transition with a bit of decoration or something (or both even) I've squared out the gun-ports; I managed to find a method of doing it that didn't depend on applying modifiers but I did need to redistribute the topology a little (wireframes here, I've had to leave all the subsurfs on though cos I've not rigged them yet for easy disable) I've started added the fences I want to finish off the poop-deck and forecastle fences Some images: Minor Update: I've done a little more tweaking to the quarter galleries at the back, I'm a bit happier with the current progress:

I've updated the title of the thread to reflect the ship in use. I have one enquiry about the Quarter Galleries. On Wikipedia, it says that they were sometimes torn from the vessel. Surely that's a dangerous idea for a warship? Battling the enemy in rough weather, then all of a sudden a quarter of the ship is suddenly in the sea. How often (if it really did) did that actually happen?

hi Mark; Like I say, the Wale is set there deliberately. I could make it look historically accurate but it's more work than it's worth for what I'm intending to use it for. I'm not ingoring you deliberately with this one, there's a reason it's like that. You're certainly right though, I've come back to models like this down the line and downright winced. I'm sure this one won't be any different! The stern (well the Quarter Galleries) I'm gonna have another go at. Your word plus another member or two has convinced me it needs doing so I'm gonna have another pass at it, see if I can make something that looks a lot better. I should say, thanks for your help though, you gave me a lot of insight in your last post!

Bear in mind that my ship has up to 9 modifiers on 95% of the objects (arrays, curves, edgesharps, subsurfs, etc). I've disabled subsurf on most most of them and turned on wireframe for most visible objects (that way the model isn't littered with lines). Some of the objects will look a little disjointed though. Creating wireframes for my models is never easy, but I hope you like this one. I do try to keep my poly-count low, my workflow essentially prioritises creating the general shape, and then letting modifiers (and lattices in places in this example) to create the rest of the shape. There are setbacks to this approach, but I find there's not that many and can usually come up with other solutions!

Haha, it seems I'm a little outvoted with the Quarter Galleries! I'll try to have another go at them (it's the sides that seem to have the most issues so I might work with what I have, I'll have to see). Like I say, I'm not that unhappy with how they are now, but I'll see if I can make something better with a second pass on them. I'm intending to turn this into an animation, I'm not sure if I've already said this. I'm just hoping my shabby computer can handle it! I'll post more specific details if anyone is interested in such down the line. I know, but like I say the keel and the hull are two separate objects with a nasty seam between them (very different vertex counts, odd lining, etc), the Wale hides it perfectly (if you wish to see, I'll post a screenshot minus the wale so you can see what I mean). I know it's not historically accurate but I think it's one of those things to be accepted - most of it will be underwater anyway! What do you mean by the 'WT'? I can't work out what you mean with your screenshot Speaking of your screenshots, I'm loving your model!

Okay, some updates. Mark; I have tried to take your pointers onboard and make adjustments where I could. The majority of your complaints seem to be the general shape of the vessel so I've spent time trying to rejig it. I do have responses to your notes though first. [ Remedied ] Rudder has been reshaped. [ Remedied ] I have completely reshaped the rear of the hull (though I don't think you will see it that well in this particular image cos of the soft-lighting the software uses, but I'll post a wireframe and a render for closer inspection if necessary.) [ Remedied ] I have to admit, I wasn't sure what you meant with this one, but I believe I've fixed it. The 'sharp edge' I think you speak of has been removed and the planking forms into the hull smoothly. [ Remedied with Point ] I'm aware that the Wale moves up at the back of the ship (and to the front as well), but the keel and hull are two different pieces and the wale hides the seam between them. Call it artistic liberty. [ Outstanding ] I do not understand what you mean. When I looked up what you meant by the fife-rail and taff-rails, they seem to point me to parts of the ship I haven't even modelled yet. Please clarify? [ Remedied with Point ] The head-rails after much closer inspection to sources have been cleared out and rebuilt from the ground-up. The shape is most likely still not perfect, but it should reflect what many ships of this time did with them and be a lot more accurate. They didn't feel right the first time around, and looking at my original image they're probably my most embarassing part! 😱 [ Outstanding ] I think I understand the gist of what you're saying (the shape of the 'cheeks' are wrong) but there's too many objects and other noise in the way to understand exactly how the 'cheek' is supposed to actually look. I'm not sure exactly what you mean with this one. . [ Outstanding ] Same as number 7. To address your point about the Quarter Galleries; I'm not planning on doing a lot more work to them except minor shape adjustments where necessary and adding decorative elements. I'm not that unhappy with my progress with them (though I do see where they might conflict with reality!) I'll probably come back to the QG towards the end of this project. I've started to move on with the rest of the ship so I've began adding the forecastle rails. I'll probably finish the remainder of the fences coming up during the week. I'm hoping to start working on the stairways and topside pieces (such as bell and some of the rigging parts). Here's hoping this is a much more satisfactory 'drawing.'

hi Mark; Thank you for your observations. I appreciate what you're saying, but informing me that there's many issues and not outlining even one of them doesn't really give me much to go on. I can look at and study pictures for the next decade and still be none-the-wiser as transcribing paintings and images onto my own model is easier said than done. I'm not aiming to build a like for like replicate of a real ship (well not this time anyway) like most of you would do with your wooden versions, I just wanted a 'likeness' if you like. I haven't started this project not doing _any_ research on vessels of this kind. The base model I'm using is the Bellona from 1760 so I guess that sets your nationality, period and design (upon reflection of that, I hadn't realised it was comparitively so early!) I've had to use a lot of guess work and take liberties because finding true photographic models is not straight forward and the blueprints left me confused (the balcony in the captain's cabin for example - I'm happy enough with the outcome but I appreciate it's not really 'historically accurate.') The only other major issue is the hand-rails/edges as they seem to have the swirly ends to them and figuring out how to replicate it has confused me a little, and I'm not too keen of that design anyway. The Wale needs more work as well as I don't think it was so low. Hull-wise, everything else as far as I'm reasonably aware is based off of the blueprint. As I progress with the model, the blueprint becomes a very general guideline and other people's examples become higher priority. If there's glaring issues I'd like to know about them as I keep progress.

hi Tony! No, they're squared like most but the subsurf on the model has rounded them out. I'm intending to model a frame for the gun ports and square them out that way. I tried edge-sharps but the way I've built the ship with modifiers has made that particular method difficult. I want to model the cannons first though. In fact that's one of the questions I was meaning to ask - do you know what the standard size of guns were on these? My understanding is they were usually two sizes, one for the main decks and a smaller for the top (and a weirdly long bow-chasers type as well if you count them). I keep stumbling on the 12 pounder as a size. Getting this right will help with the scaling and I can fix the gun-ports once and for all

hi all! I am in the middle of building a 74 Gun Frigate within Blender and I'm enjoying the process. I'm starting to reach the stage now where I'll be modelling and adding the smaller bits and pieces that either aren't on, or aren't clear on the blueprints that I'm using. I'm hoping prey tell that I can get some help here if I run into any problems. I'm thinking of turning this into an animation in the short-term. I don't have any enquiries at this time but I'm certain I'll start asking very soon cos I wanna get the masts, sails and their relative rigging in place and not being a sailor by any means will mean I'll have to ask a lot of questions! The model I'm building is a late 1700's / early 1800's Frigate (second rate?) ship of the line, loosely based on blueprints but I'm not aiming or looking for like-for-like exactness. I'm certainly enjoying adding my own design choices and ideas in there. I've attached my progress to date (certainly anything that springs to mind straight away for improvements would be nice). At the minute I'm working a bit more on the doors there, I'm not sure yet whether to close off the lower deck that's open (near where the Capstan is) with the same wall as just underneath the poop deck. If anyone has any, I'd love some floorplans of these kind of ships! I've looked but I can't seem to find anything. I'm gonna sort the gun ports out when I've finished the deck-tops cos they'll take a lot of tweaking.