Nate's PANDORA in 3D

[3DShipWright]

 

And yes, I know that is not Pandora  

 

Executive Summary

After deliberation, I am taking on the HMS Pandora as my next project. Pandora will be a digital build using multiple software packages, and will be optimized for printed artwork or film. The model will also be rigged for animation for use in film, though I myself do not plan on animating it.  

The model will be high-poly, and of high historical fidelity which is why it will be documented as comprehensively as possible here on the Model Ship World website. The targeted accuracy is a less than 1% deviation from any credible historical source across all conceivable metrics. This applies to all components modelled

 

About this Build Log

I think my biggest asset and greatest hope of completing Pandora is you – the MSW community and the overwhelming knowledge you guys (and gals) have of ship building. I received excellent feedback on all three of my previous builds, yet I am chronically at fault of two things, namely:

 

• a.      Not seeking out advice when I have a question or run into issues during the build.

      and…

• b.      Not sticking to the topic or theme of the build log.

 

The latter is especially bad. For example: with Confederacy, I began the build log as an actual step-by-step tutorial of 3D ship modelling in blender, then when that became unsustainable, I moved to posting screenshots of my progress accompanied by short update logs and upcoming tasks. Towards the end I didn’t even finish posts that were supposed to be a ‘part 1 of 2’ or something similar.

With my 3D longboat, I am proud to say that I have at least finished the project (gallery photos coming soon! No, really, I promise. Lol). However, I opened that topic thinking I would turn it into a showcase of how to correctly turn a single model into multiple boats in a 3D render and have them look convincing. But it turns out that doing just one was hard enough.

 

Fact is, I simply need more overall discipline in my work. And Pandora is going to be an absolute BEAST to model correctly. I don’t expect her to be perfect – that would be an impossible standard – but I do expect myself to be far more patient than in the past.

 

Framework

The theme and structure of this log will be simple: A 3D PANDORA build log. I will still talk at length about how I achieved certain results within the software and call out a few features by name, but I’m going to shy away from anything that is more step-by-step. Not guarding any trade secrets here, it’s just that as my skill has improved, so have the complexity of my workflows. At this point I fear my methods won’t be understood by anyone unless I make a video tutorial.

 

Most of this project will be done in Blender. The final product will be digital, and I find blender to be the best intermediary software between. However, as I’m intending this to be a comprehensive, historically accurate build, I will attempt to be ‘software agnostic’ especially in the early stages of the build. As far as my pre- and post-production needs are concerned, Adobe pretty much corners the market. And even within Blender, I’m making extensive use of 3^rd party CAD addons that will allow blender to do 90% of what DelftShip does on the hull front.

 

Margin of Error

The allowable margin of error for this project is 1% across all metrics. This is not intended to shield me from mistakes. I will make plenty of mistakes along the way. When I do, call them/me out. Full stop. This is important, not only from an educational perspective, but because unchecked mistakes compound and in extreme cases can even break the project. Rather, this buffer will serve the inevitable reconciliation between imported plans. Even after hours removing distortion in a highly capable software like Photoshop, then further hours spent positioning the images in Blender, there will inevitably be things that won’t line up properly.

 

 

 

 

Excited to get into it with y'all. Stay tuned!!!

 

 

[3DShipWright]

Current state of the project - I will bridge the gap in an upcoming post, but presently, I'm finishing the external planking.

 

[herask]

nice one! I also have Pandora on hold, I thought of continuing after I finish the sails on HMS Pegasus, but I think I'll reconsider because topic saturation 😁. 

 

good luck, will follow

[3DShipWright]

Outer planking nearly complete. I have one more rail on the forecastle to model, then its on to the channels, fenders, quarter deck cut-outs, and so-on.

[3DShipWright]

Here's the latest from pandora. The billboard needs to come in at a sharper angle so I'll have to fix that.

 

Thing is - the plans show two of the chain plates affixed to the hull behind the billboard, yet the plans also show the first three planks of said billboard affixed to the outer planking. That seems like a physical impossibility - am I missing something??? Are there vertical grooves cut into the inside of the first three strakes of the billboard to allow for the chain plates?

 

Thanks in advance

 

 

 

[Trumper07]

Fascinating work so far - thank you for sharing 3DShipWright! Super keen to follow your 3d model as it develops : )