Raptor 3D Project - Edits 02
So, what needs to be changed on the existing 3D model, to make it more scale and detailed? The first step here is to make an overall comparison of the existing 3D model, with the drawings that I now trust. (I'll keep referring to photos of the actual aircraft too, to double-check things. In this case, the front view comparison shows some of the changes needed, to bring it closer to scale. (Lockheed-Martin drawing on the background, with the 3D model in red, and transparent. to see what's different)
One last safety measure, regarding alignment, then the building plan...
I drew the "datum line" discussed earlier, through the side view drawing, (the thin red line, in the image below) so I can see it in my 3D software. Then, I aligned a flat plane (green, in this image) through the 3D model, to verify that the datum line and the model match. With that locked-in, changes can be made, without the fear of an alignment nightmare later
Here's what can happen if you skip that step...
You might just start in editing and modeling, without checking this datum line. After modeling a few parts, you start to see patterns. If you find that you're modeling everything correctly, but that you have to tilt every part one degree, to fit, that's your first warning sign. For a variety of reasons, it's much easier to model things when they're lined up at "0, 0, 0", so this tiny step can save you a lot of trouble later.
On with the show...
The rather obvious place to start is the fuselage, since it has the most detail, and the fit of all the other parts can't be done until the fuselage is altered. There are a lot of parts that should be shaped at the same time, including, for example, the canopy shape, landing gear doors, weapons bay doors, landing gear doors, and so on. It would be a mistake to just edit the basic fuselage shape, and then try to "manually" adjust all those other parts. Sometimes, the better choice is to edit all these things as a one-piece object. Since the existing 3D model already had all those parts cut out, I had to stick them back together for the first part of the editing. (boolean)
The fuselage, as I received it, with all the parts removed
I created a copy of the fuselage, and used boolean operations to re-install copies of the canopy and canopy frame, landing gear doors, and weapons bay doors. Later, i can re-separate those parts, which will keep their precision fit.
The fuselage with all the parts re-attached, for editing
A "glass" shader, showing my "intake cover" below, to help me align and shape the new inlets.
Methods...
I switch quite often between "versions" of these parts, depending on what's being edited. For example, the fuselage can be edited as a whole, or I might split it into either top/bottom halves, or left/right halves. Each method has advantages for certain operations, so that's why you'll see these various versions as the article goes on. "Shaders" and texture maps have many uses too. A "glass" shader is helpful when comparing a part to drawings in 3D. Temporary parts, such as the "intake cover" (below) used as references, are a big help too, and you'll see me use some of them throughout the project. (below) A "gridded" shader is helpful for making some shapes more obvious, since the (triangulated) view of pure polygons can sometimes be a little visually-confusing. (below)
The polygonal structure of the fuselage top
The existing intake was sealed with a "cover". to darken it in the "glass" view you'll see occasionally.
Temporary "grid" (non-triangulated) texture map, to help visualize the shape.
Editing the intake shape and position, canopy size and shape, fuselage depth, (height) and engine area:
I focused on the jet intake first, and did most of this work using a "one half only" version of the fuselage, since it could be duplicated and mirrored later. In the image below, I've changed the actual shape of the inlet, rotated it to the scale angle, rebuilt the "chine" on it's upper surface, and (due to these changes) re-smoothed the lower area, where it fairs into the bottom fuselage. The original model came with a blade-type VHF antenna on the upper fuselage, just behind the canopy. I've removed that, and modeled the "bump" that appears there on the actual aircraft.
Separate from the fuselage height, the canopy height was increased, the angle between it's sides and the fuselage's sides flattened, and the upper part of the canopy was widened and smoothed. The image below also clearly shows the changes made to the jet intakes.
Another view, from below
Refining the shape of the fuselage:
One of the first things I did was to move the polygon group in the lower fuselage, containing the main landing gear doors, aft, to match the drawings. The doors will still have to be rebuilt, due to changes from Lockheed-Martin, (gear doors in the wings, and a "bulge" in that area of the fuselage and wings) but they're closer, and that helps me plan ahead.
Again, most of this work was done on a "one half only'" copy of the fuselage, and mirrored later. The biggest change on the upper fuselage was to increase it's thickness, beginning just aft of the intakes, and make the curve smoother, which leads to the fuselage maximum height, located at about the same place as the wings' maximum thickness. I'll be refining this further, once the new wings and tail parts are built.
I do each change in two phases...
First, I select a group of polygons, and move them. (in this case, "up") That of course affects the surrounding polygons, so the next step is to smooth the area, Sometimes I select just a few polygons, (first image, below) and other times, larger groups. (second image, below)
Next, I separated the fuselage into top/bottom halves, and did several things. First, the height of the rounded shapes at the fuselage rear (enclosing the engines) was reduced in height, so they can't be seen from a direct front view. The lower fuselage received the most "deepening" at both the front and rear, resulting in an overall shape that now matches the drawings more precisely. I double-checked all these shapes with photos, whenever possible, before making the change. Go slowly here, because it's the very nature of a stealthy aircraft to use shapes that confuse the eye. The images below show the results, so far. (When you can't see the drawing behind the part, that's a match! Transparent views simply verify that the new model isn't too large in any dimension.)
Side view drawing with new fuselage model in front of it.
Front view drawing with new fuselage in front of it.
Top view drawing with new transparent fuselage in front of it.
Side view drawing with new transparent fuselage in front of it.
Click the "Edits 03" link below to continue.