Adding a little GroBoto to the mix:

I'd urge any 3D modeler who hasn't see the brilliant application, "GroBoto", to visit their site at groboto.com. This tool combines REAL boolean modeling, as well as mixing in primitives, and their very clever "bot system, and automatically generates quality meshes, which can be imported into most 3D applications. Beyond that, there's a "GroBoto to modo Toolkit", which runs several hugely-valuable scripts, enabling some very precise editing using modo's internal tools. This is an awesome combination of powerful tools!

Here's my first GroBoto-generated model, a test I made, after only having the app for one day. Within Groboto, it was a combination of primitives and boolean modeling, then the mesh was exported to modo, set up with the toolkit mentioned above, and this is the mesh. Nice!

I can see that GroBoto will become a handy addition to my workflow, so I've started a GroBoto-to-modo Gallery, which you can view here. Fun!

"Modeling with modo, Volume Four" is available now! More info…

I was pleased to find that two images from my Cessna 310K project (one of the projects on the DVD) made it into the Luxology Gallery, too. Thank you, Luxology!

Last year I worked on some very cool projects, which provided lots of material for this new 2-DVD set, available now. It includes real-world examples of creating scenes for magazine ads, training animations, design visualization, and of course, 3D modeling techniques. With the advent of modo 501's new features, there's a focus on the new tools and abilities, including modo's new "schematic view" for rigging, and other new time-saving methods.

I've just finished a new "museum scale" project, which is the Cessna 310K. Like my Cessna T-50 project, it includes the internal structure, cockpit, etc.. Another of the step-by-step tutorials on that DVD will be the Northrop T-38 "Talon", celebrating it's 50th anniversary. I'm also very pleased that a rendering of this model has made it into the Luxology gallery. This project includes rigging of the flight controls and other parts, for animation. (See the T-38 project here)

3D work in modo comes to life!

I've been very pleased and privileged to do some 3D visualization work for my brilliant artist friend, Sheila Wyne. (Visit her site here.) One of those projects, "Big Game" is complete, and the actual artwork was installed in July, 2011) Check out some of the modo work, as well as photos of the final stages of fabrication, on this page.

"Modeling with modo, Volume Three - Jets!" is available now!
View the preview page here.

All my modo DVD's are now available for direct download, via source3d.net.

I've been working on several jet aircraft projects, and so I've collected a lot of material on building them in modo. They are:

• Boeing 727 project - Classic airliner (Finished, September, 2010)
• Boeing 787 project - Boeing's latest high-tech beauty
• B-2 bomber project - Northrop-Grumman's stealth bomber
• Gulfstream G650 project - A large, luxurious business jet

Each aircraft has interesting attributes… The Boeing 727-100 is a classic airliner, and one of the most important historic aircraft that helped usher in the jet age. Built using typical Boeing all-metal "heavy duty" methods, it's also got one of the most complex wings that Boeing every built. Since I finished it in September of 2010, I've put together a little movie, showing some nice renders of the model. Click here to see it. (35 MB QuickTime) The model is also now available in my 3D Catalog.

The Boeing 787-8 is quite different… much larger, but using modern composite construction, a simpler, more efficient wing, and two huge engines. The B-2 project is the most difficult, due to the lack of documentation, and quite a modeling challenge. Finally, the Gulfstream G650 is a large, fast, luxurious business jet, using the latest in high-tech composites and avionics.

The online articles here are typical modo construction articles, showing images of the steps involved. But at the same time, I'm recording screen-capture video with sound, showing the details of how each step is done. These will all be included on the DVD, along with at least two other projects, which I'll reveal as the release date gets closer. This DVD is especially devoted to those who enjoy scale jet aircraft building.

Aside from the aircraft modeling projects themselves, you'll find articles on modeling turbine engines, tires, wheels, brakes, brake lines, clamps, and more. There are articles showing the use of proxy objects and materials, changing your parts from sub-d to hard polys, and back, (and why) organizing the hierarchy in a large project, more on boolean operations, compositing, etc..

Luxology, you've made my day… Twice!

I'm very pleased that one of the renderings for my Piaggio P180 project has made it into the Luxology Gallery. (See "Mike James modo".) Then, to make things even nicer, got a mention in Luxology's September 2010 Newsletter. This made my day, in both cases. Thank you, Luxology!

"Modeling with modo, Volume Two" released July 14th, 2010

This one is a "Right brain/Left brain" DVD…
A large part of the content comes from the six-month-long one I've just finished, for a company that trains "King Air" pilots. I created images and animations for them, which will become part of an FAA-certified flight training program. These range from cockpit animations, where gages move, and the crew takes action, to systems tests, de-cing, heating and cooling, fire suppression, fuel flow, valve operation, propellers spinning at different speeds, etc..

Along with a ton of video at 30 fps, 1280 X 720, (tutorial videos all have audio) several exterior aircraft models are included on the DVD, including a detailed exterior model of the King Air B200 created for these clients. (a twin turboprop business aircraft) There's quite a bit of precision aircraft and systems-oriented modeling, including simple animation methods, and my method for assembling those individual animations into a presentation for the client. (This is key framed action center-based animation, including morph maps, and the animation of various color and visibility channels... not IK or "mech rigging".)

I used an interesting method for creating custom "paint" on the aircraft above, beginning with creating mesh shapes in modo. These dense meshes were applied to the plane using "Background constraint", and were then rendered (alone) at high-res with an orthographic camera. From there, they were imported into PhotoShop, colored, and exported as PNG files, which were then used with UV maps in various ways. It worked out great, and has become one of my favorite methods, due to it's flexibility. We could modify the paint shapes, or the colors, easily. I'll show that process.

And…
There's a large section on organic visualization work I've been doing for artists. You might be interested to see the process we used to document these organic figures for the engineers who actually plan the physical installations, since these are all large pieces. (Documentation was as important here as it was for any scale project.) More preview movies will be added during June, but the first one (modeling turbine fan blades) is already up.

For those of you who might be interested in both volumes, I've created a discount package price for the two together, which you'll find on the same page. (Info on "Modeling with modo, Volume One" is here.

You can pre-order if you like, but no orders will ship until July 14th. Hope you enjoy this one!

I was one of the presenters on the 05-15-10 live internet "Modo Users Group" (MUG) webinar, via "GoToMeeting".
If you'd like to view the video, it's available here.

Click here for a slideshow from the Alaska State Aviation Trade Show and Conference, 05-02-10. (46 MB)

"Modeling with modo, Volume One" released 11-30-09

"Modeling with modo" is available now. (Preview page here) Special thanks those who have already ordered this DVD.

Beginning with requests that came to late for this DVD, I'm already planning more releases in a "Modeling with modo" series. If you have a particular request for something you'd like to see covered, feel free to email me and let me know. (One caveat…I don't want to repeat ideas that already exist in other training material.)

Beginning in March or April, 2010, I'll post a preview page for the new DVD, "Modeling with modo, Volume Two".
Check out my 2009 Projects Gallery, here.

• Two renderings, and some nice comments, regarding my Cessna T-50 project, appeared in the November 2009 issue of "Scale Aviation Modeller International magazine. (Image from the article here) Nice!
• The Berkut/LongEZ has been one of the most-viewed models on my site at nextcraft.com for many years. Beginning in late 2009, I've completely rebuilt this model, to a much higher degree of accuracy, and with many more details. It should appear in my 3D catalog with a month or two.
  This one was built entirely in modo, using spline cages, with the end result being an almost entirely sub-d model. It's also rigged for animation. Click here for the article.
• The second most-viewed aircraft on my NextCraft™ site has been the Raytheon Super King Air B200. So, my next major aircraft modeling project will be the all-modo version of the B200.
• Mike Burnett, of Doghouse Animations, has created some very cool flight sim animations, using my F-22 model. View them on my site here, or on my YouTube channel.




• Rumors had been circulating for some time in regard to the idea that Apple might come out with a "tablet"-type computer. In February of 2009, I did a 3D model of my concept, which I labeled "iPad". It was strictly a fun modeling exercise, done in one day, and was part of my series of "n gadgets". (See the article here) When rumors surfaced again, in the summer of 2009, I sent MacLife Magazine the image, and much to my surprise, they selected it as "Photo of the Month" for the October 2009 issue. (scan at right, which is page 8)

Brief 3D animation samples on my YouTube channel