3d Modelling and Animation: Making the Tie-fighter Model

Making the Wings

The second Model I started on was the Tie fighter. This time i imported an image into The view field to get the correct size and shape of the wings.

I then created a cylinder and rotated it 90 degrees and changed the sub divisional axis so that is was hexagonal in shape, then I pulled each edge out until it matched the picture in the viewfinder.

I then selected the edges around the wing and used the Bezel tool to create the type of edge you see in the picture below. I then deleted the image from my view window and decided to model the rest of the Tie-fighter using the pictures along side my Maya window as I did before with my x wing.

I then duplicated the Wing

I then found out through an example project on the Internet about this feature within the preferences window, when i unchecked this the faces selected move separate when i extruded them and scaled them down. Source : http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/maya/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2015/ENU/Maya/files/Edit-Mesh--Keep-Faces-Together-htm.html

This then split the wing into 6 faces each with a little boarder around them. Which is exactly what I was trying to achieve.

I then used the vertex option to select the six central vertexes, i then used the scale tool to expand them outwards creating this effect.

I then selected each of the six faces again and extruded them inwards to make the struts of the wing pronounced.

I then Built out the centre part of the wings by creating a cylinder with 6 sub divisional axis and to create a hexagon and then inserted it into the middle of the wing and used the Boolean operation union to join it too the wing. Then just used the extrude tool with the multi -cut tool to keep adding edges then selecting faces, scaling them then extruding them until i had added enough detail.

Making the centre cockpit

The next step was to start on the cockpit. To create the cockpit I made a sphere and then lowered the sub divisional axis until it was quite angular. I then rotated the sphere so that it was on its side. This meant was so it would be easier for me to cut out the cockpit window.

Using the Multi-cut tool i cut out the shape of the cockpit window and then selected and deleted edges to create sections of the cockpit window.

I then selected the faces that are going to be the glass of the window and then extruded them inwards. This created the basic shape of the window.

To add detail to the window frame i selected all the central edges and pulled them out. This game the window frame more depth, rather than the flat look it had before

The resulting window

I created this part of the mesh by manipulating one of the faces of the sphere. To do this added extra vertex's using the Multi-cut tool and pulled them out until i had this shape. I did the same on the other side of the sphere. It was really hard to get each side exactly the same and took ages.