Armillary Sphere

[simsmj]

Second attempt at this image posting business!! Took me half a dozen attempts to get into my own webpages to upload the darn thing! http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/confused.gif
Anyway, I am attempting to post an image of an Armillary Sphere I am working on, its a sort of 3D spherical astrolabe. No surface detail yet, I was just so pleased to get this far with it, I felt the urge to post it as is, I hope nobody minds http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

Mike

http://www.xaracen.pwp.blueyonder.co...sphere%201.png

[Terry]

Well, it looks pretty good so far, Mike. http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

[John Rayner]

i will second that mike... Looks pretty darn good so far.

[Egg Bramhill]

Mike

http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/eek.gif http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/eek.gif http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/eek.gif
That's totally and utterly impossible to do within Xara3D. Only you could manage it! Can't wait to see the final image.
Egg

[Scotty]

I'd like to see a tutorial for that one!
You certainly push Xara3D to limits! Awesome work Mike
Jim

[simsmj]

Guys, thanks. It uses the same tricks as the X-Wing and TIE fighters, I use the Swing2 animation to swing the rings and frame legs into position, the blue sphere is a small dot with a large rounded bevel, and the central pole is the same dot extruded and swung into position. There should also be a couple of latitude rings representing the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, but I am having trouble getting them positioned correctly, though they aren't really necessary.

I will post again when I have added the engraved detailing. That will take a little while.

Mike

[John Rayner]

I am definently waiting to see that... Very nice so far.

[Ron Duke]

Mike,
You're amazing...
ron

[simsmj]

The armillary sphere now has some surface details. I would have preferred to do this by subtracting the engraved details from the rings etc, as I did in the astrolabe, but Xara3D was completely mangling the resulting shapes, so these details are done with textures instead. I think the image is still quite acceptable, as long as the lighting is controlled.

Comments, criticisms, and suggestions are welcome, as usual. I expect I will start putting a tutorial together, in the next day or so http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/smile.gif .

Mike


http://www.xaracen.pwp.blueyonder.co...%20cropped.png

[Terry]

Very nice, Mike. Very nice. Verrrrrrrry nice.

What else can I say?

Your wife must be a very understanding woman -- mine complains that I spend too much time on this sort of thing already, and you keep raising the bar! http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

Did I mention that it's reeeeeeeely nice... http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/wink.gif