Targetware: 3D Dev Guide

Chapter 2: Airplanes - The External Model

Introduction

For Targetware airplanes, you will be building two sets of models. One is the external model, which covers everything that can be seen from outside the plane. This is the model used when you see another airplane in the sky or on the runway. The second set of models is the Cockpit Model, which is everything that can be seen from the cockpit, including the instrument panel, canopy, top of the wings, etc. See Chapter 3: The Cockpit Model for more information.

Build your external model as you would any other airplane: start with blueprints or high quality, accurate 3 views. Always keep in mind the polygon limits specified for your type of airframe. Remember that you will need to split it up into parts, so its not a bad idea to have your polygon breaks strategically located from the very start.

Wings, horizontal stabilizers, and vertical stabilizers will need to be booleaned into the fuselage. In other words, you cannot just have the ends stick through. Each polygon must intersect with the fuselage at common vertices.

All hollow parts need to be fully capped. For example, the center fuselage of a plane needs to have a rear wall and a front wall, so that if the plane suffers damage to the rear fuselage, players won't be able to see through from the tail of the plane to the nose. The same is true of wings, control surfaces, stabs, etc.

Point of Origin

For an airplane model, you want to have the vertical point of origin be as close to the center of gravity as possible, while the longitudinal point of origin should be along the main wing spar.