Colonial Space Base

[Ray Rivers]

Well...

The problem I encountered in my first go was not due to graphics.  The graphics of the .pdf file are very easy to modify.  The only "difficult" bit is making sure that everything lines up correctly when you are finished. 

For me, that meant taking a 6x4 block floor, and modifying it to a 5x3 and 4x3.  Once You have modified the floor, you then modify the wall sections by copying and pasting them on the same file as the floor.  You make sure that all the walls are the same height and that they line up with the floor.  If they don't you just play around with adding of subtract some of the image, like the beam that runs between each wall segment, in my case.  Once everything is set, you then make new dedicated paint files for the rooms.

Given that I was going to start from scratch again...sigh... I took the opportunity to change styles, as I decided that I didn't like the original flooring or walls.

Here is a really busy picture, that you can see lots of stuff.  On the top right is a finished 5x3 room (the inside bit, outside left to do).  In the center, you see a second 5x3 room mounted on foamcore ready to be cut out.  On the left bottom, you see pages of printed out card for my 4x3 rooms.  Notice how they are in sets, one page is floor with two side walls, and the other page is the front and back wall for the same room.  And at the very top left you see the new corridor (also shopped from the original .pdf) which I made to give me more space between rooms.



The reason my first attempt failed is because 1) I have never done anything like this before (including cutting foamcore accurately), so there is a huge learning curve and 2) I made some basic assumptions that were wrong.

For example, I "assumed" my box was a rectangle.  That assumption lead me to try to build everything inside the box, but as one side did okay, I soon found the other side just wouldn't come out right.  I couldn't get the wall sections to line up correctly.  Bottom line, the box was not a correct rectangle.

So I have decided on a whole new design philosophy which is a lot like the way Deathwing did his building... in modules, which would allow me to sort out my height problem and also give me the ability to add an upper level air shaft section for the beasties to wonder about in.

Here is a shot of my first complete module, the completed 5x3 room from the picture above, inside the box:



The thing to notice is that I have "excess" flooring behind the room.  This is an approximation of the width of the air shaft which will run along the sides of the box above the rooms.  It can be altered at a later time once all the modules are complete. The plan now is to do the modules, fit them in the box, then do the air shaft sections for which the sides of the box will be glued to in order to give me a rectangular box.

I'm maintaining the same layout scheme, two large rooms on one side, 3 smaller rooms on the other and a "T" shaped corridor running between them.

That's the plan... we'll see.

[Ray Rivers]

So I now have the interior laid out.   

The box contains five room pieces and four corridor floor pieces; none of them glued down yet.

Here is a poorish photo from my "point and shoot" that shows where I am right now.



Next up... the corridor walls, the three entry doors into the complex and gluing it all into the box.

[marrony]

Lookin' good............

[Luckyjoe]

That's looking very good. Have you considered adding some bits to the surface of the pdf, like snap buttons for valve wheels? Sometimes its helpful to throw in a few raised bits for texture. Keep up the good work, I'm looking forward to the next installment.

Luckyjoe

P.S. I have a construction tip for you. Have you ever heard of rabbeting the corners? Basically you cut down the foamcore at the ends of two of the walls all the way through the foamcore down to (but not through) the hard part of the ouside wall that is equal to the thickness of your foamcore. It makes the join stronger. There is a tutorial here, see the section on "Rabbetting the corners":  http://zeitcom.com/majgen/39howst.html#strucphil

[Ray Rivers]

Yep, I have thought about adding bits to the structure... once I get it done...

We'll see how it all progresses first.

As for your link concerning construction, specifically "Rabbetting the corners"... wow, what a great idea.   I'm a total construction newbie so, this is learning every step of the way.  Thanks for the link.

[argsilverson]

Dear Ray Rivers,
A question quite out off topic:

The beach you refer is Agia Napa or other Cypriot beach?

[Ray Rivers]

I live in Spain at the present on the coast.

I've always lived on the coast of somewhere... Can't live without a beach and the sea.  Especially the sea.

[Argonor]

Which software do you use for modifying pdfs?

[Ray Rivers]

Paint.

It's really not a big deal here.  You have to do some twiddling around a bit... take a screen shot of the .pdf image then paste it in paint.  After that it's just a matter of cutting, copying and pasting.  Then you need to print out the new image and make sure that everything is correct (door is on the correct side, the image is the correct size, etc).  After everything is good to go, I print it out on card and start gluing the stuff to the foamcore.

Believe me, I'm no genius with computer programs, but if I can do it, anybody can.

But I think first, I need to prove I can do it... 

[Argonor]

OK, so printing out the pdf, scanning it in and doing the mods in photoshop would do the trick, too... 

I just wondered if there was a (not-too-expensive) program available that could break up a pdf (I know, Adobe has the gizmo, but...  )...

[Ray Rivers]

I don't believe you need to print and scan first.

The .pdf document has a feature that allows you to copy the image or parts of the image and I would assume, import it directly to photoshop and save it as a .bmp.  That is what I do with paint.  I copy just the portion of the .pdf image I want to work with, paste it in paint and start modding.  Then again, I'm not a graphics wizard so I'm probably totally wrong.

[archangel1]

OK, so printing out the pdf, scanning it in and doing the mods in photoshop would do the trick, too... 

I just wondered if there was a (not-too-expensive) program available that could break up a pdf (I know, Adobe has the gizmo, but...  )...

Check out Software 995.  They have a couple of free programmes that are very useful for working with pdfs.  Go to their website and download the files under PdfSuite995 and Omniformat.  You can create, split or combine pdf files, plus several other features.  The programmes are free.  You just have to put up with an ad when you're starting up.  You can also buy the complete suite of 10 different programmes for $29.95, which removes the ads.  All the programmes are full function, except for the ads.  I also use ePad995 (a Post-It Note for your screen) and WordBrowser (a mini dictionary).  Great stuff! 

http://www.software995.com/

[Ray Rivers]

You can create, split or combine pdf files, plus several other features.

Sounds kinda complicated for me...   

[Argonor]

I have their pdf-creator, which works splendidly - you just choose it as a print-option, and then it creates a pdf from the file you 'print'.

I must check out the other options, too, thanks!

If I can work out how it works, it'll be time for some kitbashing 

[Gluteus Maximus]

Ray,

as a fellow card building novice, I'm following your project with great interest. It's always nice to see some brave soul working through the pain to save the rest of us 

Seriously, it's great to see and I'm learning lots just by reading your posts. Maybe one day I'll actually be able to make my own "Nostromo" interiors.

Cheers,
Ian