Celestia Forums

I'm a big Tintin fan, so ever since I downloaded the Tintin Rocket, I decided I should get into 3D modelling myself. I downloaded Anim8tor and got to work. I have posted 2 pictures of "Astronaut Tintin".

Unfortunately the file size of the object is almost 2 Mb. I tried to reduce the number of polygons, but the results were not acceptable as I suspect most people will want to have a close-up look.

I'm not sure where I should go from here. I'm sure I can find out how to turn this into an add-on, but it would take me quite some time, so help is welcome. The rocket will also have to be rescaled as it shows up a lot smaller when loaded into Anim8tor. I'm happy to do that.

I'm also thinking of modelling Captain Haddock. The space suit was the hardest bit, so that shouldn't be to difficult, I hope.

Nice

maxim

Very nice...

I have done myself and entire scene on the moon with the landed rocket, the tank, prof. Tournesol and the Dupondt (and Tintin inside the tank)... I haven't release the addon yet because I must end the seceney, and as I'm working on several others models...

If you can do a Haddock and a Milou it would be great...

Here two shots: (the secenery with the Dupondt is the Cham's one (from his moonbase)




Bye

Lukr,

What soft do you use?

EDIT:
If you want to have a look at the tank and rocket, try this:
http://www.shatters.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6921&highlight=
You can download both preleminary models from the first post.

Bye

I suggest that you do not worry so much about the file size. 2MB is not very big. The format used in the graphics card is much smaller. If all the files total over 100MB, then maybe you should start to worry

The models that you both are creating look great!

I would be glad to test them for you if you want My older system is quite slow, although its slow graphics card has plenty of memory.

Old system:
256MB 500MHz P3, WinXP Pro SP2
128MB FX5700LE

I've never been the biggest fan of Tintin, but when I was at school I used to enjoy watching the stories whenever they were shown here on British TV.

I don't remember too much about Tintin nowadays, but I do remember the Thom(p)son twins, especially as a fairly successful early 80's popular music band was named after them.

Now as I recall, the Thom(p)son twins were portrayed as 2 stereotypical British City Gents, who always wore 3 piece suits, bowler hats, and carried umbrellas......however, I don't think we ever got to see their hairstyles under the aforementioned headwear.

Obviously, looking at the screenshot showing these two gentlemen, they had a radical hairdresser.

In this particular story they have ingested some substance which triggered (amongst other effects) an abnormal - and very multi-coloured - hair growth.

selden wrote:I suggest that you do not worry so much about the file size. 2MB is not very big. The format used in the graphics card is much smaller. If all the files total over 100MB, then maybe you should start to worry

The models that you both are creating look great!

I would be glad to test them for you if you want My older system is quite slow, although its slow graphics card has plenty of memory.

Old system:
256MB 500MHz P3, WinXP Pro SP2
128MB FX5700LE

For my part, the entire scenery is huge... I have some problem to end it... perhaps I will have to reduce the landing zone.
First I will end the shuttle, then we will talk about this

***
Thom(p)son twins... in French they are called Dupondt... one is Dupond and the other Dupont...

In dutch they are Jansen and Jansens

I've just had a look at the official Tintin website and found out that Thompson and Thomson weren't twins.

They looked almost identical, except for their mustaches.

It also appears that these two bumbling detectives always tried to dress in very obvious local costume wherever they went. They thought this would enable themselves to pass by un-noticed while searching for clues. I guess the haircuts are their attempt to blend in with the local inhabitants of the moon ! ?

deleted

TERRIER wrote:I guess the haircuts are their attempt to blend in with the local inhabitants of the moon ! ?

I've already explained their strange haircut.
Soon i'll reread the books :)

ElChristou wrote:

I have done myself and entire scene on the moon with the landed rocket, the tank, prof. Tournesol and the Dupondt (and Tintin inside the tank)... I haven't release the addon yet because I must end the seceney, and as I'm working on several others models...

If you can do a Haddock and a Milou it would be great...

ElChristou, you sure are a very prolific modeler! I should have known that you had it almost completely covered... As I said Haddock shouldn't be too much of a problem. I was going to do that anyway for the scene where Tintin tries to reel Haddock back in after he decided to go spacewalking in a drunken stupor while they're on their way to the moon.
Wolff the engineer is also visible in a scene in the rocket's loading bay. Give me a bit of time and I might try him as well. I think you should definitely give the high-res space shuttle project top priority!

You also asked about the software. I've used Anim8tor (because it's free). Organic shapes are somewhat problematic with this package, as well its limited ability to select only a few edges or surfaces. Milou might be a little bit more of a challenge, therefore. I'm just thinking of his furry coat which is clearly visible in the drawings.

You use Amapi, don't you. A bit pricy for a beginner like me, but I like its capabilities.

Selden wrote:

I would be glad to test them for you if you want My older system is quite slow, although its slow graphics card has plenty of memory.

That would be great. As I said I'm very much a beginner, although I've admired Celestia for a long time. What I'm trying to achieve is a scene from "Explorers on the Moon", where Tintin stands on the side of the rocket (on its way to the moon), getting ready to throw a lasso to Haddock who is floating away from the rocket. (BTW, have you read the book?)
Second issue, just to show how much of a beginner I am , how do I provide you with the .obj file?

Julesstoop:

In this particular story they have ingested some substance which triggered (amongst other effects) an abnormal - and very multi-coloured - hair growth.

To be factual, I believe Jansen and Jansens drank this substance in a previous book "Land of Black Gold". The next book is "Destination Moon", and in "Explorers on the Moon" they seem to have a recurrence of this most mysterious disease, which leads to ridiculously fast hair growth and rapidly changing hair colour. Obviously in the scene depicted by ElChristou, they just had a trim...

Terrier wrote:

I've just had a look at the official Tintin website and found out that Thompson and Thomson weren't twins.

They looked almost identical, except for their mustaches.

Thompson and Thomson (Jansen and Jansens) are indeed not identical twins. My son actually picked up that Jansens has a slight curl in his moustache whereas Jansen does not. ElChristou, did you pick that up in your models?

Thanks for refreshing my memory Lukr :)

I'm going to visit my parents soon and will reread the 'Kuifjes'! (original first issue hard cover prints from the 1940, so i'll have to be carefull)

lukr wrote: (BTW, have you read the book?)

Actually, no, although I've glanced at some of the publications once in a while.

Second issue, just to show how much of a beginner I am Sad , how do I provide you with the .obj file?

It would be best if you could send me a .3DS file, since that's what Celestia uses. If you put it in a Zip file, too, it'll be a lot smaller.
E'mail should be fine, so long as the file is less than 10MB. That's the largest our mail system will accept.

(On an XP system, you can create a Zip file by clicking in the window with the Right mouse button and selecting New / Compressed (zipped) folder. Then drag the files you want to send into it. You can send the file by selecting may email button which is just below this message.)

lukr wrote:...the scene where Tintin tries to reel Haddock back in after he decided to go spacewalking in a drunken stupor while they're on their way to the moon...

Cool... If you need I have the rocket closed. As it is almost perfect (I have done a great effort to control all curves) why not using it?

...I'm just thinking of his furry coat which is clearly visible in the drawings...

Right, this a the big challenge... you will have the same problem with Haddock beard... pearhpas Milou in Space suit... You will have just the problem with the head...

...for a beginner like me...

Then Bravo, your Tintin looks perfect! you are not anymore a beginner

My son actually picked up that Jansens has a slight curl in his moustache whereas Jansen does not. ElChristou, did you pick that up in your models?

Sure!!

ElChristou wrote:

Cool... If you need I have the rocket closed. As it is almost perfect (I have done a great effort to control all curves) why not using it?

Great! Is it the same one as the one I downloaded from the Add-on repository?

Another question. How should I scale Tintin relative to the rocket? Assuming Tintin's height is 180 cm approximately, what would be the height of the rocket? You must have dealt with this problem when you were working on the moonbase.

lukr wrote:ElChristou wrote:

Cool... If you need I have the rocket closed. As it is almost perfect (I have done a great effort to control all curves) why not using it?

Great! Is it the same one as the one I downloaded from the Add-on repository?

Another question. How should I scale Tintin relative to the rocket? Assuming Tintin's height is 180 cm approximately, what would be the height of the rocket? You must have dealt with this problem when you were working on the moonbase.

I will give in the next few days (tomorrow or past tomorrow) a link to my rocket. For the scaling, you will have to merge all models in one it's the easier way to do. The rocket is 60 to 70m approx.

Bye

ElChristou wrote:

lukr wrote:ElChristou wrote:

Cool... If you need I have the rocket closed. As it is almost perfect (I have done a great effort to control all curves) why not using it?

Great! Is it the same one as the one I downloaded from the Add-on repository?

Another question. How should I scale Tintin relative to the rocket? Assuming Tintin's height is 180 cm approximately, what would be the height of the rocket? You must have dealt with this problem when you were working on the moonbase.

I will give in the next few days (tomorrow or past tomorrow) a link to my rocket. For the scaling, you will have to merge all models in one it's the easier way to do. The rocket is 60 to 70m approx.

Bye

Thanks! I'll wait for that...

ElChristou wrote:For the scaling, you will have to merge all models in one it's the easier way to do.

No, no, don't do that! I had a vision of Tintin following a XYZ-path while leaving the rocket, stepping down the ladder and walking to the tank.

maxim