Mechanical Design Engineer - tell me if I can help

[Scrat]

So basically I just finished a degree in Mechanical design and I can create mechanical designs that work in 3D easily.

I'm not sure how useful this will be to you as most of the mechanical design programs have their own file types i.e. .SLDPRT etc. but if you can use any types I would like to contribute to this society.

An example of something I would be good for is a remodelling of the Nibelheim reactor, Depending on the program I can generally knock up simple gears in seconds and add any textures I am supplied and I can turn these into working models nicely. I heard that to remake the movies you may need to remodel their scenes, so if anyone is working on this currently and would like someone to help out I would love to.

Also I could happily build working models of the bike and car.... that would actually be amazing, if anyone knows what kind of file types are easiest to incorporate into code please let me know

I'm also beginning to learn how to code and stuff, but honestly at the moment I feel like a complete idiot and there is no way I'm ready for anything as complex as hex.

[Kaldarasha]

Kimera and p-Creator only know 3ds files. 
I guess, we have the widest compatibility with Wavefronts obj files. If your program could create this format it would be a great thing but I doubt it will.
This might do the trick:
https://forum.solidworks.com/thread/54270

[Scrat]

Awesomesauce, I enjoy using Solidworks anyway (though it hates people) and if those guys can use those types of files then I am in!

Danke Schöne, Mein Freund

I'll send them a pm in a few days when I have played with the program a little.

[LeonhartGR]

New people to help!!! This is just awesome!!! I think I live 90's again!

[Mayo Master]

Hi Scrat,

I believe that making the transition from an "engineering-oriented" CAD software to an "artistic" 3d modelling software isn't too difficult. I think the 3d modelling itself isn't too hard to figure out, however it's the whole "texturing and lighting" aspect which is really new. I started 3d modelling on Blender (it's free and you can do pretty advanced stuff with it), and I don't think it's too difficult to  handle if you're from a CAD background (same principles: Vertices > Edges > Faces > Volumes). Personally, I had little experience with very basic CAD software for Computational Fluid Dynamics purposes prior to getting to Blender, and it was helpful to get the basics.
If you're interested in modelling scenes, as one of the Leads of Team Avalanche I would strongly suggest you take a look at what we're doing. Modelling industrial units (such as a mako plant), vehicles, etc. would be very helpful for composing most of these scenes (for example, last year I started modelling the Tiny Bronco). If you're interested, we would have plenty (if not too much) work for you (because we're ridiculously under-staffed). If I sound like I'm shamelessly trying to hire you, it's because I probably am 

[LeonhartGR]

Be careful with the word "hire" lol In the world we live in at the current age you may be granting false hope to some people

[Mayo Master]

If people were getting paid for modding Final Fantasy VII, I think word would have spread 

[Covarr]

If people were getting paid for modding Final Fantasy VII, I think cease and desist orders would have spread

[LeonhartGR]

Or Square would have taken their routine measures...

[dkma841]

.

[Scrat]

I would love to help!

I a currently not settled, (I.e. shamelessly living with/off my girlfriend until I find a job) and my laptop will not support.... well anything really, but I can make some shiny word documents lol.

When I am back on my rig I'll take a look at this blender and I would love to get involved. Mayo, if your understaffed this is news to my ears as I could use some design projects to do at home. Recreating FF7 vehicles, thats a dream isn't it?

Ill be able to take a look in a couple of weekends and in the meantime Ill check out the Team avalanche posts and see if there is anything useful I can do over that weekend. Properly active with constant access to my rig in a few short months, I hope.

[Mayo Master]

Sounds good! Take your time to check things out - the timeframe of Team Avalanche's project is going to span over years anyway, if not decades    We're pretty much 3 people to be somewhat active, while the whole task would rather require 10 people with a full-time dedication: that's how understaffed we are
If you're very interested in vehicle modelling and how it would fit into scenes, I think these scenes from the desert prison will hugely benefit from your contributions:



I admit it's not really glamorous (they're not nice looking vehicles, they're rusted car bodies that are piling in a junkyard, for the most part), but I think that's where someone with your abilities would be the most helpful.
Whenever you feel like starting some work on these scenes, just post on the Avalanche forum (or PM me) and I can get you started (for one thing, I can prep the basis of the scenes with walkmesh and camera data matching the reference image, before you start anything). I can also look into other scenes featuring vehicles - maybe hook you up with SpooX (who's working on 3ds) who's been working on the environments related to the intro sequence (where you can see cars passing in front of the camera, namely). Anyway, there are many possibilities.