So, something I’ve gotten into recently, was scale model ships. The skill required to make something to scale, and then take it further by making it flyable, has always left me satisfied when it worked (before Monitors Bounty kinda screwed thing up with prefabs, but not the time or place.).
We’re here to discuss how YOU can build your own scale model warship, and how to make it flyable!
Step 1: Planning
First step in anything, is planning, knowing where you want to go with a design. Whether you’re building from a premade design, such as any ship from Halo Lore that has been visually represented, or something entirely new and interesting.
Step 2 (optional): Micro Modelling
Second step might seem redundant; Modelling. Let me explain a bit. Before going to full size scaling, building a micro model sometimes helps. Taking 2x2 measured blocks and building a scale model of what you’re wanting can help you find out what works and what doesn’t. And then we move onto step 3.
Step 3: Building
Building is step three. Now that you’ve got your design, and have probably built a micro model for reference, you’re ready to go full scale. Now there’s a couple of scales you can use.
A: Relative to Host = The scale of the model is relative to whatever vehicle your using as the host vehicle. ex. Banshee. (Optimal performance)
B: 1:3 Scale = This is the typical measurement used in ships made in Forge from former Halo’s, including Reach. (Sub Optimal Performance)
C: Full Scale = Making the ship full sized is a true challenge, proceed at own risk. (Unusable)
Now when building, you should keep a couple things in mind;
- Try building on a blank slate map like Barrens or Parallax. - Balancing your design is crucial. Your host vehicle should be near the top middle of your model. Make sure you balance the weight from front to back to achieve optimal flight. - Keep an active tab on your object count. Going too high can leave you glitching all over the place. It will also make welding it easier. - Try using one big block in place of multiple smaller blocks. This saves your budget, and allows you to copy and clone your design en mass. - Don’t skimp on aesthetics, but don’t overload on them. Find the balance. Decals can be applied after the product is finished. - Try to build on Coordinates. This helps during step 4.
Step 4: Welding & Testing
The next step is important. After you’ve built your design, balanced it, and made it to your liking, it’s time to make it official. When welding your vehicle, make sure that you grab everything on it, but make especially sure that the first thing you grab, is the Host Vehicle. If you built your vehicle on coordinates, selecting any missing objects should be easy, as will the Select All option.
Once you’ve welded your vehicle, now is time for testing. After setting your camera distance, clone the vehicle and set it to normal. Make sure you keep the original in phased, and save the map beforehand. Testing is where you work out any design elements that cause unneeded weight distribution, that you can remove without damaging the overall aesthetic.
After you’ve worked out the kinks, it’s time, for the final step…
Final Step: VICTORY FLIGHT!!
Congratulations! If you’ve followed my admittedly pretty rough instructions, you have created your own scale model warship! Fly that sucker all over and show it off to your friends!
Thanks for reading. Comment and tell me what you think, and if YOU have any experience with this kind of work.