[maudib]

There is nothing clever in my modeling technique. Unfortunately the answer is LOTS AND LOTS OF POLYS. Every single edge is rounded ( not beveled) using Lightwave's "Rounder" app. Some of the more complex greebles are modelled using spline-patching techniques, like the car guys use in modeling car bodies.

The hull plating is more tedious, but straight forward. I use high res images and personal taste to locate the plating lines. Then create primitive shapes to use as stencils to mark where the plate lines are on the base surface. I then use the bevel tool to inset the hull surface the depth I want. I then stencil in the plate lines, use the bevel tool again to create channels between the plates. I then use the extrude tool to create a 2nd set of shapes from the beveled lines that match the hull plates perfectly. Then stencil these final shapes into the inset hull surface. I then extrude these sections upward to be level with the original surface. I finish by using ROUNDER to round off all edges. The end result is that each hull plate perfectly matches the compound curves on the original hull surface. My method is simple hard work and lots of hours.