Got started on the lower level today after a spurt of energy. This is going to be much more complex than the main level I think. But it'll have to wait a few more days. Going out for a nice long walk now, then to bed and an early sunrise 'cause I'm drivin' to Michigan's U.P. tomorrow!
Working on the lower deck now. Here are some progress shots of the galley. Again, I have to say I'm impressed with the level of detail Irwin Allen and Robert Kinosh-ita invested into this series! I dare say their ideas regarding the dispensing of foodstuffs anticipate today's norm (at least when it comes to Motel 6 continental breakfasts!).
The Laboratory is done and I am moving into the Auxiliary Flight Control octant. Man! What a wacky collection of angles and curves!!! I think I am using about 30 different grid systems on this level alone.
In the center ceiling is the Robot's Magna-Lock assembly:
The basic consoles in Aux Flight Control are done. Inside are spaces for the retractable crash couches, to be added later. Control panels have yet to be added.
The interior window is impossible to reconcile with the exterior profile of the ship, but that's TV for 'ya. The width is OK but the height is greater and the angle is much steeper here than the exterior view allows for.
As I mentioned before the control panels are just mostly texture maps. But since I started in with some actual dials and knobs in the Lab section I will probably go back and detail the panels more extensively. It will be a lot less cartoony.
Man, this is one of the best WIPs that I ever seen! The to much attention that you have with details makes the cgi version looks almost like a "real" set.
Keep doing the great work!
I've assembled - without much editing yet - a series of short video clips. There are a ton more but I am in the process of writing a script to accompany a "grand tour" of the ship. The lower deck is also still under construction as seen in the previous posts.
I've said it before and I will say it again. This is looking absolutely fantastic. You've got so much going on that if you aren't paying attention, you will miss it. But if it wasn't there, it just wouldn't look right.
The Auxiliary Flight Control (AFC) area is pretty much done. It's a big 'Ol mess of control panels. The first shot is looking at the AFC from outside the viewport. The 3rd shot is the AFC on the left, Lab on the right.
The radar screens are duplicates of the main flight deck on the upper level, just as they are in the TV show. They are not as detailed as Tralfaz's crazy-good ones in his J2 thread, but hopefully they get the idea across.
Moving on from the AFC, here's a couple of progress shots of sleeping cabin #2. Each cabin has some minor variations but they all generally follow this design.
A single bed and a desktop fold down from the wall as shown. Light strips are hidden in the recesses. A video display is embedded in the wall among the shelves, while the closet in the left wall conveniently holds the lavender, cream and mint green uniforms worn in the show...
This is looking great Avian. I like the clips from the TV show on the monitor in the cabin. Again, I love your textures and lighting. Care to share your lighting setup?
As for the crazy detail in my version, it is great for really close up shots, but lost on normal or further away views. I plan on using the J2 in an animation idea I have, and there will be closeup shots where the detail will add to the shot. I am probably going to have to have both highly detailed and lower detailed versions depending on the particular shot to help with render times.
The lower deck is nearing completion though I have some clean-up ahead and a few details to add.
A shot toward the sleeping cabins showing the accordion doors closed. The open area to the right of center is the Laundry & Shower. Complete with an "ultrasonic" miracle washer that - in one of the funniest bits of the show - actually cleans, presses, folds and packages the laundry in 10 seconds.
Same shot showing the accordion doors open:
Different angle, with the Robot for scale (He's about 6'-6" BTW).
Now that the ship is nearing completion I am diving into the narrative and animations a bit more. I'll continue to post bits now and then.
@Tralfaz - The lighting setup is mostly basic MAX omni lights, with a few linear photometric lights for the undercabinet and cabin bed lights. Although I have about 200 lights in the scene only about 50 are shadow-mapped. The others are mostly small blinkers for control panels and a couple of fills. I am not using Mental Ray (and thus no Ambient Occlusion), which would add a lot of realism but drag down the render times too much for the animations. I may use MR for some higher-rez beauty shots later. (Now if I had VRay installed on this machine I would more likely use it since I am much more comfortable and experienced with it over MR, and I find it a heckuva lot faster.)
I am also relying on a simple glow effect on the lighted structural ribs and flat light panels in the Galley, Lab and Laundry. It's amazing how much it can add to the shot and costs almost nothing in render time.
I don't know if this is of any help if you are unfamiliar with MAX but here's a screen grab of the lower level plan. Omni lights are the squares with the 'x' in them.
^Glad it helped a little. Yeah, generally when using native MAX lights on interiors I go for more of them with lower intensities and shorter ranges. It produces a lot of softer shadows, doesn't blow out highlights and is a reasonable simulation of a good lighting solution. Because this project is geared toward animation it's also a lot faster than calculating global lighting and/or using AO, since there are a lot of moving objects.
If I still had access to my old render farm I wouldn't hesitate to use VRay, but this is something I'm doing on my old home computer on MAX 8 so I have to cut corners quite a bit!
I'm starting to hone the scenario for the animations. I'm postulating an Alpha Control testing facility on Jupiter's moon Callisto. The J2 will be taken out on an automated shakedown flight before being sent to Earth for preparations for its interstellar mission to Alpha Centauri. Several animations have already been rendered so I thought I'd post a couple of stills.
I figured I'd try to solve the question of what happens when the central astrogator descends from its perch in the sensor dome on top of the ship. While the astrogator was shown in both positions in the show, it was never addressed how there could be another rotating sensor in that dome. This is one possible solution to the 40-year-old mystery.
(Ignore the intense reflections in the glass and metal sensor on top of the ship - I've re-rendered that to cut it down quite a bit.) Music is John Williams' original incidental music for the show.
In addition, the three sensor ports on top of the ship were rarely shown in use. Here's a shot with the three differing antennas deployed, as well as a peek at the rear porthole which was only shown from the inside a couple of times.
Posts
Thanks! I know what you mean. It's been fun in this little virtual world lately.
A couple more images of the Astrogator in its "auto-pilot" mode and as it descends into normal position.
Al
The Laboratory is done and I am moving into the Auxiliary Flight Control octant. Man! What a wacky collection of angles and curves!!!
In the center ceiling is the Robot's Magna-Lock assembly:
The basic consoles in Aux Flight Control are done. Inside are spaces for the retractable crash couches, to be added later. Control panels have yet to be added.
The interior window is impossible to reconcile with the exterior profile of the ship, but that's TV for 'ya. The width is OK but the height is greater and the angle is much steeper here than the exterior view allows for.
As I mentioned before the control panels are just mostly texture maps. But since I started in with some actual dials and knobs in the Lab section I will probably go back and detail the panels more extensively. It will be a lot less cartoony.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Keep doing the great work!
Looking forwards to lots more...
Al
Outstanding work !
More LIS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjH8pA46tLk
The Auxiliary Flight Control (AFC) area is pretty much done. It's a big 'Ol mess of control panels. The first shot is looking at the AFC from outside the viewport. The 3rd shot is the AFC on the left, Lab on the right.
The radar screens are duplicates of the main flight deck on the upper level, just as they are in the TV show. They are not as detailed as Tralfaz's crazy-good ones in his J2 thread, but hopefully they get the idea across.
A single bed and a desktop fold down from the wall as shown. Light strips are hidden in the recesses. A video display is embedded in the wall among the shelves, while the closet in the left wall conveniently holds the lavender, cream and mint green uniforms worn in the show...
As for the crazy detail in my version, it is great for really close up shots, but lost on normal or further away views. I plan on using the J2 in an animation idea I have, and there will be closeup shots where the detail will add to the shot. I am probably going to have to have both highly detailed and lower detailed versions depending on the particular shot to help with render times.
Al
A shot toward the sleeping cabins showing the accordion doors closed. The open area to the right of center is the Laundry & Shower. Complete with an "ultrasonic" miracle washer that - in one of the funniest bits of the show - actually cleans, presses, folds and packages the laundry in 10 seconds.
Same shot showing the accordion doors open:
Different angle, with the Robot for scale (He's about 6'-6" BTW).
Now that the ship is nearing completion I am diving into the narrative and animations a bit more. I'll continue to post bits now and then.
@Tralfaz - The lighting setup is mostly basic MAX omni lights, with a few linear photometric lights for the undercabinet and cabin bed lights. Although I have about 200 lights in the scene only about 50 are shadow-mapped. The others are mostly small blinkers for control panels and a couple of fills. I am not using Mental Ray (and thus no Ambient Occlusion), which would add a lot of realism but drag down the render times too much for the animations. I may use MR for some higher-rez beauty shots later. (Now if I had VRay installed on this machine I would more likely use it since I am much more comfortable and experienced with it over MR, and I find it a heckuva lot faster.)
I am also relying on a simple glow effect on the lighted structural ribs and flat light panels in the Galley, Lab and Laundry. It's amazing how much it can add to the shot and costs almost nothing in render time.
I don't know if this is of any help if you are unfamiliar with MAX but here's a screen grab of the lower level plan. Omni lights are the squares with the 'x' in them.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Al
If I still had access to my old render farm I wouldn't hesitate to use VRay, but this is something I'm doing on my old home computer on MAX 8 so I have to cut corners quite a bit!
Waiting for the animations
(Ignore the intense reflections in the glass and metal sensor on top of the ship - I've re-rendered that to cut it down quite a bit.) Music is John Williams' original incidental music for the show.
In addition, the three sensor ports on top of the ship were rarely shown in use. Here's a shot with the three differing antennas deployed, as well as a peek at the rear porthole which was only shown from the inside a couple of times.
W O W ! !
Guy
I wonder where the J2 lavvies were kept? Was there even a shower? I don't remember.
Jeffery - Yes, there was a laundry, dressing room and neon-lit(!) shower on the lower deck (see plan below).
Makes me wonder who they intended to film taking a shower
Jonathan Harris, of course!