3DFree trader ad astra

Judge Death

Here's my current free trader from traveller, I'm getting close to complete on it I guess. The cockpit windows aren't perfect in extreme closeup, but are the general idea of what I wanted.


http://www.4shared.com/photo/jBa3DNRV/AA19.html

http://www.4shared.com/photo/TQf0X0Qe/AA19F.html

http://www.4shared.com/photo/B1CVLQPH/aa19OS.html

http://www.4shared.com/photo/12F6vBST/AA19R.html

http://www.4shared.com/photo/S5SQME4H/AA19S.html

http://www.4shared.com/photo/qqRwmEtB/AA19T.html

http://www.4shared.com/photo/_k0eAa_-/AA19U.html

I added some of the bits I see in other free trader models, like the little tapered rod things on the top and bottom of the forward hull. They seem to be on most free traders, I don;t know why exactly. For some reason, just about every free trader model I see has a really blunt, round nose. I made mine a little tapered and pointed, I think it looks better that way in my opinion, more aerodynamic.

The detail is all modeled, I haven't mapped it yet, the colors are actually on the model. I went for black and yellow stripes on the large cargo and garage doors and yellow around the control thrusters as a caution. The airlocks are green because green is the color eyes are most sensitive to.

I went kind of steampunk on the main engines, don't quite know why...

Sanderlee

I like it quite a bit. I will say, however, that the bright red, high-gloss nose on the thing is a bit, erm suggestive. I'd tone down the gloss and maybe dull the color a bit. Otherwise, it looks a little bit like ... well ...

Judge Death

Well, I wanted the nose to be a little different than the typical free trader blunt, round, bulbous nose, I never even considered it phallic at all. Aerodynamic, yes, phallic, no.

I think I got the effect with the proportional editor tool

Fre'dni

Looks like a great start, Judge. I remember when the only designs for sci-ships out there were traveler

Capt Dave

Nice

Judge Death

I
m kind of wondering what to do next. I mean, physically the model's mostly finished. I was thinking of trying y first UVunwrap and doing a simple black line bumpmap to suggest some hull plating, but not many since it's not a huge ship. I was thinking of a basic paint job, nothing too v=fancy as she's a working ship. Any thoughts?

Andrew Boulton

Nice to see more Traveller in here!

The model looks fine. For a simple paint job, just try off-white and a company logo. And stripes. Stripes are good.

Judge Death

Thanks, andy. I may need a few lines for bump mapping to suggest hull plates. but I'm not sure.

One one hand most beowulf's seem to have "panel lines' in the, to suggest assembly, But when you look at some things, like airliners, they don;t seem to have hull panel lines. I guess it's a conflict between "looking cool" as hull panle lines look cool and being technically plausible, as in if we can make planets tobay without hull panel lines, then in the future we should be able to make spacecraft without them too.

Andrew Boulton

Planes do have panel lines, they're just very subtle.

SF models have them 'cos it looks cool!