Back when I actually used to draw by hand, I loved to draw the TMP Enterprise from the rear. There was just something about drawing those engines that I found deeply satisfying.
I've been refining the paint on the main hull (making things match up and closer to the model). I also made the center of the Starfleet logo white like the model. Added greebles to the engines that are on the model. Color adjustment. I am still struggling to get some metal specularity going. It is probably that there are too many lights and not from the correct angle. That comes next.
I wonder what level of white are you using for the hull? It looks really white right now. I think I am using 175 for mine. It can also be the lighting that is throwing me off.
Another few things to check if you want to be as accurate as possible. If this is your own personal version, ignore it:
- Your yellow on the RCS ports is almost green. The one in the studio model is a mustard color.
- The deflector is too bright and it shouldn't be cyan. The color on the lights around it look better.
- The grills only light up when at warp, though I know people like to make them glow all the time. It's also only a few thin strips.
- The stripe that runs down the neck doesn't really continue after the torpedo launcher.
- The torpedo launcher and the navigation dome structures have super sharp corners compared to the rest of the ship. Maybe try and rounding them off a bit
Thanks you two. I'll get right on it. However one thing. Every photo I have of the studio model shows the stripe down the neck continuing below the torpedo area.
Also note: The RCS port is mustard in my 2D color file for the UV map. For some reason LW turns it bluish purple and I have yet to figure out why. Also the ship is too white because of lighting, so you are right.
@Viper - @evil_genius_180 ; Yeah, they were important changes. Will continue on the rest. There are six pieces on the inside of the engines. There are now six pieces on mine (I had 8 before).
@Viper : I think in my case it was more noticeable since it is likely that my torpedo tube needs some adjustment in size. I would really like your comment on the deflector. Is it right? I find all kinds of pictures with variation on the deflector.
A comment on the neck stripe. A similar stripe is on the pylons. I believe it depicts where the Warp core and plasma conduits to the engines are located, and of course the warp core extends from the impulse engine on top, down into the main hull of the ship.
Side note. There is a picture of the neck (for closeups) with a different much more detailed paint pattern. There is blue horizontally across just above the torpedo area. Perhaps it was never used?
Yes, that closeup model was only used in a few shots. It's a little too detailed for my tastes though. I saw a project that attempted to do that for the whole ship. It looked a bit noisy from far.
As for the deflector, it looks much better. The stripes are not supposed to be white though. They are a darker blue. Do you have a light behind it to create the glow or is just a texture?
Also, now that I see it better, your arboretum is super green. Real foliage would never looked like that, even if you have bright lights on them.
I think the problem with trying to do a ship with all that paint detail is that you would need a gigantic UV space. It is going to look terrible if you can't make those tiny lines and details really small compared to the overall. I'm already having that problem on the hull under the shuttle bay on my model.
I think the problem with trying to do a ship with all that paint detail is that you would need a gigantic UV space. It is going to look terrible if you can't make those tiny lines and details really small compared to the overall. I'm already having that problem on the hull under the shuttle bay on my model.
That's where UDIMMs come into place. You'd use several squares instead of just one. The dude that was making it was modelling everything though.
As for the deflector, it looks much better. The stripes are not supposed to be white though. They are a darker blue.
Awww crap! I did my deflector in blue and white. I've been rendering an animation using my Enterprise and have spent hundreds of hours so far on it. Now I have to re-render around 40 hours of the animation using the proper blue and dark blue.
And Brandenberg, your Enterprise is looking amazing.
As for the deflector, it looks much better. The stripes are not supposed to be white though. They are a darker blue. Do you have a light behind it to create the glow or is just a texture?
I UV mapped the deflector and did a radial gradient with white in the center and blue at the outer edge. Then I am using a Node mapped point light just in front of the middle of the deflector with a white to blue to white gradient.
I just watched ST TMP and looked at a lot of things.
1) The arboretum turns out to be bluer, not green.
2) The sensor dome at the bottom actually has rather sharp edges. Obviously not computer sharp, but the corner radii are very slight.
3) The torpedo assembly definitely needs work.
4) I've been dragging my feet but have to launch into doing the under saucer access panels that interrupt the scoring there. Right now it is just scored like the top.
5) I've neglected some orange lights on the deflector cowling.
And other things.
Yes, that closeup model was only used in a few shots. It's a little too detailed for my tastes though. I saw a project that attempted to do that for the whole ship. It looked a bit noisy from far.
Yeah, it was built for the Mutara Nebula battle scene in The Wrath of Khan, when the Reliant phasers the torpedo launcher, then I think it was reused in successive films whenever they fired a torpedo and you got a closeup on the launchers. It definitely has too much detail.
Thanks everyone. It's great to get your feedback. I've been working on the under saucer access panels. Also took two days to visit Disney's "Galaxy's Edge" Star wars experience. Nicely done. Two pictures in Fractal Sponge's WIP thread.
So I worked on the under panels on the saucer, and when I tried to shoot the same image, the lighting was all screwed up. I'm at a complete loss as to why. This is trying to get close to the lighting two pictures above. The difference between this and the previous image is the alternate panels under the saucer and the correct color to the arboretum.
Taking a break from the 1701-A (I've actually done a little more since the above shot).
I am trying a concept on a federation colony ship and kit bashed other work to produce the following. I figure worthwhile colony transports should have plenty of room for colonists, thus the two saucers which I didn't think was going to work at first, but it didn't turn out too awful bad. I also thought they would need lots of cargo, hence the 6 large side containers on the body. In addition there are tanks for liquid supplies (fuels etc) and 2 mushroom structures that will be botanical specimens - this is an earlier era than the Genesis project (If Federation scientists ever got that to work). Lots of detail structure is needed on the backbone but I am at the stage of refining the basic shape. 4 engines because of the great mass of the vessel. I just thought this shot came out promising and decided to share it. Blah, Blah, Blah. Sorry about the long paragraph.
Nice. When I was a Teen I kept trying to come up with a ship with two saucer sections but nothing ever worked.
I did design a colony ship that was about half the size of the Mushroom Space Station. The idea behind it was that they headed of to the Gama or Delta Quadrant to Colonise a system. As they where are so far from the Federation it would take well over a decade for a Starfleet ship to reach them.
So they took every thing they needed. As the Ship was so large, the Hanger Bay could hold two small size Starfleet ships.
I also designed another one that was twice the size of the Mushroom Space Stations. This was a Generational Colony ship that would leave our Galaxy for another to Colonise that.
I can see your ship being a colony ship that would colonise a world outside the Federation.
A planet that is so far from Federation Space that they are own their own, and the nearest help from the Federation is months away.
Posts
I hear you.
Thanks man.
Another few things to check if you want to be as accurate as possible. If this is your own personal version, ignore it:
- Your yellow on the RCS ports is almost green. The one in the studio model is a mustard color.
- The deflector is too bright and it shouldn't be cyan. The color on the lights around it look better.
- The grills only light up when at warp, though I know people like to make them glow all the time. It's also only a few thin strips.
- The stripe that runs down the neck doesn't really continue after the torpedo launcher.
- The torpedo launcher and the navigation dome structures have super sharp corners compared to the rest of the ship. Maybe try and rounding them off a bit
She's looking good though
Frequent updates at our Discord channel!
Also note: The RCS port is mustard in my 2D color file for the UV map. For some reason LW turns it bluish purple and I have yet to figure out why. Also the ship is too white because of lighting, so you are right.
You are correct. I looked at a screenshot from TMP and it does continue past the launcher.
Frequent updates at our Discord channel!
Thanks. All your comments help.
Side note. There is a picture of the neck (for closeups) with a different much more detailed paint pattern. There is blue horizontally across just above the torpedo area. Perhaps it was never used?
As for the deflector, it looks much better. The stripes are not supposed to be white though. They are a darker blue. Do you have a light behind it to create the glow or is just a texture?
Also, now that I see it better, your arboretum is super green. Real foliage would never looked like that, even if you have bright lights on them.
Frequent updates at our Discord channel!
That's where UDIMMs come into place. You'd use several squares instead of just one. The dude that was making it was modelling everything though.
Frequent updates at our Discord channel!
Awww crap! I did my deflector in blue and white. I've been rendering an animation using my Enterprise and have spent hundreds of hours so far on it. Now I have to re-render around 40 hours of the animation using the proper blue and dark blue.
And Brandenberg, your Enterprise is looking amazing.
Thanks man. I think I'm a little obsessed
I UV mapped the deflector and did a radial gradient with white in the center and blue at the outer edge. Then I am using a Node mapped point light just in front of the middle of the deflector with a white to blue to white gradient.
1) The arboretum turns out to be bluer, not green.
2) The sensor dome at the bottom actually has rather sharp edges. Obviously not computer sharp, but the corner radii are very slight.
3) The torpedo assembly definitely needs work.
4) I've been dragging my feet but have to launch into doing the under saucer access panels that interrupt the scoring there. Right now it is just scored like the top.
5) I've neglected some orange lights on the deflector cowling.
And other things.
Yeah, it was built for the Mutara Nebula battle scene in The Wrath of Khan, when the Reliant phasers the torpedo launcher, then I think it was reused in successive films whenever they fired a torpedo and you got a closeup on the launchers. It definitely has too much detail.
I am trying a concept on a federation colony ship and kit bashed other work to produce the following. I figure worthwhile colony transports should have plenty of room for colonists, thus the two saucers which I didn't think was going to work at first, but it didn't turn out too awful bad. I also thought they would need lots of cargo, hence the 6 large side containers on the body. In addition there are tanks for liquid supplies (fuels etc) and 2 mushroom structures that will be botanical specimens - this is an earlier era than the Genesis project (If Federation scientists ever got that to work). Lots of detail structure is needed on the backbone but I am at the stage of refining the basic shape. 4 engines because of the great mass of the vessel. I just thought this shot came out promising and decided to share it. Blah, Blah, Blah. Sorry about the long paragraph.
I did design a colony ship that was about half the size of the Mushroom Space Station. The idea behind it was that they headed of to the Gama or Delta Quadrant to Colonise a system. As they where are so far from the Federation it would take well over a decade for a Starfleet ship to reach them.
So they took every thing they needed. As the Ship was so large, the Hanger Bay could hold two small size Starfleet ships.
I also designed another one that was twice the size of the Mushroom Space Stations. This was a Generational Colony ship that would leave our Galaxy for another to Colonise that.
I can see your ship being a colony ship that would colonise a world outside the Federation.
A planet that is so far from Federation Space that they are own their own, and the nearest help from the Federation is months away.