Oh, sweet! I love the hybrid console style, as well as those VOY-like isolinear banks!
Indeed, those banks (or "meter boxes" as I flippantly call them ) go incredibly well there. Rekkert had initially proposed putting them beside the Viewscreen, which clashed with the direction I was going in, but once he'd shown me the rough version I knew we had to put them somewhere! His final location was a great choice.
Rekkert I love the standalone console tops, although I suspect the bases might look more suitable if completely wrapped around, rather than cut away under that half - again, I'm just trying to avoid straying too far towards Voyager territory.
Also just noticed the minor detail line around the Tactical/Ops cutout panels, neat! :cool:
@Starscream: I'm glad you like them! I've changed the standalone consoles to reflect what you mean.
I've changed the Tactical station to something larger and a bit more similar in shape to the helm console. The viewscreen also got some love, it now has some blinking lights at the top and bottom (well, they don't blink yet ). I'll see about finishing up with the front area later today. The lights were also changed, all except the center light are now dimmer, while the ones closer to the viewscreen are dimmer still and a shade of blue. Oh, and there's a dedication plaque now.
We've been talking a lot with Starscream about increasing the area between the Captain and Pilot a bit, and adding a bit of safety to it by adding a hand rail. I've moved the step to the helm pit to the sides, and made the pit smaller to have some more space there, but we're not convinced about that handrail, maybe it would be best to just remove it. What do you all think? (just so you know, it doesn't hamper the Captain's view of the screen)
For all my finished Trek fan art, please visit my portfolio
@Starscream: I'm glad you like them! I've changed the standalone consoles to reflect what you mean.
Perfect!
I've changed the Tactical station to something larger and a bit more similar in shape to the helm console.
The style is just right, although I think maybe needs to be 75% of the current size - it's really only a supplemental station, akin in function to the executive stations that Riker & Troi used on the Enterprise-D. If we could also lower it slightly so that it intersects the handrail (the rail essentially running "through" the bottom of the console) that would be great.
The viewscreen also got some love, it now has some blinking lights at the top and bottom (well, they don't blink yet ). I'll see about finishing up with the front area later today.
Blinkies are cool :cool:
Those isolinear banks are the exact size and shape I was thinking of. :thumb: I was going to suggest an Okuda label at the bottom right of each segment, but if you have any other ideas for detailing I'm all ears!
The lights were also changed, all except the center light are now dimmer, while the ones closer to the viewscreen are dimmer still and a shade of blue. Oh, and there's a dedication plaque now.
Ideal. I know we said to ignore label text, but I do have some thoughts on the plaque details - will send across on email.
We've been talking a lot with Starscream about increasing the area between the Captain and Pilot a bit, and adding a bit of safety to it by adding a hand rail. I've moved the step to the helm pit to the sides, and made the pit smaller to have some more space there, but we're not convinced about that handrail, maybe it would be best to just remove it. What do you all think? (just so you know, it doesn't hamper the Captain's view of the screen)
I think the handrail is growing on me - I like the unique motif it and the larger handrail create, sort of like the concentric navigational flight path rectangles you see in LCARS helm displays.
I'll see about finishing up with the front area later today.
Bloody hell, remind me never to say something like that again. An emergency happened later that very same day and I've had more important things to attend to than work, so I've only returned to it yesterday.
I've finished the front of the bridge and further modified the auxiliary station behind the captain, which is supposed to be similar in function to Voyager's small station at the same location. I'm UV mapping everything now, and will begin texturing next. I still have to add some labels on the front area of the bridge, but as it's a rather small detail I'll do it after finishing UV mapping, which is the part I hate the most of modeling.
For all my finished Trek fan art, please visit my portfolio
Very nice. Are those going to be isolinear chip racks, on either side of the viewscreen, like on the Zodiac and Quasar? It's an interesting bridge design. I can't say I'm big on the dark colors, but to each his own.
@BolianAdmiral: Thanks! Indeed they are isolinear racks, but on this design they're behind the cover, which has to be removed to access them. I like the interiors to have color accents myself, but this design certainly grew on me.
A Foundation member asked for a wireframe, so here's my first attempt at doing one:
For all my finished Trek fan art, please visit my portfolio
It really is - and it makes you appreciate even more how much work goes into these bridges. They're worth every penny, guys! :thumb:
BolianAdmiral those isolinear banks are intended to hint at prototype bio-neural equipment; the segments swing open with the racks full of glowy blue technobabble inside sliding out (imagine something similar to the deflector relays Kirk had to muck about with before he got rudely ejected from the Enterprise-B). I didn't want to visibly have the backlit bio-neural circuits that Voyager has, partly to avoid looking too advanced, but also because the bridge is still intended to appear as a variant on the standard "default Starfleet plug and play module" that Rekkert designed originally - so a more plain appearance vs Voyager works best IMO.
BolianAdmiral those isolinear banks are intended to hint at prototype bio-neural equipment; the segments swing open with the racks full of glowy blue technobabble inside sliding out (imagine something similar to the deflector relays Kirk had to muck about with before he got rudely ejected from the Enterprise-B). I didn't want to visibly have the backlit bio-neural circuits that Voyager has, partly to avoid looking too advanced, but also because the bridge is still intended to appear as a variant on the standard "default Starfleet plug and play module" that Rekkert designed originally - so a more plain appearance vs Voyager works best IMO.
Sounds good. If it were me, though, I'd still have a small very simple single blinky, just to show that there's "something" going on behind those panels... something being monitored, etc.
It's certainly an idea, however I like the utilitarian appearance with just a label on each segment... I don't reallly want to undermine that look. Maybe a touchpad beside each bank, though. Any thoughts Rekkert?
Haha, I'm glad you guys approve of my poly distribution. Some of my earlier meshes (such as the helm from the Patagonia) are not very well thought out when compared to some of the latter stuff.
Regarding the racks near the viewscreen, I've added the labels, what do you think now? I could add some blinkies or some handles like the ones the 'meter boxes' have.
I've started texturing the LCARS and other features such as doors/labels. This is a first pass so colors and details can change.
One particular detail of this bridge is that I've incorporated some metallic elements into the LCARS display, as such elements were present in all ships after the Defiant, like Voyager and later the Ent-E. You can see the Tactical console here has some metallic grey panels that, while being part of the texture, are not light emitting but rather a glossy material.
For all my finished Trek fan art, please visit my portfolio
VERY nice. The LCARS bring some very much-needed color to the bridge. I love the little labels, too. One thing I would suggest, if you don't want to use red for the labels, but still use a "canon" darker color, would be to use blue, as blue labels were used quite a bit on VOY, plus would add a splash more color to the bridge. But regardless, everything is looking good!
BolianAdmiral I don't recollect blue labels being used on any of the interior of Voyager. They were however used for the Pasteur, hence I consider them as being for use solely on medical/science ships (and equipment).
Rekkert Tactical looks awesome! The middle display I'd like to swap out for a Voyager-era LCARS monitor per previous email (they've been around since mid-TNG so there's precedent, and I guess it'll also add the color that Bolian is pining for ), and desaturate the darker yellows slightly, other than that it's perfect - as are the viewscreen blinkies! I'd originally thought to have the TNG B-Bridge LCARS in there for fear of it being too advanced, but you've sold me on these.
I think the BNP banks look great as they are, especially as there'll be plenty to look at in the displays next to them, but will have a play around with the image and see.
The doors exit out onto 3-4 steps going down into foyers, rather than directly to turbolifts. Portside is the Briefing Room and Rear Deck 1 access, while Starboard is to the Ready Room and Turbolift. (Ready Room and Briefing Room located as per Voyager) Not sure how we should label these - one destination on each side of the doorsign, or both stacked on the right-hand side?
BTW, is there any way we can increase brightness or reflectivity on the handrails and doorsigns? They seem to be getting a bit lost against the background...
ETA: the idea of a medical version of either this or the base "plug and play" bridge, ala the Pasteur, fascinates me... Maybe someday in the future!
@BolianAdmiral: Thanks! Were blue labels used on Voyager? I don't recall them (I know they used some metallic ones like the ones I'm using here on the Bradbury on areas like the bridge and engineering). They did use blue labels on the Pegasus so there is precedent for them in canon anyway.
@Starscream: I'm glad you're liking it! I've changed the LCARS colors and did the other changes as discussed via email.
@evil_genius_180: Thanks! That color is all Starscream's idea. It does complement the dark look of the bridge well.
After UV mapping everything, I've noticed that the helm is waaay to large for just one operator, so I did some modifications to it to make the actual usable area smaller, while also giving the console some more volume (though it can be argue that the original elegance of the minimalist design is lost).
I've changed the door labels to read 'port egress' and 'stbd egress' as in the Defiant, to better reflect the fact that they don't lead to a turbolift.
I've also added some very subtle texture to all dark surfaces to better replicate the look of the show. It's quite noticeable on the helm render as the camera is pretty close.
For all my finished Trek fan art, please visit my portfolio
All these interiors are really, really nice. I've been trying to develop some "generic" interior components myself, and what I've got is nowhere near as good as your stuff, but if you don't mind, can you tell me what, if anything, you're using for reference? Trying to design a chair that looks Star Trek-ish is... not the easiest thing in the world for me.
@Arsene Lupin: Thanks! As for references, it really depends on what element you're talking about. For chairs for example, I'm mostly just using episode screencaps from TrekCore, as it's nearly impossible to get blueprints. For sets overall, check out Redgeneral's (aka RadishDalek's) Flickr album where he collects all available blueprints. These are amazing to get general measurements right but a lot of the time you have to rely on a good eye anyway.
startrekpropauthority.com is another great resource as it has a lot of photos from auctions (including the only references besides screencaps I have seen of set chairs from all across the franchise). Other websites as st-bilder and startrekreference.com are useful as well, though they seem to go offline quite a lot.
Other than that, I do a lot of googling and searching for behind the scenes images for each interior. For example, you don't usually see the ceiling of bridges on episodes/movies, but a lot of the time if you search for behind the scenes photos of the set and crew, you can see wider shots that show things that otherwise you never see. I also go though the auction listings a lot, as there are some unmarked stuff there that sometimes is quite insightful, such as lost blueprints that aren't even in the mentioned Flickr collection, or a set dressing element which is hard to see in actual screencaps.
I hope some of the stuff I've mentioned is useful for you, your interiors are already very nice, I love the Akira, so keep up the good work!
Going back to the Bradbury, I've continued work on the LCARS and started with the MSD. The top view of the ship is still in progress but I wanted to get it out and see what you thought of it.
For all my finished Trek fan art, please visit my portfolio
It keeps looking better and better! The LCARS are really helping to add light to the otherwise dark bridge, and I'm loving the VOY-look of the consoles. The ship design is interesting... it'll be cool to see the completed MSD.
Just a side note, that I found a screencap of the blue labels from VOY.
Hmm, except they're on pre-fab habitat walls, probably replicated from a generic pattern - they're not part of the ship.
I just did a color grab on all three labels on that wall: Two samples were blue, two magenta, one red, and one orange-yellow! So I'd say there's a strong likelihood that they simply look blue in comparison to the surrounding beige walls, and that they are actually metallic and reflecting lighting from the other side of the set, or that possibly even they're just grey -- certainly saturation-wise they're more grey than any particular hue... :thumb:
I do agree that those are actually metallic grey and the reflection makes them look blue, in the Jupiter station screencap it's pretty clear as we see one bright label at the right of B'Elanna's combadge and right below that label, in the shadows, another one that looks blue.
However, like I pointed out, there are blue labels on other sets, such as the Pegasus from TNG, so it doesn't matter where each appeared or not, both colors are canon.
For all my finished Trek fan art, please visit my portfolio
Oh, I agree entirely that they're canon - my point is the suitability of their usage, ie Pasteur was a medical ship and the Pegasus was an Oberth class (generally used as a science vessel apart from - I think - the occasional scout).
As neither Bradbury nor Voyager themselves are supposed to be dedicated science vessels, it'd be a little odd IMO to see blue labels dotted around the interior -- with the exception of dedicated science or medical equipement (PADDs, medikits, etc).
Well, ships have used a variety of label colors. The Enterprise-E uses gold althogh sometimes red, the Defiant uses red, the Voyager uses white (with blue text).
I happen to have a request for Rekkert that uses blue signage. And you might be surprised at what that ship is!
Well, ships have used a variety of label colors. The Enterprise-E uses gold althogh sometimes red, the Defiant uses red, the Voyager uses white (with blue text).
I happen to have a request for Rekkert that uses blue signage. And you might be surprised at what that ship is!
Yes, Defiant was brought on the scene when TNG era ships were still around - Generations had only just been released around that time IIRC - and so was a holdover of the existing red labeling used by TV production. So far as I can see, red was/is simply the default Starfleet color, in line with the pennant livery. In the real world production costs would have likely forced this sacrifice rather than splurge recklessly on decor for the extra sets, while in-universe it could be justified by the Defiant being very much "no frills".
Of course, the Enterprise-D early on had quite a few color variants, but then it seemed like they nailed things down a bit in later seasons...
Voyager doesn't use white labels - as we've established, they're metallic with black text... Both it and the Ent-E marked the transition to (previously too expensive) metallic labels more aligned to the decor (ie, Silver, Gold). I honestly don't recall red labels on the Ent-E interior, but it's certainly plausible, as they were still in use as a cheaper alternative to metallic labels over on DS9 (the series, not specifically the station lol)
I had an image tucked away somewhere of TNG cargo storage labels in blue for medical supplies, with a handful in a mustard-like color for engineering contents... damned if I can find them though! :argh:
Posts
Indeed, those banks (or "meter boxes" as I flippantly call them
Rekkert I love the standalone console tops, although I suspect the bases might look more suitable if completely wrapped around, rather than cut away under that half - again, I'm just trying to avoid straying too far towards Voyager territory.
Also just noticed the minor detail line around the Tactical/Ops cutout panels, neat! :cool:
@homerpalooza67: Thanks!
@Starscream: I'm glad you like them! I've changed the standalone consoles to reflect what you mean.
I've changed the Tactical station to something larger and a bit more similar in shape to the helm console. The viewscreen also got some love, it now has some blinking lights at the top and bottom (well, they don't blink yet
We've been talking a lot with Starscream about increasing the area between the Captain and Pilot a bit, and adding a bit of safety to it by adding a hand rail. I've moved the step to the helm pit to the sides, and made the pit smaller to have some more space there, but we're not convinced about that handrail, maybe it would be best to just remove it. What do you all think? (just so you know, it doesn't hamper the Captain's view of the screen)
Perfect!
The style is just right, although I think maybe needs to be 75% of the current size - it's really only a supplemental station, akin in function to the executive stations that Riker & Troi used on the Enterprise-D. If we could also lower it slightly so that it intersects the handrail (the rail essentially running "through" the bottom of the console) that would be great.
Blinkies are cool :cool:
Those isolinear banks are the exact size and shape I was thinking of. :thumb: I was going to suggest an Okuda label at the bottom right of each segment, but if you have any other ideas for detailing I'm all ears!
Ideal. I know we said to ignore label text, but I do have some thoughts on the plaque details - will send across on email.
I think the handrail is growing on me - I like the unique motif it and the larger handrail create, sort of like the concentric navigational flight path rectangles you see in LCARS helm displays.
Bloody hell, remind me never to say something like that again. An emergency happened later that very same day and I've had more important things to attend to than work, so I've only returned to it yesterday.
I've finished the front of the bridge and further modified the auxiliary station behind the captain, which is supposed to be similar in function to Voyager's small station at the same location. I'm UV mapping everything now, and will begin texturing next. I still have to add some labels on the front area of the bridge, but as it's a rather small detail I'll do it after finishing UV mapping, which is the part I hate the most of modeling.
Looking excellent, as usual. :thumb:
@BolianAdmiral: Thanks! Indeed they are isolinear racks, but on this design they're behind the cover, which has to be removed to access them. I like the interiors to have color accents myself, but this design certainly grew on me.
A Foundation member asked for a wireframe, so here's my first attempt at doing one:
BolianAdmiral those isolinear banks are intended to hint at prototype bio-neural equipment; the segments swing open with the racks full of glowy blue technobabble inside sliding out (imagine something similar to the deflector relays Kirk had to muck about with before he got rudely ejected from the Enterprise-B). I didn't want to visibly have the backlit bio-neural circuits that Voyager has, partly to avoid looking too advanced, but also because the bridge is still intended to appear as a variant on the standard "default Starfleet plug and play module" that Rekkert designed originally - so a more plain appearance vs Voyager works best IMO.
Sounds good. If it were me, though, I'd still have a small very simple single blinky, just to show that there's "something" going on behind those panels... something being monitored, etc.
Untitled-1.gif
Regarding the racks near the viewscreen, I've added the labels, what do you think now? I could add some blinkies or some handles like the ones the 'meter boxes' have.
I've started texturing the LCARS and other features such as doors/labels. This is a first pass so colors and details can change.
One particular detail of this bridge is that I've incorporated some metallic elements into the LCARS display, as such elements were present in all ships after the Defiant, like Voyager and later the Ent-E. You can see the Tactical console here has some metallic grey panels that, while being part of the texture, are not light emitting but rather a glossy material.
Rekkert Tactical looks awesome! The middle display I'd like to swap out for a Voyager-era LCARS monitor per previous email (they've been around since mid-TNG so there's precedent, and I guess it'll also add the color that Bolian is pining for
I think the BNP banks look great as they are, especially as there'll be plenty to look at in the displays next to them, but will have a play around with the image and see.
The doors exit out onto 3-4 steps going down into foyers, rather than directly to turbolifts. Portside is the Briefing Room and Rear Deck 1 access, while Starboard is to the Ready Room and Turbolift. (Ready Room and Briefing Room located as per Voyager) Not sure how we should label these - one destination on each side of the doorsign, or both stacked on the right-hand side?
BTW, is there any way we can increase brightness or reflectivity on the handrails and doorsigns? They seem to be getting a bit lost against the background...
ETA: the idea of a medical version of either this or the base "plug and play" bridge, ala the Pasteur, fascinates me... Maybe someday in the future!
@Starscream: I'm glad you're liking it! I've changed the LCARS colors and did the other changes as discussed via email.
@evil_genius_180: Thanks! That color is all Starscream's idea. It does complement the dark look of the bridge well.
After UV mapping everything, I've noticed that the helm is waaay to large for just one operator, so I did some modifications to it to make the actual usable area smaller, while also giving the console some more volume (though it can be argue that the original elegance of the minimalist design is lost).
I've changed the door labels to read 'port egress' and 'stbd egress' as in the Defiant, to better reflect the fact that they don't lead to a turbolift.
I've also added some very subtle texture to all dark surfaces to better replicate the look of the show. It's quite noticeable on the helm render as the camera is pretty close.
@Arsene Lupin: Thanks! As for references, it really depends on what element you're talking about. For chairs for example, I'm mostly just using episode screencaps from TrekCore, as it's nearly impossible to get blueprints. For sets overall, check out Redgeneral's (aka RadishDalek's) Flickr album where he collects all available blueprints. These are amazing to get general measurements right but a lot of the time you have to rely on a good eye anyway.
startrekpropauthority.com is another great resource as it has a lot of photos from auctions (including the only references besides screencaps I have seen of set chairs from all across the franchise). Other websites as st-bilder and startrekreference.com are useful as well, though they seem to go offline quite a lot.
Other than that, I do a lot of googling and searching for behind the scenes images for each interior. For example, you don't usually see the ceiling of bridges on episodes/movies, but a lot of the time if you search for behind the scenes photos of the set and crew, you can see wider shots that show things that otherwise you never see. I also go though the auction listings a lot, as there are some unmarked stuff there that sometimes is quite insightful, such as lost blueprints that aren't even in the mentioned Flickr collection, or a set dressing element which is hard to see in actual screencaps.
I hope some of the stuff I've mentioned is useful for you, your interiors are already very nice, I love the Akira, so keep up the good work!
Going back to the Bradbury, I've continued work on the LCARS and started with the MSD. The top view of the ship is still in progress but I wanted to get it out and see what you thought of it.
Hmm, except they're on pre-fab habitat walls, probably replicated from a generic pattern - they're not part of the ship.
I just did a color grab on all three labels on that wall: Two samples were blue, two magenta, one red, and one orange-yellow!
However, like I pointed out, there are blue labels on other sets, such as the Pegasus from TNG, so it doesn't matter where each appeared or not, both colors are canon.
As neither Bradbury nor Voyager themselves are supposed to be dedicated science vessels, it'd be a little odd IMO to see blue labels dotted around the interior -- with the exception of dedicated science or medical equipement (PADDs, medikits, etc).
I happen to have a request for Rekkert that uses blue signage. And you might be surprised at what that ship is!
Yes, Defiant was brought on the scene when TNG era ships were still around - Generations had only just been released around that time IIRC - and so was a holdover of the existing red labeling used by TV production. So far as I can see, red was/is simply the default Starfleet color, in line with the pennant livery.
Of course, the Enterprise-D early on had quite a few color variants, but then it seemed like they nailed things down a bit in later seasons...
Voyager doesn't use white labels - as we've established, they're metallic with black text... Both it and the Ent-E marked the transition to (previously too expensive) metallic labels more aligned to the decor (ie, Silver, Gold). I honestly don't recall red labels on the Ent-E interior, but it's certainly plausible, as they were still in use as a cheaper alternative to metallic labels over on DS9 (the series, not specifically the station lol)
I had an image tucked away somewhere of TNG cargo storage labels in blue for medical supplies, with a handful in a mustard-like color for engineering contents... damned if I can find them though! :argh: