This is an idea I've been playing around with for the past few hours. Obviously, there's much to do, but it's a start. I'm designing as I go, so some bits have gone the way of the delete button and had to be rebuilt.
Basically, it's a post TNG-era frigate. My original idea was an escort, like the Defiant is, but with more of this type of design. However, I decided to make it a bit bigger (it's still not large by TNG standards) and make it a frigate, as a frigate can have more uses than simply escorting stuff. But, a frigate is still, by definition, a warship. My idea is that this is a defensive ship. It could be assigned to a fleet, a starbase or even a planet for defense. It could potentially perform other assignments, but only in a limited capacity. Most of the ship's resources will be used for the engines, defensive systems and weapons. It's not likely to have much in the way of science labs. Obviously, it could collect scan data and take that back to a starbase for analysis, but it couldn't do the analysis itself. In fact, it can't do much of anything on its own for any length of time, but it's not designed to be on its own. If it were in a situation like what happened with Voyager, it would fare about as well as the Equinox did. My theory is that with the Dominon War, the constant Borg threat and the collapse of the Romulan Star Empire, the call for ships with more firepower would be higher than in the relatively peaceful days of TNG.
And I've already changed something. Upon looking at it, I wasn't fond of how I'd done the upper saucer. One of the disadvantages to designing is a you go is that you think it looks OK, until you get a better look at it. Anyway, it's a small change but I like how it flows better.
The saucer is just modified spheres. The secondary hull and wing/pylon thing are modified a cylinder and cube (respectively) that have been subdivided. I'm trying to stay away from splines and box model everything. Though, obviously, some results are best achieved with subdivision, no matter which method you use.
Up for today is to (at least) get the bottom of the secondary hull and saucer and the nacelles started. I'll probably also add the bridge. Originally, I'd planned to do a bridge sunken in like the Defiant and Equinox have, but I think I'll do a bridge module instead. After I do all that, it's just detail work left. Since this ship is small and will be seen up close, I'm probably going to do lots of panel and decal style details.
I got the basics of the bridge module in. It’s similar to ones I’ve done in the past. It channels some Enterprise refit, Excelsior and Voyager love. This also gives the ship a spine.
And, speaking of spines, mine is requesting that I take a break from working on this and watch the latest episode of Picard, and maybe play some Doom 64 on the XBOX One. OK, my spine isn’t really requesting Picard or Doom, but that’s what’s about to happen. 😉
It’s not much, but I’ve been playing with a possible way of adding text to the ship using the heat shrink tool in Lightwave. I’ve never used this tool before, but I like it. I may or may not go this route for the final text, but this at least gives me a look at the placement of the text and a visual guide for where it’s going to be when I want to add other details. The only minor drawback to this method is that it “floats” slightly over the hull and casts a shadow, but that’s an easily fixed issue. Other methods include simply texturing it or actually stenciling it onto the hull. Anyway, I did some renders to see how it looks, so I might as well share them.
I'm still alive and don't appear to have the COVID-19 virus, so I can't really complain. I'm back to work this week. Since my job is essential, I'm not considered part of the statewide lock down.
Oh, forgot to ask. Where is this "Shrink Wrap" function thou speakest of? I have to admit that once I was able to use basics in Lightwave, I haven't progressed in learning it's other (likely very time saving) features.
I took a week off of work, so I’m enjoying a nice staycation. One thing on the agenda for this week is some CGI. I toyed with the idea of starting a new project. I considered doing a new Constellation class, or even an Ambassador class, which I’ve never done before. However, the idea of working on other peoples’ designs just isn’t exciting me right now. So, I decided to go back to my 24th century frigate I was working on several months ago. Tentatively, it’s still named the USS Sunstreaker, but that may change.
Anyway, upon reopening the file, I found I was in the process of adding grid lines to the ship. The last time I’d worked on it, I’d really only done the upper saucer. Well, I did the lower saucer and secondary hull. The only other parts that for sure are going to get lines are the bridge and spine, and the pylon. Though, technically, I started on the pylon piece as it’s connected to part of the underside of the saucer. But, there’s more to do there. I haven’t decided if the nacelles are getting any lines. I checked to be sure and there aren’t a whole lot of Starfleet nacelles that have engraved lines. (almost none from the TNG era) I also made the beginnings of the saucer RCS thrusters. I also changed the hull color to battleship gray and made the RCS thrusters gunmetal gray.
(yes, I see the smoothing error on the back of the saucer, I’m just not worried about it as that part isn’t finished)
So, yeah, plenty more to do on this ship. Once I’m done with the tedious and time consuming grid lines, I’ll probably do the tedious and time consuming windows. Though, the ship isn’t going to have a huge amount of windows, as it is a warship.
I just couldn’t wait to add some windows, so I didn’t wait. Trying to remember how to do things that are out of the norm for the projects I do can be rough. For example, I mainly deal in circular saucers. That’s great, but this is an extreme half oval. So, rotating window cutters into place isn’t a simple matter of using the rotate tool. I have to use other tools. There’s a handy tool in Lightwave called Rail Clone, which is great for creating duplicates of an object along a path. Similarly, Rail Extrude extrudes objects along a path (comes in handy for phaser strips and other bits.) However, the problem was trying to remember how to convert a line of verts into a path. Well, I finally got it and I got my first row of windows in place. The Rail Clone tool got me partly there, with some fiddling with the cutters by hand to get them exactly how I want them. Of course, the complex curves made it a bit of work, but I think the results speak for themselves. The windows are shaped like the ones on Voyager, Equinox, etc. Basically, just slightly rounded rectangles. The later shows and movies essentially did away with the round and pill shaped windows, until Enterprise brought them back.
So yeah, these are basically skylights. The extreme angle of the saucer makes it so they couldn’t be anything else. I’ll probably only do a couple more rows of these on the saucer top and then some windows you can look normally out of on the saucer edge. I may do something similar to a Ten forward. I’d do some of those window insets that various ships in the TNG era had, but the extreme curve again makes it so they’d be really odd to do. This ship has more of a “blade” type of saucer than ships like Voyager and Equinox, which had less extreme of a curve that allowed for more details like that. But, that’s because this is supposed to be a fast and maneuverable fighting ship. I don’t know how making a ship short and sleek helps in space, but I think it would alter the center of gravity, making tight maneuvers possible. I’m pretty sure that’s why the Defiant was designed how it was.
Posts
Basically, it's a post TNG-era frigate. My original idea was an escort, like the Defiant is, but with more of this type of design. However, I decided to make it a bit bigger (it's still not large by TNG standards) and make it a frigate, as a frigate can have more uses than simply escorting stuff. But, a frigate is still, by definition, a warship. My idea is that this is a defensive ship. It could be assigned to a fleet, a starbase or even a planet for defense. It could potentially perform other assignments, but only in a limited capacity. Most of the ship's resources will be used for the engines, defensive systems and weapons. It's not likely to have much in the way of science labs. Obviously, it could collect scan data and take that back to a starbase for analysis, but it couldn't do the analysis itself. In fact, it can't do much of anything on its own for any length of time, but it's not designed to be on its own. If it were in a situation like what happened with Voyager, it would fare about as well as the Equinox did. My theory is that with the Dominon War, the constant Borg threat and the collapse of the Romulan Star Empire, the call for ships with more firepower would be higher than in the relatively peaceful days of TNG.
Old:
New:
Sometimes less complex is better.
Up for today is to (at least) get the bottom of the secondary hull and saucer and the nacelles started. I'll probably also add the bridge. Originally, I'd planned to do a bridge sunken in like the Defiant and Equinox have, but I think I'll do a bridge module instead. After I do all that, it's just detail work left. Since this ship is small and will be seen up close, I'm probably going to do lots of panel and decal style details.
Thanks a lot.
I got the lower secondary hull and nacelles started. Now it's just a matter of adding the bridge module and then getting into the details.
I got the basics of the bridge module in. It’s similar to ones I’ve done in the past. It channels some Enterprise refit, Excelsior and Voyager love. This also gives the ship a spine.
And, speaking of spines, mine is requesting that I take a break from working on this and watch the latest episode of Picard, and maybe play some Doom 64 on the XBOX One. OK, my spine isn’t really requesting Picard or Doom, but that’s what’s about to happen. 😉
Edit: Forgot to mention, I like the trench. Nice inversion of phaser strips.
Phaser strips are coming later. Also, I may partially fill that in. It's rather deep right now.
I'm still alive and don't appear to have the COVID-19 virus, so I can't really complain. I'm back to work this week. Since my job is essential, I'm not considered part of the statewide lock down.
How about you? You been doing OK?
Anyway, upon reopening the file, I found I was in the process of adding grid lines to the ship. The last time I’d worked on it, I’d really only done the upper saucer. Well, I did the lower saucer and secondary hull. The only other parts that for sure are going to get lines are the bridge and spine, and the pylon. Though, technically, I started on the pylon piece as it’s connected to part of the underside of the saucer. But, there’s more to do there. I haven’t decided if the nacelles are getting any lines. I checked to be sure and there aren’t a whole lot of Starfleet nacelles that have engraved lines. (almost none from the TNG era) I also made the beginnings of the saucer RCS thrusters. I also changed the hull color to battleship gray and made the RCS thrusters gunmetal gray.
(yes, I see the smoothing error on the back of the saucer, I’m just not worried about it as that part isn’t finished)
So, yeah, plenty more to do on this ship. Once I’m done with the tedious and time consuming grid lines, I’ll probably do the tedious and time consuming windows. Though, the ship isn’t going to have a huge amount of windows, as it is a warship.
So yeah, these are basically skylights. The extreme angle of the saucer makes it so they couldn’t be anything else. I’ll probably only do a couple more rows of these on the saucer top and then some windows you can look normally out of on the saucer edge. I may do something similar to a Ten forward. I’d do some of those window insets that various ships in the TNG era had, but the extreme curve again makes it so they’d be really odd to do. This ship has more of a “blade” type of saucer than ships like Voyager and Equinox, which had less extreme of a curve that allowed for more details like that. But, that’s because this is supposed to be a fast and maneuverable fighting ship. I don’t know how making a ship short and sleek helps in space, but I think it would alter the center of gravity, making tight maneuvers possible. I’m pretty sure that’s why the Defiant was designed how it was.