Hi @markmassey , sure. I think there's a ton of ways of approaching the galaxy but the this polyflow shows how I tackled it. I initially built the stardrive section and sauce all as a single sub-d object, then froze that in and then separated them.
I also did a more pulled back render the other day with the 'amargosa' lighting which I was pretty happy with.
I have to admit, I never liked those little "tab" thingies on the top ends of the warp nacelles that they added for GEN. They weren't on the model originally, during the TV series. The ship is looking spectacular, as always.
Underside aztecs going on, now I understand my workflow better I can do this one a bit quicker than the top, as I'm not constantly refining what I'm doing, plus all the materials are already locked in.
I have to admit, I never liked those little "tab" thingies on the top ends of the warp nacelles that they added for GEN. They weren't on the model originally, during the TV series. The ship is looking spectacular, as always.
Yeah, the coffins I call them, not sure what they're supposed to be but they're there so I modelled them.
Won't you UVs screw up again when you cut in the grid and windows?
No because the UV information is just projected from the plane (there's a live data transfer modifier on the saucer that's bringing the UV information in). I'm on the fence about grid lines. On the generations repaint they're sanded/filled to the point of being almost invisible so I may not cut them in, but just hit at them with the roughness map or something, we'll see.
That looks fantastic. Usually, once you get one Atec map done and those material settings dialed in, the rest go faster. Also, planar projection for the win.
I made some improvements to the roughness map, as well as adding dirt to the diffuse map, which I think has made the texture look more realistic and a bit less 'clean'. Saucer underside getting there now.
think it is far easier to do windows on a physical model than in 3d. Either it be a removal of material or a mask and paint/build up methods. Granted in 3d we can do frames bezels and interior rooms where on a model that's often a real PITA as you have to build the boxes glue em in and light block it all.
One thing to say those edge windows will be a pain is the rooms behind em exp with canon having those grooves as sensor strips and the fact you cannot really have 2 decks on the rim. Just wait though the secondary hull rim and areas around the backside near the spine will be a real nightmare. Heck I cannot even by looking at it define how decks and rooms are dealt with on the neck! Some of the glass has to pass through floors as there is maybe a gap of 3" between one row of windows and the next.
Probably have a guess ILM in the 80s 8usd max I bet. And this was before proper overtime laws so likely only salary based or worse fixed contract rate.
My point on the pay thing is that they got paid. $8/hour in 1987 is equivalent to $18.22/hour now. How good of a wage that is depends on cost of living where you live. I just know it's $2.26 more an hour than I make in my job and I'm a manager.
The point was they were not paid anything above avg for the era and location. Bonus though is most where there doing what they liked or loved. And 8usd was a guess, given my early retail jobs in 89 were starting at 7usd in San Jose.
Equivalents do not mean anything, even simple comparison in values on things they fall apart. I could only wish if that ratio was true for housing.
I do not remember where you are, but costs must be much lower. In Sacramento a new hire at safeway is 17~19hr pre corona dunno about now. Granted you have to union up and pay those fees. (dunno if you're subject to union fees) Min wage is 12.50usd here. Rent here is also crap though, at those rates you have to have 2 40hr jobs to even consider renting a studio in junkville. I cannot imagine how those people are managing to make rent right now. They should be paying everyone in service/retail jobs double or triple right now.
way off topic now, avoiding doing uh WINDOWS on my mesh as well. Rather type words into forums than do them.
And I only meant that cutting all those windows, cleanly and accurately ONE AT A TIME, would have been tedious, no matter what they paid you. I agree that doing it with 3D software is still tedious but I'll wager anyone that it took the physical modelers a lot longer. Just saying.
It took about three months to build the Enterprise-D six foot model from start to finish. They began the build on March 2, 1987 and started filming with it on June 1, 1987. How long specific steps took is hard to say.
The windows weren't actually cut, they were masked off with tape and then silicone was poured over that to make the mold.
The final molded components, much like the master seen above, were done in trasparent plastic and the paint was just scraped away where the windows were to allow light through. How long does that process take? I don't know. Probably not as long as cutting, that's for sure.
That looks great. Are the running lights warmer on the underside?
Yeah I've gone for white for dorsal lights and amber for ventral, which is the system that current cygnus spacecraft use, though I might change that slightly. It strikes me that if you were approaching a space ship in reality, port and starboard aren't enough, you need to be able to differentiate top and bottom for that to mean anything.
Nice.
Do you plan to model Ten Forward seeing you can see into it?
I modelled a VERY rough ten forward just to have something behind the glass. Tbh once the refraction and a pinch of roughness is on the glass, I don't think it'll ever really resolve, I'll do some other renders and see how it looks, but I think you'll only ever make it out at super close range,
I think you're doing the right thing with only basic rooms behind the windows. It adds a lot to the realism of the mesh in renders, but if you don't need it then it's fine.
The watcher in the tower... Waiting, hour by hour...
- Mike Oldfield
I'm not sold on these windows/rooms yet, and the refraction is doing weird things to them, despite being 'physically correct' Maybe transparent aluminium doesn't have the same IOR as glass...
yup I tend to have to ignore correct IQR and just do something that looks as what you would expect to see. Almost all the time it makes the rooms look like small space with a prizm between you and the interiors. In v-ray I have no choice so I have to create a solid window (object with physical form eg a flat box) between the camera and the rooms or it treats the room as a solid block of glass/resin crystal.
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I also did a more pulled back render the other day with the 'amargosa' lighting which I was pretty happy with.
Im going to have to dust off my old unfinished models.. you've inspired me hehe..
I don't know why but i just love that lighting....
Yeah, the coffins I call them, not sure what they're supposed to be but they're there so I modelled them.
No because the UV information is just projected from the plane (there's a live data transfer modifier on the saucer that's bringing the UV information in). I'm on the fence about grid lines. On the generations repaint they're sanded/filled to the point of being almost invisible so I may not cut them in, but just hit at them with the roughness map or something, we'll see.
Can confirm.
This is Blender huh? Nice work @lewisniven Awesome.
Think about how much they got paid.
One thing to say those edge windows will be a pain is the rooms behind em exp with canon having those grooves as sensor strips and the fact you cannot really have 2 decks on the rim. Just wait though the secondary hull rim and areas around the backside near the spine will be a real nightmare. Heck I cannot even by looking at it define how decks and rooms are dealt with on the neck! Some of the glass has to pass through floors as there is maybe a gap of 3" between one row of windows and the next.
Probably have a guess ILM in the 80s 8usd max I bet. And this was before proper overtime laws so likely only salary based or worse fixed contract rate.
It will be worth it.
Equivalents do not mean anything, even simple comparison in values on things they fall apart. I could only wish if that ratio was true for housing.
I do not remember where you are, but costs must be much lower. In Sacramento a new hire at safeway is 17~19hr pre corona dunno about now. Granted you have to union up and pay those fees. (dunno if you're subject to union fees) Min wage is 12.50usd here. Rent here is also crap though, at those rates you have to have 2 40hr jobs to even consider renting a studio in junkville. I cannot imagine how those people are managing to make rent right now. They should be paying everyone in service/retail jobs double or triple right now.
way off topic now, avoiding doing uh WINDOWS on my mesh as well. Rather type words into forums than do them.
The windows weren't actually cut, they were masked off with tape and then silicone was poured over that to make the mold.
The final molded components, much like the master seen above, were done in trasparent plastic and the paint was just scraped away where the windows were to allow light through. How long does that process take? I don't know. Probably not as long as cutting, that's for sure.
Do you plan to model Ten Forward seeing you can see into it?
I modelled a VERY rough ten forward just to have something behind the glass. Tbh once the refraction and a pinch of roughness is on the glass, I don't think it'll ever really resolve, I'll do some other renders and see how it looks, but I think you'll only ever make it out at super close range,
- Mike Oldfield