Hello there!
Recently I started with my own idea of an alternative line of the starships Enterprise. First I modelled my take on the original 1701. As you see, I borrowed some elements of the refit model. Many thanks to Hunter G and Viper for your inspiration!
Some parts of the model already need to be redone. For example the size of the windows needs to be smaller. Unfortunately I only realised it after rendering the whole model from afar.
Other elements which are still to build are: the bigger "Pike Era Deflector", "Kirk Era Deflector", "Phase II Deflector", "Refit Deflector" etc.
I plan on using the mainhull and saucer until the time of Star Trek III, only exchanging modules like Deflectors, Bridge module (Imagine the process from the Kelvinverses Ent-A assembly sequence), Nacelles, Impulse Thrusters...
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Now I wonder if the pylons just look weird with it, or is it just too unfamiliar to me.
What do you say? I already made the pylons a crossover between TOS and refit, but I think I could swap them back a little bit more.
Or... should I treat the Pylons as modular too? Different Pylons for different Nacelles? The connection point at the Mainhull would be the same then.
Don't forget, the Mainhull will be the same until its end above Genesis! Only some modules will be swapped
Of course it's a really dark image, as I reduced the environment lighting to the minimum, and i fear, on some monitors it will be too dark.
And I am still searching for a good material for the Bussard caps, like frosted glass. As you see, I still don't get it right. I want the light inside to be very blurred and instead it is a good visible sphere. Maybe some of you are working with Corona Renderer as well and can point me to the right tutorial?
Nice work by the way.
Something to look at:
http://www.shawcomputing.net/racerx/trek_stuff/What_If.pdf
Now take a look at the saucer of the top ship on page 4 there. It is wider than on Kerr's Production drawing--to match the refit.
Now, I don't like the refit hull for TOS, as it is a real porker there.
But put that saucer on a longer secondary hull, as here
https://www.trekcore.com/specials/albums/sketches/STTOS_Drw_Enterprise.jpg
and here:
https://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/articles/sftm/fleet-ships-classifications.gif
That has never been done. A wider TOS saucer, and the deep chest Franz Joseph secondary hull.
I think you would find that most elegant.
I'd like to see a slavish version of this later on
https://alchetron.com/Matt-Jefferies#matt-jefferies-c638b9ff-f919-4a32-9413-532fb06a57e-resize-750.jpeg
Lastly. It might be nice to see the gangway hatch not on the saucer--but on the secondary hull, right behind the deflector dish where the side of the cigar hull is flat--there in the two boxy strakes that move forward to the dish. That hasn't been done either.
@hal: I think I've got it! In Corona material, the Translucency seems to do the job! Let's wait for the next render ( First I have to model a bit on the geometry, the Nacelles are still in a rough stage, but further work on materials is right around the corner!)
@publiusr hey thanks! This PDF is gold! I have already thought of redoing the mainhull with a little bit of the Franz Joseph belly! maybe a second version later ;-).