Hehe, I'm glad you all like that helm console so much, I'm quite happy with it myself, I always disliked the fact that we saw so few standalone two-person helms in the TNG era, to me that's always cooler looking than either individual stations or sunken ones.
Here's another small commission I finished today, the mess hall for the New Orleans-Class USS Orlando, a redress of my USS Appalachia mess. My client for this one was using the USS Lafayette bridge for the Orlando, so they wanted to modify the mess to use the same colors and a more TNG vibe. You can see the full renders over here.
Going back to the Thunderchild bridge, I've done more work on the ceiling. I originally wanted to do a different take, with the grates providing shadows over the walls and floor, however that would've meant thinner grates which would've left more light through, and it wouldn't look like I wanted it to at an angle. So in the end I went with a more traditional lighting solution, with no hard shadows. Other than that, I've added a few more details around, finished the floor pattern for the central platform, and added gradients to the rest of the light fixtures on the bridge.
and 2 others.
For all my finished Trek fan art, please visit my portfolio
I really love the look of the Thunderchild’s bridge. I love the ceiling detail and the overall style to it. I agree with you that the stand alone two person helm console is so cool and I have missed that style in the TNG era. As always great update my friend, you don’t disappoint! 🖖🏾
@Rory1707: Please stop doing multiple posts back to back mate, it's usually considered bad forum etiquette and @Guerrilla already told you to stop once. You can either edit your first post using the little gear icon each post has at the top right, or you can always wait for the next update to share more thoughts.
Post edited by Rekkert on
For all my finished Trek fan art, please visit my portfolio
Continued adding details and LCARS around, specifically on the aft alcoves, where I finished both the dedication plaque and the replicators. For the plaque I'm using a new workflow using only a black and white texture and setting all the colors and details with nodes in Blender. It gives better results than what I was doing before IMO and it'll be a more flexible system in the long run.
I wasn't liking how the LCARS panel next to the plaque was coming along, with so much of it being just a block of one color (it is accurate to a design on the Defiant bridge, so I wanted to keep it), so with a little nudge by @Donny I added a gradient pattern to it, making the edges darker. I didn't do this before as a stylistic choice, simply due to the fact that a real touchscreen wouldn't look that way, but after seeing it in action here... it just looks better, so realism be damn, I've added gradients to all the LCARS.
Also, now that I have some LCARS and most of the lighting in place, I did another pass at the materials and colors all around, with the blue and beige elements in particular receiving the most changes.
For all my finished Trek fan art, please visit my portfolio
@BolianAdmiral: Hahaha, not in a million years, those stood out like a sore thumb there IMO. :P There are more discrete access panels right next to the turbolift doors, so we can always assume there are phasers locked in there; similar to the discrete panel behind which they were on the TNG transporter room according to the Interactive Technical Manual.
Started work on a new viewscreen area, based on the Defiant's of course but also different as I changed some aspects I didn't like of that one. The blue padded panels at the bottom now have the same height as those beneath each perimeter console instead of following a weird curved pattern, for example.
I've also finished UV mapping all the remaining LCARS panels, and started work on the keyboards on each console. I have yet to model the Captain's controls though. I've already went through several designs but I just don't like them; I think I'll try and incorporate more traditional keypads on the armrests themselves instead, though that'll obviously mean changing the chair from the Defiant's design.
Also, I felt the helm stand was a bit too empty on the sides, so after some tests I ended up adding a small guard at each side near the front, both to add more shadows at the sides and to make it look a bit wider from the front.
Plus, I've added isolinear panels on the aft alcoves, the grooves on the metallic floor piece, and kept tweaking the colors of the bridge overall.
Post edited by Rekkert on
For all my finished Trek fan art, please visit my portfolio
Started work on the overhead LCARS displays, already have a couple stations done. I decided I didn't quite like the empty space above these displays, so I added some grey metallic panels there. Similar ones were added on the Sao Paulo bridge for the last few episodes of DS9.
Also, after modeling many, many, MANY different versions and concepts for the Captain's controls, I think I reached a version which fits the bridge. It's still a bit awkward looking IMO, I'm not crazy sold on it or anything, but I'm happy enough with it, as I really didn't like how consoles flanking the chair Defiant-style were looking in such a busy bridge. As ever comments and critiques welcome about it!
Post edited by Rekkert on
For all my finished Trek fan art, please visit my portfolio
That's juts beautiful! I would actually keep the consoles on the Captain's chair as they are... they don't look awkward to me, and seem like you "Defiant-ized" the TNG chair panels sufficiently to make the look fit.
Great work on this update. I think that the Captain’s controls are a nice compromise from the Defiant’s, that in my opinion were too large. Yours are sleeker while still functional.
Hmmm. I like the look of the captain's controls, but I do feel they'd be awkward to use. Would you consider something like an update to the Kirk/Pike controls? Just flat next to the armrests.
Thanks for all the feedback on the Captain's chair controls folks!
@DoctorShmullus: Yeah, I agree that the Defiant controls are just way too large, not to mention they don't match the style of the rest of the bridge at all!
@jpolk: Ohh, that's a good idea I hadn't consider! Of course, placing the controls that would would be far more ergonomic!
I've created another version with these flat controls inspired by @jpolk's comment, which also allowed me to integrate them better into the shape of the chair, while not making it look like it has little wings. I think we have a winner here, what do you all think? I still got the other ones saved and I'm sure both versions can be useful in the future lol.
For all my finished Trek fan art, please visit my portfolio
@jpolk: lol, it's all for that dramatic effect on screen!
Finishing touches around the viewscreen, including an overhead light similar to that on the Defiant, which illuminates quite a bit this otherwise rather dark area of the bridge. I've also worked more on the LCARS, finishing the overhead monitor graphics all around the perimeter of the bridge.
Also added some final touches to the chair, most notably a darker inset behind the command panels. Now it's definitely done.
If I'm not mistaken (and I very much could be here), the only bits of work remaining are the two trapezoidal LCARS keyboard panels from each perimeter console.
Post edited by Rekkert on
For all my finished Trek fan art, please visit my portfolio
Fantastic work Rekkert! This has turned out to be one of my favorite bridges you’ve done and its been nice to follow along the creative process. To me it looks complete and adding more details would risk making it look cluttered.
Posts
Here's another small commission I finished today, the mess hall for the New Orleans-Class USS Orlando, a redress of my USS Appalachia mess. My client for this one was using the USS Lafayette bridge for the Orlando, so they wanted to modify the mess to use the same colors and a more TNG vibe. You can see the full renders over here.
Going back to the Thunderchild bridge, I've done more work on the ceiling. I originally wanted to do a different take, with the grates providing shadows over the walls and floor, however that would've meant thinner grates which would've left more light through, and it wouldn't look like I wanted it to at an angle. So in the end I went with a more traditional lighting solution, with no hard shadows. Other than that, I've added a few more details around, finished the floor pattern for the central platform, and added gradients to the rest of the light fixtures on the bridge.
I wasn't liking how the LCARS panel next to the plaque was coming along, with so much of it being just a block of one color (it is accurate to a design on the Defiant bridge, so I wanted to keep it), so with a little nudge by @Donny I added a gradient pattern to it, making the edges darker. I didn't do this before as a stylistic choice, simply due to the fact that a real touchscreen wouldn't look that way, but after seeing it in action here... it just looks better, so realism be damn, I've added gradients to all the LCARS.
Also, now that I have some LCARS and most of the lighting in place, I did another pass at the materials and colors all around, with the blue and beige elements in particular receiving the most changes.
@BolianAdmiral: Hahaha, not in a million years, those stood out like a sore thumb there IMO. :P There are more discrete access panels right next to the turbolift doors, so we can always assume there are phasers locked in there; similar to the discrete panel behind which they were on the TNG transporter room according to the Interactive Technical Manual.
Started work on a new viewscreen area, based on the Defiant's of course but also different as I changed some aspects I didn't like of that one. The blue padded panels at the bottom now have the same height as those beneath each perimeter console instead of following a weird curved pattern, for example.
I've also finished UV mapping all the remaining LCARS panels, and started work on the keyboards on each console. I have yet to model the Captain's controls though. I've already went through several designs but I just don't like them; I think I'll try and incorporate more traditional keypads on the armrests themselves instead, though that'll obviously mean changing the chair from the Defiant's design.
Also, I felt the helm stand was a bit too empty on the sides, so after some tests I ended up adding a small guard at each side near the front, both to add more shadows at the sides and to make it look a bit wider from the front.
Plus, I've added isolinear panels on the aft alcoves, the grooves on the metallic floor piece, and kept tweaking the colors of the bridge overall.
Started work on the overhead LCARS displays, already have a couple stations done. I decided I didn't quite like the empty space above these displays, so I added some grey metallic panels there. Similar ones were added on the Sao Paulo bridge for the last few episodes of DS9.
Also, after modeling many, many, MANY different versions and concepts for the Captain's controls, I think I reached a version which fits the bridge. It's still a bit awkward looking IMO, I'm not crazy sold on it or anything, but I'm happy enough with it, as I really didn't like how consoles flanking the chair Defiant-style were looking in such a busy bridge. As ever comments and critiques welcome about it!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqRhLEHgwgTKxsalM5YznYQ
Formerly furswift
@DoctorShmullus: Yeah, I agree that the Defiant controls are just way too large, not to mention they don't match the style of the rest of the bridge at all!
@Warp Propulsion Laboratory: Thanks, glad you like the mess hall!
@jpolk: Ohh, that's a good idea I hadn't consider! Of course, placing the controls that would would be far more ergonomic!
I've created another version with these flat controls inspired by @jpolk's comment, which also allowed me to integrate them better into the shape of the chair, while not making it look like it has little wings. I think we have a winner here, what do you all think? I still got the other ones saved and I'm sure both versions can be useful in the future lol.
On a more serious note, I think it looks great. It fits the overall style, better than the previous "wings"
Plus now the captain can slam their fist down on the intercom control and say, "Engineering, I need warp power NOW!"
@Rory1707: Hahaha, glad you would mate!
@jpolk: lol, it's all for that dramatic effect on screen!
Finishing touches around the viewscreen, including an overhead light similar to that on the Defiant, which illuminates quite a bit this otherwise rather dark area of the bridge. I've also worked more on the LCARS, finishing the overhead monitor graphics all around the perimeter of the bridge.
Also added some final touches to the chair, most notably a darker inset behind the command panels. Now it's definitely done.
If I'm not mistaken (and I very much could be here), the only bits of work remaining are the two trapezoidal LCARS keyboard panels from each perimeter console.
Will there be a RED ALERT version?