That is lovely. I might have had one tube below and between two slightly larger forward phaser banks. The top of the saucer would be reversed with the side banks a bit larger
That is lovely. I might have had one tube below and between two slightly larger forward phaser banks. The top of the saucer would be reversed with the side banks a bit larger
My overall plan is simply enhancing the Enterprise as seen in ST:DISCO. It, like the original TOS Enterprise, has a pair of tubes down there that are flush with the hull. At least that's what these reference pics I'm using suggest. I got stuff from Eaglemoss, Polar Lights, early concept art, and a few fuzzy screen renders from the show. None of which match 100% to each other.
I think apart from resizing the phaser banks, I'm pretty much done with this area until I start textures. I'm debating whether I should work on the rim of the saucer or detail the underside of the engine deck next. Also, how much detail do I want to add at the neck connection is another one of the things in the back of my mind. Like, do I want connectors similar to what we see on the 1701-D? Or do I keep it simpler than that? What about landing gear and ramps? That's what those triangles on the underside were supposedly going to be at one point if I recall.
There's a lot to consider going forward. And I haven't even touched the bridge yet! LOL
Okay! Just a quick post since I haven't actually done much on the starship.
There was an update email sent out that showed some of the tabletop miniatures that are due out soon. And one of those was the Battle Cobra that I'd worked on months ago. Now that the NDA on this particular piece had been lifted, I just wanted to show the low-rez pic that was attached to the announcement.
The hexes on that map are about 31mm wide, and the mini itself stands around 50mm tall (I'd have to check to be sure).
I'm really happy with this one because it sets a lot of landmarks for me. First official production model (where in the past it's all been fan art), as well as the last model I did in TrueSpace before picking up Blender. I can hardly wait to get my hands on one! But...like everyone else. I have to sit by until the game boxes ship.
CURSE YOU EVER GIVEN! Blocking the canal has delayed my happiness by weeks!
Er... Anyway. The Battle Cobra tabletop mini!
I also posted a link to a collage showing some progress snapshots on DeviantArt. Really it's mostly the same stuff I've already posted here. Battle Cobra: From Sketch to Production
Whooo... Four months this time around? Ah well. Since I'm between work projects, and now that I've found some new reference images for the impulse section of the reboot Enterprise, I figured I'd give this model another crack.
So. Here are the blocked-out sections on the rear of the saucer. I'd done a little detailing on the underside before this. Embellished the...impulse exhaust vents? Those things in sets of three whatever they are. Embellished them with some hex grids, because few things say Sci-Fi like hex grids!
I have no idea if the bits I've added are what they're supposed to be. The reference images I have aren't all that clear. Even then the shapes look pretty basic. The docking hatch in the center? None of the models I've seen have any detail there. Could be a torpedo tube for all I know. Or it could be a mounting point for a filming gimble.
So I turned it into a docking hatch. I detailed the entryway based on the ones seen in ST: Discovery S2E13 when the crew of the Discovery transferred over to the Enterprise. The heavy doors are based on one of the Behind the Scenes teasers where Michael Burnam walks through them as they open up.
Are those windows? I don't know if they're supposed to be windows. But I made them windows anyway. I also figure the detail next to them are the DOT-7 repair drone bays. So I added simple garage door style closures. And the last bit is... I have NO idea. So I haven't changed them into anything meaningful.
If I can't think of more detail to add to this area, I might start on those oversized Impulse Engines.
OK, so the big update here isn't the model, but my settings. I managed to upgrade to a GeForce 1060 from a GTX 750 ti, (because I can't really afford more than $200) and learned about Blender's Filmic settings.
After switching from sRGB to XYZ and enabling medium contrast under the Filmic setting, I tried a quick render test to compare it to my previous card. being able to see these smaller details with a higher dynamic range in display output is really going to help me work out the smaller details!
A way to do nondestructive panel lines is to make panels from a plane and give them a solidify and bevel modifiers. I usually collapse all the verts in a plane, snap it to the surface I'm working on, extrude certs, fill, and then duplicate a vert for the next panel. This method gives a lot of freedom of shaping panels, plus you can make areas to extrude for panels sections that extend higher than your height in the solidifier tab. And like all meshes, they can be duplicated, arrayed, and mirrored. One reason I do not favor inset faces is because I use the bevel modifier heavily, and tight insets decrease bevel radius. And being nondestructive, you got room to make changes. Or they could be used as a means to plan destructive panels line by insets or other means later on.
Thanks! Not quite MKF levels (yet) but I've been thinking of how to add more in some of these blank areas. I rarely get a chance to do 4th level of detail like this either because the project doesn't need it, or because I'd been limited by my hardware.
A way to do nondestructive panel lines is to make panels from a plane and give them a solidify and bevel modifiers. I usually collapse all the verts in a plane, snap it to the surface I'm working on, extrude certs, fill, and then duplicate a vert for the next panel. This method gives a lot of freedom of shaping panels, plus you can make areas to extrude for panels sections that extend higher than your height in the solidifier tab. And like all meshes, they can be duplicated, arrayed, and mirrored. One reason I do not favor inset faces is because I use the bevel modifier heavily, and tight insets decrease bevel radius. And being nondestructive, you got room to make changes. Or they could be used as a means to plan destructive panels line by insets or other means later on.
I've tried to use plane modeling where I conform it to the surface (like all of those subpanels I have between the shield grid - done simply with Discombublator), but the end shape doesn't seem to conform properly for one reason or another.
Not unless I have a hidden, higher polygon shape underneath it. Then I'd have to stack objects and modifiers. And...I'm not up to that skill level just yet. It's hard for me to wrap my head around it, so I go with what I know and will pick up new techniques as I need them.
I have two basic techniques for making panel lines. First I'll make sure my base geometry has the lines where I need them. A mistake I made when I started the saucer - but fixing that taught me a number of other techniques that have been useful later and in other projects.
And that's been the point of building this model. Learning Blender! LOL Even if my method is akin to a monkey pressing buttons and seeing what happens.
Then I'll either select the lines, use the bevel tool to get the gap width I need, and then the inset tool for the floor depth and wall angles. If I'm building up, I'll select the faces instead, use the inset tool for gap width, and then use it again for panel height and wall angle. If my corners need curves, then I'll use the bevel tool again. It's easy enough for me to zoom in and edit verts and lines if there's overlapping and/or pinching. Deleting verts where necessary and making new connections to "hide my crimes".
These methods are new to me and a LOT different than how I did them in TrueSpace. I'd basically brute force the shapes I wanted by creating bucks, then using boolean tools to add or subtract objects. Something that ended up with far more geometry errors than what I do now. Plus it was a lot more difficult to fix later on if I needed it.
These days, my geometry and shapes are a lot neater and cleaner than before. I'm sure I'll need to up my game when I move onto more organic shapes with complex curves and the like. But that's a task for future me to learn.
These methods are new to me and a LOT different than how I did them in TrueSpace.
I believe that's everyone experience. I came off of Rhinoceros to Blender 2.64 back when booleans were trash. Vast improvements over the years, and sometimes I think my Rhino models were better because, like you, I was using a lot of booleans to get the geometry I wanted and there was no inset face options. My earlier Blender models had too many of the trademark Inset Faces/Extrude look, which made the models look far less impressive to me that what I could get out of booleans. However, extruding insets certainly have their uses, and I do use them. The method I use for panels can be a little more work, but it doesn't restrict you to the mesh wireframe, and for precision it best to use guides such as single arrow empties and mesh circles (you can't control the number of segments on an circle empty), and of course, the wireframe of the object you are paneling. And while this method is great for visual rendering, I cannot see it being used if you want to merge all your objects into one mesh, or if you want to make a printable model. I can see some major headaches with that. But the good thing that there are more than one way to get the results you want with Blender, and that matters is how good it looks when its done.
You can look over on my Repulse to see the panels I had made.
Oh, and Discombobulate is new to me. I've seen in it the menu, but never knew what it was for, and it looks worth trying out. Thanks for sharing that.
Another three months, another update! This time I've managed to complete the build part of the impulse engine deck! YAY! It was mostly fiddly bits and rebuilding my impulse engine cowlings. And I learned a new thing! How to slice one part off another. That left a gaping hole in the engine deck, but that was easy enough to fix.
And yeah, instead of making that engine cowling a separate object, I once again extruded the entire thing from the engine deck. But now that I know the process of slicing bits off of other bits, it'd be an easy thing to do if I so wanted.
There isn't a formation light on the rear of the saucer in any of the references I've been using (which now includes the STO version), but I put one there anyway. So all that's left is the saucer rim, neck junction, and the bridge to finish off the saucer section build stage.
I have a feeling Strange New Worlds will be out before I finish this. Lots of stuff getting in the way. Mostly work projects and new shows coming out. LOL
So...Bridge module! Got in most of the surface detail that's in my references. Now to figure out how to work out that giant viewport.
It's made of transparent aluminum, dont'cha know! Bridge interior sold separately.
I also reshaped the neck to better fit a profile view I have as a reference and started plotting out a separation mechanism. No idea how I'll detail that part yet, but my shapes fit together nicely now.
OK! Last one for today (probably). Unless I can think of anything else, I'm calling the build portion of the saucer complete. Next would be texturing but I'm not sure how to do that yet. I've textured a few things before, but the method hasn't quite stuck in my head yet. So far I've just messed with base material colors. Like changing all of the windows from the light emissions to a translucent grey-white.
So without further preamble, renders.
-edit- oh bugger. Forgot some small details on the bridge dome... ::sighs::
-edit 2- I also forgot the port and starboard docking hatches...
OK, NOW the saucer should be done. The little bits that were supposed to be on the bridge dome are in place and the docking ports are cut in and detailed.
Hey, thanks! I did miss out on those images when they were originally posted online. I had the link to the Discovery page and was saddened to see the entire section taken down. Which led me to seek out other sources like the Polar Lights and Eaglemoss models. I even grabbed a bunch of pics of the $2000 studio scale model that's also no longer available. All three of which have differences between them.
Then I learned that a few years ago, Arc Games partnered with Game Print to allow people to purchase Star Trek: Online models (starting at $200! STARTING!) and had a gallery for every ship in the game at high resolution. Naturally, I jumped on it when the "Miracle Worker Flight Deck Cruiser" was added to the game and grabbed the orthos from that site.
Maybe one of you guys can help me out here. I'm realigning my model for the next build stage and when I pulled the camera back for a render, it looks like it clipped an invisible barrier? I have no idea what's causing it as everything in the project area is in front of the camera.
That is odd. where are your clip setting at for the camera and the viewport?
See, I didn't even know there was a clip setting. It was at 100. Just upped it to 1000 and that fixed it. Ghods, sometimes it's the simplest things! Thanks!
OK, so here's where I'm at. Spent most of the morning rebuilding the secondary hull blank using the new reference images. The fuzzy magazine scans probably had some parallax issues on top of the usual image quality loss stuff. There's probably a better method than what I did - slicing a sphere in half for the rear shape, then extruding and resizing over and over and over and over and... Yeah, a couple of bucks to cut out the underbelly curve and the shuttle landing pad later and this is the result.
Anyway, I like this shape much more than my initial attempt. So this is the one I'll work off of.
I like this shape much more than my initial attempt.
I don't think i've ever liked an initial blocking. They're always just good enough and then you move forward. Either way, this looks nicely proportional
Without any slight to anyone else, this is shaping up to be my favorite version of the “No bloody A, No bloody B, no bloody C, no bloody D” enterprise. I really like your additions and slight modifications!
I don't think i've ever liked an initial blocking. They're always just good enough and then you move forward. Either way, this looks nicely proportional
I'm trying to think of a time when I hadn't rebuilt a piece at least three times! Even when I get to the detailing, I'll probably rework some bits here and there.
Your skills evolved a lot, congratulations!!
She looks a beauty!!
Hey, thanks! I'm really liking Blender a lot more now than I had when I made the switch from TrueSpace. Though I noticed that I tried to use some Blender shortcuts when I tried to use Photoshop earlier...
A true test of skill and learning will come when I start texturing.
Without any slight to anyone else, this is shaping up to be my favorite version of the “No bloody A, No bloody B, no bloody C, no bloody D” enterprise. I really like your additions and slight modifications!
Thank you! I really like the reboot version from ST: Disco and eagerly await the first airing of Strange New Worlds. So not only did I want to build this version of the Connie, but try to take it a step above what the skilled folks from... I think it's North Front Studios? had accomplished.
Reworked the impulse engine grid some time ago. Just never posted it. This morning I added the panel lines to the engineering hull, started on the shuttle bay, and am experimenting with Discombobulator again for subpanels. This is my third attempt so far and I'm still not happy with it.
Also, my panel gaps seem a little too sharp when compared to the saucer.
I think my wireframe density makes the subpaneling too busy when compared to the rest of the ship. I might just go ahead and create my own for this section. Though I'm also thinking of how to better apply them - as in which areas do I add them, and which do I leave clean.
Posts
Why thank you!
My overall plan is simply enhancing the Enterprise as seen in ST:DISCO. It, like the original TOS Enterprise, has a pair of tubes down there that are flush with the hull. At least that's what these reference pics I'm using suggest. I got stuff from Eaglemoss, Polar Lights, early concept art, and a few fuzzy screen renders from the show. None of which match 100% to each other.
I think apart from resizing the phaser banks, I'm pretty much done with this area until I start textures. I'm debating whether I should work on the rim of the saucer or detail the underside of the engine deck next. Also, how much detail do I want to add at the neck connection is another one of the things in the back of my mind. Like, do I want connectors similar to what we see on the 1701-D? Or do I keep it simpler than that? What about landing gear and ramps? That's what those triangles on the underside were supposedly going to be at one point if I recall.
There's a lot to consider going forward. And I haven't even touched the bridge yet! LOL
There was an update email sent out that showed some of the tabletop miniatures that are due out soon. And one of those was the Battle Cobra that I'd worked on months ago. Now that the NDA on this particular piece had been lifted, I just wanted to show the low-rez pic that was attached to the announcement.
The hexes on that map are about 31mm wide, and the mini itself stands around 50mm tall (I'd have to check to be sure).
I'm really happy with this one because it sets a lot of landmarks for me. First official production model (where in the past it's all been fan art), as well as the last model I did in TrueSpace before picking up Blender. I can hardly wait to get my hands on one! But...like everyone else. I have to sit by until the game boxes ship.
CURSE YOU EVER GIVEN! Blocking the canal has delayed my happiness by weeks!
Er... Anyway. The Battle Cobra tabletop mini!
I also posted a link to a collage showing some progress snapshots on DeviantArt. Really it's mostly the same stuff I've already posted here. Battle Cobra: From Sketch to Production
So. Here are the blocked-out sections on the rear of the saucer. I'd done a little detailing on the underside before this. Embellished the...impulse exhaust vents? Those things in sets of three whatever they are. Embellished them with some hex grids, because few things say Sci-Fi like hex grids!
I have no idea if the bits I've added are what they're supposed to be. The reference images I have aren't all that clear. Even then the shapes look pretty basic. The docking hatch in the center? None of the models I've seen have any detail there. Could be a torpedo tube for all I know. Or it could be a mounting point for a filming gimble.
So I turned it into a docking hatch. I detailed the entryway based on the ones seen in ST: Discovery S2E13 when the crew of the Discovery transferred over to the Enterprise. The heavy doors are based on one of the Behind the Scenes teasers where Michael Burnam walks through them as they open up.
Are those windows? I don't know if they're supposed to be windows. But I made them windows anyway. I also figure the detail next to them are the DOT-7 repair drone bays. So I added simple garage door style closures. And the last bit is... I have NO idea. So I haven't changed them into anything meaningful.
If I can't think of more detail to add to this area, I might start on those oversized Impulse Engines.
After switching from sRGB to XYZ and enabling medium contrast under the Filmic setting, I tried a quick render test to compare it to my previous card. being able to see these smaller details with a higher dynamic range in display output is really going to help me work out the smaller details!
A way to do nondestructive panel lines is to make panels from a plane and give them a solidify and bevel modifiers. I usually collapse all the verts in a plane, snap it to the surface I'm working on, extrude certs, fill, and then duplicate a vert for the next panel. This method gives a lot of freedom of shaping panels, plus you can make areas to extrude for panels sections that extend higher than your height in the solidifier tab. And like all meshes, they can be duplicated, arrayed, and mirrored. One reason I do not favor inset faces is because I use the bevel modifier heavily, and tight insets decrease bevel radius. And being nondestructive, you got room to make changes. Or they could be used as a means to plan destructive panels line by insets or other means later on.
Thanks! Not quite MKF levels (yet) but I've been thinking of how to add more in some of these blank areas. I rarely get a chance to do 4th level of detail like this either because the project doesn't need it, or because I'd been limited by my hardware.
I've tried to use plane modeling where I conform it to the surface (like all of those subpanels I have between the shield grid - done simply with Discombublator), but the end shape doesn't seem to conform properly for one reason or another.
Not unless I have a hidden, higher polygon shape underneath it. Then I'd have to stack objects and modifiers. And...I'm not up to that skill level just yet. It's hard for me to wrap my head around it, so I go with what I know and will pick up new techniques as I need them.
I have two basic techniques for making panel lines. First I'll make sure my base geometry has the lines where I need them. A mistake I made when I started the saucer - but fixing that taught me a number of other techniques that have been useful later and in other projects.
And that's been the point of building this model. Learning Blender! LOL Even if my method is akin to a monkey pressing buttons and seeing what happens.
Then I'll either select the lines, use the bevel tool to get the gap width I need, and then the inset tool for the floor depth and wall angles. If I'm building up, I'll select the faces instead, use the inset tool for gap width, and then use it again for panel height and wall angle. If my corners need curves, then I'll use the bevel tool again. It's easy enough for me to zoom in and edit verts and lines if there's overlapping and/or pinching. Deleting verts where necessary and making new connections to "hide my crimes".
These methods are new to me and a LOT different than how I did them in TrueSpace. I'd basically brute force the shapes I wanted by creating bucks, then using boolean tools to add or subtract objects. Something that ended up with far more geometry errors than what I do now. Plus it was a lot more difficult to fix later on if I needed it.
These days, my geometry and shapes are a lot neater and cleaner than before. I'm sure I'll need to up my game when I move onto more organic shapes with complex curves and the like. But that's a task for future me to learn.
I believe that's everyone experience. I came off of Rhinoceros to Blender 2.64 back when booleans were trash. Vast improvements over the years, and sometimes I think my Rhino models were better because, like you, I was using a lot of booleans to get the geometry I wanted and there was no inset face options. My earlier Blender models had too many of the trademark Inset Faces/Extrude look, which made the models look far less impressive to me that what I could get out of booleans. However, extruding insets certainly have their uses, and I do use them. The method I use for panels can be a little more work, but it doesn't restrict you to the mesh wireframe, and for precision it best to use guides such as single arrow empties and mesh circles (you can't control the number of segments on an circle empty), and of course, the wireframe of the object you are paneling. And while this method is great for visual rendering, I cannot see it being used if you want to merge all your objects into one mesh, or if you want to make a printable model. I can see some major headaches with that. But the good thing that there are more than one way to get the results you want with Blender, and that matters is how good it looks when its done.
You can look over on my Repulse to see the panels I had made.
Oh, and Discombobulate is new to me. I've seen in it the menu, but never knew what it was for, and it looks worth trying out. Thanks for sharing that.
And yeah, instead of making that engine cowling a separate object, I once again extruded the entire thing from the engine deck. But now that I know the process of slicing bits off of other bits, it'd be an easy thing to do if I so wanted.
There isn't a formation light on the rear of the saucer in any of the references I've been using (which now includes the STO version), but I put one there anyway. So all that's left is the saucer rim, neck junction, and the bridge to finish off the saucer section build stage.
Thank you! Let's hope I can keep it up.
I have a feeling Strange New Worlds will be out before I finish this. Lots of stuff getting in the way. Mostly work projects and new shows coming out. LOL
It's made of transparent aluminum, dont'cha know! Bridge interior sold separately.
I also reshaped the neck to better fit a profile view I have as a reference and started plotting out a separation mechanism. No idea how I'll detail that part yet, but my shapes fit together nicely now.
So without further preamble, renders.
-edit- oh bugger. Forgot some small details on the bridge dome... ::sighs::
-edit 2- I also forgot the port and starboard docking hatches...
Here's my refs if you don't have them. Got them before they were deleted.
Good luck!
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51687575381_c36db03bfd_o.jpg
Hey, thanks! I did miss out on those images when they were originally posted online. I had the link to the Discovery page and was saddened to see the entire section taken down. Which led me to seek out other sources like the Polar Lights and Eaglemoss models. I even grabbed a bunch of pics of the $2000 studio scale model that's also no longer available. All three of which have differences between them.
Then I learned that a few years ago, Arc Games partnered with Game Print to allow people to purchase Star Trek: Online models (starting at $200! STARTING!) and had a gallery for every ship in the game at high resolution. Naturally, I jumped on it when the "Miracle Worker Flight Deck Cruiser" was added to the game and grabbed the orthos from that site.
See, I didn't even know there was a clip setting. It was at 100. Just upped it to 1000 and that fixed it. Ghods, sometimes it's the simplest things! Thanks!
Anyway, I like this shape much more than my initial attempt. So this is the one I'll work off of.
I don't think i've ever liked an initial blocking. They're always just good enough and then you move forward. Either way, this looks nicely proportional
She looks a beauty!!
I'm trying to think of a time when I hadn't rebuilt a piece at least three times! Even when I get to the detailing, I'll probably rework some bits here and there.
Hey, thanks! I'm really liking Blender a lot more now than I had when I made the switch from TrueSpace. Though I noticed that I tried to use some Blender shortcuts when I tried to use Photoshop earlier...
A true test of skill and learning will come when I start texturing.
Thank you! I really like the reboot version from ST: Disco and eagerly await the first airing of Strange New Worlds. So not only did I want to build this version of the Connie, but try to take it a step above what the skilled folks from... I think it's North Front Studios? had accomplished.
Also, my panel gaps seem a little too sharp when compared to the saucer.
I think my wireframe density makes the subpaneling too busy when compared to the rest of the ship. I might just go ahead and create my own for this section. Though I'm also thinking of how to better apply them - as in which areas do I add them, and which do I leave clean.