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3DNCC-1701, no bloody A,B,C or D (my progress so far)

Paul MoechnerPaul Moechner541 Posts: 126Member
edited December 2022 in Work in Progress #1
Hello all, I work as a volunteer at a start up aerospace R&D organization called IRIS-AsteronX in Mexico and the guy who runs AsteronX is tutoring me on Blender and since I want to design parts for real life aerospace craft and space ships for AsteronX in the future, he encouraged me to learn to 3D model fictional star ships to help me develop the skills I will need to achieve my goals since I can't afford college. After doing the 16 lesson Donut tutorial and a "how to create a CGI earth" tutorial by Blender Guru, I discovered a really cool 46 lesson tutorial on youtube on how to make the 1701 Enterprise and I'm learning SOOO much as a result. This is the perfect "3D modeling exercise" for me. The fact that it uses a much earlier version of blender than what I'm using now just makes it that much more educational. Trying to translate the "layers" aspect of the instructions into how to do it in modern Blender helped me learn/explore the "collections system" in blender for example. Of course it helps I got a friend tutoring me in RL as I go along who is experienced with Blender.

Anyway, here's some pics of my earth model I learned how to create from the blender guru channel and where I'm currently at with the 1701 Enterprise tutorial. I'd show off my donut too but that's not very scifi lol. Here also is a link to the last lesson I completed in the Enterprise tutorial so you all know which tutorial series that I've been referring to in this thread. I was originally showing off my work on facebook, when someone in a blender group introduced me to this forum and encouraged me to share my stuff here.

New thumbnail for this thread:
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Tutorial that I'm using:

Earth:

https://ibb.co/w08j3r0

https://ibb.co/7Q7zB9X

My enterprise project so far:

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EDIT: I am now FINISHED with this 3D modeling exercise! My model is complete! To check out my gallery of pics and eventual animations I will be creating using this 3D model, visit my profile on artstation: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/lR03oJ
Post edited by Paul Moechner on
count23StarCruiserLizzy777wibbleWarp Propulsion LaboratoryscifiericBolianAdmiralwolfmanRory1707JES
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  • count23count23361 Posts: 779Member
    Excellent start, @scifieric is going to love seeing his tutorial still gets mileage.

    When you finish, @Warp Propulsion Laboratory has a Sovereign class modelling course on his youtube channel as well.

    Can't wait to see it finished, welcome to the site.
    Warp Propulsion LaboratoryPaul Moechnerscifieric
    Formerly Nadesico.

    Current Projects:
    Ambassador Class
  • Paul MoechnerPaul Moechner541 Posts: 126Member
    Cool, thanks!
  • scifiericscifieric1122 Posts: 1,497Member
    ... I discovered a really cool 46 lesson tutorial on youtube on how to make the 1701 Enterprise and I'm learning SOOO much as a result. This is the perfect "3D modeling exercise" for me. The fact that it uses a much earlier version of blender than what I'm using now just makes it that much more educational.
    That is very kind of you to say nice things about my out of date tutorial! I'm glad you are getting some use out of it! Well done.
    count23 wrote: »
    Excellent start, @scifieric is going to love seeing his tutorial still gets mileage.
    Quite correct! Excellent!
    Paul Moechner
  • Paul MoechnerPaul Moechner541 Posts: 126Member
    Cool! Nice to meet you again! Thanks. :)
    scifieric
  • Paul MoechnerPaul Moechner541 Posts: 126Member
    edited October 2022 #6
    Finished the lights today:
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    w2pz4dkazjbl.jpg

    Edit: I'm adding a third image that I just rendered. Due to learning how to not just create lights but learning how to 'light them up' by learning about emission materials, I was inspired on how to light up the two triple lights on the bottom of the saucer and how to create a basic 'special effect' for the impulse engine exhaust until I come up with a cooler special effect down the road. This is what I came up with. I created "points of light" inside the saucer main hull in order to have light shine through the windows.


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    Post edited by Paul Moechner on
    Lizzy777StarCruiserscifiericlewisnivensrspicerwolfmanRory1707JES
  • Paul MoechnerPaul Moechner541 Posts: 126Member
    I played around a little bit more today with the emissions material and ended up settling with this configuration before moving onto the next lesson:

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    StarCruiserscifiericLizzy777wolfmanRory1707caveat_imperatorJES
  • BolianAdmiralBolianAdmiral1114 Torrance, CaliforniaPosts: 2,560Member
    Looks like you’re off to an excellent start. I have Blender, but it’s beyond frustrating for me, lol. Look forward to seeing this develop.
    Paul Moechnerscifieric
  • Paul MoechnerPaul Moechner541 Posts: 126Member
    I'm now on Day 26 of this project. Finished adding the windows to the BC deck, and created the neck, adding the windows to the neck as well.

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    scifiericStarCruiserLizzy777count23srspicerRory1707JES
  • scifiericscifieric1122 Posts: 1,497Member
    Excellent work!
    Paul Moechner
  • count23count23361 Posts: 779Member
    One thing I notice, all your tutorial results are very dark, you're missing lighting in your scene.

    Do yourself a favour, follow this quick tutorial to set up a HDRI for your scene: , it's a simple lighting set up that's quick and easy to deploy.

    A lot of modellers around here swear by the "small hangar" HDRI for demo renders of their work, found here: https://polyhaven.com/a/small_hangar_01

    It'll make your tutorial results look a lot nicer.
    Paul Moechner
    Formerly Nadesico.

    Current Projects:
    Ambassador Class
  • TralfazTralfaz412 Posts: 846Member
    Really liking the progress you are making. Think you need to follow Eric's lighting examples otherwise you will have a dark render. Another thing I didn't like about Blender.
    Paul Moechnerscifieric
  • Paul MoechnerPaul Moechner541 Posts: 126Member
    edited October 2022 #13
    Day 27:

    Got the first couple engineering section lessons knocked out today and ready for lesson 15 tomorrow.
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    Post edited by Paul Moechner on
    StarCruiserwolfmanRory1707JES
  • scifiericscifieric1122 Posts: 1,497Member
    Got the first couple engineering section lessons knocked out today and ready for lesson 15 tomorrow.
    Wow! Great job so far!

    15 ... Ah, the engineering cowl and the deflector dish. Good luck! I hope you enjoy.
    Paul Moechner
  • Paul MoechnerPaul Moechner541 Posts: 126Member
    edited October 2022 #15
    Day 28:

    Yay! finally learned how to do the deflector section today. I also completely rebuilt the engineering section before moving onto lesson 15 today because there were some things I didn't like about the previous version. Also played around with the shader aspect of blender a bit to see what I can come up with. The deflector will look different when I'm done with this project.

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    Post edited by Paul Moechner on
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  • MikeFinleyMusicMikeFinleyMusic172 Posts: 60Member
    Looks fantastic so far. Eric's tutorial basically taught my 95% of what I've ever needed to know in Blender. Good luck with the rest of it. If you're anything like the rest of us you'll build it another 4 or 5 times as you learn more and more stuff.
    scifiericPaul Moechner
  • scifiericscifieric1122 Posts: 1,497Member
    Looks fantastic so far.

    I certainly agree with that!
    Eric's tutorial basically taught my 95% of what I've ever needed to know in Blender.

    Holy moley! Thank you! That is very kind of you!
    Good luck with the rest of it. If you're anything like the rest of us you'll build it another 4 or 5 times as you learn more and more stuff.

    Yep. At least 4 or 5 times. It gets interesting as time goes on.
    Paul Moechner
  • Paul MoechnerPaul Moechner541 Posts: 126Member
    lol I was watching an episode of DS9's "Tribbles and Tribilations" and they showed CGI shots of the 1701 Enterprise and whoever did the 3D modeling work messed up a couple windows on the BC deck and now I can't unsee it. I am going to have to redo my own BC deck for similar reasons, but thought ya'all might get a lol out of a professional making a similar mistake that I made. Here's a screenshot from that episode. It's even more obvious how crooked those two windows are when you watch this shot. (this shot happens toward the end of the episode when Sisko meets Kirk)

    siwv55huj1va.jpg
    Rory1707
  • count23count23361 Posts: 779Member
    FYI that's a physical model, not a CG one. It was reproduced for Trials and Tribbleations https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Constitution_class_model_(original)#%22Trials_and_Tribble-ations%22_model
    publiusrscifiericsrspicer
    Formerly Nadesico.

    Current Projects:
    Ambassador Class
  • Paul MoechnerPaul Moechner541 Posts: 126Member
    count23 wrote: »
    FYI that's a physical model, not a CG one. It was reproduced for Trials and Tribbleations https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Constitution_class_model_(original)#%22Trials_and_Tribble-ations%22_model

    Just finished reading the story about that. Thanks for telling me! I didn't know they made a model just for that episode. :)
    scifieric
  • Paul MoechnerPaul Moechner541 Posts: 126Member
    Day 33 of me working on this 3D modeling project:

    I had to completely rebuild everything below the neck from scratch as I made a lot of mistakes along the way. Haven't gotten around to rebuilding the BC deck yet but I'm now finished with lesson 17 and ready to move onto 18. Learned a whole lot about how to use Blender just working on the shuttle bay section.


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    Lizzy777StarCruiserevil_genius_180scifiericRory1707srspicerJES
  • Paul MoechnerPaul Moechner541 Posts: 126Member
    edited October 2022 #22
    Day 34. Just finished the windows on the engineering section.

    4w7vw0050ru5.png


    Post edited by Paul Moechner on
    Lizzy777StarCruiserwolfmanWarp Propulsion Laboratoryevil_genius_180scifiericRory1707JES
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    The Enterprise is looking great so far. It's such a fun ship to model. :)

    That model for Trials and Tribble-Ations is a great looking one, but Greg Jein definitely put his own spin on it. There are a number of things that don't line up with the original 11-foot model. But then again, that was less accessible than it is in the internet days, and he likely built the Enterprise, K-7 and Klingon Battlecruiser from watching old episodes and maybe using some old blueprints from the 70s or 80s.
    Paul Moechnerscifieric
  • Paul MoechnerPaul Moechner541 Posts: 126Member
    edited October 2022 #24
    Just got tutored by a fellow AsteronX member this morning on rendering. Was introduced to 'how to manipulate the rendering background' and 'lighting'. As you can see I still have a lot to learn about lighting since I washed out some of the hull color here lol:

    7qrrvz2c4c9v.png

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    I noticed I got some wrinkles in the engineering hull. That's been there since I made the engineering hull. I'm not sure how I created that. I welcome any info/advice on how to deal with that since I obviously have a lot to learn there as well. :)


    Post edited by Paul Moechner on
    scifiericevil_genius_180StarCruiserRory1707trekkiLizzy777JES
  • scifiericscifieric1122 Posts: 1,497Member
    Check to see what you have for smoothing on the Engineering hull. That might help a bit.
    Paul Moechner
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    It definitely looks better with some lighting. :)
    Paul Moechnerscifieric
  • Paul MoechnerPaul Moechner541 Posts: 126Member
    Thanks!

    Day 36: Added the shuttle bay lights. Next is the Pylons! WOOT

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    scifiericevil_genius_180Rory1707StarCruisertrekkiLizzy777JES
  • publiusrpubliusr550 Posts: 1,746Member
    That wrinkle effect, if repeatable, might be good for surface ship hulls. Not exactly an Aztec, but I can see wave dented panels on some.
    Paul Moechnerscifieric
  • Paul MoechnerPaul Moechner541 Posts: 126Member
    Day 41: Finished adding the two pylons and the misc details that came with it.

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    Rory1707StarCruiserevil_genius_180ashleytingerLizzy777scifiericsrspicerJES
  • scifiericscifieric1122 Posts: 1,497Member
    publiusr wrote: »
    That wrinkle effect, if repeatable, might be good for surface ship hulls. Not exactly an Aztec, but I can see wave dented panels on some.
    Interesting thought.
    Day 41: Finished adding the two pylons and the misc details that came with it.
    Well done, Sir! Keep going!
    Paul Moechner
  • Paul MoechnerPaul Moechner541 Posts: 126Member
    edited November 2022 #31
    Day 52 on this 3-D modeling exercise. This part is taking me a long time as I'm constantly redoing the end caps. I still haven't managed to figure out how to make the back end of the end caps perfectly smooth but today I somehow accidentally gave them a waffle effect on the back which I'm kinda liking haha. Don't ask me how I did that cuz I don't know haha. I duplicated the warp engine and placed the two just to take these pictures, but in reality, I'm still in the part of the lessons where I'm modeling just one warp engine, and it's floating between the two pylons before I place/mirror it.

    I'm blown away on how far I've come, skill-wise considering that June or July this year(2022) was when I started learning how to use blender and I had ZERO experience with blender or anything like it before hand.

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    Post edited by Paul Moechner on
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