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3DST III Spacedock Tug

vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
edited March 2023 in Work in Progress #1
Some very rough starting shapes etc. Got some time in today in and around continuing fatigue, but thankfully that's improving -whew-. A few more shapes to nail, bits to cut in, then into UV and materials and UE.

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Post edited by vfxart on
ashleytingerBolianAdmiralwibbleevil_genius_180trekkiRekkertStarCruiserLizzy777mylexscifiericand 1 other.
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  • BolianAdmiralBolianAdmiral1114 Torrance, CaliforniaPosts: 2,560Member
    Ooooohhh… very nice. My favorite Trek auxiliary vehicle.
    vfxartpubliusr
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    It's definitely up there for me. Can't be a coincidence that three of my favorite ships are first seen in STIII, heh; helps preserve the soft spot that I have for the film. Matter of fact, I'll be back to one of them after I get another couple of bits of ref in for it, and have wrapped this up too. Likely next week.
    BolianAdmiralWarp Propulsion Laboratory
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    Looks great so far. I'm also glad to hear that you're slowly feeling better.

    Star Trek III is an underrated film. It easily has more emotion than the previous film. There's the feeling of loss with the destruction of the Enterprise and the death of David, but the feeling of joy at the return of Spock. Plus, they added a lot of cool ship and space station designs.
    vfxartscifieric
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    Thank you, e_g_180, it's been a haul for sure. Add in a poorly cat (my best buddy) and the job situation and yeah.... yow. ;-)

    But hey!- there is nothing like the feeling of getting to the end of some work, knowing you've tightened up some bits of a mesh, solved a few needs, set up one or two small things for the next day... and it looks no different than before. But you know how much improved it is...
    Starts to get her paint job tomorrow, after a bit of smoothing and a couple of plates are added.

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    Lizzy777evil_genius_180scifiericStarCruiserwibblesrspicerWarp Propulsion Laboratory
  • trekkitrekki939 Posts: 1,394Member
    This looks great . Is the wall in the cockpit so ok ?
    =)
    vfxartscifieric
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    trekki wrote: »
    This looks great . Is the wall in the cockpit so ok ?
    =)

    Thank you- there's no reasonable reference to hang much on for the rear wall. It IS very plain, but if there were any indicators of panels, doors, access hatches, etc... I haven't made them out yet. Going to get in touch with the original builder if I can and ask what he recalls, but want to be farther along before I do.

    I'll be sculpting the pilots after the paint job and they should detract from the rear wall too. ;-)
    scifieric
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    vfxart wrote: »
    But hey!- there is nothing like the feeling of getting to the end of some work, knowing you've tightened up some bits of a mesh, solved a few needs, set up one or two small things for the next day... and it looks no different than before. But you know how much improved it is...

    Yep, the old poly cleanup day. The rendered result is the same, but YOU know how much better it is, and that's what matters. It can be a real benefit on down the line if your program has polygon limits and your optimization will shave some precious polygons.
    scifieric
  • publiusrpubliusr550 Posts: 1,746Member
    edited February 2023 #9
    What is Neil Rhodes (Neil Rhodes Janiero) doing these days?

    I’d love to ask him if the aft effects also came from the BoP hinge blades…
    Post edited by publiusr on
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    publiusr wrote: »
    What is Neil Rhodes (Neil Rhodes Janiero) doing these days?

    I’d love to ask him if the aft effects also came from the BoP hinge blades…

    Nilo art directed w Dave Carson on Trek III but wasn't in the model shop. Afaik he's still retired, enjoying a couple of hobbies and not being involved in film.

  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    Another of those mornings... a bit more tightening up and alas, what exactly donates to the engine array I'm just not certain of. Of three or so possible parts, even looking at what would be available in each kit (multiples and already in use) didn't rule enough out. I've gone with a fan, but that feels wrong. Regardless, time to get her back to UV and get her painted up and ready for the Starfleet Ball.

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    evil_genius_180mylexashleytingerStarCruiserBolianAdmiralLizzy777wibblesrspicer
  • srspicersrspicer390 Posts: 335Member
    edited February 2023 #12
    Wow, looks like you nailed the doner kit parts!
    I created a studio scale master pattern for Timeslip creations of the tug. Your looks spot on!!
    I don’t recall anything other than the landing gear on the walls. It’s been a while though.
    Post edited by srspicer on
    vfxart
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    Have to admit to having put more time at the end of last week into sorting out ref for the next project over getting this one textured. ;-)
    Plus, with a poorly cat best buddy and still coming off of the fatigue, I am drained. Got basic linework in, now to get her 'real'. Onward!


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    trekkievil_genius_180rojrenashleytingerStarCruiserLizzy777srspicerwibbleSCE2AuxBolianAdmiral
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    edited February 2023 #14
    srspicer wrote: »
    Wow, looks like you nailed the doner kit parts!
    I created a studio scale master pattern for Timeslip creations of the tug. Your looks spot on!!
    I don’t recall anything other than the landing gear on the walls. It’s been a while though.

    Hey and thank you! Yeah, have got the kits that make her up, so hoping one day to do the work to form and cast what I need to.
    It was 'interesting' to sort out getting the dimensions of the pancake and modeling specifically from those. But it's all turning out. The UV and texture process always turn things up, so a few more tweaks and I should be good, and done soon. STIII Merchantman is up next.

    Thanks again... that's a great bit of momentum!

    Post edited by vfxart on
  • trekkitrekki939 Posts: 1,394Member
    Nice !
    vfxart
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    edited February 2023 #16
    Trying to get momentum, need to find work. Getting some updates done on this, grabbing coffee for a break...

    See my gutter leaking in an odd way, go to clean it out.

    Pull a handgun from out of the mucky leaves in the gutter.

    Cops find three bullet holes during their time here, from two guns. One has a .45 slug that is not from the recovered gun from the gutter. Two holes fit into an event yesterday, but in all this leaves too many questions.

    I do not need this. I need work. I need to be settled. Three feet to either side, at the wrong time and it's me or my wife... will be taking the 'deal with what is, not what could have been' approach of course, but progress on this wee beasty might be off a day or so. I'll certainly be coming back to read this for some momentum cuz... I'm gonna need it.

    Life my fellow SFMers... deep breaths.

    /D
    Post edited by vfxart on
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    edited February 2023 #17
    srspicer wrote: »
    Wow, looks like you nailed the doner kit parts!
    I created a studio scale master pattern for Timeslip creations of the tug. Your looks spot on!!
    I don’t recall anything other than the landing gear on the walls. It’s been a while though.
    @srspicer
    I've got a q for you as I've been tweaking some measurements as I saw something while texturing and 'ugh'... so if you've got a thought, I'll drop a couple of numbers here. You mentioned you worked on this quite a while ago, so if it's not easy to get to, not a problem. I'd just rather not keep doing this again.... and again... ;-)

    Along the top of the main body say from the back of the canopy 'glass' to the very rear above the emitter... 150 - 160mm? I have a part that I am using that is 40mm to drop the top vent bits into, and am basing my #s on that. 25-30mm fore, 85-90 aft, but 5mm either way is a lot and the proportions comparison with the various shots that I have always seem just a bit off.

    Then, the side mounting ports I have at roughly 6mm. I know Bill said larger, but what I'm getting with my ref isn't letting me go up to 1/2" sq brass stock to set into a 3/4" rod...???


    Thanks again...

    /D
    Post edited by vfxart on
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    edited February 2023 #18
    Aright Spacedock Tug it's gonna be like that, is it? ;-)

    I've hit a wall and want to ask if any folks here have got ref other than the Bill G photos (which is what I've been working from)

    With the screwy (naturally) lens choices for the shots, and of course the angles that make up this beauty not allowing a 90 degree angle in sight... ;-)

    I've hit something of a brick wall and need to go back to the model stage. But I do not want to keep doing that over and over... bad enough to have got this far (I know a lot of you feel this pain, and all art is about what we do when we take a lump... well, onward!) But for best foot forward, I need better ref. I have the donor kits, that's not the issue- it's sussing out things that can't be seen in BG's 7-8 or so photos... any helpers? Other angles? Dimensions? Dropping in where we left off before the gun incident. Obviously the bips above and below are markers for the light flashes that the animators added in III.
    /D

    btw- no, none of the produced bits or blueprints are correct. The eaglemoss looks close, but I can't see enough of the ship to know what was compromised for production.

    Thanks...

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    Post edited by vfxart on
    evil_genius_180Lizzy777StarCruiserwibblemylexBolianAdmiral
  • srspicersrspicer390 Posts: 335Member
    What are the issues?
    vfxart
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    edited February 2023 #20
    srspicer wrote: »
    What are the issues?

    (cracks knuckles) Just when I got out the shuttle to hit the Merchantman for a bit ;-)

    Easier to drop a pic in. I can see more proportions being off with UV and texture underway; trying to drop lines in in areas that aren't aligned correctly, and where I should not have to re-scale a graphic for it to sit properly (discrepancy between cockpit and at upper rear of main hull). That sort of fun.

    :-)

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    Post edited by vfxart on
    evil_genius_180Lizzy777StarCruiserwibblemylexBolianAdmiral
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    It looks great to me. But I totally understand wanting to get as close as possible to the filming model.
    vfxart
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    Thanks- there are things that when they pop into place, everything settles nicely. But until then, the proportions are off and I'm having to take shortcuts and fudge things that I shouldn't. In a sense, doing more work to keep it wrong. If I'm going to put time in... well... ;-)
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    Move along, move along. No new imagery, folks just another ver of the same question as above. From a few chats, it seems the whereabouts of the original are similar to those of a few other ships... ie no one's talking. Once I see or hear certain things in a chat, I stop the questions. Just gotta let some be.

    Switched back to the Merchantman today, got some fresh eyes for this now. Before I jump back into wrapping her up (and as I said, if I'm going to put time in to resolving areas that don't agree, I think I'm better to wait a bit and see if I can get things corrected no?) :-D

    Anyway, this is the last bit that I'm trying to suss out.

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    wibbleLizzy777BolianAdmiral
  • srspicersrspicer390 Posts: 335Member
    You can take a look at my physical model, may help, may not.

    http://srsprototyping.com/latest-project/studio-scale-s-t-space-dock-tug/
    trekki
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    That looks fantastic... when the vacuformer is set up this summer I'll finally get to building mine.
    srspicer
  • srspicersrspicer390 Posts: 335Member
    TY!!
    vfxart
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    edited March 2023 #27
    No CG Sunday ( :-) ) gave me a bit of perspective. Made the model changes that I thought should be made today. Dialed in her linework; will get panel color and overspray tomorrow, then weathering and material adjustments.

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    Post edited by vfxart on
    BolianAdmiraltrekkievil_genius_180StarCruiserwibble
  • BolianAdmiralBolianAdmiral1114 Torrance, CaliforniaPosts: 2,560Member
    Should the F-16 intakes be flush with the underside of the hull?
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    No, they sit as they are.
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    Still working to dial in the Starfleet white of the middle movies, but I'm only giving this a few more hours tomorrow- panel variation and normal map after some line tweaks. The Merchantman isn't waiting any longer as I've got a couple more kits coming in soon, and am eager to get her sorted. Will sculpt a pilot and tractor beam controller after the Merchantman is done.

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    evil_genius_180ashleytingerStarCruisersrspicerwibblelewisniven
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    Getting those screen accurate colors can be a real pain. Yours look really good.
    vfxart
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