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3DSTIII Merchantman

vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
edited March 2023 in Work in Progress #1
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Job hunt continues, pushing ships around and looking for portfolio pieces out of 'em.
Just started the block-in, a few hours in the AM into her, so a lot will move around before locking in the parts. Will likely model the kit pieces I have so far this week; looks to be about 16 kits as donor that I've IDed to this point... yikes.

At some point will likely do the 'bastard children' as well. A shame what happened to her over the years.

Not a lot of great ref on some angles (as usual with a few of the incidental but of course cooler ships, heh). Most of what is out there in blueprint as well as mesh and collector models is wrong, to be polite, and some just... no one bothers to know what they're looking at, blindly copying other crappy work. Un-effing-believable. ;-) If I knew who the current owner was I'd be reaching out, you bet.

One of my favorites of all of the Trek ships. As with the Surak, will be building a replica model of this as resources allow. But I need to find FT work first, sigh etc.

Hope everyone's doing great!



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Post edited by vfxart on
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  • TallguyTallguy350 Posts: 467Member
    If you can make it match what's in the scant reference you have and then for the rest of it go nuts then you're golden! If someone can prove you wrong then they have to provide more reference than what you have. =)
    vfxartscifieric
    Bill "Tallguy" Thomas All I ask is a tall ship...
    Various Work: U.S.S. Constellation - Matt Jefferies Concept Shuttle
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    Tallguy wrote: »
    If you can make it match what's in the scant reference you have and then for the rest of it go nuts then you're golden! If someone can prove you wrong then they have to provide more reference than what you have. =)

    ^^^
    Oooooooo now that's what I call thinking. ;-)
    scifieric
  • Admiral156Admiral156180 Posts: 76Member
    Forgive me if you have these already, but they go back to 1986, hope they help: https://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/lcars/merchantman-federation-class-j.php
    scifieric
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    I do have that set yeah, thank you. They aren't accurate.
    scifieric
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    Nice start. Good luck with the job hunt and the build. This was always such a cool model and one of the most widely used and modified. It's no surprise that there aren't a lot of references and that the blueprints are inaccurate. I find that's the case with a lot of the models with scant references.
    scifieric
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    edited March 2023 #7
    Getting back to this now that the shingles fun is mainly over and two other projects (Shuttle and Spacedock Tug) are done. Have reworked most of the above and yesterday, this beastie...

    bve4f0v0vcqh.jpg
    Post edited by vfxart on
    Rekkertevil_genius_180trekkiwibbleLizzy777scifieric
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    Is that a race car body? That's what it looks like.
    vfxartscifieric
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    Is that a race car body? That's what it looks like.

    Yeah, exactly... got about 60 parts to do for this one to get started. (The Long Range Shuttle/Surak had nothing on this beast) Not a primary form, but this bit is pretty prominent so needed to hit it early. The original part is cut down; I modeled in full here to have it.

    evil_genius_180scifieric
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    edited March 2023 #10
    Hm, yeah I think that it should be taken as a sign when you inadvertently kill a layer that held a couple of up-res'd bits. Not a massive loss, just annoying to have to re-build. Sunday, you're done. This represents most parts from four of the dozen or so kits that I know for certain... the remainder that I don't know will be... interesting. The ship's original builder was doing a blind grab for a lot of parts, not really from full kits, boxes, etc. Hoo boy ;-)

    6box59bp7k05.jpg


    Post edited by vfxart on
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  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    edited March 2023 #11
    The flux capacitor bone's connected to the horizontal booster bone; the horizontal booster bone's connected to the illudium q-36 explosive space modulator bone; the illudiu
    zzzzzzzzzzzz.....

    This takes a bit longer when each part gets measured and drawn first, ay yi yi and words to that effect (you may substitute adult language, I sure as #!$*% do)


    e66fal935wsi.jpg
    Post edited by vfxart on
    StarCruiserLizzy777wibbleevil_genius_180scifieric
  • StarCruiserStarCruiser363 Posts: 44Member
    Yep - typical ILM kitbashed construction ala Star Wars.

    The Merchantman always looked like more of a Star Wars/Battlestar Galactica type of design to me.
    caveat_imperatorpubliusrseanrscifieric
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    edited March 2023 #13
    Yep - typical ILM kitbashed construction ala Star Wars.

    The Merchantman always looked like more of a Star Wars/Battlestar Galactica type of design to me.

    Heh- if you ever want to insult a designer/builder, tell them that something looks like it's from Galactica; with only a couple of exceptions, the work for the show, yeah because it was so quickly knocked together without a lot of thought, isn't too highly thought of by folks who were there, esp the original concept artists. You can tell if something went through a design phase or not. This is a 'grab parts and apply', but there was some effort at organizing them and building interesting shapes with them. Being from the east coast, always loved the horseshoe crab vibe as well.

    :-)
    Post edited by vfxart on
    StarCruiserpubliusrscifieric
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    Looking good.

    In regards to BSG, it was definitely a "ragtag" fleet. :lol:
    vfxartscifieric
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    edited March 2023 #15
    Fuuuuu---- getting 'that headache' a bit early today, in that the parts hunt has not been fruitful, so might be back to modeling a couple of the larger remaining pieces and bringing her together as I can. I had really wanted today and tomorrow to be more about the second-level shapes etc, but effing 'ell... not a happy camper. ;-) Onward!

    ps for those who know the pain, ahem--- about 6 years ago I sold off my lot of 'replica' kit supply- had been out of work a while and needed the $$. When things went forward with Nike and I bought my house, I had been so focused on getting them shipped to their new owner that I sent them off thinking that I'd HAHAHAHAHA not need them again. So trying to look for parts I am far too beholden to online scans etc... it is a horrible slog ;-) Now it is the irony of needing them back when unemployed for the first time in 6 years. Pfft etc! (Bill the Cat moment here)

    I sold about 400 kits, many I will not be able to afford replacing esp at the price that I sold/shipped them for. I think I have about 30 currently. Irony two- I need work to be able to afford my hobby that is aligned to where I want to be working at this stage of my career...

    You couldn't make this stuff up ;-)
    Post edited by vfxart on
    evil_genius_180StarCruiserscifieric
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member

    About 50-55 parts so far. Have started to build the large assemblies, but there are three layers to account for in a lot of areas, so until the relative depths are sorted etc..., ie it's all in bits in the correct Z location, needs some shuffling medial/lateral as more is added. Don't know if I'll ever nail the last 20 parts or so that would get this to about 90-95%. There's no ref, or what there is is either from the film (grainy, heavy shadows) or small. Looking through about 60 kits yesterday, no new parts found, one or two 'maybe', and a couple 'ah, that's where the rest of X goes'. I need a lot more kit ref as well, but it is very scarce.

    xazusuep6lyt.jpg
    67fo009t1jn4.jpg

    StarCruiserLizzy777evil_genius_180wibblescifieric
  • ashleytingerashleytinger1998 Central OhioPosts: 1,232Member
    I love that you're 'piecing' this together just like they'd have built it
    vfxartscifieric
  • publiusrpubliusr550 Posts: 1,746Member
    edited April 2023 #18
    Virtual greebles—I love it.

    Scale up or down.

    Lots of times I had plastic bits that I wish I could have changed the size of.

    Post edited by publiusr on
    scifieric
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    I love that you're 'piecing' this together just like they'd have built it

    Thanks. To me it's the only way to solve something like this, which I think a lot of folks here get. Parts have to be used to sort out scale and proportions, and then their relationships to each other all get fought over. What a pain! I love it. ;-) The internal geometry on this one is awkward, so tomorrow I'll be trying to work down to the skeleton and then back out. I know angles, but the depths and deep angle changes are hard to read. And the original builder doesn't remember enough of it. It's like figure drawing. Suss out the framework from the surface details; build down and in and then back out again.

    After I'm employed again (zods I hope soon), I'll also use these as a basis for replica models. That means I've got a Surak, Spacedock Tug, and this wee beastie in my future too ;-) (The Surak and this each come in at or just over 30") Good thing that vacuformer is coming along!
    evil_genius_180scifieric
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    publiusr wrote: »
    Virtual greebles—I love it.

    Scale up or down.

    Lots of times I had plastic bits that I wish I could have changed the size of.


    I don't get away with changing the sizes, but it's great to have them for a lot of uses and sorting out builds.
    scifieric
  • japetusjapetus2937 SeattlePosts: 1,397Member
    edited March 2023 #21
    Looking very great! Takes a lot of patience to just do a bunch of greebles first! I definitely recognize a few greebles, cant wait to see it put together!
    Post edited by japetus on
    vfxartscifieric
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    As I've explained to folks, a good ship build is a lot like figure drawing. The more you recognize towards the surface, the better you understand what is happening beneath and can build down to the skeleton and back out. You can also make firmer statements over 'guesses'. Yesterday and today were about using the proportions and angles that I do have to avoid 'two dimensional thinking' esp with this wee beastie. Fun times. Onward!

    9ztf1r6hak4b.jpg
    evil_genius_180ashleytingerStarCruiserLizzy777wibblemylexcaveat_imperatortrekkiscifieric
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    japetus wrote: »
    Looking very great! Takes a lot of patience to just do a bunch of greebles first! I definitely recognize a few greebles, cant wait to see it put together!

    Greeblies are fun in what they give you, but as you know, unless an object has been documented to death, the danger of misreading and revisiting (insert favorite term of extemporaneous public opining here)... argh. Or to quote Bugs Bunny, '#%$@!'. ;-) I rebuilt the primary hull is all, but when things continued to disagree with the underside, which can not be altered, had to hit the bridge section again, make some tweaks. Never trust old ref photos (lens distortion will tell you a thousand things are lined up where none are) Loving this. I fear at this point I won't ever have good ref for the entire forward section of the hull, and a lot of the portside engine deck/housing. Have looked at about everything that was used at ILM in VN and at KO, but no new finds in those.



    /D
    japetusscifieric
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    That's looking fantastic.
    vfxartscifieric
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    That's looking fantastic.

    Thanks. She's got so far to go! (dramatic back of hand to forehead) ;-) But I'm liking a lot at this point. Back to her in a few, great times had by all ;-)
    scifieric
  • ashleytingerashleytinger1998 Central OhioPosts: 1,232Member
    I shouldn't be shocked that this ship is basically a big greeble fest, but I kind of am. lol
    scifieric
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    I shouldn't be shocked that this ship is basically a big greeble fest, but I kind of am. lol

    What's interesting is that as the ship comes together, you can read the progression of kits as the sprues were pulled, the order of tackling things.
    scifieric
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    edited April 2023 #28
    Resolving a major proportion issue has hit a snag, whee. My kingdom for ref or working out who the current owner is, else likely to hit a couple of other projects for a day or two til I can think on this and find the solution. And a q for folks:

    https://forums.scifi-meshes.com/discussion/10001266/3d-modeling-apps-that-have-exceptional-perspective-or-camera-matching/p1?new=1
    Post edited by vfxart on
    scifieric
  • seanrseanr1097 Brooklyn, NYPosts: 594Member
    edited April 2023 #29
    That white background and overly bright lighting makes it really hard to see parts of it. I prefered the lighting and BG of the previous renders. Looking cool, though. ;)
    Post edited by seanr on
    scifieric
  • vfxartvfxart1246 PNWPosts: 266Member
    seanr wrote: »
    That white background and overly bright lighting makes it really hard to see parts of it. I prefered the lighting and BG of the previous renders. Looking cool, though. ;)

    it's just an ao pass....

    seanrscifieric
  • publiusrpubliusr550 Posts: 1,746Member
    edited April 2023 #31
    More
    https://www.therpf.com/forums/threads/st-iii-merchantman-reference-and-kit-hunt.350706/#post-5416945

    One idea… make a larger vessel of your own based on its design cues.
    Post edited by publiusr on
    scifieric
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