Not sure how much of the shuttle/fighter bay interior I plan to do. At least the option will be there. Need more greebles on the back end. Just thinking of what I want to add. Might steal some ideas from the K'tinga.
Time for an image dump? I think it's time for an image dump. Anyone on the Discord server pretty much saw this progress as it happened. Well, not live. I'd post these same screenshots. Anyway, unless there's anything else I can think of, the neck is pretty much done.
And here are a couple of proper renders.
And now, I get to detail the section that started this entire build! WOO!
I had some actual motivation to work on this over the weekend. And as a bonus, I learned how to use Shrinkwrap! I mean, I knew it existed, but before this point, I had been using Boolean techniques that I learned well over a decade ago.
Got the base shape refined and cut in the windows. I'd end up recutting these windows later. I copied the rear torpedo launch tube from the rear and set it in the front.
This is when I learned how to use Shrinkwrap. Instead of cutting bucks and extracting from the base mesh. I'd cut them from a 2D plane, add a subdivision mod, then shrinkwrap it to the base mesh. After that, I'd add a Solidifier mod, and then use the Inset tool a few times to layer the panels.
Bottom panels! You can see the 2D objects highlighted against the base mesh in this one. They're skin-tight at this stage.
That's a render of Mark Bell's SNW D7 in the background that I've been using as a reference.
Bottom panels extruded and layered! I plan to add some smaller detailing to match what I've done on the rest of the hull up to this point. That'll give it a better sense of scale and visual interest.
I've been poking at it off and on for the past few weeks. I didn't feel there was much to show off yet.
Just need to fill that gap in the middle. Then I can work on the tower. After that the rear section. Then the build portion will be complete. Unless I can think of something else to add to it.
Man, the Klingons get all the greebles that the Federation ships don't. Everywhere you look on that model, there's something cool to see. Between you and MadKoiFish, as well as a few other artists, I'm really digging the strong showing for Klingon content on the forum.
Man, the Klingons get all the greebles that the Federation ships don't. Everywhere you look on that model, there's something cool to see. Between you and MadKoiFish, as well as a few other artists, I'm really digging the strong showing for Klingon content on the forum.
Another month, another update. What caused the delay? A few things. Some work project stuff. Plaything through all three games in the Mass Effect Legendary Edition series. Playing through both Horizon: Zero Dawn, and Forbidden West, plus catching up on a lot of reading and binging shows.
Anyway, I last left off with about half the front end completed. So tonight/this morning I pushed and decided to get the modeling phase completed.
The bridge and tower worked out. Bell's D7 looked like it had Klingon forehead ridges. So I gave it more ridges. Also, that tower looked like it needed more. So I looked at ship conning towers and saw what I could use.
A little more progress. Almost to the end for the modeling phase! WOO! I just need to decipher the last of the greebles.
And... Done! I think. Every time I figure out a part, I think of how to change it or add to it.
So, lets get to some orthos.
Not quite to scale to the rest of my SNW ships. But I got pretty close to building it in a separate project. Maybe one day I'll get around to texturing it!
It's perfect. Not sure if I like the SNW Version compared to what we have been used to since the Motion Picture. But one simply has to admire your execution of it.
That's some fantastic work, as usual. Personally, I don't even compare anything done from 2009 onward with the older Trek stuff, as there's an obvious attempt to, at the very least, do a visual reboot of the franchise. That way, I can see them as a separate thing and enjoy them for what they are.
Another month, another update. What caused the delay? A few things. Some work project stuff. Plaything through all three games in the Mass Effect Legendary Edition series. Playing through both Horizon: Zero Dawn, and Forbidden West, plus catching up on a lot of reading and binging shows.
Personally, I don't even compare anything done from 2009 onward with the older Trek stuff, as there's an obvious attempt to, at the very least, do a visual reboot of the franchise. That way, I can see them as a separate thing and enjoy them for what they are.
I totally get this sentiment and I tend to see it the same way. I don't compare in a way that I will only accept a design if it looks like what has been there before. But if I want to understand and decide what I like, I can't help but to compare different designs. And If it comes to Star Trek spaceships I just realize very often that I prefer the older designs. Although this isn't absolute of course. I really admire the Kelvin for example and if it comes to set designs New Trek does a lot of things right and sometimes even better than classic Trek.
And as for what caused the delay, it sound's like time well spend.
Personally, I don't even compare anything done from 2009 onward with the older Trek stuff, as there's an obvious attempt to, at the very least, do a visual reboot of the franchise. That way, I can see them as a separate thing and enjoy them for what they are.
I like this sentiment. When we bash things the shows get cancelled for lack of viewership. What you wrote is almost IDIC = Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations and that's good. I also take them for what they are. I don't think we Star Trek lovers are doing ourselves any favors with an "It's my way or the highway" attitude.
To be fair, I can see the other side of the conversation too. IE: @wibble said it's hard to look at something with a familiar shape and not think of what came before. And, that's totally understandable. That's also wibble's opinion and I'm not going to say that's wrong because opinions can't be wrong. They just are what they are.
Also, there was a time where I took this stuff way more seriously, but I've mellowed a lot in the past decade or so. Sometime after Into Darkness came out, which was 2013, because I took that movie way too seriously when I first saw it. I watched it again a few years ago and I turned my brain off to do it, which made it much more enjoyable. (I have that whole trilogy in 4K) Then, when it came to Discovery, Picard, SNW, etc, I was totally open minded.
It's perfect. Not sure if I like the SNW Version compared to what we have been used to since the Motion Picture. But one simply has to admire your execution of it.
That's some fantastic work, as usual. Personally, I don't even compare anything done from 2009 onward with the older Trek stuff, as there's an obvious attempt to, at the very least, do a visual reboot of the franchise. That way, I can see them as a separate thing and enjoy them for what they are.
Thank you, guys! I enjoy the updated designs. It's an interesting evolution and translation from a 1960s design philosophy to a 2020s aesthetic. The fun part for me has been expanding on it with my own sense of detail, while keeping within the established "rules" of the originals. One of the core ideals behind Star Trek is to look forward and to progress while remembering our past as a guide into the future.
We can see where Jefferies drew his design inspirations from the original concept art sketches. And while Roddenberry didn't want rockets, we can still see some of the 1930s sci-fi rockets in the nacelles. For example, the extended pylons, fins, and even the needles at the tip of the Bussard collectors of the pilot episode design. Features that fit nicely with Buck Rogers.
Ship designs, both modern and fictional, have evolved a lot since the early days of the Space Age. And I think these DSC/SNW era ships show a bit of that evolution, not just in their artistic presentation, but in a generational evolution. We can see the Enterprise as a developmental stage between the NX-01 and the classic starship from TOS and TMP.
Today we can draw inspiration from an incredible variety of space and starships. The Eagle 1 from Space 1999, Star Wars' Millenium Falcon, Serenity from Firefly, the Nostromo from ALIEN, UNSC Infinity from the HALO franchise, the Galactica from BSG, the warships of the MCRN from The Expanse... The updated designs for NuTrek really help pull a classic series into the new millennium. Especially when it comes to the outlandish and nearly incomprehensible designs for 30th-century Trek like the Voyager J, U.S.S. Eisenberg, and even that toroidal design that looks like they built a starship around an island and flew it into space!
Personally, I'm not a fan of detached warp nacelles and huge gaps in the superstructure that we saw in the distant future of Trek. An idea that's stuck with me since I first saw the Vengeance Dreadnought from Star Trek: Into Darkness (I have a lot of criticisms of the Vengeance that we saw on screen). To me, it feels like wasted space. But I can see the idea behind it when it comes to future tech -- Galactic civilization has reached a period when form can come before function. That Art has a solid place in STEAM. That there's something of a Golden Age of prosperity when practicality can be cast aside for a moment in favor of the aesthetic.
And what's even better is that I can join in on this artistic fun. Even if it's simply as a fan and not an actual starship engineer and designer.
I don't know who designed the USS Vengeance, but I agree that it's ugly. I know John Eaves worked on those films, but he designed more of the props than the ships. He did, however, design a lot of the ships for Discovery. Most or all of the Starfleet ships were designed by Eaves, including the Discovery. (based on Ralph McQuarrie's designs from Planet of the Titans, of course) Those gaps in the hull, especially in saucers are a thing he loves, he used to talk about it on his blog. He calls them "doughnut saucers."
Posts
Yes, I put another disruptor turret on top. I figure since Klingons are basically Space Orcs, they would have more dakka.
I think it's good. Very detailed.👍
Actually I always thought of Klingons as Space Vikings. But I'm sure they wouldn't mind an extra disruptor as well.
And here are a couple of proper renders.
And now, I get to detail the section that started this entire build! WOO!
Got the base shape refined and cut in the windows. I'd end up recutting these windows later. I copied the rear torpedo launch tube from the rear and set it in the front.
This is when I learned how to use Shrinkwrap. Instead of cutting bucks and extracting from the base mesh. I'd cut them from a 2D plane, add a subdivision mod, then shrinkwrap it to the base mesh. After that, I'd add a Solidifier mod, and then use the Inset tool a few times to layer the panels.
Bottom panels! You can see the 2D objects highlighted against the base mesh in this one. They're skin-tight at this stage.
That's a render of Mark Bell's SNW D7 in the background that I've been using as a reference.
Bottom panels extruded and layered! I plan to add some smaller detailing to match what I've done on the rest of the hull up to this point. That'll give it a better sense of scale and visual interest.
It's actually a shame that they made the ship so dark on the show, since the details really pop more in the lighter color.
I've been poking at it off and on for the past few weeks. I didn't feel there was much to show off yet.
Just need to fill that gap in the middle. Then I can work on the tower. After that the rear section. Then the build portion will be complete. Unless I can think of something else to add to it.
Kidding. I'm kidding. So glad you're working on it again. Looks nice.
Anyway, I last left off with about half the front end completed. So tonight/this morning I pushed and decided to get the modeling phase completed.
The bridge and tower worked out. Bell's D7 looked like it had Klingon forehead ridges. So I gave it more ridges. Also, that tower looked like it needed more. So I looked at ship conning towers and saw what I could use.
A little more progress. Almost to the end for the modeling phase! WOO! I just need to decipher the last of the greebles.
And... Done! I think. Every time I figure out a part, I think of how to change it or add to it.
So, lets get to some orthos.
Not quite to scale to the rest of my SNW ships. But I got pretty close to building it in a separate project. Maybe one day I'll get around to texturing it!
Wow, that's a lot of gaming. I'm impressed.
I totally get this sentiment and I tend to see it the same way. I don't compare in a way that I will only accept a design if it looks like what has been there before. But if I want to understand and decide what I like, I can't help but to compare different designs. And If it comes to Star Trek spaceships I just realize very often that I prefer the older designs. Although this isn't absolute of course. I really admire the Kelvin for example and if it comes to set designs New Trek does a lot of things right and sometimes even better than classic Trek.
And as for what caused the delay, it sound's like time well spend.
Also, there was a time where I took this stuff way more seriously, but I've mellowed a lot in the past decade or so. Sometime after Into Darkness came out, which was 2013, because I took that movie way too seriously when I first saw it. I watched it again a few years ago and I turned my brain off to do it, which made it much more enjoyable.
Thank you, guys! I enjoy the updated designs. It's an interesting evolution and translation from a 1960s design philosophy to a 2020s aesthetic. The fun part for me has been expanding on it with my own sense of detail, while keeping within the established "rules" of the originals. One of the core ideals behind Star Trek is to look forward and to progress while remembering our past as a guide into the future.
We can see where Jefferies drew his design inspirations from the original concept art sketches. And while Roddenberry didn't want rockets, we can still see some of the 1930s sci-fi rockets in the nacelles. For example, the extended pylons, fins, and even the needles at the tip of the Bussard collectors of the pilot episode design. Features that fit nicely with Buck Rogers.
Ship designs, both modern and fictional, have evolved a lot since the early days of the Space Age. And I think these DSC/SNW era ships show a bit of that evolution, not just in their artistic presentation, but in a generational evolution. We can see the Enterprise as a developmental stage between the NX-01 and the classic starship from TOS and TMP.
Today we can draw inspiration from an incredible variety of space and starships. The Eagle 1 from Space 1999, Star Wars' Millenium Falcon, Serenity from Firefly, the Nostromo from ALIEN, UNSC Infinity from the HALO franchise, the Galactica from BSG, the warships of the MCRN from The Expanse... The updated designs for NuTrek really help pull a classic series into the new millennium. Especially when it comes to the outlandish and nearly incomprehensible designs for 30th-century Trek like the Voyager J, U.S.S. Eisenberg, and even that toroidal design that looks like they built a starship around an island and flew it into space!
Personally, I'm not a fan of detached warp nacelles and huge gaps in the superstructure that we saw in the distant future of Trek. An idea that's stuck with me since I first saw the Vengeance Dreadnought from Star Trek: Into Darkness (I have a lot of criticisms of the Vengeance that we saw on screen). To me, it feels like wasted space. But I can see the idea behind it when it comes to future tech -- Galactic civilization has reached a period when form can come before function. That Art has a solid place in STEAM. That there's something of a Golden Age of prosperity when practicality can be cast aside for a moment in favor of the aesthetic.
And what's even better is that I can join in on this artistic fun. Even if it's simply as a fan and not an actual starship engineer and designer.