Thanks tobian! I don't think I'll add too many lights, maybe just one or two relatively large ones. If there's too many lights, I think it may futz with the scale and make it look too massive.
Greebled up the middle and back sections of the reactor.
Also added some more hatches.
I don't know if I'll keep the big tube on the side. My original idea is that it would be like a heavy-duty connection point to hold the ship in place when it went in to spacedock, but it doesn't look as good as I thought it would, and it doesn't seem to lose anything if I don't use it. Here's a render with:
I really like the idea about grappler ports. That gives a feeling for a time when transporters weren’t available yet and boarding was solely done via airlocks or shuttles. The big pipe looks a little frail, especially when it comes to rotational forces along the ships longitudinal axis.
So perhaps if you redesign it a little more sturdy, it might work. I’m thinking of an attachment port which is connected to a base plate on the hull via several beams. Sorry, I lack the proper vocabulary to describe such technical details.
Another idea is to open the outer hull plating and to have the beam go down onto the ships structural frame.
I am not sure it's working as it's intended concept, because it's right under the nacelle struts, so that's not a great place to grab at and it really should stick out further to give the grabbing arm something better to grab at with out scratching up the hull. I agree it doesn't look structural enough, and kinda stuck on. Not sure how you could solve that, could be a re-design if you want to make it work.
IMHO I think as it is it's not a great concept of use, not that you can't have a similar design detail on there
As to the rest of it, looking great, and I still think you should have some sparkling lights in the recessed greeble pits, that's half the fun of having them!
I like the idea of a place from grappled hook ups, nothing stays docked like a tether.
However one long beam doesn't seem to fit the rest of the design so well. What about two smaller ones. One at each end of that secondary hull area, where you have the beam right now. If you make them rings which are partly embedded into the wall, They wouldn't overpower the look at the hull itself, but a ring is one of the strongest structures. However mount one of them vertically. That way working in groups they counter more movement options.
The more I think about it, the more correctly primitive it looks.
Coming into existance about one hundred years after Cochrane's discovery of the space warp, it is just enough time to be sure of the technology, but with the truth being something a bit different...
Looks really excellent, though i am concerned it looks a little superficial where it is? Can't wait to see the warp coil parts in that transparent cover!
That actually looks like the ISS cupola between the nacelle supports. Are you going to have an entrance tube leading from that towards the spherical front section--or is access from underneath?
This is what Enterprise the series should have looked like. More nuts n bolts spaceflight closer to today, rather than 4-6 weeks of "roughing it" before "new phasers and photon torpedoes, no advancements in technology for another 150 years...YEY!" bunkem.
........Yes. Im still bitter over that series.
But back on topic, in the words of a cheesy McDonalds advertising campaign. "Im loving it."
publiusr: Yeah, the cupola access is from underneath.
I wasn't happy with the nacelle greebles, so I re-did them. Now there's more curved pipes and cylindrical forms that look like they belong inside the nacelle tube. It also doesn't look so much like a blatant copypaste of the grebles from the reactor tanks section.
With glowy bits, to boot -- tobian will be thrilled.
Will add another render tomorrow/later today. Stupid endless render.
Ahh much better, and yes, glowy bits look good! Those look much more appropriate for their location and less, as you say, copy paste. Not sure if the 'hole' needs to be maybe expanded or broken up in some way, just so it's not a square hole?
A word of warning - I just posted this thread as a link in Federation Reference Series Forums, so you should get a few more visitors here.
The more the merrier! It's all good . Would you mind sending me the link though, just for curiosity's sake? I googled "Federation Reference Series" and came up empty.
I think the greebling on the nacelles proper will stay relatively sparse; maybe have some bevelled panels on the bottom, like the NX, but not much else. This goose is oversauced as it is.
Also got some work done on the nacelle cores. Here's a typical section.
And several in a row, inside the nacelle shell.
I just have to figure out an interesting look for the end pieces that will plug into the nacelle body at each end.
That ship from that other forum, got me to thinking about something. There had to be several phase changes over the course of a couple centuries.
The first generation ships might not have been special built for the job. Then they found that they had to be built special purpose for the job. Then along comes the Romulan war. This would have had a drastic affect. There are no two ways about it.
Before the Romulan war lests say design ideas were changing slowly. Why? Because a tradition had arisen... This represents if you will a pre Romulan war era ship. Top of the line(more ways than one) But in terms of the war completely under designed. good enough to handle a non war situation, but the Romulans taught Earth not to fall asleep. Which is what Earth had done. The war changed all that.
Getting ahead the next majot change was contact with the Klingons, whom forced yet another major change... So TOS is at least two major changes plus evolutionary improvements ahead of this design.
So what does this add up to in terms of your design...
Yes, I would if she existed travel on her, she's not too early, with a high chance of getting her crew killed off in the blink of an eye. She is as perfect for her role as possible.
Posts
Greebled up the middle and back sections of the reactor.
Also added some more hatches.
I don't know if I'll keep the big tube on the side. My original idea is that it would be like a heavy-duty connection point to hold the ship in place when it went in to spacedock, but it doesn't look as good as I thought it would, and it doesn't seem to lose anything if I don't use it. Here's a render with:
And without.
So perhaps if you redesign it a little more sturdy, it might work. I’m thinking of an attachment port which is connected to a base plate on the hull via several beams. Sorry, I lack the proper vocabulary to describe such technical details.
Another idea is to open the outer hull plating and to have the beam go down onto the ships structural frame.
IMHO I think as it is it's not a great concept of use, not that you can't have a similar design detail on there
As to the rest of it, looking great, and I still think you should have some sparkling lights in the recessed greeble pits, that's half the fun of having them!
However one long beam doesn't seem to fit the rest of the design so well. What about two smaller ones. One at each end of that secondary hull area, where you have the beam right now. If you make them rings which are partly embedded into the wall, They wouldn't overpower the look at the hull itself, but a ring is one of the strongest structures. However mount one of them vertically. That way working in groups they counter more movement options.
Just a quick update right now -- finished the greebles on the impulse/engineering section.
Later on I'll put a low-poly interior in there so it doesn't look so hollow.
The more I think about it, the more correctly primitive it looks.
Coming into existance about one hundred years after Cochrane's discovery of the space warp, it is just enough time to be sure of the technology, but with the truth being something a bit different...
........Yes. Im still bitter over that series.
But back on topic, in the words of a cheesy McDonalds advertising campaign. "Im loving it."
I wasn't happy with the nacelle greebles, so I re-did them. Now there's more curved pipes and cylindrical forms that look like they belong inside the nacelle tube. It also doesn't look so much like a blatant copypaste of the grebles from the reactor tanks section.
With glowy bits, to boot -- tobian will be thrilled.
Will add another render tomorrow/later today. Stupid endless render.
The more the merrier! It's all good
This is for the entire board.
I think the greebling on the nacelles proper will stay relatively sparse; maybe have some bevelled panels on the bottom, like the NX, but not much else. This goose is oversauced as it is.
Also got some work done on the nacelle cores. Here's a typical section.
And several in a row, inside the nacelle shell.
I just have to figure out an interesting look for the end pieces that will plug into the nacelle body at each end.
And the total package so far.
Can't wait to see her textured.
That ship from that other forum, got me to thinking about something. There had to be several phase changes over the course of a couple centuries.
The first generation ships might not have been special built for the job. Then they found that they had to be built special purpose for the job. Then along comes the Romulan war. This would have had a drastic affect. There are no two ways about it.
Before the Romulan war lests say design ideas were changing slowly. Why? Because a tradition had arisen... This represents if you will a pre Romulan war era ship. Top of the line(more ways than one) But in terms of the war completely under designed. good enough to handle a non war situation, but the Romulans taught Earth not to fall asleep. Which is what Earth had done. The war changed all that.
Getting ahead the next majot change was contact with the Klingons, whom forced yet another major change... So TOS is at least two major changes plus evolutionary improvements ahead of this design.
So what does this add up to in terms of your design...
Yes, I would if she existed travel on her, she's not too early, with a high chance of getting her crew killed off in the blink of an eye. She is as perfect for her role as possible.