Kinda been in a slump, but I felt maybe I should upload these since I did spend the effort to render em.
Head shows an idea of sticking a pair on the upper saucer. Not sure how "Im here" they are, but I think once I build in the recess and other crap around they should fall into the hull a little nicer. That and well for those images I had posted Id need some sort of beam weapon on the head. (that is if I want to retain the weapons fire from there)
Other shot shows the lower placements. I am missing a few though some down the centerline. Uppers are on the aft corners and a pair in that groove that runs down the neck. (similar to the old weapons locations)
Some lower plates I modeled hours ago lol, and some fooling around with materials in a attempt to cheat and lazy out by using that AO material/shader in a way it probably wasn't intended. Stuffed it in the diffuse slot and stuffing colours and shaders in to make gunge. It sorta works. Not as nicely as I had hoped. I am sure there is a plugin that detects close facing edges (crease valley etc) and allows a texture or shader to be put into a slot with a width falloff etc settings. BUT I haven't any or do not know of others built into max so I'm using this ao thing. It will probably cause issues on long flowing curves. She might also return to the gray hull, just adds a aggressive look that the green seems to dull down.
The turret is a bit grainy cause I think the noise map is set to be too small. Ok, yeah it hates curved faces, and well it does sorta work but that curve stuff is a killer lol. Likely in the end I will have to project textures on it all in some manner or form.
Yeah, pay for plug-ins are not an answer, and I have yet to find anything that works on a free basis that isnt buggy or made for some version of max that is incompatible with 2010. For now I will stick with in app stuff. never liked plug ins.
Good greif all day and all I got to show for it is this. Dunno why but fff taking forever. Also sorta miffed went right at it with the same panel height etc as the main ship, mistake so second ring got adjusted hopefully it will pan out.
Now I am getting near the area I am unsure on since the original was a bit meh. Should I just continue up with the paneling as it is now or begin to introduce some sort of pattern. I know the sensor and that observation blister will get a loop of panels but the rest are up in the air atm. The sensor will later get something a little more sophisticated than just some random glowy fall off.
Eugh blown out shadows, need to reset the main omni
Some minor changes, didnt get much done since I fell with a cold, still sorta feeling it but I gotta get this done and quick.
Biggest update is sticking those disruptor turrets on level ground. They now rotate on the ships horizon vs being tilted to match the tilted hull. Not the most elegant solution but it works. I will probably cut into the hull to make them more integrated but still look cookie cutter (modular for replacement)
A day of failure, crapups, and screwing around. This is where it is at. Old layout was totally finished and it just did not work. Hopefully this new one will.
A more complete look at the plating. Hopefully it will make more sense as I add the decor plating across the hull. I will need to adjust the colours as I go though. All of them are sorta temp atm. Currently the tan irks me the most atm. It might be swapped for a flat gray.
Really nice work super clean stuff. My only crit is that the dark red on the wing area seems a bit too high contrast and distracts a bit from the overall look. Same thing lower the contrast and you are golden. (purely personal taste) Keep going love to see your work in progress.
Images show new plating on the body, as well as adjustments to those TAN plates. I turned them a green/blue/gray sorta thing (depends on your monitor type and colour settings ) and "hollowed" em out. I hope this adds detail yet lightens the weight they hold visually.
Some have commented negatively about the colours, everything will get a generic texture some places will get custom ones but it should tone down in the final stages. And look less like a clown tent. The other image shows an attempt to drag the "look" onto the nacelle. Not too sure about the pattern, the idea is to mimic feathers in the patterning while retaining the TMP and TNG plating. As well as to not mimic Romulan details either. Id love to continue say those Bat'leth (exp the Sword of Kahless)
bleh crap grainy image, wonder what happened to that prop, love the look. Hell would like one on my wall. hahahah.
designs across the hull (mess of curves and points) But I feel that would drive me insane with all the verts Id have to control and verify and clearly redo over and over so they curve nicely at all angles (ugh going nuts just thinking about it!!!) Anyhow enough blather here are the images. I might go work on the Romulan while I decide what to do next. (it needs to be done at the same time too if I use it)
Ugh need to get my ftp set up and working in win7, image$hit is really crapping up the uploads.
I blove what you're doing. Understandably that making all those fine ornamental tribals would be too much, but what you are doing now is IMHO a great substitute.
Inspired nacelles (Graph units as they were called in TAS). The only suggestion I might have at this point would be to beef up the "shoulder" armaments into longer, more complex weapon-cluster emplacements to either side of your wings. This gives good forward/starboard and forward/port firing arcs.
Posts
Head shows an idea of sticking a pair on the upper saucer. Not sure how "Im here" they are, but I think once I build in the recess and other crap around they should fall into the hull a little nicer. That and well for those images I had posted Id need some sort of beam weapon on the head. (that is if I want to retain the weapons fire from there)
Other shot shows the lower placements. I am missing a few though some down the centerline. Uppers are on the aft corners and a pair in that groove that runs down the neck. (similar to the old weapons locations)
The turret is a bit grainy cause I think the noise map is set to be too small. Ok, yeah it hates curved faces, and well it does sorta work but that curve stuff is a killer lol. Likely in the end I will have to project textures on it all in some manner or form.
Details are looking great!
Now I am getting near the area I am unsure on since the original was a bit meh. Should I just continue up with the paneling as it is now or begin to introduce some sort of pattern. I know the sensor and that observation blister will get a loop of panels but the rest are up in the air atm. The sensor will later get something a little more sophisticated than just some random glowy fall off.
Eugh blown out shadows, need to reset the main omni
Btw, what's the difference between the green and the orange "viewports"?
Biggest update is sticking those disruptor turrets on level ground. They now rotate on the ships horizon vs being tilted to match the tilted hull. Not the most elegant solution but it works. I will probably cut into the hull to make them more integrated but still look cookie cutter (modular for replacement)
I love it!
Some have commented negatively about the colours, everything will get a generic texture some places will get custom ones but it should tone down in the final stages. And look less like a clown tent. The other image shows an attempt to drag the "look" onto the nacelle. Not too sure about the pattern, the idea is to mimic feathers in the patterning while retaining the TMP and TNG plating. As well as to not mimic Romulan details either. Id love to continue say those Bat'leth (exp the Sword of Kahless)
bleh crap grainy image, wonder what happened to that prop, love the look. Hell would like one on my wall. hahahah.
Ugh need to get my ftp set up and working in win7, image$hit is really crapping up the uploads.