3DLesser Trek ship

Helot · January 2012

Okay, this is not a ship you may have not seen

The title is meant to convey the ships we don't see but must exist in something the size of the Federation. This is basically a TOS version (take) on a Nova Class short range explorer / research ship. It is meant to go to all those local stars where there are loads of planets but obviously would not support life.

Its rather small but the hardy crew call it home.

I have no idea what to call it yet.

Dr Lee · January 2012

nice design...

Flanker · January 2012

Nice deisgn

will be interesting to see where you will go with this

Rekkert · January 2012

I like it, it's an interesting design, looking forward to see it evolve!

Severus · January 2012

I like this, I'm always intrigued by the obscure little workhorses that don't get all the glory the big cruisers do, nice job!

Aresius · January 2012

Hm, looks interesting.
What about calliung it Hygen-class? That name just popped into my head when looking at it.

Helot · January 2012

Thanks all for your comments.

Minor tweaks - progress. Added some details; saucer docking clamp pads and navigation light (need to mirror/copy all). The nacelle has been tweaked with some details as well.

Helot · January 2012

Just some initial color additions. Focus is on the nacelle at the moment.

Road Warrior · January 2012

I love this little ship! I really dig the nacelle pylon detail in particular. Hope you make more of these not-often-seen vessels.

Rekkert · January 2012

Pretty cool advancement on the nacelle.

IRML · January 2012

I really like it

Ironscythe · January 2012

I think this is a really good opportunity to delve into the nitty-gritty of small science ships. Something to really convey the feeling of roughing it in close quarters for long stretches of time, all for the sake of some great discovery just around the bend.

I guess I'm a romantic when it comes to this stuff, but I have always hoped that some of the long-term oceanic research vessel theme could carry over into Star Trek. For example, a ship like this needs some specialized little shuttle, for diving into gas giants or something (less Delta Flyer, more deep-sea minisub, though).

I can't wait to see where this goes.

Flanker · January 2012

Like where the details and textures are heading

Pearse · February 2012

Ooh, is that a jeffries tube leading up to the nacelle?

I hope you'll be doing a few more of these, as I think Trek's been sorely lacking the more minor ships. Enterprise tackled the subject to some extent with their episodes that took place on Earth freighters, but aside from that, virtually every Starfleet vessel has been a reasonably glamorous cruiser or science ship (I mean, Sulu seemed quite peeved to be cataloging gaseous anomalies, but he was still doing it aboard one of the coolest, most advanced ships in the fleet, so...).

Helot · February 2012

Thanks everyone for the comments!

Ironscythe wrote: »

...a ship like this needs some specialized little shuttle, for diving into gas giants or something (less Delta Flyer, more deep-sea minisub, though).

Great idea - thanks. I was struggling to downsize a TOS style shuttle. I have one but I like your idea so much more.

I had a few spare moments this weekend and worked on the top deck texture some and a few untouched nacelle elements.

L2K · February 2012

looks cheap too !
build two dozen of those for the prize of a constitution

Helot · March 2012

Okay, an update. With everything else I have going on (including offline Romulan, Klingon and Harrington projects) I found some time to get back to this little ship. I worked on the main hull textures and tweaked the intercoolers. New insets for those and softened the edges up. Added a spec map to the bridge and the nacelle but the nacelle spec is still a WIP.

Any ways...

Rekkert · March 2012

Looking great, I love the textures.

Flanker · March 2012

Nice work I like where you are going with this

Helot · March 2012

I had a little time to do more texture work. I've finished tweaking the nacelle body, pylon, engineering / hanger section and bridge. Completed the specular maps as well. Started on the saucer section but have a way to go on that.

TALON_UK · March 2012

Really coming along nicely this.

Helot · March 2012

^ Thanks!

Had some additional free time and worked on textures some more. Also cut in some port holes, which I normally do not do, and put some cabins in behind them. I'll have to do something with those now as well. Errr. All the subtle details are a result of the specular map and are not part of the diffuse map. Ultimately works out well and saves on map size.

Updates:

Helot · April 2012

I finally found some time to work on this again.

Working on the textures I started re-thinking a few things on the mesh. The AâJefferies TubeAâ got enlarged as it was too small for an engineer to crawl through. It is to scale now. I also AâbobbedAâ the deuterium tank under the engineering extension to make room for an AâExcelsiorAâ style equipment rack. Of course I will now need to put something there to complete it. Oh, all the cabins are modeled now.

Need to create some greebles / widgets to fill out the insets over the impulse engines. I also am looking to add the bussard assembly.

Lentowsky · April 2012

You say its an explorer ship?
So how about the Baffin-Class?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_explorers

Not normally a fan of Trek ships, but this one is really quite nice. Loving your work thus far, keep it up!

Doomsponge · April 2012

That's coming along as a really nice little ship, interesting little corvette/research vessel look to it, like a pre-Oberth dedicated science boat. Only tiny thing I'd do is have some of the windows rectangular or rounded rectangular, although that's just a matter of personal opinion, I like them more than circular portholes.

BolianAdmiral · April 2012

Nice work... I like the textures and the colors you chose.

VALKYRIE013 · April 2012

I'm loving everything! sweet little ship you got there.. and my only crit was mentioned above, which is the rectangular windows of the TOS Ent. and that the ones you have just seem a bit too random in placement so maybe a few bunched together..

i like the excellsior cutout, maybe for some tractor beams and a few exposed guts??

small detail.. not a biggy.. the rest looks awesome and the textures look Great!

Helot · April 2012

First, thanks all for the feedback!

Second, yes the ports are wonk. I just sort of knocked them in and, truth be told, did not like them much either. So I tinkered with them and now I do like them. They were not really in scale anyway, they were very large. That was part of the issue and that they were just 'there'. Hope it is seen as an improvement as I am moving on

Helot · May 2012

Update. Small but an update none the less.

I really don't get much time to work on things and have so many projects going - sigh. End excuse mode.

I added the probes to the aft 'garage' and some minor details to make it look all neat and tidy. Once I get it in my mind how I will do the bussards I'll be done.

VALKYRIE013 · May 2012

"These are not the droids you are looking for....." :P

Excellent! love the details.. and textures still look Awesome! need to do a small tutorial on how you texture Please! ( if you have the time.. we're a patient lot.... ..... .... ..... done yet??) :P

Greetings!

3DLesser Trek ship

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3DLesser Trek ship

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