It took me so long to come to the realization that the runabouts aren't glorified shuttles but essentially mini-starships. That realization gave me a whole new respect for them. Though I did always like the design. Seemed very efficient, I'd love to see an updated interior as if it were designed today (actually, an updated DS9 is very much on my mind, particularly that giant directory becoming a giant screen with messages scrolling about and so on).
You raise an interesting point BlueNeumann. Many of the shuttles had warp nacelles, including the Galileo 7. What are you thinking of that makes the Runabout a mini-starship?
My main reasoning is that a shuttle is a "shuttle," it takes a limited number of passengers or supplies from one point to another. Usually just close-range, minimum equipment and space, and swappable. And usually no defensive/offensive equipment.
The Runabout on the other hand isn't just short-range, it goes from solar system to solar system, on full-length missions into the Delta Quadrant and so on, has far more equipment on board: independent transporters, replicator system, phasers and a photon launcher on one, and more advanced sensors and scanners. And you might notice that they identify them over the comms as "The Ganges," "Yangtzee Chiang" etc instead of "Enterprise" like they do when they're in shuttlecraft.
You raise an interesting point BlueNeumann. Many of the shuttles had warp nacelles, including the Galileo 7. What are you thinking of that makes the Runabout a mini-starship?
For me it is that every Runabout (and the Scout ship in Insurrection that used the same cockpit set) has their own individual NCC registration. Every shuttlecraft uses the reg of the mother ship, like the original Galileo was NCC-1701/7.
Great work on this, Tobias. I've been a big fan of the runabout since I was a kid and have always been fascinated by the design. Keep it up!
You raise an interesting point BlueNeumann. Many of the shuttles had warp nacelles, including the Galileo 7. What are you thinking of that makes the Runabout a mini-starship?
Shuttles supposedly though warp-capable could only make about warp 2 or 3 at the most so they would be limited to travel within solar systems. (unless you happened to have a few spare months or years lying around to travel to another star system) At least that was the idea until Voyager decided shuttles could travel just as fast and as far as full sized starships, which is just stupid. So a runabout is a mini-starship because it has a longer range and higher cruising speed (and thus true interstellar capability) and can perform many functions that full starships can, that normal shuttles cannot. Runabouts are also armed with more powerful phaser banks and mini-torpedoes.
Agreed. And maybe when it came to Voyager, they redid/overclocked their shuttles to be more warp-powered than usual since they didn't have Runabout-level craft until they built the Delta Flyer.
Many shuttlecraft have shown extended range. Defiant's shuttle pod left from the Calliion System to a Omarian nebula
Picard frequently used type seven shuttle craft for detached mission journeys away from the ship. Voyager was just the first to show these craft explicitly at warp as CGI effects reduced the cost of matting scenes and model motion capture.
One of my personal pet peeves on Trek concerns ships like shuttle craft which are frequently depicted as boxes with engines. But functionally and mechanically there is little justification for so much of the interior space of shuttles and Starships being habitable decks instead of Fuel Storage and Machinery for water or coolant, waste disposal, structural elements. The Runabout is essentially designed for extended journey's. It's Star Trek's RV (Recreational Vehicle). Sleeping Quarters, Living Quarters and larger duty stations.
oh and on the Shuttle speed thingy.. the runabout is about as fast as the old constituition class (new scale) so it can get around at warp 5.. but limiting all the other shuttles to warp 2? not very realistic honestly.. and happy Voyager kind of broke the speed limit.. ( not going into the warp 10 shuttle NO!!!!!) but the type 9 still only has a speed of Warp 4 ( from various refs) witch is slow, but fast enough to get from system to system, and how the shuttles have small warp cores, instead of battrys.. anyways
Tobias, I know I've asked before but what is the 3D program you use and additionally what is the render program you use?
I love the shots here and neutralizing tones here...seems to have all the light and texture needed for modeling. Is this a shaded option in the program or is this considered a render?
There's something I've just noticed Tobias, and I'm not sure how/why there's a difference: If you look at the tiny screencap(?) of the runabout in the corner of your renders, you can see there's a blue glow against the hull (under the impulse drive intakes) which presumably comes from inboard warp field grills on the nacelles; but looking at your render you don't appear to have included any.
Is this a VFX flub, or is it supposed to have the inboard grills and you've elected not to include them? (I refuse to believe you could have made an error!)
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While it's true that the Runabout has a lot of details, working on this after working on DS9 must feel like a walk in the park.
here is a Plan from the inner shuttle
Greeting
trekki
Tobias, are you planning to do a detailed interior for this one?
The Runabout on the other hand isn't just short-range, it goes from solar system to solar system, on full-length missions into the Delta Quadrant and so on, has far more equipment on board: independent transporters, replicator system, phasers and a photon launcher on one, and more advanced sensors and scanners. And you might notice that they identify them over the comms as "The Ganges," "Yangtzee Chiang" etc instead of "Enterprise" like they do when they're in shuttlecraft.
I had hoped they would call one the "humber", but it was not to be.
For me it is that every Runabout (and the Scout ship in Insurrection that used the same cockpit set) has their own individual NCC registration. Every shuttlecraft uses the reg of the mother ship, like the original Galileo was NCC-1701/7.
Great work on this, Tobias. I've been a big fan of the runabout since I was a kid and have always been fascinated by the design. Keep it up!
Shuttles supposedly though warp-capable could only make about warp 2 or 3 at the most so they would be limited to travel within solar systems. (unless you happened to have a few spare months or years lying around to travel to another star system) At least that was the idea until Voyager decided shuttles could travel just as fast and as far as full sized starships, which is just stupid. So a runabout is a mini-starship because it has a longer range and higher cruising speed (and thus true interstellar capability) and can perform many functions that full starships can, that normal shuttles cannot. Runabouts are also armed with more powerful phaser banks and mini-torpedoes.
Picard frequently used type seven shuttle craft for detached mission journeys away from the ship. Voyager was just the first to show these craft explicitly at warp as CGI effects reduced the cost of matting scenes and model motion capture.
Ryo - I will only make a lowres interior, so that you can see something inside when looking through the windows.
Finished main body and warp nacelles, now onto the wings...
www.thelightworks.com/wip/runabout/runabout_wip_05.jpg
www.thelightworks.com/wip/runabout/runabout_wip_06.jpg
oh and on the Shuttle speed thingy.. the runabout is about as fast as the old constituition class (new scale) so it can get around at warp 5.. but limiting all the other shuttles to warp 2? not very realistic honestly.. and happy Voyager kind of broke the speed limit.. ( not going into the warp 10 shuttle NO!!!!!) but the type 9 still only has a speed of Warp 4 ( from various refs) witch is slow, but fast enough to get from system to system, and how the shuttles have small warp cores, instead of battrys.. anyways
I love the shots here and neutralizing tones here...seems to have all the light and texture needed for modeling. Is this a shaded option in the program or is this considered a render?
300k tris so far.
Saquist - I work with Maya with Mentalray. The pictures I post here are rendered and not screencaps.
www.thelightworks.com/wip/runabout/runabout_wip_07.jpg
www.thelightworks.com/wip/runabout/runabout_wip_08.jpg
Any special way you made that hex mesh in the front of the impulse engines?
Is this a VFX flub, or is it supposed to have the inboard grills and you've elected not to include them? (I refuse to believe you could have made an error!)
http://ds9.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/credits/credits03.jpg
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