Just don't make it 725 meters long because nobody thought to make the shuttles to scale with the ship...
Seriously, great looking dish so far. Your size of 329 meters is about 40 meters longer than the (supposed) size of the TOS E, but the TOS E also has a number of scaling issues at 289 mters long. So, I'm sure those extra 40 meters help fix some of those issues.
I have decided to go back and restart my TOS Enterprise, as the geometry wasn't giving me what I wanted, and I learned about some things to setting a scale for a project. I also learned about the new deflector dish being made by Gary Kerr for the Smithsonian restoration. ScifiEric has helped me with that. Thanks, Eric, if you're reading this!
Here are the renders from today. First, the new deflector dish from a couple of angles:
Now that I'm editing my TOS Enterprise to a scale, I feel like I'm having camera problems. I use the "lock camera to view" option, so that I can frame the render just right, but it seems like there is a point where the camera cuts off the Depth of Field and won't render anything past that, distance wise. I've tried deleting and adding a new camera to the scene 3 times, to no avail.
Does anyone have any idea what I'm trying poorly to describe?
ETA the below photo of a render that shows the problem:
If I remember correctly, what you need to change is in the camera settings. It's something like "view distance," or something along those lines. It's set to a stupidly low number by default, requiring you to set it higher if you're building something on a large scale.
To add: There are also clipping ranges in the View panel. The camera settings also have clipping ranges as Evil says, and there are options you can click on to see that distance.
Also, since I've begun working more with scaled projects, I've noticed that some of my directions (front and rear) are not corresponding to front and rear of my model. So, for example, I tap the number "1" key, and it shows a rear view. Changing to the rear view of my Enterprise shows my deflector dish straight-on.
Which direction does the ship point in the side view? I have the bow pointed to the left of the screen and the aft to the right if I hit the 3 key. 1 gives me the front that way.
Which direction does the ship point in the side view? I have the bow pointed to the left of the screen and the aft to the right if I hit the 3 key. 1 gives me the front that way.
It's an orthographic drawing by Gary Kerr found here:
You're building it "backwards," but who cares? You can leave it as is or rotate it 180 degrees when you're done. Realistically, there's no forwards or backwards in 3D.
You're building it "backwards," but who cares? You can leave it as is or rotate it 180 degrees when you're done. Realistically, there's no forwards or backwards in 3D.
I'm only concerned insofar as I'm using the Kerr drawings as a guide in my model. I haven't had this problem until this project.
Is my only solution to just swap the background images for the front and rear views?
Today's update is a respin of the saucer. I'm using Shaw's saucer cutaway for my guide because I don't think Kerr has one yet. There are some differences. Shaw's total height is a bit taller than Kerr's, but nothing freakishly wrong.
My material is a placeholder diffuse shader with hull color sampled from Gary Kerr's corrected digital swatches.
And, couldn't wait to add this render of the rear dorsal running light? And the clamshell door assembly? And the little windowed structure above that? (which will be windowed later)
Great looking model. Is that platform at the back of the secondary hull a separate object from the main mesh? It's an area that you've got a lot cleaner than I've managed so far.
At least on my home computer, I can make the images full size, plus I have an ad blocker that's most definitely activated on that site. (and they know it too) I miss the good old days, when you just posted a link to your images on Photobucket and they didn't have to have all of the BS they do now.
Anyway, since I'm home and can look at them better, the ship is definitely shaping up nicely.
And a side view of that dorsal, just so you can see how it's coming. (Yep, I know the hull where the stellar cartography is the wrong shape. I'm going to try to redo what I did the last time - which was by using proportional editing - because it's such a difficult shape to wrap my mind around any other way.
A quick question about the way the pylons intersect the nacelles. As the pylon is a known angle - 45 degrees - is it supposed to bisect the nacelle? Or does it intersect slightly to one side or the other?
The pylons connect slightly inboard on the nacelles and not directly underneath, if that's what you're asking. How much depends on what plans you're using.
You may want to take another look at your deflector dish. The outer ring extrudes out, not inwards. Here's a picture of the studio models deflector.
Posts
Seriously, great looking dish so far. Your size of 329 meters is about 40 meters longer than the (supposed) size of the TOS E, but the TOS E also has a number of scaling issues at 289 mters long. So, I'm sure those extra 40 meters help fix some of those issues.
Does anyone have any idea what I'm trying poorly to describe?
ETA the below photo of a render that shows the problem:
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Irishman/media/CameraProblem.png.html?sort=3&o=0
Also, since I've begun working more with scaled projects, I've noticed that some of my directions (front and rear) are not corresponding to front and rear of my model. So, for example, I tap the number "1" key, and it shows a rear view. Changing to the rear view of my Enterprise shows my deflector dish straight-on.
Weird, but I'm not sure the cause.
Ideas? Suggestions from the brain trust?
It's an orthographic drawing by Gary Kerr found here:
http://round2models.com/files/instructions/pol803.pdf
Most TOS Enterprise side views I've seen face to the right, because we don't know what the left side looks like.
I'm only concerned insofar as I'm using the Kerr drawings as a guide in my model. I haven't had this problem until this project.
Is my only solution to just swap the background images for the front and rear views?
My material is a placeholder diffuse shader with hull color sampled from Gary Kerr's corrected digital swatches.
Baby steps.
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Irishman/media/New%20Enterprise%20WIP%202.png.html?sort=3&o=0
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Irishman/media/New%20Enterprise%20WIP%203.png.html?sort=3&o=0
Thanks, Vortex5972.
Shuttle first:
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Irishman/media/New%20Enterprise%20WIP%204.png.html?sort=3&o=2
Nacelles and landing bay entry next:
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Irishman/media/New%20Enterprise%20WIP%205.png.html?sort=3&o=1
Finally, I've fixed some shading errors in the above:
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Irishman/media/New%20Enterprise%20WIP%206.png.html?sort=3&o=0
Thoughts?
Up close for details, of course!
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Irishman/media/New%20Enterprise%20WIP%207.png.html?sort=3&o=1
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Irishman/media/New%20Enterprise%20WIP%208.png.html?sort=3&o=0
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Irishman/media/New%20Enterprise%20WIP%209.png.html?sort=3&o=0
Great looking model. Is that platform at the back of the secondary hull a separate object from the main mesh? It's an area that you've got a lot cleaner than I've managed so far.
Anyway, since I'm home and can look at them better, the ship is definitely shaping up nicely.
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Irishman/media/New%20Enterprise%20WIP%2010.png.html?sort=3&o=0
And a front shot of the primary hull, forward, showing just a bit of the saucer interconnect dorsal.
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Irishman/media/New%20Enterprise%20WIP%2011.png.html
And a side view of that dorsal, just so you can see how it's coming. (Yep, I know the hull where the stellar cartography is the wrong shape. I'm going to try to redo what I did the last time - which was by using proportional editing - because it's such a difficult shape to wrap my mind around any other way.
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Irishman/media/New%20Enterprise%20WIP%2012.png.html
Hope you like.
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Irishman/media/New%20Enterprise%20WIP%2013.png.html?sort=3&o=1
Also, a top-down shot on the saucer (the proportional editing went faster than I thought it would):
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Irishman/media/New%20Enterprise%20WIP%2014.png.html?sort=3&o=0
A back view of the same geometry:
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Irishman/media/New%20Enterprise%20WIP%2015.png.html?sort=3&o=0
Finally, a close-up side view of the same geometry:
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Irishman/media/New%20Enterprise%20WIP%2016.png.html?sort=3&o=0
You may want to take another look at your deflector dish. The outer ring extrudes out, not inwards. Here's a picture of the studio models deflector.
http://tos.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/smithsonian-model/ent_smithsonian_31.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Irishman/media/New%20Enterprise%20WIP%2017.png.html?sort=3&o=0