The Doomsday Machine - scifieric Edition

[scifieric]

I've been craving my SciFi-Meshes fix! Hooray!

Thanks for working so hard, Aceman.

This is an extension of my exceedingly slow work on replacing the special effects for the original Star Trek series episode: The Doomsday Machine.
http://pacsadminpro.com/Blur003small.jpg
This is the star of my efforts, the USS Enterprise captained by James T. Kirk. Made in TrueSpace 3 and 4.

Just learning about the correct settings for blurring and such has been fun!

The top image on this one is a screencap from the first DVD set that Paramount Pictures released. I've altered the contrast and brightness a bit to have it more approximate how she appeared for decades. You can see the bluescreen errors that started me thinking about making this effort. The lower half of the image is my try in TrueSpace 4.
http://pacsadminpro.com/images/Compare.jpg
But keeping in mind that a picture is worth a thousand words, here are a thousand pictures ... running in quick sequence! :D

Opening Scene AVI (http://pacsadminpro.com/movies/01ddm720x480.avi)

Opening Scene Real Media (http://pacsadminpro.com/movies/01ddm.rmvb)

More as I get off my lazy butt!

[Prime_8]

sweet .. great project

[scifieric]

Good to see you Prime_8! I was just in your forums posting the happy news. Thanks for jumping in SO QUICKLY! I think I just hit the submit button! LOL!

[backstept]

wow looking great!
the only crit I've got is that yours has a higher ambient lighting :D

fantabulous!

[CrimsonLine]

Great work, Eric! Keep it up!

[Captain Boh]

You didn't flip the registry to look like its mirrored like in the original shot ;)

[scifieric]

wow looking great!
the only crit I've got is that yours has a higher ambient lighting :D

fantabulous!
Thanks for the compliment and the spot-on crit. My lighting has been bothering me. I'll give it another shot!

[scifieric]

Great work, Eric! Keep it up!
Thanks CL. I've got my eyes glued on your latest take on the old girl. (The Enterprise, of course. If any one hasn't seen CrimsonLine's current thread, go here now! (http://www.scifi-meshes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=93))

[scifieric]

You didn't flip the registry to look like its mirrored like in the original shot ;)
Hello Captain! Actually, the registry is set like the late first season and beyond. The side most frequenly seen by the camera (facing the bow, right or starboard) was rotated to be readable from the most used camera views. The registry is rotated on the other side, rather like this:

[Captain Boh]

Oh yes, I know, however if you look closely at the picture you posted from the show, the 7 is the only real giveaway, the other numbers look the same either way and the N is too dark to see, you may notice that the registry is on mirrored. Its likely that this was intended to be a shot that would end up mirrored, so the mirroed decals were put on the model, but they either forgot in editing, or used it unflipped anyway because its so small that they never thought anyone would notice.

All kidding about ignoring an error in the original footage asside, I look forward to seeing where you go with this.

[scifieric]

OH CR@P! Now I get it! I was worried I hadn't applied my textures correctly! :lol:

Ha, thanks man! I appreciate your post and I'll try not to let this one slide too long this time.

[Ozylot]

Welcome back... good to see this project back.

[scifieric]

Ozylot! Oh man, I'm glad to be seeing you all again. I feel like I was away for weeks instead of the site being down for a couple of days.

[Brickhead]

Yes Eric good to see this up and running. it warms my heart.

[Captain Boh]

OH CR@P! Now I get it! I was worried I hadn't applied my textures correctly! :lol:

Ha, thanks man! I appreciate your post and I'll try not to let this one slide too long this time.

Sorry about the mixup, humor doesn't always work right for me, especially at 4am.

[scifieric]

That's okay man. Perhaps I was intimidated by your stern avatar. LOL!

[backstept]

lol I just looked at the thread and I thought it said 'scifirific'
like scifi --> terrific --> scifirific :D

[scifieric]

Oh no! Every time I come up with what I think is a good name for the topic, I regret it within 24 hrs! LOL

Oh well, I'll just have to live with scifirific! (I LOVE IT!) :D

[Prime_8]

Oh no! Every time I come up with what I think is a good name for the topic, I regret it within 24 hrs! LOL

Oh well, I'll just have to live with scifirific! (I LOVE IT!) :D
LOL ..

ah it fits .:rolleyes:

[Forcemaster2000]

Awsome work scifieric! Looking forward to seeing more of your work on this...your work matched up perfectly with the original footage!

[scifieric]

Prime_8, you're a card!

Whoops, I don't know what key I hit there but I got cut off! :eek:

Forcemaster2000, Thanks for the compliment. I appreciate it and thanks for looking in! :D

You guys are why I love this place.

[Captain Boh]

That's okay man. Perhaps I was intimidated by your stern avatar. LOL!

I was going more for crazy. I need a crazier picture of myself ;)

[scifieric]

Wider eyes. That's the ticket to crazy! With all my photos, I go for the crazy, wild-staring eyes. :eek:

See? LOL

[Brickhead]

I know I've seen your pics, wild and crazy.

[Captain Boh]

Wider eyes. That's the ticket to crazy! With all my photos, I go for the crazy, wild-staring eyes. :eek:

See? LOL

It was hard not to squint, the picture was taken with a scanner ;)

[scifieric]

I know I've seen your pics, wild and crazy.
When I saw it was your reply Brickhead, I started laughing (like they say) "'Cause it's true! 'Cause it's true!" :D

IOW, Brickhead's seen my crazy picture! LOL

[scifieric]

It was hard not to squint, the picture was taken with a scanner ;)
And here I thought it was just great lighting. I thought you had that whole "lit from beneath" think going ... unless you're yanking my chain! LOL :p

[STnut35]

Looking excellent as usual eric,The shot of the original clip,and your shot really show off the difference,cant wait to see more.

[scifieric]

Thanks STnut35! I hope you're working on your clean-up of TMP. I want to see where you go with that.

[XFozzboute]

This is scifirific! :D :D

[evil_genius_180]

Dude, I love your connie. I never actually saw that on your old thread. I always went to the last post and wound up on pages full of chatting. :) Are the bussards a texture or modeled?

[Lt. Washburn]

Great job on the match. Brings back memories for me.

[Captain Boh]

Any work on the Machine itself?

[backstept]

you're doing this in LW right?
I can't keep yours and Prof's connies straight :D
one is LW the other TS I think

[TheGreatRaja]

Thats the problem with these ships they all start look the same after a while :)

[Captain Boh]

On the plus side, it means everyone is doing a good job :)

[Romu]

scifirific indeed ;)

[scifieric]

LOL!

Howdy XFozzboute. Man, that is one freaky avatar!

[Prime_8]

^^^ Yah. lol

::
Eric any more ship?

[scifieric]

Dude, I love your connie. I never actually saw that on your old thread. I always went to the last post and wound up on pages full of chatting. :) Are the bussards a texture or modeled?
Thanks evil_genius_180!

Here's a less-than-spectacular shot of the Bussards that I took while I was building her.

http://pacsadminpro.com/images/Shoulder1.jpg

The bussards are a strange combination.
1. A modeled plate with 10 small hemispheres with an animated texture that simulates the lights, flashes and spill.

The plate is nestled within:
2. A hemisphere with a spinning blade texture.

The inner hemisphere is just underneath:
3. An outer hemisphere with a semi-transparent base color (kind of a pale pink/orange color) with a random noise bump map displacement and animated flashes and shadows.

So I guess the answer to your question is ... both!

[scifieric]

Great job on the match. Brings back memories for me.
Thanks! I've got to work on the lighting.

Any work on the Machine itself?
The only work on the DD Machine so far has been to try to simulate the animation of it's engine or whatever you call it. Nothing worth posting yet but I'm off next week so I want to devote a good bit of time to this project!

you're doing this in LW right?
I can't keep yours and Prof's connies straight :D
one is LW the other TS I think
Uh oh. I don't think the Professor would like to hear that! LOL His is a much better construct.

Nah, mine is done in good old TrueSpace. Thanks for the compliment though!

Thats the problem with these ships they all start look the same after a while
Living dangerously now-a-days, eh GreatRaja? :chuckle: ;)

On the plus side, it means everyone is doing a good job
Dude, you rock!

scifirific indeed
Thanks Romu. I'm getting quite a chuckle out of that description!

Here's a less than startling shot of the side of the ship. CrimsonLine had taken one shot of his model similar to this. I took this one to imitate the lighting and grain of original series and to try and decide which surface texture I was going to use.

http://pacsadminpro.com/images/CrimsonInspired.jpg

[scifieric]

Eric any more ship?
Hey Prime_8! Nah, not yet. I've been a bit busy but I'll be working on her this weekend. To tide you over, here is a shot of her neck when I was thinking of putting in rooms behind the windows. It was an interesting exercise.
http://pacsadminpro.com/images/BigNeckWindow1b.jpg

[Brickhead]

What a great shot, wow.

[Prime_8]

wel that's cool .

wonder if you could try some simple room tetures on ojetc inside windows ?

[scifieric]

What a great shot, wow.
Thanks Brickhead! You're alright brother.

wel that's cool .

wonder if you could try some simple room tetures on ojetc inside windows ?
Believe it or not, I've got some. I was trying to strike a happy medium where if you got close enough as the ship went by, you could see something inside but when you are far enough away, it looks like the original model.

Um, here's a shot to show the extraordinarily simple textures I used. They almost don't qualify! LOL

http://pacsadminpro.com/images/RoomsNeck01.jpg

Here's what it looks like a little closer with the rooms being placed and in sore need of trimming:

http://pacsadminpro.com/images/Rooms03.jpg

[Prime_8]

possibly puts some crew mid way into box ?? know what i mean ??

[scifieric]

Yep, I know what you mean. It's a good idea. Let's see what can be done.

[BEMEUP]

http://pacsadminpro.com/images/RoomsNeck01.jpg



This is a prime example as to why the Federation wasn't allowed to have a cloaking device :D

Really cool renders! Coming along nicely man!!

[Brickhead]

BEMEUP: This is a prime example as to why the Federation wasn't allowed to have a cloaking device


LOL....
Eric, it's hard to say without them trimmed and a nice close shot.
I guess I would go for the up close look then the far shots would be no question.

[evil_genius_180]

The bussards are a strange combination.
1. A modeled plate with 10 small hemispheres with an animated texture that simulates the lights, flashes and spill.

The plate is nestled within:
2. A hemisphere with a spinning blade texture.

The inner hemisphere is just underneath:
3. An outer hemisphere with a semi-transparent base color (kind of a pale pink/orange color) with a random noise bump map displacement and animated flashes and shadows.

So I guess the answer to your question is ... both!

Dude, I've been trying to do bussards like that in tS 3.2 with no success. So, any secrets you can reveal are just awesome. :D I don't do animations, I just want my pics to look more realistic.

[scifieric]

This is a prime example as to why the Federation wasn't allowed to have a cloaking device :D

Really cool renders! Coming along nicely man!!
LOL!! You are nuts, BEMEUP! Thanks for the kind words and the humor.


LOL....
Eric, it's hard to say without them trimmed and a nice close shot.
I guess I would go for the up close look then the far shots would be no question.
Actually, I got to a point where I really loved the rooms ... and then when you pull away, you can barely see the windows! The only things I can think of is what Prof. M and wpthomas did with overly-bright interior textures or my strange version that you see here with partially opaque windows that have a brightness of their own in addition to what is behind them.

I'll work on it.

Dude, I've been trying to do bussards like that in tS 3.2 with no success. So, any secrets you can reveal are just awesome. :D I don't do animations, I just want my pics to look more realistic.
Ah, you'll still have to play around quite a bit. It's a delicate balancing act and lighting tends to affect it a lot! Oh, and my pleasure! :D

[evil_genius_180]

Ah, you'll still have to play around quite a bit. It's a delicate balancing act and lighting tends to affect it a lot! Oh, and my pleasure! :D

Yeah, the last time I tried putting those little lights in, I wound up with more light outside the bussards than inside. Right now, I'm leaving the bussards alone and working on other projects, but I'll probably wind up fiddling with them before long. :)

[Prime_8]

cloaking .. heheheh

that was funny as heck .. but you know i could see an eppisode being made about that ..LOL
Kirk->" Spock ... where's my ship.... my crew ??"

[scifieric]

Right! I can see it now ...

Spock: See? I told you the bending of light was theoretically possible.

[STnut35]

You did a Constellation!! Where is she? lol

[scifieric]

Well, you can see evil_genius_180's Constitution class vessel here:
http://www.scifi-meshes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=536

If that's what you mean, STnut35.

[STnut35]

i thought Evil Genius said you had one of the Conny.oh and ive got another from scratch mesh started,with only the Enterprise.

[scifieric]

Well, yeah but she's the Enterprise. (Mine, that is.) The Constellation will come in a few days.

Cool about a new mesh. There are some great tools in TrueSpace for building shapes. Wait until you create a spline and then lathe it. You'll stare at it for a few minutes and then you'll render it ... and then you'll go "Wow!"

There's nothing like your first spline lathe!

Post it from the start in a new thread here and you'll get help along the way. I guarantee it.

[STnut35]

hey you could use my conny in 2d threads as a templet for yours,the episode one was terrible,and i know why.

[scifieric]

Well ... why? ;)

[STnut35]

Because in the episode,they used an old AMT Enterprise model,for the Constellation shots,and the modeler (sucked) lol.My 12 year old could have done better than that.

and why does my window keep signing me out after 5 minutes,and i have to sign in again?

[scifieric]

You may not have cookies enabled.

[Captain Boh]

Or, you may still have old SFM cookies. I deleted mine and then it stopped signing me out.

[scifieric]

Well, I don't want you guys to think I abandon the effort.

I'm having a glitch where my effect repeats itself halfway through the scene, so I've got to track that down and correct it but this will give you an idea.

The reason for the departure from the effect in the series is Kirk's like that follows the effect:

"That's increadible. The star in this system is still intact. Only a nova could destroy like that."

I wanted to show that the star was still intact.

Tell me what you think. Is it too much?

http://pacsadminpro.com/images/L370system.jpg

[uniderth]

looks good to me. The rubble looks like its been around for ages though cause it's all rounded.

[evil_genius_180]

Definitely badass, dude. So, the Enterprise bridge is from the episode and the stuff on the viewer is what you added, correct?

[scifieric]

looks good to me. The rubble looks like its been around for ages though cause it's all rounded.
Interesting take on that. My feeling was the exact opposite but for the very reasons you cited! The rubble was made within the last few days but I'm assuming when the planet explodes or collapses that it will be mostly magma. The globs would cool and I have VERY few impact craters on the asteroids.

Perhaps I should reconsider.

Thanks for looking in and thanks for the comments!

[scifieric]

Definitely badass, dude.
Thanks eg180!

So, the Enterprise bridge is from the episode and the stuff on the viewer is what you added, correct?
You got that 100% correct. Even the blue screen outline is the original and only the content of the screen is new.

The quality of the original footage varies wildly during the 5 second shot (ugh) so I was thinking of creating a bridge section in 3D with the screen and posting what I want onto the virtual set. Of course, that would be a lot of work but then again, so was this! LOL!

All the compositing was done in TrueSpace 4.3. I love that version of TrueSpace!

[evil_genius_180]

Awesome. You could always use SeanR's bridge set and include him in the credits. ;)

[scifieric]

True, if he would allow it! ;)

[evil_genius_180]

It never hurts to ask him. :D

[Ozylot]

Hey nice!! but the asteroids seem a little smooth. Although there would probably be floating magma, there would also be a bunch of crust. sorta like pizza... mmm.....

[Prime_8]

hehe cool.

[Professor Moriarty]

The quality of the original footage varies wildly during the 5 second shot (ugh) so I was thinking of creating a bridge section in 3D with the screen and posting what I want onto the virtual set. Of course, that would be a lot of work but then again, so was this! LOL!
And it looks terrific (if a tidge too dark)! :thumb: I like the idea of seeing the intact star, although I would agree that there could be some chunky bits and some red-hot bits as well.

Don't bother building a 3-D bridge. Just grab your DVD of "The Immunity Syndrome"... there is MUCH better footage of the viewscreen that you can use (it occurs during one of the first sightings of the space amoeba).

Now let's see this shot in motion! :cool:

[scifieric]

Okay, now that I've caught up on my email, I'll start working on it again. I re-rendered (while I was at work ... a home PC that runs while you're away is a wonderful thing) the effects and I think I found the error. I might have it before too long. Tomorrow evening at the outside. Let me get cracking.

Hello Professor! You don't know how I missed your postings! You really changed your website and after all that work you had in the other version. In any case, the Star Trek link isn't a link ... it's just text. :( I remember your post that you were a little burned out on the project, but you do quality work and I think I told you that your work (way back when) was one of the reasons I started to make mine! You and John Heilman.

Glad to see you around.

[scifieric]

And it looks terrific (if a tidge too dark)! :thumb: I like the idea of seeing the intact star, although I would agree that there could be some chunky bits and some red-hot bits as well.

Don't bother building a 3-D bridge. Just grab your DVD of "The Immunity Syndrome"... there is MUCH better footage of the viewscreen that you can use (it occurs during one of the first sightings of the space amoeba).

Now let's see this shot in motion! :cool:
Yeah, I'll see if I can lighten it up a tad.

Chunky and red hot bits. Hmm. I'll let you in on a secret. My original idea was to have the star (Ala Mr. Atoz's star) and asteroids Ala Space Ship Yonada. I really wanted that paper mache-over-aluminum-foil look. Modeling that was a little hairy and would probably take me forever. This was quicker in the end and got the idea across. I just didn't want to get too "artsy" with it since they didn't do that a lot in the original.

Thanks for the idea about The Immunity Syndrome. I was thinking of grabbing it from the original episode it was filmed in: The Corbomite Maneuver. Either one is good!

[Professor Moriarty]

Thanks for the kind words... right now my LightWaving is on hold while I try to rebuild the willpower to finish my own Doomsday project.

The thing I like about the footage from "Immunity Syndrome" is that it's better-lit and much more generic. The viewscreen shot from "Corbomite" has those pesky colorful reflections from the Spinning Cube of Death on the red bridge railings, and I always found those flashing reflections to be quite distracting (not to mention the fact that they reused that easily-identifiable stock footage over and over and OVER throughout the run of the series).

Regarding your asteroid field--Truespace doesn't have a particle system? That's how I did my asteroids on my project--made things go a LOT faster than trying to individually model every friggin' rock. :cool:

[Four Mad Men]

Nice still shot there. The rubble looks good and all things being equal the pieces might be less smooth. Looks like a good opportunity to keep the smooth rubble bits and show (something of) how they formed the way they did when the machine goes off the re-fuel. If you know what I mean.

[STnut35]

i think it looks very good to me,i can hear Captain Kirk quating the lines,and see that on the Main veiwer

[scifieric]

Thanks for the kind words... right now my LightWaving is on hold while I try to rebuild the willpower to finish my own Doomsday project.
My pleasure and I remember about the Lightwave burnout. Too bad man but I've had TrueSpace burn out myself.

The thing I like about the footage from "Immunity Syndrome" is that it's better-lit and much more generic. The viewscreen shot from "Corbomite" has those pesky colorful reflections from the Spinning Cube of Death on the red bridge railings, and I always found those flashing reflections to be quite distracting (not to mention the fact that they reused that easily-identifiable stock footage over and over and OVER throughout the run of the series).
When you're right, you're right. I'm grabbing the Syndrome screens now.

Regarding your asteroid field--Truespace doesn't have a particle system? That's how I did my asteroids on my project--made things go a LOT faster than trying to individually model every friggin' rock. :cool:
Yeah, I modeled about seven different asteroids and placed them using the particle system. It's kind of hit-and-miss as I gain an understanding of their particle system but I used it not only to place the entire circular field (I wanted to create the impression of a forming ring, kind of like Saturn's rings ... but on a system-wide scale) but to animate most of the movement that will occur. The only exception is the close-pass asteroids that I animated by hand for down-to-the-second control. Easy enough!

I'll have to figure out a better way to model my asteroids if I want to make them bumpier.

[scifieric]

Nice still shot there. The rubble looks good and all things being equal the pieces might be less smooth. Looks like a good opportunity to keep the smooth rubble bits and show (something of) how they formed the way they did when the machine goes off the re-fuel. If you know what I mean.
A lot of them have minor bumps (modeled, not bump map) but I guess I'll have to exaggerate them. Hurm. (Can't help that "Hurm" with your avatar! LOL!)

I had wanted to avoid any hint of realism. I didn't even want to approach the stylized realism of SW:TESB ... although that is still my favorite asteroid field to date.

Thanks man.

[scifieric]

i think it looks very good to me,i can hear Captain Kirk quating the lines,and see that on the Main veiwer
Thanks STnut35, so can I! ;)

[scifieric]

I'll have to redo this, the asteroids are too smooth and regular but I've been wanting to do this since I was a kid and I'm getting a real kick out of it!

Codec is Xvid. http://www.xvidmovies.com/codec/

It's an avi file and just under 4MB.

Enjoy!

http://pacsadminpro.com/images/L370system.jpg (http://pacsadminpro.com/movies/SysL370m2.avi)

Avi click here (http://pacsadminpro.com/movies/SysL370m2.avi) (Same as above link - Xvid codec needed)

Real Media Player click here (http://pacsadminpro.com/movies/SysL370m2.rmvb)

Windows Media Video click here (http://pacsadminpro.com/movies/SysL370m2.WMV)

The Real Media Player and WMV versions seem a little more choppy to me. They are rendered at 640x480 though.

[Professor Moriarty]

CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!

I really like the way you animated your space boulders, and the dusty background is VERY :cool:

The only two things I'd change when you "de-smooth" your rubble: Make the large background rocks move towards the camera just a teeny bit faster... right now they move so slowly they almost look like a matte painting (but if that's the effect you're going for I'd say you're spot on! :thumb: ) Resize your AVI to 640x480 so that the clip is back to its proper 4:3 aspect ratio. Shatner was getting fat enough back then without adding the indignity of him being stretched out horizontally! ;)

VERY nice job, Eric.

[Four Mad Men]

Very, very nice! I don't think the viewscreen needs to be build as a CG element at all. It works quite well as is.

[scifieric]

CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!

I really like the way you animated your space boulders, and the dusty background is VERY :cool:
Wow, THANKS! I remember feeling that way when I was watching your Still Glowing Rubble asteroids zip past the viewscreen. You make me feel good.

I went with the "dusty" background to show some of the smaller asteroids and the ones going around the back of the star. It helped them show up a little better.

I was trying to make the scene as "painterly" as I could without actually actually making a painting! :chuckle: I was thinking of the matte paintings of the lithium cracking station in Where No Man Has Gone Before and the city scene in A Taste of Armagedon. I wanted it to look like it could have been made in the 60's. I don't know if that's the feeling you get looking at it but your reaction makes me feel like I'm close enough, except for the rubble itself.

Resizing: Sure! That's easy!

[scifieric]

Very, very nice! I don't think the viewscreen needs to be build as a CG element at all. It works quite well as is.
Thanks 4MM. I owe that selection to Professor Moriarty. He's done something similar to this in Lightwave and I was feeling appreciably ... humble ... watching his superior efforts. He had already found a nice, clean version of the screen from another episode and I grabbed it. When the prof is right, he's right!

Now we gotta get your eagle gliding across Alpha Moonbase's main viewing screen!

[uniderth]

"Windows Media Player cannot play the file. The Player might not support the file type or might not support the codec that was used to compress the file."

Boooohoohoohoohoo.

[scifieric]

"Windows Media Player cannot play the file. The Player might not support the file type or might not support the codec that was used to compress the file."

Boooohoohoohoohoo.
Don't cry! Did you download the Xvid coded? It should also be supported by Divx (I think ... but maybe that's the other way around).

If not, I'll convert it to something else and post that too.

[uniderth]

What's a codec?

[STnut35]

i cant even find the file,much less see it......lol

[scifieric]

What's a codec?
Well, a codec is the "program" that is used to encode your video. The reason that DVD's work and we can share video over the Internet is that each and every one of us is getting cheated. We're not getting all the frames of a movie that we pay for. For instance, when MPEG 1 came out, it was a revolution because it basically told the playing device not to touch any pixel that didn't change from one frame to the next ... just change the pixels that don't keep the same value. It's a means of compression.

Go here and download the codec for either Windows if you're using a Windows based computer or the Mac version if it applies.

http://www.xvidmovies.com/codec/

You should be viewing rubble-strewn asteroid fields in no time.

[scifieric]

i cant even find the file,much less see it......lol
Just click on the picture in the post. It should initiate a download.

If not, don't dispair. I'm going to back post the links into that post.

[scifieric]

Okay, go back to that posting and there are links at the bottom for other versions!

[STnut35]

man!!! Ye brought a tear to me eye Laddie!!
Outstanding shot,your killing me.this is looking so awesome.and it rides perfectly with the scene 1 shot.

[scifieric]

Thanks STnut35! I really appreciate that. Hey, sooner or later I should be able to kick my feet up and watch a one-of-a-kind DVD.

Can't do much else with it! LOL!

[STnut35]

yeah too bad,but it will so rock.

[Four Mad Men]

Would watching the clip over and over many times (many, many) be considered obsessive or would it be geeky? Either way I'm ready for more. No pressure though.

[STnut35]

yeah im torturing myself here,running the shots in repeat on WMP.

[scifieric]

Would watching the clip over and over many times (many, many) be considered obsessive or would it be geeky? Either way I'm ready for more. No pressure though.

yeah im torturing myself here,running the shots in repeat on WMP.
Yeah, but have either of you burned it to the worlds shortest DVD and then run out to the living room to watch it on your tv?

I thought not, so I've got you both beat! LOL! My wife walked in and said, "Oh, watching that again?" before walking off. :lol: :rolleyes:

[Four Mad Men]

Hadn't thought of that. To the bat-burner (http://www.fourmadmen.com/gallery/albums/animations/blender/batsymbols/batclip.divx.avi)! <--- works best if you imagine the music in your head.

[scifieric]

LOL! Great, and now I've got that Batman transition trumpet music in my head. Get it out!

[Four Mad Men]

My job is done :devil:

[Nevets]

Nice effects. The only problem I see is the aspect ratio. Star Trek is 4:3 not 3:2. I've notice this a lot with fan productions who seem to follow the DVD size forgetting the aspect ratio.

Perhaps a QuickTime version.

[scifieric]

Thanks Nevets. That's what the Prof said as well. The Real Media and Windows Media versions are at the 4:3 ratio but I think I'll have to actually re-render since it looks compressed this way.

You're right about why, I did it to maintain what I got off the DVD.

[Professor Moriarty]

Nice effects. The only problem I see is the aspect ratio. Star Trek is 4:3 not 3:2. I've notice this a lot with fan productions who seem to follow the DVD size forgetting the aspect ratio.

Perhaps a QuickTime version.
Errrr, not exactly. Yes, Star Trek was shot in a 4:3 aspect ratio, but encoding the source material with QuickTime alone won't make any difference... you'll still wind up with a 720 x 480 QT movie because the source material on the DVD from which the live action footage was ripped was encoded at 720 x 480.

But 720 x 480 is an aspect ratio of 3:2, not 4:3 you say. Ah, but remember: the NTSC video format (the format for all DVDs sold in the United States) uses rectangular pixels with an aspect ratio of 9:8 (or 1.125:1). And what happens when you divide 720 by 1.125? That's right--you get 640... and therefore a resolution of 640 x 480 with a square pixel aspect ratio of 4:3.

Since computer monitors--and therefore any computer video format such as AVI and QT--use square pixels, at some point during the AVI or QT encoding process you must horizontally squeeze footage ripped from a DVD by 11.11%. You must also remember when rendering new CGI footage for a project like Eric's to render it at 720 x 480 with rectangular pixels, so that your new CGI footage meshes seamlessly with the original live action footage. At first this will take some getting used to--the raw CGI output will look horizontally stretched--but when you encode a new DVD or perform the horizontal compression for AVI or QT (or WMV or MP4 or... etc.) everything will look hunky-dory.

[Tallguy]

Errrr, not exactly. Yes, Star Trek was shot in a 4:3 aspect ratio, but encoding the source material with QuickTime alone won't make any difference... you'll still wind up with a 720 x 480 QT movie because the source material on the DVD from which the live action footage was ripped was encoded at 720 x 480.

But 720 x 480 is an aspect ratio of 3:2, not 4:3 you say. Ah, but remember: the NTSC video format (the format for all DVDs sold in the United States) uses rectangular pixels with an aspect ratio of 9:8 (or 1.125:1). And what happens when you divide 720 by 1.125? That's right--you get 640... and therefore a resolution of 640 x 480 with a square pixel aspect ratio of 4:3.

Since computer monitors--and therefore any computer video format such as AVI and QT--use square pixels, at some point during the AVI or QT encoding process you must horizontally squeeze footage ripped from a DVD by 11.11%. You must also remember when rendering new CGI footage for a project like Eric's to render it at 720 x 480 with rectangular pixels, so that your new CGI footage meshes seamlessly with the original live action footage. At first this will take some getting used to--the raw CGI output will look horizontally stretched--but when you encode a new DVD or perform the horizontal compression for AVI or QT (or WMV or MP4 or... etc.) everything will look hunky-dory.Boy, is this making my head spin. So are you saying that if I render something for the computer screen, if I then transfer it to DVD it will look wrong?

[Oovebei]

Boy, is this making my head spin. So are you saying that if I render something for the computer screen, if I then transfer it to DVD it will look wrong?

As I understand it that is a yes (I hope)

[STnut35]

no...... please dont set it up in QT format,I hate QT format....Oh The Horror!!!!!!!

[Tallguy]

QT rules.

Really nice job on this, btw. Maybe add one or two rougher 'roids, but the far background is sci-firiffic.

[Professor Moriarty]

Boy, is this making my head spin. So are you saying that if I render something for the computer screen, if I then transfer it to DVD it will look wrong?
Correct. While the video clip will look normal on a computer screen, when you encode it to NTSC DVD one of the following things will happen:

(1) Depending on the DVD authoring/encoding software you're using, it may simply complain that the video clip isn't 720 x 480 and will refuse to encode it.

(2) The authoring software will stretch your clip on the fly to 720 x 480 and playback will look normal, but you'll suffer some loss of detail because you used 640 pixels per line for a 720 pixel target resolution.

(3) The authoring software will not stretch your clip on the fly to 720 x 480 and playback will look squished horizontally with thin black bars on the left and right sides of your screen.

Basically, if you're going to ultimately target DVD you should render your CGI at 720 x 480 with rectangular 9:8 aspect ratio pixels because that's what NTSC likes and that's what all DVD authoring software expects. You can always compress this raw footage to 640 x 480 (with square 1:1 pixels) for clips in various computer formats (WMV, QT, AVI, etc.)

[Tallguy]

Invaluable information! And in the nick of time, as well.

[scifieric]

At first this will take some getting used to--the raw CGI output will look horizontally stretched--but when you encode a new DVD or perform the horizontal compression for AVI or QT (or WMV or MP4 or... etc.) everything will look hunky-dory.
Good ... I think. So, when I make my DVD, I'll be okay. whew!

I was starting to get worried there! Thanks for the education. I've heard this before but it really helps to have a reminder ... and yours was a course! lol

[scifieric]

no...... please dont set it up in QT format,I hate QT format....Oh The Horror!!!!!!!
Quicktime is okay. It just costs to be able to make (as far as I can tell) LOL!

QT rules.

Really nice job on this, btw. Maybe add one or two rougher 'roids, but the far background is sci-firiffic.
Thanks Tallguy! Yeah, rougher 'roids has always been a problem. (Oh man, LOL! Scatological jokes, I'm a sick puppy.)

I appreciate it and that "scifiriffic" makes me laugh so hard I snort. I just don't want to wait to see what you're working on. Those teaser trailers of yours whet the appetite!

[scifieric]

Basically, if you're going to ultimately target DVD you should render your CGI at 720 x 480 with rectangular 9:8 aspect ratio pixels because that's what NTSC likes and that's what all DVD authoring software expects. You can always compress this raw footage to 640 x 480 (with square 1:1 pixels) for clips in various computer formats (WMV, QT, AVI, etc.)

Invaluable information! And in the nick of time, as well.
Prof, this is why some softwares actually specify a DVD resolution and state NTSC, right? Your render should look right on DVD/TV. I've been counting on this since that's what I've been rendering with! TrueSpace has an NTSC selection.

[Roliba]

QT rules.

Really nice job on this, btw. Maybe add one or two rougher 'roids, but the far background is sci-firiffic.

Oh man, I hate those rough 'roids. Then I have to sit on a donut cushion all day long:o .

Seriously though Eric, your project is looking great. I can't wait for the whole thing to be finished, or at least some of the fight sceens. It'll be nice to see what you do with the phasers bouncing of the hull. Oh, Oh, and how you do Deckers ship all messed up. Oh, and when the Doomsday Machine shoots at the Enterprise. Oh and... Well you get the idea:thumb: .

[scifieric]

It'll be nice to see what you do with the phasers bouncing of the hull. Oh, Oh, and how you do Deckers ship all messed up. Oh, and when the Doomsday Machine shoots at the Enterprise. Oh and... Well you get the idea:thumb: .
LOL!

Thanks Roliba, I really appreciate the enthusiasm! (Man, that was great :D ) I feel exactly the same way. I'd almost say that half the fun is sitting back and coming up with different ideas even if you outright dismiss 90% of them as they cross your mind, it's still fun.

[Ozylot]

Anyone else feel a little wierd posting in here if you don't have an enterprise in you avatar? :D

Great work on the asteroids... seemless.

[Nevets]

That's odd. I had just typed something it, clicked "Post Quick Reply" and it logged me out. The world is indeed a mad place.

My god! What did I start. LOL

WM, RM, QT (depending on the codec you're using) and DivX (played in it's own player or on a DivX compatible DVD standalone player) support aspect ratios. It's in one of the many options that appear when you create the video.

I use the superior (not just my opinion) PAL myself being in a PAL country.

Here's some video aspect info sites (enjoy):
http://lipas.uwasa.fi/~f76998/video/conversion/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspect_ratio_(image)
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/anamorphic/aspectratios/widescreenorama.html
http://www.mir.com/DMG/aspect.html

There's plenty more our there.

[scifieric]

Anyone else feel a little wierd posting in here if you don't have an enterprise in you avatar? :D

Great work on the asteroids... seemless.
Thanks Ozylot, but don't worry, I always thought your avatar was very original!

[scifieric]

It's in one of the many options that appear when you create the video.
Thanks for the links, they're informative!

[malach]

i'm having trouble viewing the second file.....and yes, i installed the Xvid codec, and have the newest DivX codec as well.

[scifieric]

i'm having trouble viewing the second file.....and yes, i installed the Xvid codec, and have the newest DivX codec as well.
Hello malach,

Try this link for the Windows Media Video version:

http://pacsadminpro.com/movies/SysL370m2.WMV

or this link for the Real Media version:

http://pacsadminpro.com/movies/SysL370m2.rmvb

I figure something has got to work! LOL!

If you don't have any luck with these, let me know and you and I will come up with something else.

[uniderth]

Hey thats the first time I was able to view one of your files. It looks pretty good!

[scifieric]

Thanks! Were you able to see the opening shot? If not, I can post that in which ever version worked for you.

[uniderth]

I just saw the clip in post #123. It was the Windows Media Version

[scifieric]

Not really an update but sort of. I wanted to see how close I can get to the look and feel of the credits before I embark on something that intensive. It's just a quickie.

http://pacsadminpro.com/images/comparered.jpg

I know I have to reposition my lights and the planet's continents are the wrong shap plus I need some clouds and I have to speed it up but I figure I'm getting there. What do you think?

Divx 6.1 (http://pacsadminpro.com/movies/replanet02.AVI)

Windows Media (http://pacsadminpro.com/movies/replanet02.WMV)

Real Media (http://pacsadminpro.com/movies/replanet02.rmvb)

[STnut35]

Looks Damn fine if you ask me.It is a bit slow,but that's why its in the 3
D wips section....hehe

[scifieric]

Thanks STnut35. You got here quick!

[JeffrySG]

I know I have to reposition my lights and the planet's continents are the wrong shap plus I need some clouds and I have to speed it up but I figure I'm getting there. What do you think?
besides the points you just made I'd say this looks great... great work!

[scifieric]

Thanks JeffrySG! I love to look at your work and thanks for looking!

[Taranis]

outstanding work on this scifieric:)

[scifieric]

Thanks Taranis! I need to get cracking!

[Tallguy]

Looks good, but something's not quite there in terms of arc and speed (as far as apeing the show). But it's nice to see some progress!

[scifieric]

Thanks Tallguy. You're absolutely right.

[Tallguy]

I never quite know how to crit your stuff, since most of the time you're trying to do a "clean" dupe of TOS. Except when you're NOT. But great stuff nonetheless.

[harrisw]

hmmm, looking at the two pictures side-by-side, I'd say the deflector dish is smaller than the original and the secondary hull appears larger id diameter.

Still looks great though.

[Ozylot]

Not sure if your still making changes to the mesh or not, but I noticed the deflector thing too. Plus, maybe its the angle of the camera, but the neck part of the ship seems to have a diffirent angle. An interesting way of comparing things that are side by side like this, (I use to do this all the time to win those 'whats different in these picture' games) is to litterally cross your eyes so that both images overlap. Anything that is different appears partly transparent. Or for the visually challenged, one could use a transperancy layering in a paint program to achieve this.

Great work, keep it up.

[scifieric]

Yep, thanks for the observation!

The deflector dish ... and some of the other differences are due to the fact that the real scene was shot for the second pilot. The dish was larger and the bridge was higher. The white running lights on the lower section of the saucer were set back further.

I can't shake the secondary hull problem. My Enterprise is right on the specs of the Alan Sinclair plans so I must be doing something wrong with my camera placement or magnification. I can't figure it out yet.

Next time I'll see if I can find a similar image with the Season 2 version of the Enterprise so that it's a little more Apples to Apples.

I appreciate the response harrisw!

[Dr-Timelord]

wow...

just wow.


Quick question would be, are you planning to spruce up the ship scenes with the Machine?

or keep it as close to the 60's format as possible?

[scifieric]

Not sure if your still making changes to the mesh or not, but I noticed the deflector thing too.
Yep, I'll have to get a picture of the modified Enterprise from Season One or after.

Plus, maybe its the angle of the camera, but the neck part of the ship seems to have a diffirent angle. An interesting way of comparing things that are side by side like this, (I use to do this all the time to win those 'whats different in these picture' games) is to litterally cross your eyes so that both images overlap. Anything that is different appears partly transparent. Or for the visually challenged, one could use a transperancy layering in a paint program to achieve this.
I think that the neck and the secondary hull problem are tied together. I think I didn't use a wide enough angle. If I use a wider angle, bring the camera closer to the model and change the angle the camera points at the model by a degree or two, the difference should disappear.

Of course, I could be totally wrong. It's hard for me to judge these things and I make no claims of impartiality! LOL!

Great work, keep it up.
Thanks Ozylot. I appreciat the kind words and the sharp observations. I'd really like to get this right.

[scifieric]

wow...

just wow.


Quick question would be, are you planning to spruce up the ship scenes with the Machine?

or keep it as close to the 60's format as possible?
I've planned a mix.

The original idea for me was to not do any of this. When the original Star Wars had made it's run, I had the thought that it was too bad they didn't have the technology for such effects on the original Star Trek but that wasn't the inspiration. The inspiration was when years later, they reissued the original Star Wars movie and they had to rescue the film to do it.

When I heard about the clean up, I wondered if something similar could be done with Star Trek. I just wanted to clean up the blue screen effect errors, stars passing through ships and matte painting errors.

I've modified that a bit as my viewscreen scene for entering system L370 shows. I started to go overboard and was having fun.

So, although I could never get my hands on the old stock footage and use computers to clean up the original series and then composit more accurately, I could try to recreate the effects and the film grain and angles, not to mention keeping the same model throughout the episode! No sudden changing of dish size or bridge size or markings or weathering!

I have a couple of "fan-boy" shots in mind for the fight scene but I don't want anything to look like they couldn't have done it in the 60's.

Does ... does that answer the question? :lol:

Thanks Timelord, I appreciate the questions and the attention!

[Scorndrake]

I've noticed a couple things here one your title of this thread is
misleading cause the Enterprise is not the Doomsday Machine but
the second image attached on here is what it looks like. The other
is the comment about your deflector dish is off. Actually you are
dead on the dish and the first attachment shows several angles of
the Enterprise in Orbit.

So seeing that the title is so far misleading are you going to actually
make the Doomsday Machine or what is the story on this?

[scifieric]

So seeing that the title is so far misleading are you going to actually make the Doomsday Machine or what is the story on this?
You're a funny guy!

"The Doomsday Machine" also happens to be the name of the episode where I'm getting these clips? Clever, no?

So, strap the second clip to the back of the first clip and then follow it up with the effects from the title sequence and you start to get an episode! That's what I'm after.

As to the other part of the question, yes, I'll be showing the Doomsday Machine itself soon. Very soon!

Scorndrake, that's an interesting nickname. Thanks for stopping in and looking! I like the fact that you put some research on this and saw that I was modeling the later dish. Nice spotting!

[Dr-Timelord]

Well i hope you make the episode available if you ever get it finished

[Scorndrake]

No Proplem! I am a huge Fan of the series and my Parents had
me watching the series and the Cartoon as well as going to the
theaters and seeing all the movies.

When I see a title like yours and all I see is the Enterprise and no
planet killer as Spock called it, you can see why I would say the title
is misleading. Your Title could have said "Doomsday Machine - Enterprise"
and that I would have understood better and not been looking for the planet
killer.

No research needed on my part just have a great memory for certain things,
that is why I have my name in the Star Trek Encyclopedia as a special thanks
to. :thumb: Keep up the great work on her, the Enterprise that is!

[Roliba]

Just thought I'd drop in a line and say what a great job you're doing. This was one of my favorite eps (staships zipping along, shuttles launching, Deckers going nuts.) I really look forward to the finished project.

Now GET A MOVE ON!!!!:devil:

[scifieric]

Sir, yes Sir! LOL!

[scifieric]

Trying to get the hang of using VRay in the latest version of TrueSpace. If it will lend a little more reality to the renderings, it will be worth it. Adding caustics seem to impede light, so I'm not sure I've (like I said) got the hang of it.

http://pacsadminpro.sslpowered.com/images/VRayEnt01.jpg

I know some of the windows have disappeared. I will be replacing their textures next time.

[scifieric]

No real update ... just having a little more fun.

http://pacsadminpro.com/images/beneath02.jpg

[STnut35]

that picture is Da BOMB!!!! Wallpaper Wallpaper!!!!!,and when are we gonna see some Constellation shots?i wanna see what your gonna do with her.

[scifieric]

LOL! Thanks STnut35.

I've got to head out so I'll post a large version tomorrow. And I can't wait to see what happens either!

[Choo1701]

http://pacsadminpro.sslpowered.com/images/VRayEnt01.jpg


so...preatty....:)
(and so memorable since the Enterprise is the first star ship i've ever known)

Thanks eric.

I really don't know why i've put off coming to this thread..."Doomsday" perhaps ;) :p

[scifieric]

Thanks Choo! I just didn't think you were big on Trek ... but I knew you loved the BG universe! (Have you reposted all your Viper textures since the crash?)

I appreciate the kind words!

[scifieric]

Desktop version 1280x1024

http://pacsadminpro.com/images/BigBeneath02tmb.jpg (http://pacsadminpro.com/images/BigBeneath02.jpg)

[STnut35]

Dude!!! that picture looks smokin on my wallpaper!!!!

[scifieric]

:chuckle: I'm glad you liked it!

[STnut35]

i just updated mine with another shot

[Four Mad Men]

http://pacsadminpro.sslpowered.com/images/VRayEnt01.jpg

Beautiful!!!! Not really any more I can add to that except to repeat myself... Beau-ti-ful.

[Dr-Timelord]

Pic is too clean, make it grainy lol

[scifieric]

Beautiful!!!! Not really any more I can add to that except to repeat myself... Beau-ti-ful.4MM! Nice to see you man!

Thanks for the kind words. I really appreciate it.

I posted a note to Tallguy just recently where I told him what I thought about his lovely Enterprise model. The image that I had in mind was the absolutely superb render you made of his Enterprise alongside your Botany Bay. That may be the greatest Star Trek image I have ever seen, bar none.

I hope you post a thread that showcases your work now that the site is back up.

[scifieric]

Pic is too clean, make it grainy lolYep, that was straight out of the program.

So, here's my new equation: Your wish = My command

LOL!


http://pacsadminpro.com/images/EntSide02.jpg

[scifieric]

Lost some textures and reference images when I was messing around with Vista Beta 2. ARGH! Oh well, as last post shows, I still have the Big E and most of her textures. Not a total loss.

[baptiste11]

Exelent render, and work , again !!

[Dr-Timelord]

How are you getting that grainy look, is it some visual plug in ? you have to tell me :(

[Four Mad Men]

Glad to be seen. To my knowledge that's the only CG image of Enterprise and Botany Bay I know of. I'm gald you liked it, I did too, but I thought the color looked a little flat (entirely my fault on the lighting). So perhaps I will repost the work on my DY-100 and this time try to get that render looking better.

[scifieric]

Exelent render, and work , again !!
Thanks baptiste11! I appreciate the kind words.

I'm surprised people still look!

[scifieric]

How are you getting that grainy look, is it some visual plug in ? you have to tell me :(
Photoshop. I use the very lowest setting in Film Grain.

Filter-Artistic-Film Grain

Grain=1
Highlight Area=0
Intensity=0

It's as close as I can figure out how to simulate real 1960's film grain without actually extracting it from frames of episodic film!

[scifieric]

Glad to be seen. To my knowledge that's the only CG image of Enterprise and Botany Bay I know of. I'm gald you liked it, I did too, but I thought the color looked a little flat (entirely my fault on the lighting). So perhaps I will repost the work on my DY-100 and this time try to get that render looking better. I'm hoping that with my renders I come close to the film quality of the original series. I absolutely love the look of the original and that's perhaps the reason why I was so envious of your abilities on that render. I was not just giving the "old encouragement" routine, my appreciation was completely genuine. You had achieved the VERY look I wanted and surpassed it.

And you did it in Blender. Blender. I still can't believe it.

I need the tools to be good. I am convinced that you and a select few others are so talented you could make photo-quality renders with crayons and newsprint. I'm not jealous of much but I am jealous of talent.

I hope you keep the original and expand on it to your heart's desire with other renders but don't get rid of that first one. I love it.

[Dr-Timelord]

Ahh so to create a 60's looking clip.


I think i know a new use for Exporting filmstrips into Photoshop

[scifieric]

Ahh so to create a 60's looking clip.

I think i know a new use for Exporting filmstrips into Photoshop
Well, I can't figure out how to improve what I've been doing (heaven knows I'd love to turn out photo-realistic stuff. (Have you seen nico's Eagle (http://www.scifi-meshes.com/forums/3d-wips/64-eagle-transporter.html?highlight=nico)? Or perhaps the animations by Tallguy (http://www.scifi-meshes.com/forums/3d-gallery/282-tallguy-movies.html)? And there's 4MM's renders (http://www.fourmadmen.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=4&pos=1). They all look closer to real than I can manage. There are other examples like IRLM and Al3d and others who can create work that looks like a photograph of a real object routinely).

So, I hide my work under film grain! LOL!

I've actually got other methods that require another couple of steps to tone down the grain even more but this is a fast and pretty good looking method that I use the most often. I hope you find it helpful.

The reason I said "60's" is because as time went on, I think film grain became less noticeable. Take a look at the modern trek series. They still put the result on film and the images look a lot less grainy. At least they look less grainy to my eyes.

[Prime_8]

heh have to all a hair and a scratch here and there .. lol

[scifieric]

I've actually considered that! I don't know if it would help the viewer accept the effects as real or not. Thanks Prime_8!

[Dr-Timelord]

It probably would.


Worked for TMP, Creating New Effects that look and fit in the film.

Unlike A New Hope where the effects really stand out now


I personally don't know how u would create the 60's effect in Blender with Tallguy's TOS enterprise

[scifieric]

It probably would.

Worked for TMP, Creating New Effects that look and fit in the film.
Interesting and I may consider it. What I meant was that it would be pretty useless for me to put more effort into emulating the film when it's my modeling skills (or lack thereof), texturing and lighting that need to come up to snuff. I don't think anyone who is serious about 3D work or even an enthusiastic hobbyist will confuse my work with the original. It just doesn't look real.

Unlike A New Hope where the effects really stand out now

I personally don't know how u would create the 60's effect in Blender with Tallguy's TOS enterprise
Well, look at this image from 4MM (http://www.fourmadmen.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=4&pos=1). You may have to sign onto his site.

If that link doesn't work for you, paste all of this into your browser:
Four Mad Men Image Gallery - Last additions/dy100-30 (http://www.fourmadmen.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=4&pos=1)

It's too bad the image is so small because it is perhaps the most real looking TOS inspired image I have ever seen. No gimmicks. No tricks. The lighting carries it through and 4MM considered the lighting not good enough! It's a wonderful image using Tallguy's model Enterprise.

Now, if you wanted to go my route, simply render every image to a directory in a format friendly to your favorite image processing software, like BMP or TGA for Photoshop. Then create a repeatable set of actions and apply some combination of the following:

Desaturate the image somewhat. I routinely desaturate the image about 10 percent. Next, increase the contrast slightly. Next, apply your favorite version of film grain.

I don't know if you can use a series of still images as a background for Blender but in TrueSpace, I then take the resulting images and render them as an AVI. It's a lot of work (and I only use copies of the images ... I learned THAT one the HARD way) but the results can be worth it.

[Four Mad Men]

Wow man thanks for the kind words. I've often heard that I'm my own worse critic and I suppose it's true. I'm just never satisfied, which I guess contributes to why I have so many unfinished projects. It's funny because that last render you posted of the Enterprise (prior to adding the film grain) is a VERY nice shot. The one negative that really stands out is the textuing around the saucer rim, but apart from that it's an excellent render.

Tallguy's Enterprise is one of the four best Enterprise meshes I know to exist. And I count yours in the group as well. Keep up the work and I look forward to some action scenes between the DM and Enterpise.

No need to register to view the images in my gallery. And here is a larger version of the one you posted above. Enjoy and thanks again.

Ent. and Botany Bay (http://www.fourmadmen.com/gallery/albums/images/blender/wip/dy100/dy100-1280wallpaper1.jpg)

[Four Mad Men]

Oh, almost forgot... Have you tried the "Add Noise" option in Photosop. Set distribution to Gaussian, turn on monochromatic, and play around with the amount slider (6 seems to be a good number).

[Dr-Timelord]

This is great info for me to use.


If i can get the Ent-B finished in time for Sept, i might have a interesting project in mind,


tee hee hee i say



But keep it up, i would love to see a New take on TDM

[scifieric]

It's funny because that last render you posted of the Enterprise (prior to adding the film grain) is a VERY nice shot. The one negative that really stands out is the textuing around the saucer rim, but apart from that it's an excellent render.
Uh, wow. Thanks! I thought of that render as a total throw-away.

Do you think I should tone down the texture? It fairly accurately reflect the amount of weathering that was on the model during the second season (as far as I can tell) but I'm far from objective. I know that the key word to weathering on the Big E is supposed to be subtle. I probably went too far.

Thanks for the larger post 4MM! Sweet! I lost the copy I had grabbed earlier during my Vista experiments and I was mourning the loss. I was also about to PM you and ask if you still had a copy! LOL!

[scifieric]

Oh, almost forgot... Have you tried the "Add Noise" option in Photosop. Set distribution to Gaussian, turn on monochromatic, and play around with the amount slider (6 seems to be a good number).
Yep but I don't apply it directly to the image. I create a new layer and fill it with white and then add the noise. Then I use the layer's properties and adjust the transparency to get the effect and amount of effect I want.

Multiply, Color Burn or Linear Burn work in increasing amounts (each one darker than the last) or you can go with Soft Light but you'll decrease the amount of contrast in the image.

This is great info for me to use.
*edit*
But keep it up, i would love to see a New take on TDM
You're welcome to it! Your ship is progressing nicely and a little film grain will help the final images look as though they were taken with a camera.

I was working on the DDM engine effect. I'm trying my best to replicate the original ... ARGH! It's hard!

[scifieric]

Tallguy's Enterprise is one of the four best Enterprise meshes I know to exist. And I count yours in the group as well.
You know, I can't say thanks enough for that. I love this ship and what you said is very important to me. Thanks again 4MM.

[Four Mad Men]

It's well deserved, and you're welcome.

So, how are those asteroids coming along?

[scifieric]

They're not. :chuckle:

For the tutorial I've been building an entirely new and more accurate Enterprise. I'll be turning the end result into my new Enterprise and perhaps the Constellation.

I'm not sure what to do about the asteroids. I've got to try again. Unfortunately my imagination is failing on that front as I can only think of real asteroids and Prof M's neat-O asteroids. I don't want to steal so I've got to come up with something else.

Thanks for asking and I'm open to suggestions for consideration.

[scifieric]

This is about as close to the internal engine effect of the Doomsday Machine as I've ever gotten.

[Dr-Timelord]

Are u planning on it doing anything cool, like a snake.


The DDM is like a giant Python Really, just an idea.


I've seen A DDM mesh around someone, would make good Ref points if i could remember where i saw it...


NEW enterprise ?!?! Nothing wrong with the you have!

[STnut35]

i like the engine pattern youve got.It looks way cool!!

[Professor Moriarty]

I think that effect looks marvelous... but where's the rest of the PK? :shiner:

[Four Mad Men]

That's a good interior "fire". If you can animate it I say go with that one.

As for the texturing on the saucer edges...

It's not too heavy for my tastes but it needs to be broken up more. Essentially the panels run from the very top to the very bottom (i.e. any single "panel" takes up the whole space from top to bottom). Too stripe-like. I'm probably not explaining that very well so let me know if you have any clue as to what I mean (or not).

[scifieric]

Are u planning on it doing anything cool, like a snake.


The DDM is like a giant Python Really, just an idea.


I've seen A DDM mesh around someone, would make good Ref points if i could remember where i saw it...


NEW enterprise ?!?! Nothing wrong with the you have!
I have a few ideas in my head but I am first trying to duplicate the original. Rather like my goal with the Enterprise, I want something that can be ... confused with the original.

I could have been done with the whole project years ago if it wasn't so important to me to look like the original and I mean down to the film grain and bluescreen spill on the models.

I don't know if I'll ever make it to that level, but it's good to have a goal. This is one of the reasons I never got into Enterprise. The ship and effects always looked CG to me. I don't know why it's important to me, it just is.

OldCode was kind enough to share his model of the Doomsday Machine with me. I'm hoping that I still have a copy and didn't lose it in my Vista Nightmare.

I owe him a couple of renders.

As for the Enterprise? I can never get accurate enough! LOL!

Thanks for the suggestions. If you want a snake-looking DDM right now, try Star Trek: The New Voyages episode "In Harm's Way". The have an updated DDM and internal engine effect. It also moves and wags it's tail and roars!

IHW is actually a pretty good episode! (At least I think so.)

I appreciate you looking in. Keep going with your Enterprise B. I'd like to see it moving across the screen!

[scifieric]

i like the engine pattern youve got.It looks way cool!!
Thanks STnut35! I appreciate that. It's not quite like the original but it's closer than I have been before.

[scifieric]

I think that effect looks marvelous... but where's the rest of the PK? :shiner:
PK? Uh oh, I don't get it. It's probably obvious and I'm missing it! LOL!

Pretty Kittens? Oh, I just know I'm way off! LOL!

I appreciate you looking in Prof! It's always good to see you.

[scifieric]

That's a good interior "fire". If you can animate it I say go with that one.

As for the texturing on the saucer edges...

It's not too heavy for my tastes but it needs to be broken up more. Essentially the panels run from the very top to the very bottom (i.e. any single "panel" takes up the whole space from top to bottom). Too stripe-like. I'm probably not explaining that very well so let me know if you have any clue as to what I mean (or not).
I can animate it but it might not look like people expect. The original looked like two fireworks shots that were on transparencies and were spun in opposing directions. Where "bright" spots overlapped, we got a "spark" but it turned round and round, not sparking from the center. My memory always thought that the "sparks" were coming from the center to the edge.

Mine will try to duplicate the original effect and will spin. I'll see if I can get closer.

Ah, thanks for pointing out what you meant and I know exactly what you mean! I'll work on that. It's a perfectly valid point and anything that you point out that gets me closer to the original I will be grateful!

Thanks 4MM!

[Dr-Timelord]

anthing? :D anything at all?

[scifieric]

Well, it ain't much but I wanted to see how much of my textures and flashes survived the Vista hard drive melt down.

I've labeled it for the Immunity Syndrome since the background went the way of the Dodo but it was a test for the ship anyway.

http://pacsadminpro.sslpowered.com/images/approach.jpg
(http://pacsadminpro.sslpowered.com/movies/immune01.avi)
Click on the image to download a couple of seconds of DivX 6 avi.

[Four Mad Men]

Now that is bloody awesome animation!!!!!!!!!!

More, more! You are to be congratulated sir.

[scifieric]

Gee, 4MM ... thanks! It's just a quick approach but one of my favorite angles.

You're a kind guy!

[Four Mad Men]

Credit where credit is due I say. That's one of my favorite angles as well and it all comes together nicely.

[Professor Moriarty]

Hey Eric, I just noticed something you might want to check on your starboard green running light. It looks like there is a "door" or something passing in front of the light from left to right and right to left as the light is cycling on and off.

(p.s., looking lovely! Your saucer textures are much better than mine.)

[scifieric]

Credit where credit is due I say. That's one of my favorite angles as well and it all comes together nicely.
Thanks 4MM. I really appreciate it.

I just have a rough time believing that it looks okay. :D

[scifieric]

Hey Eric, I just noticed something you might want to check on your starboard green running light. It looks like there is a "door" or something passing in front of the light from left to right and right to left as the light is cycling on and off.

(p.s., looking lovely! Your saucer textures are much better than mine.)
I noticed that. I'm going to have to go back and see if there's something odd going on but I'm hoping it's because of my light positioning. It's the same "flash texture" that I use on the red light and there's no "swing" effect there.

I don't know about my saucer textures. I think they need some work ... and I liked yours better than mine! (I miss your WIP, btw.) I appreciate the kind words though. It makes it easier to keep going.

[Brickhead]

Looking great as always Eric, beautiful job Bro.
I don't see anything wrong with the light have to look again.

[scifieric]

Thanks Brickhead! Look at the green running light. It almost looks like the light swings left and right as a texture across the little dome. I think it's an effect of my having a bright source light on that side of the ship. As the dome opaques, it looks like the texture is "moving". At least, I HOPE that's what's going on! LOL!

[Darth Malice]

Well, looks good to me, green light mishap or not.

I`ve noticed a large amount Scifieric clones around here lately. Seems your tutorial release has become a hit. I had a look over it and seems to be fairly cross-app friendly. Most techniques can be emulated in max at least. Well done there man, congrats...:flippy:

[scifieric]

Hey Maui! Thanks for dropping in. How go the digs?

Yeah, there are a few that are better than what I'm showing in my tutorial, huh? LOL! I need to have tutorials from them! :D

I've got to do more work on that tutorial. It's gotten me some nice accolades. Thanks for the kind words and good to see you around.

[Darth Malice]

Hehe, credit where credits due mate. Its some fine work and there seems to be no shortage of people who think so... :thumb:

I`m settled in great now and my life finally feels like its coming back together. I`ve even managed to get some modelling done recently...:flippy:

Anyway, cant wait to see this project finished. So I can get my greasy mits on the final cut. Keep it coming mate!..:lol:

[Tallguy]

Looks great. Did you change your textures, or how they render? The saucer rim looks MUCH better.

[scifieric]

Hello Tallguy! The only difference is my lighting. I think I'm close to how I want it to look. Rather like you, I'm (obviously) nostalgic for TOS but my ultimate goal is to be able to slip an effect in unnoticed. I would say something similar to the idea for the ST:TMP Director's Edition.

I need to remake my textures and lighten up the weathering and break it up a bit as 4MM recommended. I may have to start from scratch since my entire Photoshop drive got wiped! :sad:

Oh well, if you think it's starting to get closer to "realistic" perhaps I just need to keep working on my lighting?

Thanks for looking in. You're animations are inspirational.

[Dr-Timelord]

I don't know if this helps or not.

but i came across a site which had scans of the ' Original' Specs for the Enterprise shuttlebay for the Tv series.

http://www.cloudster.com/Sets&Vehicles/STEnterprise/eplan04.JPG
http://www.cloudster.com/Sets&Vehicles/STEnterprise/eplan05.JPG


I remember you possibly saying something in another thread about a shuttlebay :S just thought i'd post in try and help?


*edit* this looks pretty cool too
http://www.cloudster.com/Sets&Vehicles/STEnterprise/EnterpriseRenderings/EnterpriseRender14.jpg
http://www.cloudster.com/Sets&Vehicles/STEnterprise/EnterpriseRenderings/EntHangerDeck03.jpg

[vf-1msx]

nice work :thumb:

[scifieric]

I don't know if this helps or not.
Thanks Dr-Timelord! Yep, I've got those scans and I've been on Cloudster. You're absolutely right, it's a great reference.

Thanks!

Yeah, I've got a couple of shots in my head to show where the shuttlebay was. Fans put it together because of the clam shell doors but never saw a shuttle emerge from the outside. I need to create a shuttlecraft and a good bay.

I appreciate the help a lot.

[scifieric]

nice work :thumb:
Thanks vf-1msx! I appreciate the kind words!

[Professor Moriarty]

I don't know if this helps or not.

but i came across a site which had scans of the ' Original' Specs for the Enterprise shuttlebay for the Tv series.

http://www.cloudster.com/Sets&Vehicles/STEnterprise/eplan04.JPG
http://www.cloudster.com/Sets&Vehicles/STEnterprise/eplan05.JPG
Those drawings were penned by Matt Jeffries and made their first public appearance in Stephen Whitfield's 1968 book The Making of Star Trek.

But just an FYI, the general consensus over at the Trek BBS was that these were drawings of the filming minature, not schematics of the actual hangar deck. One clue is the fact that the hangar deck miniature was a irregularly proportioned model that used forced perspective helped "sell" the hugeness of the hangar deck. If you look closely at the side profile drawing, you can see hints of this forced perspective--look at how the elevated observation deck slopes downward.

I only mention this because many people have tried to shoehorn these MJ blueprints into the outer shell of the secondary hull of the Enterprise and failed, and it's because the drawings aren't really meant to be the actual schematics of the Enterprise hangar deck... they're only working drawings of the VFX miniature.

[scifieric]

Interesting.

With my last version of the Enterprise I included a shuttlebay and instead of trying to match the outline, I simply made as large a bay as I could and kept each of the elements of the design, the most important elements to me were the ones you could see on the show. Kept the layout as close as I could and it wasn't too bad. I never did finish detailing it.

Hey Prof, did you install a shuttlebay in your Enterprise? I seem to remember you made your Enterprise more advanced than what we saw on the screen.

[Professor Moriarty]

Not really "more advanced", just (I hope) more real-looking with little details like modeled gridlines, weathering, little bitty signs sprinkled all over the place, flush-mounted doors for the phaser banks and photon torpedo tubes, etc., etc., etc.

And no, there is no hangar deck on my model.

Yet.

[Dr-Timelord]

Not really "more advanced", just (I hope) more real-looking with little details like modeled gridlines, weathering, little bitty signs sprinkled all over the place, flush-mounted doors for the phaser banks and photon torpedo tubes, etc., etc., etc.

And no, there is no hangar deck on my model.

Yet.


Prof. Looking at your own Doomsday Project on ur website, i have to say its a shame you won't finished it, and it looks fantasitc

[Hugger]

Prof. Looking at your own Doomsday Project on ur website, i have to say its a shame you won't finished it, and it looks fantasitc

please don't give up, just take some time off :D

[Professor Moriarty]

Who's says I'm not finishing it? :devil:

[scifieric]

Why YOU did!

Hey, you are doing the same thing I was doing for the Constellation! No fair beating me to it! (You're using the The Cage/Where No Man version of the ship ... now I've got to go back and do something else. Rats.)

[Professor Moriarty]

I think I had always said that I was doing the older version of the Constitution class, as a way of explaining the unusally-low registry number. In any event, don't let that stop you from doing your project your way! I certainly don't have a monopoly on the franchise, and besides, I may run out of gas again before crossing the finish line.

And on that subject btw, I am pretty sure that I never said that I was never finishing my project... I was just on a break.

[Dr-Timelord]

Well i'd still like to see BOTH projects.


You both bring something new and each has a different way of taking on this project.


So I complement you both, as i think both are stunning to look at

[scifieric]

And on that subject btw, I am pretty sure that I never said that I was never finishing my project... I was just on a break.
I should have put a smilie at the end of that quote. I'm a big fan of the Marx Brothers. It was a tip of the hat to Duck Soup:

Groucho: You should be ashamed of yourself. Where'd you hear a story like that?
Zeppo: Why you told it to me!
Groucho: Oh yes! I should have slapped Mrs. Teasdale's face when she told it to me.

LOL! I love that.

Well i'd still like to see BOTH projects.

You both bring something new and each has a different way of taking on this project.

So I complement you both, as i think both are stunning to look at
Thanks Dr-Timelord! I cruise the net every now and againto find how different people are handling projects like this. There are a few who have done The Doomsday Machine.

Ugh, when I started, I had only ever heard of one! LOL! It takes me a while to get going. :lol:

[Dr-Timelord]

Why people don't do ' the ultimate computer' i just dont know lol

[Alareth]

Redo "The Trouble with Tribbles" Millions of cgi fuzzballs!

[scifieric]

A lot of us have other episodes in mind. As for "Why The Doomsday Machine" question, a couple of possibilities:
1) Action-packed episode. Lots of ships and phasers and destroyed planets.
2) The gauntlet was thrown down.

What I mean by #2 was that a small Fx company called DigitalStream had a couple of Trek fans who wondered what Trek would look like with modern effects, like lots of Trek fans wonder. Well, they were in a position to do something about it. They created a "sample" episode without final textures or models just to prove it could be done. They proposed redoing 12 of the most action oriented episodes and showing them on the SciFi channel or perhaps selling a special DVD edition of the 12.

In any case, the fact that they went ahead and used fairly low-resolution models and temporary textures worked against them. The idea looked cool but die-hard fans were up in arms.

The company was later purchased and consumed but their "episode" became the standard to "beat" by others including home hobbyists. You can see some of their work here:

YouTube - Star Trek "Doomsday Machine" CGI Updates (http://youtube.com/watch?v=7HSYC6Wlbv8)

[scifieric]

For example, I have plans for "The Corbomite Maneuver" and "The Ultimate Computer" along with a remake of the effects for "The Cage" and a couple of others. Not all but this will keep me occupied for decades! LOL!

[evil_genius_180]

When you get all of that done, do something about that cheezy pink galactic barrier in Where No Man Has Gone Before.

:runs:

[scifieric]

When you get all of that done, do something about that cheezy pink galactic barrier in Where No Man Has Gone Before.

:runs:
Yeah, that's right! You better run! LOL!

Man, I love that cheesy pink galactic barrier! :lol:

[evil_genius_180]

Man, I love that cheesy pink galactic barrier! :lol:

I do too, I was just jerkin' yer chain. In fact, I love all of the effects in TOS. If it were up to me, Enterprise would have been just like it, only less technically advanced. :)

[Alareth]

I don't know if you read any of the novels, but if you take them as semi-canon the power in the barrier was Q

[scifieric]

Only if you believe Peter David. *snort*

LOL!

[scifieric]

I do too, I was just jerkin' yer chain. In fact, I love all of the effects in TOS. If it were up to me, Enterprise would have been just like it, only less technically advanced. :)
Yep, I'm with you there!

I was really hoping that Enterprise would turn out to be what they had talked about earlier. Supposedly the idea of The Adventures of Captain Christopher Pike was bandied about with a new young Spock (and everyone else). I was dreading what they would change but thought if they did it right, it would be watchable.

Boy, did I get that wrong! LOL!

[Alareth]

I want to see an anthology style Trek show.

Different crews on different ships every week. Weird stuff has to happen to more people than just the crew of the Enterprise.

[Choo1701]

I want to see an anthology style Trek show.

Different crews on different ships every week. Weird stuff has to happen to more people than just the crew of the Enterprise.

that would have been far too expensive :( Nice idea though.

[Zardoz]

And the aventures of Robert April first mission in capitain in the USS YorkTown wich Cristopher Pike as Ensign (and Helmsman) and George Kirk (the father of Kirk) as the Security Oficer / Fisrt Officer ????

Look Star Trek : Origins fan film project at Studio Corner (http://www.startrekorigins.com/)

[STnut35]

I think someone needs to CGI "Balance Of Terror" also.It was another excellent episode.

[Hugger]

Would love to see some battle damage :D

[uniderth]

Hey scifieric. What do you use to render your shots. Whenever I try and render stuff with truespace it always ends up looking horrible.

[scifieric]

I think someone needs to CGI "Balance Of Terror" also.It was another excellent episode. That is in my list of episodes. I actually did my first animations with my first Enterprise model in TrueSpace 3.2 showing the Romulan ship cloaking as it went past the Enterprise. Later on when I thought out the actual scenes to replace, I realized that it would not actually have a lot of close-quarter scenes like my memory said would happen.

So, I may still do it but it won't be ... an Fx festival.

Would love to see some battle damage :D Oh, you will. You will! The Constellation starts off the episode with a few ... nicks and cuts. LOL!

Hey scifieric. What do you use to render your shots. Whenever I try and render stuff with truespace it always ends up looking horrible. Actually, most of my stuff here is being rendered in TrueSpace 4 or 5 and some in 7. Here are a few tips to turn out better renders in TS.

Decide what your final image resolution will be. Now increase that for your render. You want to display 800x600? Great, render it 900x675 or greater. Why? Even with full 4x antialiasing, your image will have slightly jagged edges. That's the nature of the rendering beast.

Render with all lights (perhaps with one exception) all using the Cast Shadows option.

I almost don't use a single light from one direction anymore. Say you have an infinite light set to 1 coming from the left side of the screen in a head-on shot. I now set three infinite lights set at .33 from the same direction and change the angle of each by about a degree or two. This winds up creating something closer to a "soft" light.

The final steps are in an image program like Photoshop. I open the image(s) in Photoshop and I have a specific goal in mind with this project. I want my images to look like they were captured on 1967 film, not a 2006 avi sequence.

So, first I reduce my image to the final size. You'll be surprised how sharp the edges look now.

Next, I desaturate my image about 10%. Computers tend to spit out images with great color. Compare your final renders with static screenshots from an episode. Your renders will probably be too clean and filled with color.

*edit*
Argh! I forgot to mention that I throw in a gaussian blur of about 0.5 pixels here. This will further create the illusion of soft shadows and remove all SHARP edges that can happen with computer renders. The real world has few razor sharp edges on every surface.
*end edit*

I may or may not increase the contrast a little, somewhere between 5 and 10%.

Then I add in a slight amount of film grain. And I do mean the lowest amount possible in the program. One tip off for me in looking at CGI is that even when professionals try to imitate the film look, they sometimes go too far with their film grain. I want the "only notable in it's absence" look (at least for this project).

Why do you ask? Presumably to avoid the pitfalls of my terrible renders? LOL!

[scifieric]

And the aventures of Robert April first mission in capitain in the USS YorkTown wich Cristopher Pike as Ensign (and Helmsman) and George Kirk (the father of Kirk) as the Security Oficer / Fisrt Officer ????

Look Star Trek : Origins fan film project at Studio Corner (http://www.startrekorigins.com/)
Hey, thanks for the link!

[Dr-Timelord]

There doing a pretty good job over @ Newvoyages.com


ok the Captain Kirk hair is a little funny looker, but i think it does have solid script work, good CGi and scene work. to capture the feel of the Tv show.

[Alareth]

I have the first episode of New Voyages and liked it overall except for the CGI Doomsday machine. It was horrible.

[scifieric]

There doing a pretty good job over @ Newvoyages.com

ok the Captain Kirk hair is a little funny looker, but i think it does have solid script work, good CGi and scene work. to capture the feel of the Tv show.
I thought they were getting close with In Harm's Way but they did something that only fans (or Babylon 5) tend to do with the references to all things TOS through the episode. Still, that one was well worth watching.

I have the first episode of New Voyages and liked it overall except for the CGI Doomsday machine. It was horrible.
Actually, In Harm's Way is the second episode they did. The first one was ... well it was terrible. LOL! Don't get me wrong, the effects are pretty much first rate but the story was awful.

[STnut35]

The First one was "Come What May"and yes the story was lousy.But the visuals were first rate.I especially like the opening shot of the Enterprise leaving the docking sphere,and jumping to warp.The camera stays trained on the Enterprise,through the whole shot,and the background jumps away.I thought that was a cool and different way to simulate warp speed.now for "In Harm's Way"....I thought it was an awesome attempt.The Doomsday Machines different appearance was because it was from the opposing side of the war,NOT the side you saw in the original series.only thing i didnt like about them was they made them move too organically,with tail movement and all,like a live animal.

[Dr-Timelord]

Well the Pilot may of been cheesy, and the first episode a little bit on the 'organic' side.


But i like where they are going.


Did u know that the guy who plays Kirk is also a Elvis Impersonator?

[STnut35]

yup sure did

[Four Mad Men]

Less talk and more battle scenes! :devil: :)

...and no stepping on my blue suede shoes.

[scifieric]

Less talk and more battle scenes! :devil: :)

...and no stepping on my blue suede shoes.
I thought Elvis had LEFT the building? LOL!

I'm going to get working on them now. Now that I finally finished the nacelle tutorial.

[BEMEUP]

Finally :D

Thank you vurry much! :p

[scifieric]

Don't thank me yet! :p

[Four Mad Men]

I thought Elvis had LEFT the building? LOL!

I'm going to get working on them now. Now that I finally finished the nacelle tutorial.
Actually the building left elvis. Nacelle tutorial? I thought you already knew how to make a nacelle.