How to build the Starship Enterprise in TrueSpace 3

[scifieric]

Uh, wow! Thanks man! I should post more soon. I've done a couple of more sections.

[startrekfan001]

here's a WIP from the ship i made so far using your tut:
(btw, i just redid the saucer but im redoing it again today, and the engineering hull was improvised. will that be your next point in the tut?)

[scifieric]

Wow startrekfan001, that's better than my first Enterprise model!

A couple of points to help in your continuing efforts if I may:

1) The B/C deck (egg shaped atop the saucer) needs to be a little more sharply defined. It looks a little too flat if you know what I mean.

2) The underside of the saucer at the very bottom appears flat on your model. It should be rounder. I would probably reduce the depth of the three rings or make them slightly smaller but very nice work!

3) The neck and pylons are actually round, not rectangular.

You have done VERY well on your own with the engineering deck! Yes, I will be getting to that area next.

Nice work. Keep going!

[startrekfan001]

Originally Posted by scifieric

1) The B/C deck (egg shaped atop the saucer) needs to be a little more sharply defined. It looks a little too flat if you know what I mean.

can you post an examplary image? i have all the reference images you suggested, the ones from alan sinclair, but they match... sharpen what?

Originally Posted by scifieric

3) The neck and pylons are actually round, not rectangular.

huh? same to that one!

Originally Posted by scifieric

You have done VERY well on your own with the engineering deck! Yes, I will be getting to that area next.

Nice work. Keep going!

thank you

edit: i will be redoing each part of the mesh, to perfection it. the bussards have been redone 4 times now, and im going for a 5th time now. the saucer is about to undergo its 3th redo. these redo's were not in the pictures i sent. after the bussard and the saucer, i will do the deflector dish for the 2nd time. ofcourse, i will first figure out what to change on the B/C deck.

[dan1701a]

Originally Posted by startrekfan001

can you post an examplary image? i have all the reference images you suggested, the ones from alan sinclair, but they match... sharpen what?


huh? same to that one!


thank you

edit: i will be redoing each part of the mesh, to perfection it. the bussards have been redone 4 times now, and im going for a 5th time now. the saucer is about to undergo its 3th redo. these redo's were not in the pictures i sent. after the bussard and the saucer, i will do the deflector dish for the 2nd time. ofcourse, i will first figure out what to change on the B/C deck.

I think what Scifieric meant by the neck and pylons being rounded and not rectangular is that they have rounded edges - look at Alan Sinclair's drawings again. The cross-sections for the dorsal are actually semi-teardrop shaped (rounded forward edge, bulging sides, and a somewhat flat trailing edge) and the cross-section of the pylons shows that the corners are rounded (or filleted, in 3D speak).

Another observation: The bridge turbolift needs to be directly aft of the bridge, not offset as you have it. If you look at Michael McMaster's blueprints of the bridge, it notes that the bridge is actually offset 36 degrees from the ship's centerline. That's why the turbolift is directly behind the bridge dome, but everybody is actually looking 36 degrees port when they face "forward". (Also, the other explanation was so they could have the lift doors directly behind Shatner when someone entered the bridge, so they didn't have to pan the camera over.)

It also seems as though the bussard collectors on the warp engines are a little squished. Consider using a half-sphere - it's a lot easier.

Other than those minor nits, your model really looks good! Hopefully I can get back into mine soon...I may consider giving up on Blender and going back to Cinema 4D or 3ds max, but I have a couple ideas I may try.........

[startrekfan001]

the bussard IS a half sphere... but i see what you mean. its fixed.

[Makotokat]

Excellent.........maybe I should make one.....

[Makotokat]

20 minutes work.....

[scifieric]

Nice going Makotokat!

[Makotokat]

I never realy played much with splines before, but this was fun. I am however going to remake it in 3 pieces probably, I know the woes of texturing in truespace! I was thinking of scanning my Franz Joseph Technical manual for fun!