How to build the Starship Enterprise in TrueSpace 3

[scifieric]

So, what do you want to see next?

I feel like a Microsoft commercial ...

[Tallguy]

Wow. That was good. Blender has a deform lattice that I never never use. I did my BC by using subsurfs. I'm 90% happy with it and cringe at the idea of doing it again. Maybe I'll try it this way.

Next? Well, work from top to bottom, front to back.

[backstept]

the neck should be easy

[CSpaced]

Nice tut, keep it coming

[Forcemaster2000]

ScifiEric - this is one of the BEST tutorials I've seen on SFM!

I've been a truespace user for about three years, and I've never thought of your ingenious way of making the three grooves around the bottom of the saucer! Now I'm just going to have to start yet another constitution just so I can do that!

[scifieric]

Originally Posted by Tallguy

Wow. That was good. Blender has a deform lattice that I never never use. I did my BC by using subsurfs. I'm 90% happy with it and cringe at the idea of doing it again. Maybe I'll try it this way.

Next? Well, work from top to bottom, front to back.

Holy heck! I'm glad you liked it! Coming from you Tallguy, that's quite a compliment. You do have perhaps the most accurate USS Enterprise I've ever seen. I still think back to the images of that beauty and didn't you give yours to 4MM for a couple of images? They were unreal.

Originally Posted by backstept

the neck should be easy

You'd like to think so, wouldn't you? It's one of the bits that I have the roughest time with since it is not a standard shape. It's rounded front and back, it's wider at the front than the back and it's LONGER on top than on bottom. TrueSpace has a VERY bad time once you do all that and then start cutting out the windows. You get segmentation every time. I'm trying to find a way around it. About the only choices I can find that work are:
1) Multiple sections that are independant and only glued together.
2) A not-quite-accurate neck that is straighter and can be assembled from primitives.
3) Make the neck the right way and then use textures for the windows.

Originally Posted by CSpaced

Nice tut, keep it coming

Thanks CSpaced. I love your signature!

[scifieric]

Originally Posted by Forcemaster2000

ScifiEric - this is one of the BEST tutorials I've seen on SFM!

I've been a truespace user for about three years, and I've never thought of your ingenious way of making the three grooves around the bottom of the saucer! Now I'm just going to have to start yet another constitution just so I can do that!

Wow, that IS gratifying. Thanks Forcemaster2000!

I didn't know you used TrueSpace. I really appreciate the compliment. I enjoy being a part of this online community and wanted to find a way to contribute. A few new users asked how to make this or that and I figured, why not a proper tutorial?

As for the grooves, necessity is one nasty mother... uh, that is, necessity is the mother of invention. I think I've heard that one before! LOL

[evil_genius_180]

Originally Posted by scifieric

Thanks eg180!

My first attempt was completely different. I think I created a large, round polygon and used the Sweep tool to create my first saucer. Worked great right up until I rendered it and found massive errors! LOL!

My latest is attempt 5 or 6 for me. My first was an angled cylinder with cones added for the top and bottom. It sucked. My latest saucer is the first where I didn't use that method. The one before was similar, but it was still a cylinder with deformed spheres booleansed into it and it has a lot of distortions. I still have it to use for long shots because it's lower poly and renders more quickly, but my latest is the first I'm happy with.

And, whenever I build a new Connie, I have to build the Scout/Destroyer and Transport/Tug from the tech manual by franz joseph because they use the same saucer and nacelles.

[Tallguy]

It's interesting hearing various people's take on the saucer. I've always used some sort of "spin" function, much like in SFEs tutorial, since back in my CyberCad days on the Atari ST.

[scifieric]

Originally Posted by evil_genius_180

My latest is attempt 5 or 6 for me. My first was an angled cylinder with cones added for the top and bottom. It sucked. My latest saucer is the first where I didn't use that method. The one before was similar, but it was still a cylinder with deformed spheres booleansed into it and it has a lot of distortions. I still have it to use for long shots because it's lower poly and renders more quickly, but my latest is the first I'm happy with.

Been there, done that! LOL

I first downloaded a trial version of TrueSpace 3 years ago and made my first, albiet temporary, Enterprise in that fashion. It was a lot of work and I made a 10 second animation ... and I was hooked. I had to buy it!

Yep, I paid for the version that you can now get for free.

Originally Posted by evil_genius_180

And, whenever I build a new Connie, I have to build the Scout/Destroyer and Transport/Tug from the tech manual by franz joseph because they use the same saucer and nacelles.

I haven't done that yet ... and only because I never saw it on the show. I'm insane, I know.