How to build the Starship Enterprise in TrueSpace 3

[scifieric]

Originally Posted by 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.

Wow, that DOES go back a way. I didn't know that the Atari ST HAD the ability to run a 3D program or indeed a program to run!

Thanks for contributing and I totally agree with how interesting it is to see how others solve problems. I read as much as I can about other people's work, even if I don't have the same tools in my application or a different application altogether. Of course, that's how I learned many of these tools. They have similar tools with many 3D packages.

I'd be fascinated by reading how you built the Enterprise in Blender since I find Blender unfathomable!

[evil_genius_180]

Originally Posted by scifieric

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

Not insane, just a little nutty.

The Destroyers have always held an interest for me because the first Trek book I read was Dreadnought! by Diane Carey and she has at least one Destroyer in that book. And, since I have the manual, I like to do the whole fleet. Right now I have the ships except for the Dreadnought (I started but didn't finish) and I have the space station from that book modeled also. I used to have the TOS shuttle but it went into nothingness when another computer of mine died.

[scifieric]

I lost my prior versions of the Enterprise that way. In a strange way, it's a good thing since each one has been a much better model in the end.

[backstept]

Originally Posted by scifieric

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.

here's how I made the neck: (explained in the file)

I have yet to see how cutting the windows will affect it

[scifieric]

Originally Posted by backstept

here's how I made the neck: (explained in the file)

I have yet to see how cutting the windows will affect it

You giving me a run for my money backstept? LOL!

Just wait. What version of TrueSpace are you using? If you're using 3.2, you'll find that when you cut in the windows, you will get mesh errors that become apparent when you render.

[evil_genius_180]

Originally Posted by scifieric

You giving me a run for my money backstept? LOL!

Just wait. What version of TrueSpace are you using? If you're using 3.2, you'll find that when you cut in the windows, you will get mesh errors that become apparent when you render.

That's for certain. It's even worse when you texture it.

[scifieric]

One more for the evening.

The Bridge of the Enterprise.

I've loaded the same workspace background as the B&C deck tutorial. Next, to load a sphere primitive.



I changed the sphere primitive settings to 26 x 100 so that even close up, we should get no segmentation.



Now I position the sphere and resize either my viewing area or the sphere itself to fit the bridge dimensions.



Next, load a primitive cube and turn on your Grid Mode.



Highlight your bridge sphere and then use Object Subtraction to remove a little less than half of the sphere, just below where the bridge will join the B&C deck.

[scifieric]

Originally Posted by evil_genius_180

That's for certain. It's even worse when you texture it.

I'm with you there! I'll go over some of the ways I have found around these problems. Stay tuned!

[scifieric]

Now we will use the resize tool to squish down the bridge dome a little bit.



Right mouse click on the Resize Tool and deactivate the X and Z planes.

Toggle off the Grid Mode and bring down the bridge sphere to almost meet the deck plans. If you bring the sphere all the way down, you will find that it has taken the wrong shape. This will be recorded as an animatible action so we have to get rid of that recording.



Click on the sculpt surface tool and click "yes" to delete the actions.



Now, switch to the Deformation Tool we used in the last tutorial.

[backstept]

Originally Posted by scifieric

You giving me a run for my money backstept? LOL!

I'm not I promise!
I just wanted to contribute

Originally Posted by scifieric

Just wait. What version of TrueSpace are you using? If you're using 3.2, you'll find that when you cut in the windows, you will get mesh errors that become apparent when you render.

I'm using Five.Oh
we'll see how it goes
I'm blocking the secondary hull now. I'll give my perspective on it when you get to it