Thanks to some scans of reprints of Paramount's original blueprints for the First Contact and TMP bridge sets, I am now been able to acurately rebuild nearly all of the other sets I've done (so many of the parts are reused, you know). Here is the first in what promises to be a long series of technically accurate bridge sets:
It is still a WIP (sort of), as I plan to rebuild the chairs and there are still some missing details (does anyone know where the hell the dedication plaque is supposed to be?), but it's definately in the final stretch.
[ August 07, 2002, 16:58: Message edited by: Topher ]
Posted by Prismatic EdipisReks (Member # 510) on :
wow. that's incredible.
Posted by Treknophyle (Member # 509) on :
I swear to Ghu.
If it wasn't for the floor seams (they seem a tad over-defined) - I'd have thought this was a studio beauty shot.
Posted by Harry (Member # 265) on :
I'm not 100% sure, but at least on the STVI Excelsior, the plaque is on the right of the viewscreen.
Posted by Matrix (Member # 376) on :
Not the ST5 bridge, the ST6 bridge! Otherwise incredibly beautiful. One of the few things good about ST5.
Posted by seanr (Member # 277) on :
Thanks!
quote:Originally posted by Matrix: Not the ST5 bridge, the ST6 bridge!
HUH??? Trust me, I know my bridges (better than Scotty knew his ship in ST5, I'll wager). That _IS_ the ST5 bridge. Have a look at my ref material:
I meant, you should have done the ST6 bridge.
Posted by seanr (Member # 277) on :
Oh, LOL. I've done that one already, but will be redoing it soon, the same way I did this one.
Posted by Colorful Cartman (Member # 256) on :
Please excuse me while I pick my jaw up from the floor.
Posted by The Red Admiral (Member # 602) on :
I've seen some of your bridges before sean, terrific stuff, flawless I'd to say in this case. You've got the art of bridge building firmly nailed down.
Excellent.
Being a modeller too I've attempted one bridge and it was monstrously difficult by comparison to building a ship. It never even got as far as the rendering stage. But I've built most of a Galaxy Class engineering set and a ready room before, but as far as designing and building bridges I could use some tips.
Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :
Well, I recall in ST6, the plaque was placed above the viewscreen.
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
Holy... freaking... cow...
I've seen your work before (years ago on the Trek BBS, back when it wasn't a cesspool of idiocy), but this is simply amazing. Very realistic!
Posted by Topher (Member # 71) on :
Treknophyle: In case you don't check your PMs regularly, please check them! Posted by Anduril (Member # 654) on :
Good lord that is amazing.
I was gearing up to do the TOS bridge and drop it into the Bridge Commander game but now that I've seen this I think I'll just stick to ships and admire your work.
Posted by Ryan McReynolds (Member # 28) on :
Isn't this color scheme a little too warm? I made a screencap of a decent bridge-wide shot from STV for comparison... none of the uniforms or skin colors look off to me, so I'm assuming my DVD player/capture settings aren't fucked up. Looks pretty much like pale gray and white to me, with a hint of beige. There's also that blue glow around the ceiling.
Posted by seanr (Member # 277) on :
I can't tell what color the damn thing is supposed to be. Every time I get another picture from a book, or another screencap, the g**damn thing is a different color. I like the tan color, so that's what I'm using.
Also, get a copy of The Art of Star Trek and take a look at the photo of the bridge in that book (that one's even more tan than mine!).
As for the blue, I can't get any shots of the ceiling, so I can't figure out what the heck is generating that blue light. As a result, I've got no way to accurate reproduce it.
Posted by Ryan McReynolds (Member # 28) on :
I have The Art of Star Trek... I guess it's like the original ship herself. She was painted gray, but looked everything from white to gray to blue to green on different televisions.
Posted by seanr (Member # 277) on :
BTW, would a moderator please edit the images in the first post on this thread to links?
[ August 11, 2002, 10:14: Message edited by: Topher ]
Posted by seanr (Member # 277) on :
Not one single comment? Surely you guys can do better than that.
BTW, could a moderator please edit the above post to a link, since you guys are still using UBB (:puke:) which doesn't allow editing of older posts?
Update (click for 1600x1200):
Posted by Balaam Xumucane (Member # 419) on :
Oh that is just disgusting. I think I hate you forever.
That is really nice. I think a couple of people here have commented that it looks like a photograph. I tend to agree. The only thing I see that doesn't seem quite right is the supports for the railings. I think those should be a little more specular (more like a brushed aluminum).
These are some truly incredible and beautiful renders, sirrah. It's really too bad this film couldn't live up to this standard. People like you make me cry at night. Keep them coming!
Posted by seanr (Member # 277) on :
LOL Thanks (I think).
I'm probably going to end up completely redoing those metal peices holding up the railing anyway, so I might try messing with the material some then.
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
Ignore the colour scheme from that picture. (I really do love the blue glow in Sean's bridge though) - unless it IS present in other bridge pics... This is the blue glow from Shakaree/Blue Planet they are orbiting... remember there was a LOT of light pouring into that bridge from the monitor... it was almost like the light from the Stargate when it is active. That is why all the 'tan' is washed out and made to look grey.
Oh BTW - Bewtiful stuff - I still have your ealier STV bridge pics you posted here... last year?? Or was it two years ago?
Posted by Reverend (Member # 335) on :
I say keep the blue tint, it's quite effective and adds a nice sense of atmosphere. Also, it might come in handy if you decided to do a blue/red/yellow alert scene.
The only thing that bothers me about this scene is all those shadows cast by the railings into the "pit". Is there anyway to defuse them a little, so they don't look quite so clear?
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
Agreed, leave the blue light in - I like it too.
And yeah maybe muddying up the shadows a little could be good.
Just a question the bit of the central console from helm/navigation that is in front of the Captain's chair - is there anything there, like a panel or anything... cause there is something there in both TOS and the Refit Enterprise isn't there?
Andrew
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
quote:Originally posted by seanr:
BTW, could a moderator please edit the above post to a link, since you guys are still using UBB (:puke:) which doesn't allow editing of older posts?
Yes it does. Charles just turned it off, because he hates it when people edit posts that have already been replyed to.
Anyway, I tend to agree with most of what's been said. Looks alomst photograph like, apart from the shadows of the railings, which look a bit too harsh. Wouldn't there be enough ambient light to wash out most of the shadows anyway (bearing in mind that the set was most lit by large lamps from off camera)?
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
And on an unrelated note, why on earth is chekov in the captain's chair anyway? I know that earlier on, they were trying to fool Sybok (by, er, sending their captain down to be captured), but here? Surely Sulu would be a better choice.
Posted by Captain... Mike (Member # 709) on :
they took Sulu to planet with them though
Posted by Magnus Pym Eye (Member # 239) on :
"since you guys are still using UBB (:puke:)"
This is to Charles as to poking with a sharp stick is to a Tiger. Run, before you pay for such insolence!
Posted by Harry (Member # 265) on :
Aha.. so that's his twin brother in that picture? Billy Sulu?
Posted by seanr (Member # 277) on :
quote:Originally posted by Harry: Aha.. so that's his twin brother in that picture? Billy Sulu?
LOL
Posted by Captain... Mike (Member # 709) on :
i'm not sure i get that.
Posted by Matrix (Member # 376) on :
If Sulu was on the planet and Sulu was the bridge, then there must be two Sulus. Unless you are talking about the so called "Planet of Peace" or whatever then he was. if you are talking about "God's Planet" then he was not.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
And I already said that it doesn't matter that Checkov was captain for the Nimbus III bit, since he was just a distraction. But for the God planet bit, he should have been in command. Cause he can actually speak without sounding like a moron.
Posted by seanr (Member # 277) on :
I just had a thought - maybe it was his other brother, Han Sulu.
Posted by Captain... Mike (Member # 709) on :
yeah, on Sha Ka Ree was there anyone in command? i thought that they just sat there being stoned while the Klingons blew their asses off.
I was referring to Chekov being in command at Nimbus.. since Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura and Sulu were all planetside and Scotty was too busy breaking the transporter.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
Well, Ian Sulu had moved over to the captain's chair, when he could have easily sat there stoned from his normal helmsman position, so I guess he was in command.
Posted by seanr (Member # 277) on :
Update:
I got an email from none other than Mike Okuda who saw this on TrekBBS the other day. He had answers to several questions as well as a photo of the set as it was being finished up which shows quite clearly the correct lighting (sorry, can't share the image). This is a lot closer to that but it still needs a _lot_ of work:
The shadows look a lot better, although those around the captain's chair still look a bit harsh.
And Sean, honey, baby, I really appreciate this new "post at a small size with a link to a bigger size". I do. It's great. It's super. It's smashing.
BUT...come with me to a scary place. A dark and forboding place. This place we call...800 x 600. Do you see it? Do you see how the picture still forces people to scroll sideways across the page if they want to read things? Do you hear them gnash their teeth in frustation, and scream?
We can fix this Sean. You and I. Together we can make the world a better place for those trapped in the dimension of Really Big Icons And Stuff. By posting pictures that, at a size of 800 x 600, don't strech the forums.
Do this Sean. Do it for me. Do it for little Alan, and his 30 year old monitor. Do it for little George, whose parents won't let him change the resulution. Do it for fat Tim, who has to access this place from school/library/porn shop, and CAN'T change the resolution of the screen, no matter how much he may wish.
These people want to see your stuff. They love it. But the frustration of the scolling is a distraction from the purity of the art.
Do it Sean. Do it for them. You will be rewarded in heaven.
Posted by Snay (Member # 411) on :
ARGH.
The photo of Chekov and Sulu is from AFTER the planetary rescue, you foolz. See all the "hostages" on the bridge? This is when Kirk, Spock & McCoy are breaking out of the brig and Scotty is knocking himself out (literaly) on exposed pipes!
You figured that out, didn't you?
Welcome back to Flare, SeanR. I'm glad you came back. Beautiful stuff you do.
Posted by seanr (Member # 277) on :
quote:Originally posted by PsyLiam: And Sean, honey, baby
Only my boyfriend gets to call me that.
quote:BUT...come with me to a scary place. A dark and forboding place. This place we call...800 x 600. Do you see it? Do you see how the picture still forces people to scroll sideways across the page if they want to read things? Do you hear them gnash their teeth in frustation, and scream?
I myself access the forums from home on an 800x600 monitor via a 56K modem. Frankly, it doesn't bother me a damn bit. If it bothers you that bady, then don't open my threads, but frankly I'm sick of hearing about it.
The only reason I posted the thumbnails before was because the fullsized images were 1600x1200, and no one needs to download those unles they really want to check the detail. I have a hotkey set in photoshop which makes it easy to create the half-size images, so I do that. I'm not going to go to the trouble to make another one to go to 640x480 for the 5% of the population still stuck at 800x600 (or, rather, the 5% of them that bitch about it).
quote:Do it Sean. Do it for them. You will be rewarded in heaven.
Heaven exists only in the minds of those who wish to use it to get other people to do what they want them to do.
Posted by seanr (Member # 277) on :
Much closer this time. I think I can finally say I'm truely happy with the lighting. Only one more tweak left, to the lights from light panels in the pit, and that'll be easy now that I've finally got the oners right.
[ August 19, 2002, 10:15: Message edited by: Topher ]
Posted by EdipisReks (Member # 510) on :
quote:Heaven exists only in the minds of those who wish to use it to get other people to do what they want them to do.
and people trying to rationzlize why they have never had fun in life: "the reason i never go have fun is so that i......can go to heaven, yeah, that's it. god doesn't like fun, that's for sure."
Posted by Vice-Admiral Michael T. Colorge (Member # 144) on :
Wow, that is a sweet looking set. So what else did Mike Okuda say to ya about your work SeanR.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
quote:Originally posted by EdipisReks: and people trying to rationzlize why they have never had fun in life: "the reason i never go have fun is so that i......can go to heaven, yeah, that's it. god doesn't like fun, that's for sure."
You really are a laid back and loving monkey, aren't you Eddy?
Posted by seanr (Member # 277) on :
Still tweaking.
Posted by Colorful Cartman (Member # 256) on :
Bootylicious... you been hired by ILM yet?
Posted by seanr (Member # 277) on :
Thanks.
I only wish. Posted by Balaam Xumucane (Member # 419) on :
Looking great, Sean. Really astounding. I love images where you really have to look very carefully to figure out that it isn't real.
*nitpick*The railing supports are looking good, although they might be a bit too polished, now. There is something strange about the lighting and or materials for those forward steps. They somehow seem too bright now or something.*/nitpick*
Glad Okuda's taken an interest. At this rate, it won't be long before Foundation is knocking on your door. Really terrific stuff.
Posted by EdipisReks (Member # 510) on :
quote:Originally posted by PsyLiam:
quote:Originally posted by EdipisReks: and people trying to rationzlize why they have never had fun in life: "the reason i never go have fun is so that i......can go to heaven, yeah, that's it. god doesn't like fun, that's for sure."
You really are a laid back and loving monkey, aren't you Eddy?
only with the right people, dearie, only with the right people.
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
Seanr, nice as always but I have a few nitpicks/pointers again
The backs of the chairs and the captain's chair (the whole body) are too dark. If the lighting on the bridge can light the floor and the railings and even the panels (not the displays) as well as they do, you shouldn't have such DARK chairs (the dark parts of them). The Captains chair just looks like a black polygon, i.e. the light isn't showing any detail (and yes I've got a new monitor with contrast/brightness adjusted)
The red railing (this is in relation to the contrast of the chairs) around the consoles (not around the 'pit/captain/nav/conn' is very red, again in comparison to the chairs and surrounds. Did this bridge have that much red?
So is the blue lighting actually part of the set now (according to the photo) or have just just left it in from out comments before?
I thought there was something on that central panel infront of the Captain's chair. Is there anything else on there?
Is there anything else on that hub thing in the middle of the roof?
What did Okuda say?
Posted by seanr (Member # 277) on :
> The backs of the chairs and the captain's chair (the whole body) are too dark. If the lighting on the bridge can light the floor and the railings and even the panels (not the displays) as well as they do, you shouldn't have such DARK chairs (the dark parts of them). The Captains chair just looks like a black polygon, i.e. the light isn't showing any detail (and yes I've got a new monitor with contrast/brightness adjusted)
You gamma is off regardless of the age of your monitor. I can see the seat cushions just fine on every monitor I've seen the image on. They are suposed to be dark gray.
> The red railing (this is in relation to the contrast of the chairs) around the consoles (not around the 'pit/captain/nav/conn' is very red, again in comparison to the chairs and surrounds. Did this bridge have that much red?
You talking about the cushions on the edges of the stations? That is accurate.
> So is the blue lighting actually part of the set now (according to the photo) or have just just left it in from out comments before?
Yes. The photo that Okuda sent me was from before they had the okudagrams installed, and even it had all the blue lighting in place.
> I thought there was something on that central panel infront of the Captain's chair. Is there anything else on there?
That is the astrogator. I'm waiting on reference material for that.
> Is there anything else on that hub thing in the middle of the roof?
No.
> What did Okuda say?
He initially emailed me to say that he'd seen the set on TrekBBS and thought it was neat. We've exchanged a few emails since about a number of questions I had (one of which led to him sending me that photo).
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wow. that's incredible.
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