Well I thought I would take my relationship with you'se people to a new level after a year here.
So, with that said I downloaded Milk Shape last week in effort to convert some Bridge Commander ships over to SFC3.
Yesterday out of sheer boredom I ventured over to this section of the forum and was intrigued with Irishman's Intrepid designs and knowing that MilkShape can be used to create such things- I began to 3D-model away.
There was an existing NX model floating around that I initially attempted to 'kit-bash' into the Intrepid but that proved too complicated for someone who had all he could to make a square square.
So after that proved to be too difficult I started from scratch and I thought I would share my first day accomplishments:
#1 Top view front tilted in slightly
#2 Side and front view.
Okay, so I did rob the nacelles from the NX and modify them (for the time being) - otherwise the rest is all original.
The nacelles need to be closer to the center of the primary hull and therefore shorter inner pylons. The outer wingtips need some work too but again, first time modelling!
Still needs a lot of work but not bad for the first day on the job. If anyone is interested I can keep posting as I update. Posted by Irishman (Member # 1188) on :
I'm interested. Keep going. I'd love to see where this goes.
I'll give input as you post if you think it will help.
I'm refining the Intrepid in Illustrator, and discovering some things about it.
Posted by Kazeite (Member # 970) on :
The advice I can give you is to throw more triangles to smooth the saucer shape. If you are into Bridge Commander/SFC3 modelling, chances are you've heard about Rick Knox - that's the best example of balance between faces count and overall shape I can give.
Posted by Cartman (Member # 256) on :
Well, MilkShape is designed for low polygon counts (10K or so), so you don't have to worry about overdoing your model anyway.
Posted by Futurama Guy (Member # 968) on :
quote:Originally posted by Kazeite: The advice I can give you is to throw more triangles to smooth the saucer shape. If you are into Bridge Commander/SFC3 modelling, chances are you've heard about Rick Knox - that's the best example of balance between faces count and overall shape I can give.
Well right now my primary focus is to just get the overall shape/design perfected and then I can fill in the rest later. It's somewhat slow going but it's progressing.
Here is the latest updates. I am still borrowing the NX-nacelles which I elongated and also borrowed the NX-bridge and 'spine' for the time being just to get a feel for how long and wide to make the 'neck/3-way plug'.
Again, I've never modelled before...so yeah, she is looking a little boxy but I'm working on it I've given the saucer a little more shape.
Other than Irishmans pics I only really have one decent screenshot of the ship which really isn't helping too much. Not to mention the fact that my monitor is going out on me and everything is really faded so the other shots I did find were so dark that I couldn't tell if it was the Intrepid or the Enterprise....
Top, front views
Bottom, facing left, rear views
These don't give it much justice...and I think my next step is to make the 'neck' and possibly the saucer skinnier (closer to the centerpoint).
Regardless, it is now a playable model in SFC, despite its flaws Posted by Futurama Guy (Member # 968) on :
Okay, after a short break here is just a quick update for all 2 of you that might be interested
I've sacrificed originality for accuracy and ended up modifying the NX and rebashed it to what you see now. I later found the below picture, which I combined with my model, and really didn't have to make any modifications with the better reference pic.
Thanks Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
Don't forget the angled impulse nozzles on the backside of the saucer. Otherwise, she's looking good.
Posted by Irishman (Member # 1188) on :
Great start, Futurama Guy.
But, Aban, those aren't angled impulse nozzles there. It's in the wrong place. Any exhaust would be blocked by nacelle pylons. The rectangular openings along that angled rear-facing surface seem to be the right size and shape - and in the right place mirroring the NX-01 -to be cargo-bay doors. The impulse exhausts have to be further out towards the edge of the saucer.
That screengrab shows me that my own Intrepid nacelles don't extend far enough forward. I'll need to change that.
Posted by Futurama Guy (Member # 968) on :
I cannot identify the location of the impulse 'nozzles' on the saucer from the picture.
One thing I notice that I need to change is the diameter of the nacelles. The nacelles that I used are at the same scale [length-wise] as they are on the NX which I think is accurate, however they appear "fatter" on the Intrepid. I also need to give the 'backbone' more of a prominent 'mane'.
Anyweay, if everything else on the Intrepid (aside from the possibly fatter nacelles) is to scale with the NX - then I can say with about 75% accuracy that the Intrepid is 160 meters long, for those keeping track. Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
The nacelles need to be thicker too.
I don't know if they're impulse engines or not, but there is definitely an angled surface on the inboard portion of the aft saucer edge.
Posted by Futurama Guy (Member # 968) on :
quote:Originally posted by Aban Rune: The nacelles need to be thicker too.
Thats what I meant by fatter. Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
I know You posted right before I did, so I didn't see your response.
Posted by Futurama Guy (Member # 968) on :
The resolution on my monitor sucks ass and I cant pick out the impulse engines on the pics I have - has anyone else been able to spot them on the available screen caps?
Posted by Futurama Guy (Member # 968) on :
There is some obvious smoothing issues, but I think I'm getting the scaling down.
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
It appears that the nacelles should be turned inward 90 degrees.
Posted by Futurama Guy (Member # 968) on :
Thats a whole lot easier said than done at this point...and really the least of my worries, they are just there for show for the time being. Posted by Irishman (Member # 1188) on :
Not the entire nacelle, just the aft cap. If you turn the whole nacelle 90 degrees, the blue glow will be on top and bottom, which wouldn't be right.
It's looking really good. I had the same problem locating the impulse engines, and there's nothing definitive in the screencaps available. However, if you look at the cgi model from side and top and aft views, there is only one place they can be: along the outermost edges of the saucer. At first I understood them to be on the center hull module where the pylons come together at the warp field stabilizer, but that was wrong.
Question: How did you decide on scale for your Intrepid? I started by using the NX-01 saucer, and paring it down. That's how I arrived at a length of 180 meters.
Later.
Posted by Futurama Guy (Member # 968) on :
I have it scaled at 165m, I think - and that is based entirely on the scaled pieces of the Enterprise. That is, there is a subprogram in MilkShape that allows you to scale your models. I scaled the NX at 225 or whatever its length is, and all the parts were scaled accordingly. So as I moved the parts around they remained to scale and would recalculate the length as they were fitted into place and at last check it was 165m.
I did downscale the saucer 10% and increased the diameter of the nacelles by 30% just to give them the big bulky feel the CGI/screencap gives it. I will have to see about moving the caps on the nacelles and for now, I sort of have the impulse where the 'cobra hood' of the saucer attaches to the neck of the hull. I'm sure as soon as I can splurge for a new monitor I will be able to get a better grasp on the available screencaps to get a better feel for what I am doing.
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
Looking very good. Keep going!
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
quote:Originally posted by Irishman: Not the entire nacelle, just the aft cap. If you turn the whole nacelle 90 degrees, the blue glow will be on top and bottom, which wouldn't be right.Later.
Didn't I edit that? Sorry - yes just the end cap.
Posted by Futurama Guy (Member # 968) on :
quote:Originally posted by AndrewR:
quote:Originally posted by Irishman: Not the entire nacelle, just the aft cap. If you turn the whole nacelle 90 degrees, the blue glow will be on top and bottom, which wouldn't be right.Later.
Didn't I edit that? Sorry - yes just the end cap.
Okay, fixed the end caps - working on smoothing over the neck/hull and the damned dimples on the saucer left over from removing the pylons originally on the Enterprise.
Posted by Irishman (Member # 1188) on :
Futurama Guy,
I happened across shots of an Intrepid mesh created by Mikew over at www.sci-fimeshes.com. He has called it done, basically because so little of the details can be inferred from the screencaps, and released the mesh for texturing.
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