Sweet zombie jesus. I have a hard enough time getting the motivation to build 1/25 scale cars... insane!
Posted by Axeman 3D (Member # 1050) on :
Sweet zombie jesus just about covers it. Christ, that's a lot of work.
Posted by Guardian 2000 (Member # 743) on :
No lights? Fail!
Just kidding . . . holy crap!
Posted by Fabrux (Member # 71) on :
Actually, if you look at this picture there are indeed lights...
Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :
ant eggs
Posted by Guardian 2000 (Member # 743) on :
quote:Originally posted by Fabrux: Actually, if you look at this picture there are indeed lights...
Then I hereby raise my "holy crap" to a "bloody f***ing hell!".
Posted by Saltah'na (Member # 33) on :
Nineteen years spent on this thing.
Nerdgasm.
Posted by Pensive's Wetness (Member # 1203) on :
ok. The realist finds all the faults (Too many Tugs in the hangar bay [but not the fault of the modeller. nobody ever made molds of the spotting dollies we use, to my knowledge as a former model builder])... and the hangar bay walls are too clean [LOL])... too bad he didnt scratch build other common support equipment... still a beautiful effort.
yeah, nergasm, withstanding.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
Amazing. Also amazing that this took him longer than most military carrers last!
An incredible amount of time and effort went into this- I hope he wills it to some museum someday.
Posted by Pensive's Wetness (Member # 1203) on :
I'm pretty sure it will eventually be owned by someone involved in Naval Heritage (especially once the Big-E is finally retired). I mean, it certainly should be, IMHO. Is the model builder a Euro? That might be the one sticker that would hold up any tranfer of property, Jason.
Posted by Mikey T (Member # 144) on :
I'm surprised I didn't see a Starfleet shuttle in the lower bays...
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
A redshirt dead at the catapult.
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
That thing is amazing.
I have updated my list of places I would never want to be to include one of those outboard catwalks. Nothing between you and a ten-story drop into the ocean but a little bit of wire mesh and, what are those, life preservers? Thank you, no.
Posted by Pensive's Wetness (Member # 1203) on :
*giggles* I can tell you, it's worse than that, LOL. if the thought of the only thing between your feet and 90 or sp feet of ocean is a plate about 1/2" thick at places...
Posted by Pensive's Wetness (Member # 1203) on :
Yeah, the gimme's used/availible for model kit diorama are surprisingly limited. i dont know if they care or simply are unaware of the differnet pieces of SE we use. of course, if you're savy with molds or plastic injection and have some knowledge of equipment sizes and function *cough, cough*...
well, im not knowledgeable with using molds or injection plastic, anywho...
Posted by Axeman 3D (Member # 1050) on :
3D prototyping is the way ahead. Make the model in 3D, upload it to Shapeways or similar website and a few days later the finished part arrives. Piece of cake to make anything now. Should be ordering my first home-built Trek model tomorrow.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
Ohhh...whatcha making? Got a pic?
Posted by Pensive's Wetness (Member # 1203) on :
can you make a 3d object from 2d scans of a item? say if you have front, side and top views?
Posted by Axeman 3D (Member # 1050) on :
Jason, here's what I'm getting made into a real model...
Just a simple kitbash I made for a friend, but he wants a model of it himself so I used it as my first test.
The thing is, 3D printing needs models that fit a very strict set of criteria in how they're built. Not only must the model be physically able to support its own weight, but the mesh itself can have NO errors and must be 'watertight'. I had to build the model again completely from scratch using different techniques, and spend ages debugging the mesh so it was perfectly sealed. I also made the saucer and secondary hull hollow inside, as you are charged by volume and material selection, so the less volume the smaller the price. Lastly I simplified some of the detail and exaggerated some things like the depth of the windows so they'll show up on the physical model.
PW, you need a 3D mesh rather than just plans. Just ask Reverend about how much is missing from 2D plans when you try to turn them into 3D. There are experimental programs out there that will make a textured 3D mesh from photos, but none released yet that I know of. This means you need to learn a 3D package or get someone to make your model for you. There are a ton of models on the site anyway made by others, one might fit the bill for you.
I'm going to upload my Kili mesh today and order a model of it. It's worldwide delivery within 10 days, so when it arrives I'll post pictures of the thing.
Posted by Reverend (Member # 335) on :
The man's right. It takes a lot of work to get even a relatively simple design like a shuttle from a set of plans to a decent 3D mesh with lots of back and forth, cutaway diagrams and a bunch of things that just don't show up in an orthographic plan...and that's on the very rare occasion when the plans are drawn accurately with no errors or creative enhancements (aka cheating.)
I think out of all the designs Axeman and myself collaborated on, the only one that went reasonably smoothly was the Korolev's yacht, much to our mutual shock. You'd think all those compound curves would bugger us up, but it actually worked out surprisingly well.
Posted by Pensive's Wetness (Member # 1203) on :
quote:Originally posted by Axeman 3D: Jason, here's what I'm getting made into a real model...
Not very Original, Axe *grins* A TMP Kelvin... but honestly, the Kelvin herself isn't original, herself, i think when you look at some of the fan/Fasa/SFB designed in the past based on the Hermes/Saladin design...
still, it's a pretty ship, Ax. you actually gonna get a injection mold of that frame? o.O
Posted by Axeman 3D (Member # 1050) on :
Nope. Not my design anyway, it was by a guy called Robert Freedman who asked nicely so I made it for him. I despise kitbashes with a passion, all those fuckin cut & paste horrors on Starship Schematics website make me gag, but this was easy so it got made. It grew on me, so I made my own design based on it but never worked it up beyond a basic test model...
Finished the mesh this morning and uploaded it in 3 sizes to Shapeways. Go to www.shapeways.com and do a quick search for kilimanjaro and you'll find them. The prices go by material and size, which you can select on the right hand side menu, and it will give you an idea of how much this nonsense costs. The secondary hull and saucer are actually mainly hollow, so solid versions would be even more expensive. have to watch wall thickness though, or it caves in.
Great for making game pieces (shit hot Monopoly charachters or micromachines) but expensive for large models. If I wanted to crank out lots of large models I'd make it in pieces like a resin kit, then make moulds from that. Not sure what to do next, might convert a shuttle and see how that looks. Anyway, I've ordered a mid-sized Kilimanjaro model to see how it turns out in Alumide. Cant wait!
Posted by bX (Member # 419) on :
Wow, Axe. Great stuff. Never heard of Shapeways. *Bookmarked for prop making* Would love to see how this comes out. Frankly, I'm a bit afraid it's not going to balance on that one nacelle...
Posted by Axeman 3D (Member # 1050) on :
There's a load of companies out there that let you upload a model and get a quote for a '3d print', but Shapeways seem to be the biggest aimed at allowing anyone to upload anything. Most of the rest are still touting primarily to business and design studios, not tapping into the home and small business market at all. I plan to set up a shop on Shapeways so people can order stuff online, I'll start making stuff that's somewhat more commercial or saleable to put there. So far it's just the Kili in 3 sizes and the C57-D saucer from Forbidden Planet.
Posted by Guardian 2000 (Member # 743) on :
There's always a RepRap if you just wanna go nuts making stuff.