Heresy! That starboard Transporter Room isn't accessed from the LEFT!!! Joking aside, I love the little TOS touches you've included in the room design. I assume there will be a starfield on that screen?
Actually my thinking was that while the display could be used (for whatever reason) as a screen it would primarily be used for displaying the target beam down site or location. In that way a last minute referral could dictate a change of plans. Something like, "Don't put us down there. Better a half kilometre west of that." And everyone could easily see what is being discussed. So the display could show an overhead 3D map view or a grid system or some other view. It could be somewhat analogous to the different views available today through Google Maps or similar programs.
I've finished the Deck 4 layout, but there really isn't much of interest (that I can think of) to show there. Tomorrow I'll start working on Decks 5 and 6 which have the large crew lounges as well as Sickbay on Deck 6.
Deck 5, a work in progress. The major layout is done and next I'll start working out more detail for the port and starboard main crew lounges. I'll also work out something for the window areas on this deck. You can also see the navigational sensor array at the bow which is actually a double deck affair, but I have cut the floor out from there yet. The main crew lounges will also be double deck layouts, but the port lounge will extend down into Deck 6 because of the swimming pool. The empty spaces seen would be subdivided into smaller areas specific rooms but, of course, I'm not getting that detailed here. The big cut-out at the aft end is, of course, to accommodate the impulse section.
Everybody into the pewl. (-: Okay, so the pool is in. Now I still have to add showers and change rooms (which will be forward or on the left side of the image.
That said the imaging technology available would allow for the image or illusion of an actual day or night time sky overhead. If the imaging hardware is tied into the ship's clock then it could create an interesting visual experience. Go for a swim on a sunny day in the afternoon or an evening swim under the stars. It could actually be quite interesting. Under normal conditions many areas of the ship, such as corridors, lounges, messes and quarters, could have sky scenes overhead where the light source would appear to be natural. Under alert conditions the "sky" could revert to standard internal lighting in concert with the more operational parts of the ship. Places like the Bridge, Main Engineering, Sickbay, the hangar area and such would have standard interior lighting likely without the option of having a "sky" projection overhead.
It's easy to grasp that imaging tech could get very sophisticated to the point where we might be able to generate convincing photorealistic images. Different applications are being explored even as we speak where the ideas discussed in this thread should be attainable. To that end we will simulate outdoor environments that should be convincing right up until you reach out and touch the wall or ceiling displaying the image. Much of the ship will have such imaging technology--a similar equivalent to Trek's holodeck. In terms of physical interaction we're stepping into an entirely different arena. If nanotech is developed to the point where objects can be programmed to change form the question will then be how far can this be pushed and how effective and fast can it be? The liquid metal construct of T2 could perhaps be the ultimate expression of this technology, if indeed attainable. But even if possible could the construct actually pass itself off as human upon close (intimate) proximity? It sure as hell could be the ultimate sex toy. The problem with Trek's holodeck is that they took the device into realms beyond its description. The constructs we saw on the holodecks were not holographic projections as we understand holographs. To be convincing they had to be more than energy and forcefields. It would make more sense if the constructs were actually fabricated then beamed into the recreational area where they could be physically interacted with. They would more resemble the constructs we saw on the Shoreleave planet on TOS. When no longer needed the constructs could be dematerialezed and their patterns stored for possible later use. Now this gets into another area. If a civilization can command the science to create simulated life forms then shouldn't this tech have other applications. Something TOS and later Treks largely ignored were the existence and use of robots in the Federation. Yet I could easily see robots of varying description used for a variety of tasks. Robots could be utilized to keep the ship clean as well as do external inspections of the ship's hull. For those purposes they needn't be of humanoid form. They would be more like an advanced version of a Roomba vacuum cleaner--small nondescript and unobtrusive things (with rudimentary A.I. about equivalent to an insect) we would largely ignore as they went about their business. I've done some calculating and it looks like there is sufficient room for quarters to berth the entire ship's complement on Decks 2 and 5. That is if the compliment remains at about 585-600 persons. That's taking into account that the large majority of the crew will be double bunked. If the crew is larger than I would need cabins elsewhere such as on Deck 6. In any event it would make sense to have extra cabins to accommodate fluctuations in crew complement as well as for periodically ferrying numerous passengers (such as was done in "Journey To Babel"). Deck 6 is meant to have Sickbay around the centre of the deck and it would make sense (I think) if the life sciences labs were also located nearby on the same deck.
Deck 5 and the two main crew lounges. The port lounge (in the background) is the pool lounge while the starboard dual-level lounge is the equivalent of TNG's Ten Forward.
Looking great! Love the addition of the pool. Made life aboard a starship seem that much more appealing! And the two-level lounge looks pretty cool!
Although it wasn't my initial plan I felt it was simpler to use the overall shape of the pool lounge as the basis for the dual-level main lounge albeit mirrored. I simply eleminated the shower and sauna rooms on the end and turned the pool's shape (tweaked) into the open space between Decks 5 and 6 and added a railing around it. I still have to add stairs to allow access to either level within the lounge itself. On both lounges there were minor tweaks. The pool lounge's floor was lowered 7 ins. to allow for a bit more ceiling height to augment the illusion of an open sky when the ceiling depicts a day or night sky vista. That's why there is a step down from the access points to the pool proper. The pool itself takes up most of the space of the deck directly below and is surrounded by a maintenance space all around it. The standard ceiling on Deck 5 is 8 ft., but the pool lounge proper is 8'-7". The upper level of the starboard lounge is 8 ft., the same as the rest of Deck 5. The lower level, however, is 9 ft. given the ceiling/floor between the two levels is only 1 ft. I still have to detail it, but the railing support on the upper level is a near transparent materiel to create the illusion of a solid railing suspended in midair. I could have made the railing supports simple posts, but I wanted to eliminate any possibility of an object or person possibly slipping over the edge and down to the deck below. A transparent or transluscent support just seemed more futuristic. I don't recall referencing it anywhere else in this thread, but I will have to give thought to the ship's athletic centre. There will be an exercise area as well as a space where different games could be played.
Actually, I think vague references could work well in dialog. For a post-Dominion war (post Klingon war? post Romulan war?) I can imagine people making references to "veterans" and "the war" without being too specific-the recent cataclysm is implied, because that will dominate peoples' reactions to such terms. A change of uniform could be another marker that is somewhat vague. Is this just a fashion change within the orignal universe, or are we in an alternative timeline? And with fashion, of course, retro styles are possible, with fashion designers taking inspiration from the past. Take a look at Firefly. On the other hand, references to ancient history could be detailed, giving the present a sense of depth without being too specific about current events. This worked well in one episode of Andromeda when Dylan Hunt made a reference to "ancient" Earth history-World War II.
Come to think of it, the use of "star dates" is also ambiguous. It is implied that time is being kept track of, without specific references to the traditional calender.
The use of stardates was effective in two ways. Firstly, it helped with the story narrative. You could recap what had already transpired (for those late tuning in) without having characters spend time going over what had already happened. It also served as a suggestive time keeping system to give a sense of time passing during and between events.
A practical consideration. Considering that the food processors are essentially small transporters beaming food and beverages to whichever destination might not the waste system (such as toilets work in similar fashion only in reverse? Instead of having conventional style plumbing all over the ship for what would be numerous toilets why could the waste be beamed to the rclamation/recycling areas for processing? Indeed sure, because waste food could likely be put back into the processors and returned to wherever they came from. So toilets could work the same way. Another measure (for food waste) would be slots or conventional looking disposal bins that are just food processors in reverse. It's unlikely you will ever get everybody to clean up properly after themselves after eating, at least in a public place. Go to any fast-food restaurant or employee lunch room and see how many people leave wrappers, dishes and uneaten food behind for someone else to clean up. And usually there's a waste bin not six feet away. But a small group of robots could pick up the slack for those who are incurably lazy. Imagine a somewhat R2D2 or Wall-E style bot (slightly taller) able to clear away plates and such as well as clean up crumbs and spills.
All that's really left for the Main Lounge is to add some tables and chairs. Although this is roughly equivalent to TNG's Ten Forward you can see I didn't bother with a bar setup. That always struck me as something put in to give Whoopi Goldberg something to do. That said there could be someone in charge of overseeing the lounges and crew messes. It might be that food choices would not actually be unlimited (on a large scale) and that someone oversaw the available menus on a day-by-day basis and program the processors accordingly. This might conceivably simplify and speed up things in terms of delivery, I guess it all comes down to what limitations one chooses to apply. You can see at each end there is an alcove with a stairwell access to the level below (or above as the case may be). At each end there are also bathrooms (which I haven't bothered to detail. These bathrooms are also accessible from the corridor as well as the lounge itself. I'm giving some thought to the crew messes at the centre of Deck 5. I'm figuring that the messes (officer's mess included) should be able to handle two-thirds of the crew compliment at a given time. It's highly unlikely it would arise when everyone aboard would be eating at the same time. We can also assume that there will be individuals who might break or eat in their quarters, offices and lounges as well as the mess.
I've laid out the main crew lounges, one port and one starboard of the turbolift hub at the centre of Deck 5. I've been able to calculate that each mess could seat at least 120 people (using tables seating four such as I've used already in the Officer's Mess). So with two same sized mess that can service 240 persons. Add that to the 64 persons the Officer's Mess can service equals 304 persons. That's 51 percent of ship's complement (assuming the crew complement is 585). That leaves 86 people to be accommodated in other venues throughout the ship whether it be in crew lounges, crew cabins and offices (to accommodate two-thirds of ship's complement at the same time). Of course there is sufficient room to add a third crew mess in the main hull, but I think it would be better to add the third mess in the secondary hull or maybe even on one of the dorsal decks. That would mean personnel in the secondary hull wouldn't have to truck it all the way up into the saucer for their meal breaks. And adding that third mess would mean sufficient facilities to service more than two-thirds of the crew at any given time. I'm considering whether I can use the sections immediately fore and aft of the Deck 5 turbolift hub for the ship's gymnasium and athlectic areas. I'm toying with the idea of allowing for sections where the floor is set lower and the ceiling higher to accommodate activities such as raquet sports such as squash, raquetball, handball and maybe even tennis. I think I could accommodate an 11 to 11-1/2 ft. ceiling for this section, but I don't know if that would be enough, at least for some sports. ...Okay, I checked. For inside raquet sports such as squash and handball and the like you need a ceiling of 18-1/2 ft. and tennis would be at least that if not more. So that means to accommodate those sports I will need areas that can extend through two decks. It's not impossible, but I'll have to really think about it and where they could be located. A tennis court also has to be near 100 x 60 ft. in size and I might not be able to accommodate that.
Okay, checking further I can accommodate two or maybe three interior raquet sport courts. If not in the saucer than certainly in the dorsal. But I can't accommodate a tennis court because it simply takes too much room. Theoretically there is sufficient room in the dorsal for a tennis court except you have the turboloft shaft getting in the way. It could perhaps be redesigned, but that's a lot more effort than I'm willing to put in for something like a tennis court. This is also why I passed over an Olympic sized pool because it takes up way too much space. Looking at my present Deck 5 layout I will have to make some minor modifications, but I will be able to accommodate two interior raquet courts as well as a reasonable space for an exercise area with requisite equipment. This will be aft of the trubolift hub. I think I can also have an area for other activities such as boxing, martial arts, fencing and hand-to-hand training as well as certain gymnastics. This will be forward of the turbolift hub. I think it's proving to be have been a good idea for me to have a 2 ft. space between decks because it is allowing me the flexibility to have areas of varying ceiling height when needed. I wouldn't have had the same flexibility if I had gone with a 1 ft. or even 6 in. between decks space.