Star Trek: The Doomsday Machine - Special Edition Screencaps

The only 'canon' I often care about is the one I get to shoot some fanbois out of.

I've always been a 'use what works' guy, so I guess I'm a lot more like Franz Joseph in that regard that a 'canonista' that demands everything on screen MUST be real (even when it's stupid or nonsensical).

I always found the bulbs lacking, really. On my badly-built model Enterprise, for instance, it's the 'production' build with the 'advanced grill' on back. Just looks a LOT better to me. But then, I also liked the black markings on the primary hull, too...

 

just in case I wasn't obvious enough in my earlier post, I was totally kidding about the canon thing.

I just thought it was amusing that you mentioned the Christmas bulbs, especially in light of the recent pic's someone posted showing the "magic" behind the "bussard collectors" on the original Enterprise, with its collection of Christmas lights. Pretty amazing what they were able to do with a few Christmas lights way back when. And I remember many, many posts by our good Professor, Vektor and others, talking about how difficult it was for them to replicate that effect, so simply created in the '60s physical model, in their modern day CGI software applications. Guess I had Christmas bulbs on the brain.

 

Thanks. There are also similar weapons hatches on the keel of the secondary hull--again, you just can't see 'em from this particular angle. I deliberately made all of the hatches nearly impossible to see except in giant-sized closeups like this because (a) the Enterprise is not a ship of war (exposed weapons in her successor namesakes notwithstanding) and doesn't go around flashing her power, and (b) they weren't features on the studio models and I'm trying to keep visible feature changes to a minimum.

The POV-Ray model I built seven years (!) ago had glowy balls, and I also experimented with a couple of geometric patterns, but I kinda like Gramma's lightshade, and it's about as far as I'm willing to alter the original look. (I'd love to do something like what deg3D or Vektor did in this particular area, but then we'd be moving firmly into the realm of wholesale changes.)

Me too, even though the aft nacelle grillework makes the Enterprise look like she's motivated by Newtonian physics. That's why it was fun building the Constellation (before wrecking her)... I got to put back all of the details I liked on the Enterprise as she appeared in "Where No Man Has Gone Before". And yes, as time allows I'll continue publishing orthos and closeups of the Enterprise and Constellation (pre- and post-damaged).

 

"The Tholian Web" is on the list, but I'm probably going to tackle "Elaan of Troyius" next so that I have an excuse to build a Klingon battlecruiser.

 

My internal 12 year old couldn't help but giggle at this.

 

*smirk* I happen to have some renders on HDD of that POV-Ray Model.
I'll try and find them.

 

Oh, I know.. but as a Trek tech-guy, I deal with a LOT of that crap.. "It's Canon" is usually a sign of "Yeah, it's stupid, but you have to do it anyway!" :P

(Reference the 'What are warp speeds' thread)

Simple in reality, complex to render with all the small lights and mirrors involved. I'm amazed at how it can look in there, though, but you can get some really good effects with some refraction in a duotetrahedron going on. At some point, it has to look 'good and similar' instead of exact, though.

 

You're an artist, Prof.

 

Sooo... I guess I'm the only one who kinda digs the aft cap texture, then?

It's still not my favorite thing about Prof's approach - which would be the way the ship is lit.

 

Well I like it too.

 

I've always found that artist's preference tends to count for a lot.

 

Duhn-da-duhn-da-DUNH-DA...

 

[little school girl]SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLL![/little school girl]

The new and improved Doomsday Machine, now with propulsion exhaust! Sweet!

 

I don't know if it's what you were after, but I SWEAR it was slithering.
Very scary looking and excellent.

 

Actually, that's exactly what I was going for. Wait until you see it in millions of colors at DVD resolution (versus a GIF that's had the hell compressed out of it at 250x250).

 

It's awesome. I don't know about the big "fangs" on the front of it, but they might grow on me.

 

The "fangs" have a very specific purpose... they're not just there for "show".

 

Neat little planet killer you got there Prof.

 

I seem to remember reading somewhere that the orginal idea was supposed to have the spikes that directed anti proton beam. So Scott am I right? If so do I get a cookie?

 

You'll find out in about a week-ish, if all goes according to plan.

Given my estimation skills, that might be a Christmas cookie.