USS Defiant, NCC-1764-A

Discussion in 'Fan Art' started by MadMan1701A, Apr 10, 2010.

  1. MadMan1701A

    MadMan1701A Commodore Premium Member

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    Thanks for all the suggestions. :)

    I'll address the grid lines, first... These will be much less obvious in "normal" light. the blurry part you are seeing is shading that is meant to compliment the bump map, which isn't visible yet, because of the multiple light sources. I promise it will look better in the final renders. :)

    About the Nacelle Domes, I am doing almost what you suggested. There are 2 domes, an inner one, behind the blades, which has a light in it. I can't do a volume light, but I do have an "Area" light shining outward towards the front, through the blades. The outside domes has a texture on it that is being lit up from that light. Blender (with the default renderer, anyway) doesn't have very good lighting. :)

    BIG updates soon...
     
  2. Excelsior

    Excelsior Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    :drool:
     
  3. MadMan1701A

    MadMan1701A Commodore Premium Member

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    OK, guys, this thing is 99% done... I'm sure I'll look back at it later, and find something I missed.

    Here's the ship, in some "real" lighting.....

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    And, a quick wallpaper... ( I had to have one for my work computer :) )

    [​IMG]
    1680x1050: http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y200/MadMan1701A/Wallpapers/VariableTimelines_1680.jpg
     
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2010
    TheSubCommander likes this.
  4. erifah

    erifah Captain Captain

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    I just wet my pants.:shifty:
     
  5. Kaiser

    Kaiser Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    very nice :drool:
     
  6. MadMan1701A

    MadMan1701A Commodore Premium Member

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    Thanks, guys. :) I'm glad ya'll like it.
     
  7. RoJoHen

    RoJoHen Awesome Admiral

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    Well, shit. Now I want one.
     
  8. Sarvek

    Sarvek Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Now that is a cool looking ship and it fits into the design lineage. Great work.:techman:
     
  9. judexavier

    judexavier Commander Red Shirt

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    Beautiful. This ship really gets everything right. Love how, finished, those subtle cowlings look so cool. How the markings play into the shapes, those phaser "moldings"...(I could go on and on, but I'll keep it short :))
    And I have to say from now on, I like the single torp better than the TMP version...just a cleaner look.
    She needs a set of blueprints for the kit modders and scratch builders.

    Awesome.
     
  10. MadMan1701A

    MadMan1701A Commodore Premium Member

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    Thanks. :)

    If someone were to build me a scratchbuilt model of this guy, I would freak out. :) That would be amazing, to have one of these on my desk alongside my other models here.

    Hopefully I'll have more images up soon.
     
  11. MadMan1701A

    MadMan1701A Commodore Premium Member

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    So, since it was your idea, how do you feel about drawing up a set of blueprints for this? I can get you all the orthos you need. :)
     
  12. cbspock

    cbspock Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Great stuff.

    -Chris
     
  13. Excelsior

    Excelsior Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    Form an orderly queue... ;)

    Loving it. Might just be my favourite of all the ships you've done (and that's saying something, considering how much the Metaluna knocked me for six)! Looks fantastic with the scenic lighting (or whatever it's called in 3D modelling parlance!) - really sets off the colours, which are spot-on for bridging the gap betwen TOS and TMP.

    Out of curiosity, I dug around for that comparison pic of the TOS/TMP/JJ Enterprises to see how it looks in context. For my money, it looks right at home up there with the 'Big "E"s'...


    ...and the Abramsprise. ;) (set phasers to 'snark'!)

    Hell, I keep scrolling this thing up and down, just enjoying watching it 'morph' from ship to ship, and taking in all those little transition that are so subtle, they'd go unnoticed otherwise. Try it - it's (to quote the man himself) ..."fascinating". :vulcan:


    Comparison images
    [embedded images changed to link - please see board rules re: embedding images from other websites - Ptrope]

    [​IMG]


    Just curious, how does it look with a blue impulse deflection crystal รก la the TMP, and white for the 3 circly-things on the primary hull rim? (What the heck are those things, exactly?!?)? Would it work, or would the blue be too much of a clash with the red decals?


    Lastly, I really, REALLY like the deflector, particularly because it scratches an itch I've had ever since seeing First Contact; the Sovereign class deflector dish is a similar gold-ish, radiated set-up, which frankly comes out of nowhere in terms of the design lineage. It looks cool, to be sure (and how else would we have had that great "Assimilate THIS!" moment? ;) ), but I'd like it a whole lot better if we'd seen some kind of precursor to it on an older ship. Thanks to the Defiant-A, that hole has been plugged, and that OCD-ish part of my brain that preoccupies itself with things like that can sleep easy! :bolian:

    On that note, I really must be off to bed, since it's just gone 4am - yikes...
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 26, 2010
  14. MadMan1701A

    MadMan1701A Commodore Premium Member

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    I'm really glad you like it. :) The deflector crystal started out blue, but nothing else on this ship is, so it looked kind of funny. Yellow to match the deflector seemed like a good idea. Speaking of the deflector, I always liked it, along with the Nacelles, from the Enteprise E. It seemed like they were really trying to bring in memories of the Original E with that one. I mentioned it earlier on in the thread, about those 3 big windows in front... that's where I moved the rec-deck/arboretum... thought it would be cool to have a big two-story open space there to hang out, after hours, and look out at space while being in the park. :)

    Here's what I was working on tonight... It's similar to your idea about comparing the styles, so here it is...

    [​IMG]

    1680x1050: http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y200/MadMan1701A/Wallpapers/TemporalConvergence1680.jpg

    The Constellation, Enterprise, Defiant, and Metaluna join forces in Star Trek XII:The Search For More Money, to fix the broken timeline by blowing up lots of Klingon Warbirds. :)

    Seriously, though, I am trying to find another arrangement to fit all these ships on screen at once, from a different angle. Any ideas?

    Have fun, guys...
     
  15. RoJoHen

    RoJoHen Awesome Admiral

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    Yes. Design a fleet of Klingon ships, and have the two fleets coming at each other!

    And then make another scene of them blowing each other up!

    Seriously, you guys need to start posting more battle pictures! :p
     
  16. Kaiser

    Kaiser Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I found my new desktop backround thank you :) :techman:
     
  17. judexavier

    judexavier Commander Red Shirt

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    LOL. Me and my big mouth.
    Well, you know I always love those ortho views...
    Yeah, I'll give it a shot.
    Man I'm tempted to get one of those 1:1000 kits now.
     
  18. MadMan1701A

    MadMan1701A Commodore Premium Member

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    Awesome. :) I'll have some orthos up this afternoon. :)
     
  19. fleetcaptain

    fleetcaptain Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Well love how the design of the Defiant came about. Love the nice wallypaper with all 4 ships in it too. Would love to see more battle pics as well.
     
  20. Excelsior

    Excelsior Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    Cool idea - shame on me for skipping past the text in the previous pages to get straight to the piccies! ;)

    Actually, that's another good 'continuity plug', similar to the deflector configuration - 'in-universe', one could say that such an idea tested in the Defiant would be the inspiration for the Enterprise-D's Ten Forward. Couple that with the deflector, and the Galaxy class-esque torpedo launcher, and it's not beyond imagination to suggest that some of the innovations pioneered on the Defiant-A would later be revived in 24th-century Starfleet vessels. Indeed, that's not an unprecedented concept; there's a great deal of similarity between the refit Constitution and the Galaxy-class ships (corridors, engineering room configuration, etc.), so the idea of reviving older design axioms in such a fashion makes a lot of sense.

    (Christ, I desperately need to stop over-thinking these things... ;) )

    Digging that group shot (particularly seeing the contrast between the Constellation and the Defiant, which is cool), although I'm going to risk obliterating what little of my street cred that remains by pointing out how cute the little Metaluna is in the corner! ^_^

    Awesome work, sir - can't wait to see the official orthos/wallpapers go up on your site!



    [EDIT] Just noticed something - another nit-pick, admittedly, but one you'd probably spot too. Running lights! I noticed they're on the ship, but in white, not red and green. Thought it worth pointing out in case you'd missed it, although if this is in fact a deliberate thing, I'll go shut up again... ;)
     
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2010