Star Ship Polaris - Page 4

Admiral Buzzkill · March 9 2008, 04:28 AM

I'm looking at ways to combine the ring with the cowling, but not liking anything so far.

But it doesn't have to be solved tonight. We've got at least til the end of the weekend to finalize all of this.

In the meantime

Venardhi · March 9 2008, 04:43 AM

I like the new end caps, they look like they could be ejected in an emergency. Attractive and functional!

I'll work on some more ideas to see how the cowling could fit in with the ring and the saucer. I've got a pretty decent idea of how it could be done.

Admiral Buzzkill · March 9 2008, 05:32 AM

The thing does wind up having a "top" and "bottom" for the sake of conventional points of reference for the viewer; it's not going to do backflips or go vertically through the frame (much). There's more symmetry to the top and bottom now than there was a day or so ago, just because I've pulled the wing bottom back up to be about as "deep" as the top side.

The big windows represent a scaling problem - they're each a deck high and represent a dedicated "observation dome" area (a variation of what's visible on aridas original plans; I offset them about 80 degrees from one another partly because we've added that fin or spine and partly to eliminate the "cockpit" appearence). Problem is, I don't think people expect windows that big - they assume that they're smaller than they are, hence the ship is smaller.

The windows are big enough to require a modeled and lit interior, but that's not going to register sufficiently to make a difference in the scaling issue. So I'll probably add a few smaller portholes somewhere nearer the bow, among other things.

Venardhi · March 9 2008, 05:52 AM

Having the ship being oriented the way it is, I doubt the lack of an easily distinguishable top or bottom would be terribly disconcerting for the viewer once they understand that. in reality. neither are. Whatever side is 'up' in any particular scene will be 'up' to them.

Odd you mention the windows, I wrote a short post about them, but got distracted and never posted it. I do find them somewhat 'upsetting' for the scale. Perhaps the portholes, combined with visible 'shield doors' to close over the observation windows could help to distinguish them as larger than a standard window.

Admiral Buzzkill · March 9 2008, 05:56 AM

Venardhi wrote:

Having the ship being oriented the way it is, I doubt the lack of an easily distinguishable top or bottom would be terribly disconcerting for the viewer once they understand that.

Okay, I'll fess up: it's disconcerting for me. It bothers me. I want to know which way is up.

I think I've figured out a way to maybe integrate the rings.

Admiral Buzzkill · March 11 2008, 03:10 AM

Well, I've had at it for the last day or so and I don't think the weapons ring is going to work. Not at this stage, in any event.

Venardhi · March 11 2008, 09:19 AM

I think i might have found a way, but it needs some refining. I'll post it when I get some time to finish it up. It also gives it a difference for the top and bottom to satisfy your distinctly-defined dorsal desires.

therealfoxbat · March 11 2008, 01:04 PM

I believe the windows only become a real issue if they're needed for flight operations. If the bridge uses a viewscreen a la Star Trek, then the windows are pretty much only there for crew morale. If a window is needed to see where they're going, then the bridge crew would have to lay on seats that look kind of like high-tech chaise lounges so they could look out the great big window built into the ceiling...

Admiral Buzzkill · March 12 2008, 04:05 AM

Venardhi · March 12 2008, 07:26 AM

I like it. Have you considered the sunken in central saucer as on my model? I think it helps break up the big solid saucer a bit.

Also, the more I look at it the more I think a less conical end cap would be more attractive. Right now that 'nose' sticks out a bit distractingly from the design. Just rubs me wrong, a hemisphere would flow a lot better with the rest of it IMO.

Admiral Buzzkill · March 14 2008, 03:24 AM

I tried a sunken area in the bottom of the saucer at one point, and I think aridas had done so earlier in his drawings. I didn't like the way it intersected with the central fuselage - but OTOH, I didn't think to try what you did later, which was to shift the central axis of the saucer backward off of center. I may try that and see if it works better.

The color variations here are based on those from your model, adapted to the contours and style of this one at this point.

Kaiser · March 14 2008, 04:07 AM

Im really likeing this non Trek and / or Wars ship design :thumbsup:

FrontLine · March 14 2008, 04:19 AM

I like it a lot, especailly with the paint job. One thing you had earlier, and its now muted, were those sort of curved vertical stabilizers. THe current version looks good, but have you thought about putting them back in? Also, what does the underside look like?

Admiral Buzzkill · March 14 2008, 04:36 AM

I didn't really think the curved stabilizers/weapons towers/whatever fit with the design. Every time I stick something on it, it takes away from the original simplicity of aridas design - so some things stick (like, for now, the engine cowling) and lots of doodads get their audition and no call-back (like the overhead spoiler of a couple of weeks ago, or - I suspect as I look at it - those radial vanes on the back half of the saucer).

The underside looks like...a blanker version of the top side, right now. You can see aridas treatment of it in his drawings uptopic and I'm using that as a general guide as I experiment with detailing (the panel break-up on the topside wing, for example, is I hope very close to what he had in mind). One thing we've added down there are a couple of round hatches on the wing which conceal the landing boats. At first I just had the boats fitting snugly into the hull (now that I think of it, kind of like the captain's "yacht" on the TNG Enterprise) but that looked somewhat like - nay, exactly like - a nice pair of boobs with nipples. So now they're behind closed doors.

Professor Moriarty · March 14 2008, 05:53 AM

The paint job really brings this design to life. I keep wanting to put details on the skin to give more of a visual sense of scale, though...

March 9 2008, 04:28 AM	#46
Admiral Buzzkill The Man Location: Defying Gravity	Re: Star Ship Polaris I'm looking at ways to combine the ring with the cowling, but not liking anything so far. But it doesn't have to be solved tonight. We've got at least til the end of the weekend to finalize all of this. In the meantime __________________ I had steak and a loaded baked potato for dinner on Sunday. As a steak I enjoyed it a lot, but as macaroni and cheese I thought it was disappointing.

March 9 2008, 04:43 AM	#47
Venardhi Vice Admiral Location: Constant transit	Re: Star Ship Polaris I like the new end caps, they look like they could be ejected in an emergency. Attractive and functional! I'll work on some more ideas to see how the cowling could fit in with the ring and the saucer. I've got a pretty decent idea of how it could be done. __________________ "There is no reason why good cannot triumph as often as evil. The triumph of anything is a matter of organization. If there are such things as angels, I hope that they are organized along the lines of the Maffia." - Winston Niles Rumfoord.

March 9 2008, 05:32 AM	#48
Admiral Buzzkill The Man Location: Defying Gravity	Re: Star Ship Polaris The thing does wind up having a "top" and "bottom" for the sake of conventional points of reference for the viewer; it's not going to do backflips or go vertically through the frame (much). There's more symmetry to the top and bottom now than there was a day or so ago, just because I've pulled the wing bottom back up to be about as "deep" as the top side. The big windows represent a scaling problem - they're each a deck high and represent a dedicated "observation dome" area (a variation of what's visible on aridas original plans; I offset them about 80 degrees from one another partly because we've added that fin or spine and partly to eliminate the "cockpit" appearence). Problem is, I don't think people expect windows that big - they assume that they're smaller than they are, hence the ship is smaller. The windows are big enough to require a modeled and lit interior, but that's not going to register sufficiently to make a difference in the scaling issue. So I'll probably add a few smaller portholes somewhere nearer the bow, among other things. __________________ I had steak and a loaded baked potato for dinner on Sunday. As a steak I enjoyed it a lot, but as macaroni and cheese I thought it was disappointing.

March 9 2008, 05:52 AM	#49
Venardhi Vice Admiral Location: Constant transit	Re: Star Ship Polaris Having the ship being oriented the way it is, I doubt the lack of an easily distinguishable top or bottom would be terribly disconcerting for the viewer once they understand that. in reality. neither are. Whatever side is 'up' in any particular scene will be 'up' to them. Odd you mention the windows, I wrote a short post about them, but got distracted and never posted it. I do find them somewhat 'upsetting' for the scale. Perhaps the portholes, combined with visible 'shield doors' to close over the observation windows could help to distinguish them as larger than a standard window. __________________ "There is no reason why good cannot triumph as often as evil. The triumph of anything is a matter of organization. If there are such things as angels, I hope that they are organized along the lines of the Maffia." - Winston Niles Rumfoord.

March 11 2008, 03:10 AM	#51
Admiral Buzzkill The Man Location: Defying Gravity	Re: Star Ship Polaris Well, I've had at it for the last day or so and I don't think the weapons ring is going to work. Not at this stage, in any event. __________________ I had steak and a loaded baked potato for dinner on Sunday. As a steak I enjoyed it a lot, but as macaroni and cheese I thought it was disappointing.

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March 11 2008, 09:19 AM	#52
Venardhi Vice Admiral Location: Constant transit	Re: Star Ship Polaris I think i might have found a way, but it needs some refining. I'll post it when I get some time to finish it up. It also gives it a difference for the top and bottom to satisfy your distinctly-defined dorsal desires. __________________ "There is no reason why good cannot triumph as often as evil. The triumph of anything is a matter of organization. If there are such things as angels, I hope that they are organized along the lines of the Maffia." - Winston Niles Rumfoord.

March 11 2008, 01:04 PM	#53
therealfoxbat Commander Location: Las Vegas, NV	Re: Star Ship Polaris I believe the windows only become a real issue if they're needed for flight operations. If the bridge uses a viewscreen a la Star Trek, then the windows are pretty much only there for crew morale. If a window is needed to see where they're going, then the bridge crew would have to lay on seats that look kind of like high-tech chaise lounges so they could look out the great big window built into the ceiling... __________________ TASTE MY SQUIRRELLY WRATH!!! I really DO have a squirrelly wrath, you know...

March 12 2008, 04:05 AM	#54
Admiral Buzzkill The Man Location: Defying Gravity	Re: Star Ship Polaris __________________ I had steak and a loaded baked potato for dinner on Sunday. As a steak I enjoyed it a lot, but as macaroni and cheese I thought it was disappointing.

March 12 2008, 07:26 AM	#55
Venardhi Vice Admiral Location: Constant transit	Re: Star Ship Polaris I like it. Have you considered the sunken in central saucer as on my model? I think it helps break up the big solid saucer a bit. Also, the more I look at it the more I think a less conical end cap would be more attractive. Right now that 'nose' sticks out a bit distractingly from the design. Just rubs me wrong, a hemisphere would flow a lot better with the rest of it IMO. __________________ "There is no reason why good cannot triumph as often as evil. The triumph of anything is a matter of organization. If there are such things as angels, I hope that they are organized along the lines of the Maffia." - Winston Niles Rumfoord.

March 14 2008, 03:24 AM	#56
Admiral Buzzkill The Man Location: Defying Gravity	Re: Star Ship Polaris I tried a sunken area in the bottom of the saucer at one point, and I think aridas had done so earlier in his drawings. I didn't like the way it intersected with the central fuselage - but OTOH, I didn't think to try what you did later, which was to shift the central axis of the saucer backward off of center. I may try that and see if it works better. The color variations here are based on those from your model, adapted to the contours and style of this one at this point. __________________ I had steak and a loaded baked potato for dinner on Sunday. As a steak I enjoyed it a lot, but as macaroni and cheese I thought it was disappointing.

March 14 2008, 04:07 AM	#57
Kaiser Rear Admiral Location: Boyertown, PA as of July 2011	Re: Star Ship Polaris Im really likeing this non Trek and / or Wars ship design :thumbsup: __________________ https://www.facebook.com/groups/112860258811333/ For all your Sci-fi ship model and mini goodness 3DS Friend code: 0731-4800-6817

March 14 2008, 04:19 AM	#58
FrontLine Nekkid Hedonistic Ethical Slut Location: Killin' Zombies!	Re: Star Ship Polaris I like it a lot, especailly with the paint job. One thing you had earlier, and its now muted, were those sort of curved vertical stabilizers. THe current version looks good, but have you thought about putting them back in? Also, what does the underside look like? __________________ THE orignal naked hedonistic glutton! Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "Holy shit, what a ride!" "Im happier than a tornado in a trailer park" - Tow Mater - Cars

March 14 2008, 04:36 AM	#59
Admiral Buzzkill The Man Location: Defying Gravity	Re: Star Ship Polaris I didn't really think the curved stabilizers/weapons towers/whatever fit with the design. Every time I stick something on it, it takes away from the original simplicity of aridas design - so some things stick (like, for now, the engine cowling) and lots of doodads get their audition and no call-back (like the overhead spoiler of a couple of weeks ago, or - I suspect as I look at it - those radial vanes on the back half of the saucer). The underside looks like...a blanker version of the top side, right now. You can see aridas treatment of it in his drawings uptopic and I'm using that as a general guide as I experiment with detailing (the panel break-up on the topside wing, for example, is I hope very close to what he had in mind). One thing we've added down there are a couple of round hatches on the wing which conceal the landing boats. At first I just had the boats fitting snugly into the hull (now that I think of it, kind of like the captain's "yacht" on the TNG Enterprise) but that looked somewhat like - nay, exactly like - a nice pair of boobs with nipples. So now they're behind closed doors. __________________ I had steak and a loaded baked potato for dinner on Sunday. As a steak I enjoyed it a lot, but as macaroni and cheese I thought it was disappointing.

March 14 2008, 05:53 AM	#60
Professor Moriarty Vice Admiral Location: Drifting in interspace	Re: Star Ship Polaris The paint job really brings this design to life. I keep wanting to put details on the skin to give more of a visual sense of scale, though...