Donny's Refit Enterprise Interiors (Version 2.0)

[David cgc]

Are you kidding me? Arrrgh! So much learning!

The real trick was finding a shot where I could actually tell one way or the other. IIRC, the smoking gun was the extended version of the bottom-of-the-saucer-leaving-drydock shot used in TWOK (TMP only uses, like, a third of it, which gives me no end of delight). And the close-up on the registry melting in the self-destruct sequence in TSFS, but that doesn't "really" count since it was a different miniature.

 

[STEPhon IT]

Of course! That's the botanical garden. Not only is it called out as such on the Official Blueprints, but you can also see that the model builders included trees/plants inside that area on the filming model:



I read recently that one of the model builders was dismayed that we never got to see this maquette up close in the films, and even in the dramatic flyby of the Enterprise at the end of TMP/beginning of TWOK, the angle we are presented with only shows blue light spilling out of these windows. This was intended to be a "holographic sky" on the ceiling of the botanical section.


Lora Johnson's blueprints in MSGTTE fleshes out this area quite well, and hobbyists try to include small maquettes of this area in the 1/350th scale models


I won't be fleshing this area out just yet. For now I'm just going to put blue emissives in this window, but like the VIP Lounge and Rec Deck, when I build those fully-detailed interior sets I'll also be producing less detailed version to retrofit into my exterior model.

In Star Trek II, after Kirk and Co. beamed back aboard the Enterprise from the Regula moon, do you believe the Botanical Garden was where Carol Marcus remained until the climax of the movie or was she staying someplace else?

 

[Donny]

In Star Trek II, after Kirk and Co. beamed back aboard the Enterprise from the Regula moon, do you believe the Botanical Garden was where Carol Marcus remained until the climax of the movie or was she staying someplace else?

We see her in McCoy’s office with David during the battle.

 

[Viper]

Okay, this is completely for funsies. I wanted to see how my model looked in a well-lit area so I dropped it into my corridor at filming model scale (8 feet), and the results were pretty cool. Here's The Enterprise inside The Enterprise:

This looks great! The environment totally makes it pop. I had to put several lights around the ship to make it work in space, otherwise it's a bit too bland.

 

[Donny]

This looks great! The environment totally makes it pop. I had to put several lights around the ship to make it work in space, otherwise it's a bit too bland.

Yeah, placing it in the environment were there are tons of light made me realize I would have to do a similar setup with lots of lights when doing shots in outer space. Which is how they filmed it anyway. My attempts at using only 2 or 3 lights thus far during lighting tests leaves me unsatisfied.

 

[Mytran]

Okay, this is completely for funsies. I wanted to see how my model looked in a well-lit area so I dropped it into my corridor at filming model scale (8 feet), and the results were pretty cool. Here's The Enterprise inside The Enterprise:

There was a little ship, which took a little trip...

 

[Maurice]

Of course! That's the botanical garden. Not only is it called out as such on the Official Blueprints, but you can also see that the model builders included trees/plants inside that area on the filming model:



I read recently that one of the model builders was dismayed that we never got to see this maquette up close in the films, and even in the dramatic flyby of the Enterprise at the end of TMP/beginning of TWOK, the angle we are presented with only shows blue light spilling out of these windows. This was intended to be a "holographic sky" on the ceiling of the botanical section.


Lora Johnson's blueprints in MSGTTE fleshes out this area quite well, and hobbyists try to include small maquettes of this area in the 1/350th scale models


I won't be fleshing this area out just yet. For now I'm just going to put blue emissives in this window, but like the VIP Lounge and Rec Deck, when I build those fully-detailed interior sets I'll also be producing less detailed version to retrofit into my exterior model.

Andy Probert says that area of the ship kept changing. At one point it was going to be the Rec Deck, at another point a big lounge with miniature tables and all, and also what it was in the end: a garden.

 

[captainkirk]

Okay, this is completely for funsies. I wanted to see how my model looked in a well-lit area so I dropped it into my corridor at filming model scale (8 feet), and the results were pretty cool. Here's The Enterprise inside The Enterprise:

Now I want to see a looping shot where we push into a window and find another Enterprise in the corridor and just keep going.

 

[Donny]

Now I want to see a looping shot where we push into a window and find another Enterprise in the corridor and just keep going.

I thought about that as well!

 

[Viper]

Yeah, placing it in the environment were there are tons of light made me realize I would have to do a similar setup with lots of lights when doing shots in outer space. Which is how they filmed it anyway. My attempts at using only 2 or 3 lights thus far during lighting tests leaves me unsatisfied.

I ended up using a key light and 3 more bounce lights. Plus all the spots for self illumination. But that was for that specific angle. I would have to do more work to get it to look good from all angles.

 

[GNDN18]

 

[cardinal biggles]

Here's The Enterprise inside The Enterprise:

Just found my new computer desktop.

 

[blssdwlf]

Okay, this is completely for funsies. I wanted to see how my model looked in a well-lit area so I dropped it into my corridor at filming model scale (8 feet), and the results were pretty cool. Here's The Enterprise inside The Enterprise:

It's a prequel to "One Little Ship"!

 

[UssGlenn]

Here's The Enterprise inside The Enterprise:

I believe that's known as an Enterception.

 

[Tallguy]

I believe that's known as an Enterception.

Take your damn "like".

 

[BK613]

Really like the "One Little Ship" shot.

 

[cardinal biggles]

When I put it on my 19" 1920x1080 monitor at work, I pretty much just stared at it for a full three minutes and kept trying to touch the ship. Damn, that's amazing work, Donny.

 

[Donny]

I've taken the past few days off to rest (and attend an all-day GoT party on Sunday, celebrating the premiere ), but am gearing up to finish the Refit model this weekend. I basically only have to program the self-illumination system (I want to rig all the lights of the model to turn on/off on demand and, in regards to the impulse grille and deflector, change colors), do final material tweaks, and then take some glamour shots.

However, I should note there are some things on the model I'll be coming back to at a later date to complete, most likely when I get around to modeling/re-modeling their respective interior sets:
1) Low-res versions of the Rec Deck, VIP Lounge, Botanical Garden to be seen through their respective windows
2) Higher-res version of the flight deck exterior, complete with working bay doors
3) Higher-res and functional versions of the external docking ports, including adding those on the underside of the saucer (Engineering docking port functionality still to be determined)
4) Saucer separation details (The model is rigged with the proper separation line, I just have to add the greebly bits that would be exposed when the saucer separates. Will probably get to this when I revisit the engineering set). I'd also like to explore having working landing legs but I have yet to even begin concepting that.

So, basically what I'll have complete this weekend is a Refit exterior to be used when seen from a distance, or when seen through windows from inside the ship. Ideally, I'd like to implement an interactive inspection tour sequence via travel pod (like in TMP), so a lot of the work listed above will be required at a later date to make all this possible. But for now, getting ready my base mid-resolution game-ready model of the Enterprise will go a long way in making this later work possible.

After finishing up the base model this weekend, I'll be taking a week or two off to enjoy other things in life before coming back to work on more interior sets. I have yet to decide what I'll be working on first. I'll probably do some less time-consuming stuff to start off with (maybe a couple of TMP-era props, or the docking port aft of the bridge, or revisiting my Transporter Room set). I really can't wait to model the cargo bay/flight deck/hangar bay complex, but that's going to be a monumental task and I know that I really need to take it easy for a while before undertaking that.

Anyway, stay tuned!

 

[Tallguy]

Thanks for the report. Fantastic work so far.

 

[penguin44]

I wish we could all have these to walk around in! Amazing work Donny, enjoy the long weekend.