USS Sequoia, A UFP Presidential Yacht

[SCE2Aux]

I've started work on a new ship, a kind of presidential yacht with a similar purpose to the real USS Sequoia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Sequoia_(presidential_yacht)
ie, a vehicle that diplomats and dignitaries can use to get away from chaotic conferences and negotiations.

This is the first 24th Century era design that I've done: I think I've got the basic shape down, and now need to work details into the mesh. Most importantly, I need to cut a big window into the back so all the VIPs can look at all the picturesque starscapes.
Sorry about using a screengrab instead of a full render - I'm still trying to get all my software working again after my PC broke:

 

[Kaiser]

sweet

 

[Santaman]

That looks like an expensive government craft so ding ding ding! You've got a winner!

 

[Finn]

Nice

 

[BorgMan]

I like the overall shape, less a fan of the inclined deflectors though but that's just preference. I especially like that notch under the cockpit, gives you something to look at!

 

[SCE2Aux]

That looks like an expensive government craft so ding ding ding! You've got a winner!

I would have said that the UFP was beyond such concerns, but considering Star Trek: Picard appears to creating a more cynical depiction of the Federation, I think you may be onto something there!

I like the overall shape, less a fan of the inclined deflectors though but that's just preference. I especially like that notch under the cockpit, gives you something to look at!

I know what you mean about inclined deflectors: I'm ok with them aesthetically, but practically, they probably ought to be perpendicular to the direction of travel.

 

[SCE2Aux]

I managed to neaten up the mesh a bit and add some more detailing over the weekend. Also, I'm going to start using Corona as the renderer for these projects, which I think is a nice change from Vray. This Corona render took 3 minutes for a 1500x1000, which for an average PC is pretty good.

 

[BorgMan]

Yeah, that's my main gripe with the deflectors. Isn't there a way to angle the deflectors themselves perpendicular to the hull while keeping them in that housing?

 

[SCE2Aux]

Yeah, that's my main gripe with the deflectors. Isn't there a way to angle the deflectors themselves perpendicular to the hull while keeping them in that housing?

I think you might be right; keep the outer housing as it is, then straighten up the inner components. I'll give it a go and see how it looks when I work my way round to the underside of the vehicle again.

Today's modelling progress:

 

[publiusr]

I love that better than the runabout
Wasn't there a similar long ranshuttle blueprint (just not as big?) (Powell class IIRC)

 

[SCE2Aux]

I love that better than the runabout
Wasn't there a similar long ranshuttle blueprint (just not as big?) (Powell class IIRC)

I just googled the Powell Class: They do indeed follow the same sort of runabout layout. The Sequoia is larger, as you say, coming in at around 55 meters (I'll make a ship longer than 200 meters some day haha) When I was originally roughing out the basic proportions of this ship, I had the nacelles mounted high.



But in the end I decided it was more in-keeping with the 24th century aesthetic (for runabout class ships, that is) to mount them low instead.

 

[SCE2Aux]

I had a play around with the deflectors, but I couldn't get the straightened up version to look right, so I'm going to stick with the slanted Enterprise-E type for now. The rest of the model is coming along, with additional greebles and whatnot to add detail. I also need to start thinking more about the interior, which would be very visible on a small ship like this. But that will be for another week - for now, this is where I'm at with it:

 

[Santaman]

Pretty little ship, bet Forbin is already gathering parts to kitbash it for his Grand Alliance starship.

 

[BorgMan]

Can you move the deflector proper just a tad lower in the housing? Without moving the grey bezel around them? Maybe that will give just enough a feeling of them being angled forward?

 

[Atolm]

Sexy

 

[Viper]

This is a really nice sleek design. Imo the windows don't work though. I would do something that looks a bit more sleek. The Runabout windows look a bit out of place with the rest of the design.

 

[SCE2Aux]

Can you move the deflector proper just a tad lower in the housing? Without moving the grey bezel around them? Maybe that will give just enough a feeling of them being angled forward?

I'm not sure moving them down would work from all angles. There might be other ways round it though, we'll see!

This is a really nice sleek design. Imo the windows don't work though. I would do something that looks a bit more sleek. The Runabout windows look a bit out of place with the rest of the design.

Thanks! I definitely want to keep a runabout style cutout to maintain some continuity, but there's nothing stopping me from making those windows a bit sleeker, and less... cybertruck

 

[Viper]

I'm not sure moving them down would work from all angles. There might be other ways round it though, we'll see!


Thanks! I definitely want to keep a runabout style cutout to maintain some continuity, but there's nothing stopping me from making those windows a bit sleeker, and less... cybertruck

Yeah, right now the windows look very utilitarian. I don't think you need to lose that inset look, but making them a bit more angled and doing a different division other than just 3 square windows will improve the design a lot.

 

[SCE2Aux]

I've been thinking of what to do with this model when it's finished, and have been experimenting with creating planets, landscapes and asteroids using entirely procedural textures. Even when quickly knocking together a planet like this, the results are quite promising:

 

[Viper]

I like it The height information might be a bit too strong though.