Google Enterprise

[BrookeStephen]

Hi Guys - I'm the guy building the TOS Enterprise in VRML
from the inside - out using the Franz Joseph Designs deck plans
and what I can use from the series sets.
Did I mention that it was life-sized?
I know it's a little cartoon-ish, but then who isn't!

I've made videos of my progress on youtube.
Thanks Eric Cheung for your links - I followed them backward and joined the BBS.
I'm sorry - DontFeedPhil - the graphics are shitty,
but that's just the video resolution
the models are amazing to walk around in!

Are you interested enough to try to build something in VRML?
It's not that tough if I can do it - it's just a little trig...

 

[Mr. B]

Do none of you play 3D shooter games? Voyager Elite Force, Elite Force II, anyone? That would be the best head start on creating a virtual environment. The mechanics are already in place, you just need to create the visuals.

The Voyager Virtual Tour was pretty cool. SDKs for video games seem to be getting easier to use so making a map of a ship is certainly doable. The idea reminds me of a map of Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater for HL2... that was a great way to see the property for someone who's never been there.

 

[Navigator_NCC2120]

Thank you Eric Cheung for posting a link to Brooke Stephen’s Website.

Thank you Brooke Stephen, I really enjoyed viewing you 3d TOS Enterprise. I have a few questions below.

In case you are interested here is a link to interviews with Franz Joseph (Schnaubelt) and his daughter Karen Schnaubelt Dick after her father passed away.

A few years ago I remember seeing someone had created a mod for the Elite Forces computer game or a game like it of Star Trek’s Starbase 11 from the episode “The Menagerie”. It also had a drydock in orbit with Franz Joseph’s Dreadnought in it. You could walk around in the buildings of Starbase 11, the drydock and I think the Dreadnought. There was also in this mod or another mod for the game that included Capt. Pike, Number One, Yeoman Colt, Commodore Mendez, Miss Piper, and the Keeper Talosian. I am sure someone around here knows what I am referring to and will hopefully provide a link to it. Perhaps you could collaborate with the person/people that created this game mod.

Here is a link to many Star Trek blueprints, I hope you find them useful. I apologize for such a long post.


Thank you,

Navigator NCC-2120 USS Entente
/\


Here are my questions:


01. Are you using a DOS version of VRML or a Windows version?

It looks like a DOS version considering the relatively low screen resolution.


02. Is the screen resolution VGA?

It looks like either:
320 pixels x 200 pixels x 256 color pallet
or
640 pixels x 400 pixels x 16 color pallet.


03. How long is your 3d model of TOS Enterprise?

Matt Jeffries (the Enterprise designer) said it was supposed to be 947 feet long in the book “The Making of Star Trek”. However, members in the Trek Tech Forum and Trek Art Forum say it is more practical at 1,080 feet long. Here is a link to the original blueprints of TOS Enterprise.


04. How long is your 3d model of TOS Shuttlecraft?

In the tv series Kirk says its 24 feet long, but members in the Tech Forum and the Art Forum say it is more realistic at either 26 feet or 30 feet long, I don’t remember which. Here is a link to the shuttlecraft blueprints.


05. Does your 3d model of TOS Enterprise have the vertical Jeffries Tubes that the crew supposedly used to go between decks (Deck 02 to Deck 23 via the 3 sided ladder in the middle of the tube)?

Here is a picture of the vertical Jeffries Tube behind Sarek and Amanda.
Here is a picture of the vertical Jeffries Tube with NOMAD.


06. Do you plan on doing TMP version of the Enterprise?

I’m hoping you say yes to this, it is my favorite Star Trek film.


07. Do you plan on doing TOS version the Klingon Battlecruiser (the D7) and/or doing TMP version (K’Tinga) of it?

If so here is a link to the website with the blueprints of the TOS version.


08. Do you plan on doing TOS version of Franz Joseph Schnaubelt’s Destroyer/Scout, Tug, and/or Dreadnought?

If so, here are the links to the website with the blueprints:
Destroyer/Scout
Tug (picture only, I could not find blueprints of it)
Dreadnought
U.S.S. Independence NCC-F1300 MK-XVI Freighter



Thanks again,

Navigator NCC-2120 USS Entente
/\

 

[BrookeStephen]

Hey there NCC-2120:
1.
Screen resolution of the VIDEOS is crappy - sorry!
The VRML is rendererd using Bitmanagement's Contact software for VRML/X3D in Windows.
The videos have to use a low resolution,
or the VRML rendering slows to a crawl!
You see the video recording software and the VRML renderer
both compete for the graphic resources of my PC,
and both programs think that they're the only software I have running on my PC.
go figure!
I assure you, and if you look on my website you'll see
pics (stills) from the VRML at
http://www.geocities.com/brookestephen/vrml_tos_enterprise.htm
Click on the pics and you get bigger pics with higher resolution!

2.
the colours - I can see you're unimpressed with the graphics, but I'm glad that you seem interested in the idea... I haven't spent that much effort on the colours and I'll tell you why - at this point, it's more important to me to get the architecture down right first.
So I haven't used "textures" but I have used rather simple colour (canadian sp. of color) schemes.

3.
my VRML TOS Enterprise is metric! the reason for this - VRML is metric!
let's see:
deck 6 (the widest circular deck) has radius 64.294m at the top
deck 20 is offset 55.5m from deck 6 to the centre of the forward turbolift on deck 20
deck 20 runs 86.1m past the same turbolift tube
the centre of the nacelle is 80m from centre of deck 6 (zero-line) and 113.529m long or: 136.765m
but this nacelle doesn't yet have the end-cap so this length is less than it should be...
so primary hull to end of secondary hull: 64.294 + 55.5 + 86.1 = 205.894m = 675.5 feet
This 675.5 feet is according to Franz Joseph Design's deckplans.
And the primary hull to end of nacelles: 64.294 + 55.5 + 136.765 = 256.559m = 842 feet.
The nacelle length is probably not long enough... but you get the idea!
If the end caps are 50-150 feet long, you're getting up to 1000 feet.

4.
the shuttlecraft stretches from -4.83m to 3.584m so 8.414m or 27.6 feet long... but that's just the body, not the nacelles - same applies to these nacelles as the Enterprise in that the nacelle caps aren't constructed yet. The actual length will be slightly longer.

5.
There are no tubes running vertical in the Franz Joseph blueprints.
There are tubes running up the nacelle struts, but these blueprints, if you look closely,
use stairways called "gangways" and not ladders.

6.
I have no plans to do a TMP version, or any other version since there are no deckplans
of the calibre and detail of the Franz Joseph plans.

7.
I think I downloaded the Klingon plans, but I don't think I'll be doing that ship,
since I couldn't do it justice - no one has actually seen the inside of the ship!!!!

8.
Like I said - no other ships have deckplans of the calibre and level of detail as the TOS Enterprise, and I'd need that to build the ship.
However, I've started on a Millennium Falcon, even though I haven't finished the Enterprise.
Frankly, I've put a couple of years into the Enterprise and I needed a creative break.

Cheers!

 

[BrookeStephen]

By the way - I've got a screen capture from my VRML TOS Enterprise for you.
Just in case you didn't believe me about the resolution - I had to shrink this pic 50%,
so there will be some jaggies, but...

 

[Navigator_NCC2120]

Hey there NCC-2120:

2.
the colours - I can see you're unimpressed with the graphics, but I'm glad that you seem interested in the idea... I haven't spent that much effort on the colours and I'll tell you why - at this point, it's more important to me to get the architecture down right first.
So I haven't used "textures" but I have used rather simple colour (canadian sp. of color) schemes.

Thanks BrookeStephen for answering my questions.

In Question #2 I was just curious whether VRML was using either:

VGA Mode 13h (that is 13 hexadecimal = 19 decimal) which is 320 pixels (wide) x 200 pixels (high) with a 256 color pallet available

or

VGA Mode 12h (12 hexadecimal = 18 decimal) which is 640 pixels (wide) x 480 pixels (high) with a 16 color pallet available.

I was looking at your VRML Project from a computer programming point of view. I was not criticizing your color scheme, my apologies for the confusion.


Navigator NCC-2120 USS Entente
/\

 

[Navigator_NCC2120]

By the way - I've got a screen capture from my VRML TOS Enterprise for you.
Just in case you didn't believe me about the resolution - I had to shrink this pic 50%,
so there will be some jaggies, but...

Thanks BrookeStephen,

I appreciate it.


Navigator NCC-2120 USS Entente
/\

 

[BrookeStephen]

Hey - I took a look at some of your links and found I was wrong - there's a few blueprints out there that could be used to make ships... are you interested in learning how to build the ships using VRML?

For a programming perspective, you can take a look at the Bitmanagement website for more details on the resolution and colours... I don't know the answer, sorry.

 

[Navigator_NCC2120]

Hey - I took a look at some of your links and found I was wrong - there's a few blueprints out there that could be used to make ships... are you interested in learning how to build the ships using VRML?

For a programming perspective, you can take a look at the Bitmanagement website for more details on the resolution and colours... I don't know the answer, sorry.

Hi BrookeStephen,

Well, at the moment I have got my hands full. I have 5 books to read, 1 on Assembly Language, 2 on Game Programming (1 is a flight sim and the other is a Doom type first person shooter), 1 on Tricks of Graphics Gurus, and 1 on creating sound via the Sound Blaster (and compatible) sound card. As you can see I am going the game programming route, so I will have to decline VRML for now. I would like to be able to create the Enterprise and other ships using my Borland C/C++ Compiler and its Turbo Assembler together.


Thanks,

Navigator NCC-2120 USS Entente
/\

 

[BrookeStephen]

A few years ago I remember seeing someone had created a mod for the Elite Forces computer game or a game like it of Star Trek’s Starbase 11 from the episode “The Menagerie”. It also had a drydock in orbit with Franz Joseph’s Dreadnought in it. You could walk around in the buildings of Starbase 11, the drydock and I think the Dreadnought.

Hey - I found this Starbase 11 thing on YouTube and I'm sure it's what you remember...

 

[Navigator_NCC2120]

A few years ago I remember seeing someone had created a mod for the Elite Forces computer game or a game like it of Star Trek’s Starbase 11 from the episode “The Menagerie”. It also had a drydock in orbit with Franz Joseph’s Dreadnought in it. You could walk around in the buildings of Starbase 11, the drydock and I think the Dreadnought.

Hey - I found this Starbase 11 thing on YouTube and I'm sure it's what you remember...

Great! That's it. A few years ago when I found out about it, there were only still picutres of it posted online. Youtube either did not exist at the time or no one uploaded a tour of it. While looking at this tour, that reminds. Did you include the Cargo Transporter Rooms and Emergency Transporter Rooms in your VRML TOS Enterprise? Here is a link to Franz Joseph's Tech Manual which has them. By the way this Tech Manual has diagrams of the Tug, which I still have not found blueprints of.


Thanks,

Navigator NCC-2120 USS Entente
/\

 

[BrookeStephen]

I did, of course, include everything in the FJ deck plans, but I haven't detailed anything really except some parts of the ship you can see in the YouTube videos here.

Although - now that I think of it - I have done work on the Captain's cabin, but not much really, and I haven't made a video of it yet... I guess I'm still not happy with it yet.

I've been thinking about shipboard locations that haven't been seen.

What about Kirk's Office? Or Spock's Office? Or the XO's office (better and bigger than both of the others!). I'm pretty sure that none of these offices were ever seen.

What about the Physics lab with the Telescope and the overhead doors that open onto space on deck 3? Never saw that either.

They'd all be great spots to detail.

 

[TIN_MAN]

^^ Are you talking about the room beside the captain's cabin or the other one? The one beside the capt's cabin is apparently supposed to be the one we see in 'Let This Be Your Last Battlefield' (which set was actually built beside the cabin set) and also possibly seen in 'Is There In Truth No Beauty" although here it is a redress of the briefing room (because the other set, mentioned above, was being used as Kollos' quarters). It seems to be used more as a 'Captain's Mess', although it could be a 'Ready Room' I suppose? I don't think FJ identifies it specifically in his plans? And yes the physics lab would be a great area to see more off!

 

[BrookeStephen]

I've got some pics of the shipboard locations discussed:
The Captain's Suite:

You mention 'Battlefield' where I guess there was a meal with Beel (unintentional rhyme alert!) and I guess during 'Truth' they ate with Kate (hmmm!), but I completely forgot the alocution test of the executioner!

 

[BrookeStephen]

While looking at this tour, that reminds. Did you include the Cargo Transporter Rooms and Emergency Transporter Rooms in your VRML TOS Enterprise?

So I have a couple of pics for you - just so you know the ready state of my ship!

This is the Deck 10 cargo transporter you linked to. The hull under the txp curves, but I haven't put in the txp platform.

 

[BrookeStephen]

What about Kirk's Office? Or Spock's Office? Or the XO's office...

Here's the XO's office - deck 7 just aft of Deflector Control. The only place on the ship where two Turbolift doors face eachother!!!

My guess is that Spock was the XO, Science Off and First Off. Poor guy!
Unless maybe it was someone else? The furniture in this area has the port room a waiting room (with a washroom at the fore end) and the stbd room has a secretary and 3 doors. When deck 6 is ontop of deck 7, you get a gangway (stairway) up to deck 6 just infront of the turbolift in the pic.

 

[BrookeStephen]

...I've been thinking about shipboard locations that haven't been seen...

And I came up with Deflector Control!
Never seen it - what the heck am I supposed to do with the holes in the hull? Sheesh!

Depending on where you look in the blueprints, these holes are either too big or too small... I've seen some kind of headlight-shaped thing fit into the hole, but I don't know... and what about the apparent workstations infront of each hole?

 

[TIN_MAN]

More great stuff there. Here's some thoughts FWIW, first, a bit of a nit. In the Capt's cabin, did you intend on putting a wainscote cabinate on the far right wall beside the head? As this is not strictly accurate I'm curious, was this an artistic choice on your part, or just an 'Ooopsie'? Also, do you intend to 'tilt' the back wall at an angle like we see onscreen, or just go w/FJ's vertical wall? Overall it's looking great so far!
In response to my post above, I think you've confused "Kollos the Medusan' with 'Kodos the Executioner'? Anywho, If you're interested, I've found a way to incorporate Kodos' quarters (which were also Charlie X's) into FJ's plans without too much ado, but I won't go into it here, as it's too involved to explain, and I can't post pictures, but I could send you an e-mail attachment, but this might require more liberties with FJ's plans than you may want to take?
As for the cargo transporter, looking kewel! I see you've got room for the pocket doors to slide into the walls, which is a pleasant surprise! It always seemed to me that FJ had goofed slightly here, as his plans seem to show doors that were too wide considering that they can't slide too far to either side? I know wide doors would be necessary here for cargo handling, but I always thought the only solution would be to omit the doors completely?
As for the deflectors, FJ definately had them too large, but they're too small on Jeffries original (assuming we agree with FJ's function for them) there's a happy medium somewhere, I'm shure? From the outside, I always thought they might look like smaller versions of the TMP refit's main deflector when seen up close? But as for the interior, I don't know, maybe the best thing is to use a 'car headlight' hookup assembly for inspiration, with cables attaching to the control consoles? Well, thats about it for now, hope you find something useful here? Cheers.

 

[BrookeStephen]

More great stuff there.
- wainscote cabinet
- 'tilt' the back wall
- incorporate Kodos' quarters
- pocket doors to slide into the walls
- deflectors

My bad about the cabinet.

The tilting wall tilts over a very narrow corridor - not sure what to do about that one.

Did you ever notice the window in that ring of quarters? It would be up high, in the ceiling right beside the tilting wall - and it's in the right place, just never seen a window on the outside!

Kodos'/Charlie's quarters - I'm sticking to the plans!

And that leads me to the errors - you're 100% correct - I walked up to the doors on my Enterprise, and they opened (JavaScript animation) and they stuck out of the wall!! Imagine my surprise. There's four doorways on deck 10 and they all are too big! I'm just such a show off. ;^)

Deflectors - I'll maybe use a headlight from a volkswagen and try to fit it.

 

[TIN_MAN]

Did you ever notice the window in that ring of quarters? It would be up high, in the ceiling right beside the tilting wall - and it's in the right place, just never seen a window on the outside!

I'm not shure what you mean? I know there were windows in the tilted wall which were later covered with set dressing, but I don't know of any in the cieling? On a related note I always thought it was cool the way FJ's air conditioning ducts for this ring of cabins are in the perfect place to accomodate the vent/controls we saw in 'Obsession'!