I remember some discussions about "self illumination" of starships (and other spaceborn artifacts), its pros and cons, and it got me thinking (always a danderous pasttime). Even without "spotlight" aimed at itself, how much of the structure, if any, might have been illuminated by the various "light sources" present upon the "classic" Enterprise (you know, NCC-1701, no bloody "A", "B", "C" or "D" (I always loved that line)).
So, using TallGuy's Enterprise (thanks for letting me post images with it, TG!), I positioned "point source" lights within the navigation "running" lights (both the dorsal and ventral elements mounted upon the primary saucer, within the dorsal and ventral sensor domes, within the "beacon" mounted atop the shuttle bay and within the bow facing nacelle domes (whatever one wants to call them).
Mind you, I did this within Poser 7, so I cvould not key in values like "candle power" or "lumins" or whatever features the "big boy" suites probably offer. I just played it by ear (or more reasonably, "by eye"), adjusting the intensity and the "fall off" rate until it looked "interesting" to me. I made all the afore mentioned structures 50 percent transparent so the ray-traced point lights could actually shine through. Initially, I had the lights positioned within a few virtual millimeters of the geometry, but I reasoned if I placed the lights within, whatever shadows the surrounding opaque surfaces would cast would hopefully be a tad more accurate.
Here is the result...
Keep in mind, I have not employed any additional lights, no infinite lights implying a "nearby" stellar source. Imagine the ship trapped in that "void" create by that space-going amoeba. To my surprise, a fair percentage of the ship is illuminated. The light from the nacelle domes wash over the dorsal surface of the saucer as do the light from the sensor dome and the running lights, enough that we can make out the name and registry. While the outboard regions of the nacelles are pretty well dark, the inboard surfaces catch the light from the shuttle beacon. The forward third of the engineering hull receives light from the nacelle domes and a little from the ventral mounted running lights (the white ones). Those same lights also reveal the ventral surface of the saucer to a certain degree with the ventral sensor dome doing the greater work (obviously not seen at this angle).
Again, this is a simplified experiment compared to what lightWave, 3D studio Max, Maya and other high end suites can achieve, but it does demonstrate something interesting. What, I'm not sure, but something interesting none the less.
Sincerely,
Bill
So, using TallGuy's Enterprise (thanks for letting me post images with it, TG!), I positioned "point source" lights within the navigation "running" lights (both the dorsal and ventral elements mounted upon the primary saucer, within the dorsal and ventral sensor domes, within the "beacon" mounted atop the shuttle bay and within the bow facing nacelle domes (whatever one wants to call them).
Mind you, I did this within Poser 7, so I cvould not key in values like "candle power" or "lumins" or whatever features the "big boy" suites probably offer. I just played it by ear (or more reasonably, "by eye"), adjusting the intensity and the "fall off" rate until it looked "interesting" to me. I made all the afore mentioned structures 50 percent transparent so the ray-traced point lights could actually shine through. Initially, I had the lights positioned within a few virtual millimeters of the geometry, but I reasoned if I placed the lights within, whatever shadows the surrounding opaque surfaces would cast would hopefully be a tad more accurate.
Here is the result...
Keep in mind, I have not employed any additional lights, no infinite lights implying a "nearby" stellar source. Imagine the ship trapped in that "void" create by that space-going amoeba. To my surprise, a fair percentage of the ship is illuminated. The light from the nacelle domes wash over the dorsal surface of the saucer as do the light from the sensor dome and the running lights, enough that we can make out the name and registry. While the outboard regions of the nacelles are pretty well dark, the inboard surfaces catch the light from the shuttle beacon. The forward third of the engineering hull receives light from the nacelle domes and a little from the ventral mounted running lights (the white ones). Those same lights also reveal the ventral surface of the saucer to a certain degree with the ventral sensor dome doing the greater work (obviously not seen at this angle).
Again, this is a simplified experiment compared to what lightWave, 3D studio Max, Maya and other high end suites can achieve, but it does demonstrate something interesting. What, I'm not sure, but something interesting none the less.
Sincerely,
Bill
I've suspected that as well - glad to see someone try it!
