Thanks, but I can't take credit for the line drawings because they're generated in SketchUp. But from those I can nicer schematics like my TOS shuttlecraft drawings in Illustrator.
I'm pondering my next project. I usually have some sense of what I'm interested doing next even as I'm finishing up my current project, but for the moment I'm drawing a blank. What's on the table that I'm aware of: - Class F Shuttlecraft (starting it again from scratch to get around the mistakes lurking in the current model) - Class H Shuttlecraft (Class F variant I drew up several years ago. I drifted from it, but now it's starting to look good to me again) - Class J Shuttlecraft (my TAS scoutship design but with tweaks to be more in line with what I think it should be) - TAS Freighter (either the robot freighter or the USS Huron type) - Predaator-class destroyer (cool design from Masao's Starfleet Museum website) - TOS Romulan Warbird (from "Balance Of Terror") - USS Gemini (BolianAdmiral's cool starship variant) - Pike era USS Enterprise (I'm saving this for later) - Flash Gordon Rocket Ship (I'd like to revisit this and do it better with what I've learned) - Cosmostrator (from Last Spaceship On Venus) - S.S. Valiant (revisiting the design of the ship mentioned in WNMHGB) - Ringship Enterprise (from a TOS perspective) Other things might occur to me. Before I thought of my Masao-class concept I had this. Before I had my Vanguard-class I had this. An idea for a 26th century Enterprise. Class H Shuttlecraft variant. Concept for a pre TOS era shuttlecraft based on a Matt Jefferies sketch. A post TOS era shuttlecraft concept.
Very nice! I also have to say that I am really impressed with your skill using Google Sketchup. I also had no idea that Sketchup had gotten this advanced.
Thanks! When I started looking at SketchUp I was initially under the impression that it was oriented more toward architectural models which are predominantly lines, angles and boxes. But then I came across galleries featuring boats, ships, aircraft and cars and a slew of other subjects. So I quickly figured if you can do those than why not science fiction hardware like spacecraft? Now I use the basic free version of SketchUp 8 (the present version of it is called SketchUp Make) rather than paying near 500 bucks for SketchUp Pro. From what I understand Pro offers you few advantages over the Free version and a lot of those differences can be overcome by the availability of so many of the free plugins available. Pro does offer you the option of exporting your model in certain formats for use elsewhere, but I wouldn't be surprised if there's a plugin for the Free version that would allow you to do same thing. I hope so because it goes without saying that I would love to see some of my models animated, if not be me then maybe by someone else who would be interested in doing so. I found it challenging at first but, of course, with each model you learn more and learn how to be more effective. And you learn how to use more tools at your disposal. It also helps that at heart SketchUp is basically drawing (much like in Illustrator) and from that you make you model elements. Also I think it helps if like any good modeller you can think and visualize in 3D---you're instinctively aware of all facets of an object even the parts of which are temporarily out of view. SketchUp versions differences. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnYV4881tHc
And don't think I haven't been humming just that as this was coming together. Defending Federation borders. I must say I like the phaser beams I can make in Photoshop better than the ones rendered in SketchUp and Maxwell simply because I can make them look more TOS like. Also when I create these TOS images I like to add a bit of noise and film grain to get a slightly more vintage look. Of course it's still far better than so many of the screencaps we've seen over the years.
Damn. As much as I like the Masao (both in plastic and CGI), I absolutely LOVE your concept orthos up there. The length of the neck and nacelle always were my main dislikes about the Maso and the Saladin/Hermes and your concept looks much sleeker with the shorter versions. But either way, good work on the Masao. Keep it up!
The length of the dorsal neck is only marginally longer to accommodate a slighter larger deflector housing. And because I pushed the base of the neck forward the bit of extra length disappears.