3D interiors in Blender

[Rekkert]

@Michael: Thank you so much! I wouldn't consider it a stroke of genius lol, but it is something I wanted to do for a looong time (in fact almost 5 years ago I started a very similar project but I abandoned it when I started getting commissions, of course the end result would've been completely different though). I do quite like the whole Defiant aesthetic, it was very well done with the relatively small budget they had to work with, with it being an unplanned add-on for DS9 in the middle of the run. I think it holds up quite well, far better than the TNG look does.

Here's another small commission I finished today, the mess hall for the New Orleans-Class USS Orlando, a redress of my USS Appalachia mess. My client for this one was using the USS Lafayette bridge for the Orlando, so they wanted to modify the mess to use the same colors and a more TNG vibe. You can see the full renders over here.

Going back to the Thunderchild bridge, I've done more work on the ceiling. I originally wanted to do a different take, with the grates providing shadows over the walls and floor, however that would've meant thinner grates which would've left more light through, and it wouldn't look like I wanted it to at an angle. So in the end I went with a more traditional lighting solution, with no hard shadows. Other than that, I've added a few more details around, finished the floor pattern for the central platform, and added gradients to the rest of the light fixtures on the bridge.

 

[Rory1707]

Nice job on the the Orlando Mess hall I love the colors!

 

[Rory1707]

I really love the look of the Thunderchild’s bridge. I love the ceiling detail and the overall style to it. I agree with you that the stand alone two person helm console is so cool and I have missed that style in the TNG era. You know in an alternate 24th century universe, I can see this as a Constitution-class bridge. Just a thought. As always great update my friend, you don’t disappoint!

 

[cardinal biggles]

^Now that I look at it again, it's kind of a reverse Constitution bridge — instead of a command pit, you have a command platform, which seems appropriate if you're looking at a more defense-oriented ship that's meant to fight the Borg and the Dominion.

 

[Finn]

marvelous!

 

[Nays]

This is coming along great! This is a minor detail, but the gray track along the carpet does have some grooves in it.

 

[Rekkert]

@Rory1707: Thanks! Glad you like the Orlando, and indeed the overall layout of the Thunderchild is very much that of a Constitution, it's a very solid layout no matter the century.

@cardinal biggles: Indeed! Another element based on the original Defiant bridge, plus an excuse to make it more different than the usual Starfleet bridges.

@Nays: Yup, I am aware of those little grooves, I just haven't added them yet. They're one of those things that were also a lot cooler in the original 'The Search' bridge, with them being painted a shinier metallic grey, but they were painted over with a duller tone afterwards.

Continued adding details and LCARS around, specifically on the aft alcoves, where I finished both the dedication plaque and the replicators. For the plaque I'm using a new workflow using only a black and white texture and setting all the colors and details with nodes in Blender. It gives better results than what I was doing before IMO and it'll be a more flexible system in the long run.

I wasn't liking how the LCARS panel next to the plaque was coming along, with so much of it being just a block of one color (it is accurate to a design on the Defiant bridge, so I wanted to keep it), so with a little nudge by @Donny I added a gradient pattern to it, making the edges darker. I didn't do this before as a stylistic choice, simply due to the fact that a real touchscreen wouldn't look that way, but after seeing it in action here... it just looks better, so realism be damn, I've added gradients to all the LCARS.

Also, now that I have some LCARS and most of the lighting in place, I did another pass at the materials and colors all around, with the blue and beige elements in particular receiving the most changes.

 

[Lt. Washburn]

You know, with that replicator you need the green mug. I should have one by next week if you want some dimensions.

By the way, how did they handle the height transition on the other side of the doors? Was there a step?

 

[Rory1707]

Great up date my friend!

 

[publiusr]

I see this in a kind of squashed refit....

 

[Santaman]

Really nice work.

 

[Finn]

Love it!

 

[Rekkert]

@Lt. Washburn: You mean the flask looking one from Quark's?

As for how they handled the height in 'The Search', I rewatched the episode the other day and it seems the platform stops a feet or two away from the door, it's quite a weird arrangement. You can barely see it in this shot here when the Defiant first cloaks after entering the Gamma Quadrant, and it's noticeable that people go up/down a step every time they walk near the doors. I certainly understand why they changed it now, if they'd had built the platform all the way to the doors maybe it wouldn't be so awkward, just a step to go into the bridge instead of one right after entering.

@publiusr: I'm afraid I don't follow, what do you mean?

Thanks for the comments @Rory1707, @Santaman and @Finn, glad you're enjoying the updates!

Started work on a new viewscreen area, based on the Defiant's of course but also different as I changed some aspects I didn't like of that one. The blue padded panels at the bottom now have the same height as those beneath each perimeter console instead of following a weird curved pattern, for example.

I've also finished UV mapping all the remaining LCARS panels, and started work on the keyboards on each console. I have yet to model the Captain's controls though. I've already went through several designs but I just don't like them; I think I'll try and incorporate more traditional keypads on the armrests themselves instead, though that'll obviously mean changing the chair from the Defiant's design.

Also, I felt the helm stand was a bit too empty on the sides, so after some tests I ended up adding a small guard at each side near the front, both to add more shadows at the sides and to make it look a bit wider from the front.

Plus, I've added isolinear panels on the aft alcoves, the grooves on the metallic floor piece, and kept tweaking the colors of the bridge overall.

 

[Nays]

Just amazing.

 

[Santaman]

^^ Yeah, shows how far software has come and even more how well @Rekkert and the others in this forum are capable of making the most of that software.

 

[Rory1707]

I Love this bridge. Great update my friend!

 

[Rekkert]

@Nays: Thanks mate!

@Santaman: lol, mostly the software advancing, and making me look good in the process.

@Rory1707: Thanks, glad you do!

Started work on the overhead LCARS displays, already have a couple stations done. I decided I didn't quite like the empty space above these displays, so I added some grey metallic panels there. Similar ones were added on the Sao Paulo bridge for the last few episodes of DS9.

Also, after modeling many, many, MANY different versions and concepts for the Captain's controls, I think I reached a version which fits the bridge. It's still a bit awkward looking IMO, I'm not crazy sold on it or anything, but I'm happy enough with it, as I really didn't like how consoles flanking the chair Defiant-style were looking in such a busy bridge. As ever comments and critiques welcome about it!

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

I dig the captain’s console treatment you’ve chosen.

 

[ashleytinger]

I think those look just about right.

 

[Mage]

I dig the captain’s console treatment you’ve chosen.

I think those look just about right.

I'm with these two! That looks good!