3D interiors in Blender

[cardinal biggles]

I think it's one of those things where someone in the art department said, "Hey, wouldn't it be cool if..?" and they went and did it. In execution, the motor that lifted the screen was so slow they went to a completely different (and stationary) design in the next film, nor did we see it pop up on DS9 or VOY (IIRC).

 

[Macintosh]

The motor did seem to be suspiciously well timed to how long it took Picard to get his bearings and climb out of bed. If it were an urgent call and I was sitting at my desk I'd have gone insane waiting for that damn thing to finish.

 

[Rekkert]

Yeah, this design is totally a "wouldn't it be cool if...?" situation. As for changing it for the INS version, I already stated I don't really like that one, so I won't . I totally agree that the Nemesis version is a much more elegant solution, but it's not really era appropriate for the Yeager

I imagine the display remains on the desk most of the time, either open or closed depending on the needs of the Captain. The option to place it on the shelf only comes in situations where the desk space is needed, such as maybe reviewing reports with the XO while having a coffee.

As for it flipping open on its own, it still fits on the shelf when open. Plus I imagine that just as a laptop, the user can choose to either have it 'hibernating' or totally off, and that changes what happen when receiving a message. On the first case, it flips on its own like we see in FC; on the second the Captain gets an "Incoming message from Command" and then has to turn the display on manually, as we saw Picard do multiple times in TNG.

 

[Finn]

The second project I actually started this past weekend, and it's a small ready room for the USS Yeager. Going through my references I recalled the ready room of the USS Challenger from VOY:"Timeless" being a redressed wall from Neelex's Baxial bridge, which itself was a redress from the Hathaway/Enterprise-C bridge consoles. So I recreated that wall from my existing meshes, and then went from there to create a very small room, given the size of the ship. I'll probably continue with this one, but it's mostly just decorations and small props to call it done, paintings and stuff like that, so I've got to think what sort of theme I want for those. I know I'll incorporate a model of the X-1 plane Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier with.

Nice. I'd put up one of Data's paintings up there.

 

[Rekkert]

The Yeager ready room is finished for now, like I said before I am commissioning a painting of the ship for the frame above the desk, but that likely won't be ready for about a month, so I'm moving to other projects for now.

Another room I started... oh god more than a year ago... is the main engineering for the USS Budapest. Like the bridge, it's on the style of Voyager, but smaller. Originally my problem with this room was that I couldn't settle on a layout for it, I went back and forth making it too big, then too small. I revisited it today and was finally able to have a happy medium I think, so I'm forcing myself to settle on this layout and start working on the details.

Obviously things are very early, but all the main pieces are there, there's no second level or anything like that. I intend to replace the chairs with smaller, more appropriate stools (probably the ones Voyager had on Astrometrics and Sickbay). Feedback and ideas of course very much welcome.

 

[Tomalak]

Very nice! A bit like a modernised version of the Hathaway engineering, with a bit of Defiant thrown in along with the Voyager aesthetic.

 

[Rekkert]

@Tomalak: Thanks! You know, I didn't even notice the Hathaway similarities, but you're right!

Sunk a couple more hours into it today, a lot of additions all around. The warp core now how as a (still in progress) plasma texture underneath the glass; both the floor and ceiling on the core area got detailed; added lights above the wall consoles and blue ambient lighting underneath them; created an opening on the ceiling for lighting and to better frame the core from the entrances; and tweaked several of the meshes all around.

(I'm still bothered by the lack of an intermix chamber and plasma conduits in the Voyager warp core )

 

[Santaman]

As usual, really well done, looks awesome!

 

[Rekkert]

@Santaman: Thanks!

Added details to the walls flanking the core, plus a turbolift door on the port side; I had also added a ladder to that area but I didn't like how it looked so I took it out. I replaced the chairs by HAG Capiscos, which were used on the Enterprise-E engineering so it fits with the Budapest bridge having Enterprise-E chairs.

Like I said yesterday, I never liked the lack of plasma conduits in the Voyager warp core, so I had an idea to have them running under the floor, with the intermix chamber located directly below the deck. I still have to add more detail to this, but the idea's there, thoughts?

Also, I'm playing with the idea of adding the glass divider from the Enterprise-A engineering (also seen on the Enterprise-D bridge from 'Parallels') as a replacement for the usual "pool table". I'm not entirely sold on this, but I kinda like how it looks framed by the raised ceiling. What do you think?

 

[KennyMadison]

@Tomalak:

I love the size of this room. That's all.

 

[Lt. Washburn]

I always thought that the lighted floor running through Voyager's engineering was supposed to be the plasma conduit. I agree on the missing intermix chamber and all that. I think it was a missed opportunity, they could have had the intermix chamber at the second level, with a plasma conduit running through the open air in between the upper railings.

I think your set looks great though; really enjoying this one.

 

[Orbing Master]

@Santaman: Thanks!

Added details to the walls flanking the core, plus a turbolift door on the port side; I had also added a ladder to that area but I didn't like how it looked so I took it out. I replaced the chairs by HAG Capiscos, which were used on the Enterprise-E engineering so it fits with the Budapest bridge having Enterprise-E chairs.

Like I said yesterday, I never liked the lack of plasma conduits in the Voyager warp core, so I had an idea to have them running under the floor, with the intermix chamber located directly below the deck. I still have to add more detail to this, but the idea's there, thoughts?

Also, I'm playing with the idea of adding the glass divider from the Enterprise-A engineering (also seen on the Enterprise-D bridge from 'Parallels') as a replacement for the usual "pool table". I'm not entirely sold on this, but I kinda like how it looks framed by the raised ceiling. What do you think?

I miss the pool table - always felt Voyager's engineering would have been complimented by the addition of one. But I was thinking about suggesting the transparent display! Glad to see you had a similar thought.
I like the raised stage you've put at the aft - it did feel somewhat plain and lacking. Will you be adding in anything more there, like status displays etc..?

 

[Macintosh]

(I'm still bothered by the lack of an intermix chamber and plasma conduits in the Voyager warp core )

Yyyeeeaaahhh. A lot about Voyager's warp core design doesn't make sense compared to what we see with the Enterprise-D, -E, and Defiant warp cores. Even when we see the full height of the core when Voyager ejects it in "Day of Honor" there doesn't seem to be a conventional central reaction chamber section or place for the plasma conduits to attach. Fan-made Voyager blueprints put those bits in the floor below main engineering, but that begs the question of why don't you have the most important bit in main engineering in the first place...

 

[Rekkert]

@KennyMadison: Thanks!

@Lt. Washburn: Yeah, I agree, supposedly the conduits aren't there because Richard James wanted the crew to be able to walk around the warp core with the camera following them, for more dynamic shots. I guess I understand that but they could've added them to the second floor or something.

@Orbing Master: I agree to that as well regarding the pool table, the center of the room always felt too empty on Voyager without something there.
As for the raised area at the back, I've added more details to the aft wall mirroring some on Voyager, but I don't intend to add any sort of displays or LCARS there, it's mostly just there for crewmemebers to move from one side of the core to the other if necessary without cluttering a single way.

@Macintosh: Yep. Some of the early concept pieces for Voyager like this one already have the intermix chamber on the deck below engineering (as I said before, it was allegedly a directive from Richard James to have the warp core free of obstructions on the set, so Sternbach designed around that). While not strictly canonical it's clear to me that was the intention at least during the design phase.

Added a small metallic grate texture on top of all the floor lights, just as the Voyager ones had. I tested some sort of elevated grate for crew members to walk on above the plasma conduits, similar to these on the Defiant, but I didn't like how any of them looked.

I reversed the colors on the aft walls, so the plasma conduits now end on dark walls, with a lighter segment at the center (you'll notice it was the other way around on the previous renders). I intend to add detailing on these darker walls to indicate some sort of engine component on top of the plasma conduits.

On the remaining empty wall opposite the door I added yesterday, I placed two standing consoles which were used all through TNG and on Voyager's engineering. I've been meaning to model these ages ago, but I never did, so now they're finally done. I obviously plan to now use them on several TNG era ships going forward.

 

[Rekkert]

More details around the core area. Yesterday I modeled some random greebles from Voy's engineering, seen best in the episode 'Projections', and added those to the wall where the warp plasma conduits end, alongside some random detailing. I've also added some plastic dividers below the seated consoles next to the warp core, similar to those on Voyager.

Other than some light fixtures for the lower ceiling around the core, a pattern for the carpet, and other miscellaneous bits, I think the modeling's done. Am I missing something?

 

[Tomalak]

Is there a cupboard full of sparks and rocks that swings open whenever the ship is attacked?

 

[cardinal biggles]

Is there a cupboard full of sparks and rocks that swings open whenever the ship is attacked?

That's what is hidden behind all the greebles.

 

[batboy853]

I always thought that the lighted floor running through Voyager's engineering was supposed to be the plasma conduit.

It was, which was why there was plasma coming out of it in Investigations.

 

[cardinal biggles]

It was, which was why there was plasma coming out of it in Investigations.

Uh-oh, Beverly's been leaving her candle out again...

 

[Rekkert]

It was, which was why there was plasma coming out of it in Investigations.

Interesting, I didn't recall that episode... That makes no sense then, it has one plasma conduit going forward and another going backwards? Still, I might redo the plasma conduits I have on the Budapest to better match those...