3D interiors in Blender

[Rekkert]

@The Librarian: Thanks! Yes, it definitively dominates the top part, but that's the idea.

Here are some final, HD renders of the bridge. A cutaway graphic will follow shortly.

Spoiler: Image

 

[Rekkert]

Here's the cutaway, I went for something more elaborate this time, and I'll do the same for all bridges from now on (I'll maybe go back to the old ones as well).

Spoiler: Image

 

[ashleytinger]

Here's the cutaway, I went for something more elaborate this time, and I'll do the same for all bridges from now on (I'll maybe go back to the old ones as well).

Spoiler: Image

That bridge looks awesome. And looking at it, I'm realizing just how easy it would be to build a TNG style bridge like that for a fan production and am wondering why they don't go that route. I mean that's why they designed it that way with the production in the first place, fast and cheap but similar aesthetics.

Either way, fantastic job. Making me really want to work on my Ent C bridge but I've been too busy with work and being sick to even load up my 3D program. I'll have to live vicariously through you for now

 

[Bernard Guignard]

Looks great keep up the fantastic work

 

[Rekkert]

@ashefivekay: Thank you! Indeed the 'bridge of the week' for TNG is far easier to build than a TOS bridge, tough I guess having to print all the LCARS and light them up might be troublesome, not to mention all the uniforms which undoubtedly are more expensive than TOS ones.

@Bernard Guignard: Thanks very much!

I worked on an updated cutaway graphic for the Quasar, in a similar style to the Zodiac one.

Spoiler: Image

I've been having some personal issues, so I've only been able to start truly working on my next commission today. Said commission is the bridge of the USS Bradbury, a mentioned but never seen ship from the TNG era, which we're basing on this interpretation from the late 90's, making it a bridge between the Galaxy and Intrepid classes.

So, interior wise it'll also be a link between eras, with a lot of details and style choices from the Voyager bridge added into the Charybdis design, and of course some original ideas thrown in here and there. The first order of business was to change the materials. A lot more changes (and color) to come!

Spoiler: Image

 

[Rekkert]

I've worked on the helm area, which uses the console from the Patagonia bridge and is located two levels down from the main floor now, mirroring the helm style seen in Voyager.

The seated consoles were also modified to be closer in style to the Voyager consoles, while retaining their original shape.

I've kept adding details all over the floor, as you can see the Captain's chair is now located on the first step up, which now extends to both sides all the way to the doors.

Spoiler: Image

 

[The Librarian]

Oooooh, I like that helm.

 

[Rekkert]

@The Librarian:

Lot of changes, first off the wall consoles are now smaller, they now stop at two meters tall, pretty much at the same level as the door as you can see. For the three seated consoles, the display area is the same, but the console at the bottom is now flatter.

I also modified the chairs, despite my client being happy with them I wanted to make them more unique, so I added some small armrest. First pass on the railing behind the captain as well.

It's not seen here (because there's nothing to show yet) but I've redone the whole viewscreen area wall, as the old one was VERY low poly.

Spoiler: Image

 

[Matthew Raymond]

I really like this new bridge, especially the multi-tone coloring. I also like the big helm panel. It almost looks like a combination of the helm and tactical, which would be an interesting approach, especially for a smaller combat vessel. The command chair is awesome.

Few nitpicks, though. The stairs behind the consoles are a waste of space. Might want to narrow the captain's platform a little to widen the stairs area next to the consoles, put in handrails connected to the consoles and eliminate the stairs in front of the consoles to give the turbolift doors a bit more "oxygen".
Also, the area between the captain's platform and the helmpit is kinda narrow. If you were running from one side of the bridge to the other--OUCH, MY ANKLE! It also makes the area in front of the captain's platform sort of a traffic jam. Maybe just have stairs from the sides of the helmpit instead and widen the area between it and the captain's platform. Perhaps also put in a small rail. END OSHA RANT.

 

[Rekkert]

@Matthew Raymond: Thanks for the feedback! As for the stairs going all the way to the doors, I like them, indeed they're useless now, but those consoles will be replaced soon, and maybe there will be more space there (we're still ironing out the details for that area).

As for the area between the captain's platform and the helmpit, and the lack of a rail there, I completely agree with you there, but that's my client's choice, not mine (I'm trying to convince him to let me add some rails though).

I've changed the walls color to be veeery slightly blueish. They are blueish on Voyager, but here the effect is very dim, only noticeable once you know it's there.

Also, the Tactical station has been added behind the Captain, as well as a viewscreen (which is smaller than the old one in order to preserve our pilot's eyesight ), and I've changed the two wall displays at each side of the aft section to have a small cutout in them, similar to that on Voyager's Tactical and Ops stations. Oh, and the doors are also labeled now.

Spoiler: Image

 

[Matthew Raymond]

That ceiling is fantastic! Love the way the pillars around the room tie into it.

I was actually going to suggest putting a control console behind the captain's, but I forgot. The console looks a little small, though. The tactical officer has to spend his entire shift looking at that giant, beautiful helm console, and must feel very inadequate. Perhaps the ship is only equipped with forward torpedo launchers and the console only has one button that says "FIRE!".

Oh, what would be really cool is if the tactical console could pivot up and down, so you could use it flat or have it at an angle like the other consoles. It almost looks like it can do that now, so it wouldn't take much work.

About the view screen. The screen itself looks good, but I don't like the overlap with the molding. I probably needs to be that high for the captain to see over the helmsperson's head, so you probably need to leave the screen where it is, but you could raise the ceiling up to where the molding clears the screen, then extent the molding to the back area. I think it would look a lot better that way.

 

[Rekkert]

@Matthew Raymond: Thanks! That tactical console behind the captain might be a bit too much into Voyager's style, so maybe we'll replace it with a more TNG-like console. What do you all think?

As for the viewscreen overlap, it's pretty much the same way the Voyager viewscreen overlaps with the molding on that bridge.

I've worked on the consoles at the back of the bridge, they're a mix between the freestanding TNG console and the enclosed Voyager console now. I've also added some covered isolinear banks behind these stations.

Spoiler: Image

 

[BorgMan]

Definitely replace it with something more TNG; it looks out of place. Something a bit more "airy", perhaps just a central support, would look more time-correct I think.

 

[ashleytinger]

I like the mix of the closed and open console. The isolinear covers look great too. I really do love the look of that helm. It's a sleek looking bridge. Ceiling and lighting is awesome!

 

[Squiggy]

Love what you're doing - however with the latest bridge, I don't think it makes much sense to have the two aft stations facing away from the viewscreen as they are. Seems to oppose everything we've seen post-TNG where duty stations either face the main viewer or have displays in front of them (Defiant). Otherwise they're naturally looking off to the sides of the bridge or turning off center towards the CO or viewer.

 

[The Librarian]

I like the new side consoles. While I like the overall shape and style of the tactical console and the rail, I think it feels small and at an even more awkward viewing angle than the TNG tactical. It doesn't seem practical for regular use.

 

[Matthew Raymond]

I like the side consoles more now, but they seem to close to the walls. Might want to move them towards the center of the bridge by a couple of feet.

As for the viewscreen overlap, it's pretty much the same way the Voyager viewscreen overlaps with the molding on that bridge.

The difference is that the Voyager view screen in basically the height of the entire wall, with big metal rails above and below. It looks centered, even if it overlaps the molding. The gap between the bottom molding and the viewscreen is huge, and makes it look like the screen has been arbitrarily pushed up into the molding. Even just adding a line across the wall at the bottom of the viewscreen would make it look much better.

 

[Rekkert]

@ashefivekay: Thank you!

@Squiggy: Thanks! Are you referring at the consoles from my last post? Maybe the close ups didn't show them well enough in regards to their position in the bridge, but indeed they are looking at the viewscreen, you can see that better in the renders below.

@Matthew Raymond: On the note about the side consoles, they're indeed a bit further towards the center now. Regarding the viewscreen, I've added more details to that area and more are on the way, I hope you'll like it the more I add there.

Given @BorgMan and @The Librarian 's comments (and others on the other forums), I've changed the Tactical station to something larger (it now has more than one button!!) and a bit more similar in shape to the helm console. The viewscreen also got some love, it now has some blinking lights at the top and bottom (well, they don't blink yet

). I'll see about finishing up with the front area later today. The lights were also changed, all except the center light are now dimmer, while the ones closer to the viewscreen are dimmer still and a shade of blue. Oh, and there's a dedication plaque now.

We've been talking a lot with my client about increasing the area between the Captain and Pilot a bit, and adding a bit of safety to it by adding a hand rail, as mentioned in a previous post. I've moved the step to the helm pit to the sides, and made the pit smaller to have some more space there, but we're not convinced about that handrail, maybe it would be best to just remove it. What do you all think? (just so you know, it doesn't hamper the Captain's view of the screen)

Spoiler: Image

 

[Matthew Raymond]

@Rekkert, That's a lot better. Especially the tactical console, which has the size and orientation one would expect. View screen does look better, and I look forward to seeing where you take it. Looks like you put full walls around the bottom of the two side consoles. I was actually thinking of suggesting that, but you beat me to it. Oh, and I just noticed you put in the rail and changed the stairs for the helmpit! You even threw in the ship's plaque! You've been busy.

 

[The Librarian]

Love the tactical console, it feels large enough to be useful now. (My usual comparison for a minimum size for a 'main' station is the TNG helm/ops.) The helm rail... not feeling it, though I like the steps - maybe have them run all the way around the back too, mirroring how the steps up to the back run all the way around?