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BLSSDWLF's TOS Enterprise WIP

That night time picture is great! Surprising how much of the hull gets illuminated by just the light coming from the windows
 
That night time picture is great! Surprising how much of the hull gets illuminated by just the light coming from the windows

Thanks Mytran :) This morning I added some more details about the window lighting in the original post. The windows are spilling more light because they are really panels on the model that are set to emit light and I have the glow approximate to what I see visible on screen caps.

If I modeled in actual windows and then used realistic interior lights then what we would see illuminated on the outside would be much more dimmer and very directional. To get the same kind of bright light windows as seen filmed from a realism perspective I'd have to put some large glowing light panels next to the windows which is about the same as just making the window decals emit light. :whistle:
 
enterprise2020-v006-export.jpg

When all the windows are lit, it makes the old girl look more in line with the TNG design of ships with respect to windows. They should have used a variety of window lighting patterns during the TOS-R CGI remaster. For example, turn on more windows during peak shift times, red alerts or planet visits, or turn off more during the night shift as used in TCOTK or during the TUC when M5 turned lights off on several decks.
 
Thanks Mytran :) This morning I added some more details about the window lighting in the original post. The windows are spilling more light because they are really panels on the model that are set to emit light and I have the glow approximate to what I see visible on screen caps.

If I modeled in actual windows and then used realistic interior lights then what we would see illuminated on the outside would be much more dimmer and very directional. To get the same kind of bright light windows as seen filmed from a realism perspective I'd have to put some large glowing light panels next to the windows which is about the same as just making the window decals emit light. :whistle:
Well I've never made a secret of my feelings on what the "windows" on the Enterprise really are (in-universe), so having them as self-illumination panels is just fine by me! :biggrin:
 
When all the windows are lit, it makes the old girl look more in line with the TNG design of ships with respect to windows. They should have used a variety of window lighting patterns during the TOS-R CGI remaster. For example, turn on more windows during peak shift times, red alerts or planet visits, or turn off more during the night shift as used in TCOTK or during the TUC when M5 turned lights off on several decks.

Missed opportunities... but in defense of the TOS-R CGI, I did see the window lights in Journey to Babel turned off when Kirk was luring the Orion ship. I would've went all the way and turned off the red nacelle glow to give the Enterprise a truly un-powered look. Oh well.

A quick post tonight of the dorsal surface details on the primary hull.
enterprise2020-v007-export.jpg
 
While doing some camera-matching research I came across this oddity that I'm hoping someone here might be able to confirm. Did the first pilot version of the 11 footer have that triple fin radiator on top of the impulse engine spine on the saucer?
 
While doing some camera-matching research I came across this oddity that I'm hoping someone here might be able to confirm. Did the first pilot version of the 11 footer have that triple fin radiator on top of the impulse engine spine on the saucer?
Nope!

According to Memory Alpha, before the model was used in the regular series produciton:
Saucer top: black bands and most other painted-on markings removed, rib added on "linear accelerator", which was painted a darker gray.

The best photo demonstrating I have of the rib-less "linear accelerator" is this one from WNMHGB photography, and you can see it's also a blue color:

I was scared I may have gotten this lack of detail wrong, but nope! It's correct! <Shameless plug>
 
You rock Donny! :beer:

Yeah, I was going nuts comparing my model to a screenshot where the rib was missing. All these years I never noticed that until yesterday but thought it was my eyes playing tricks on me :D

edit: That's a beautiful render :techman:

Nope!

According to Memory Alpha, before the model was used in the regular series production:


The best photo demonstrating I have of the rib-less "linear accelerator" is this one from WNMHGB photography, and you can see it's also a blue color:

I was scared I may have gotten this lack of detail wrong, but nope! It's correct! <Shameless plug>
 
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Happy Thanksgiving y'all - stay safe and look after each other :)

Rebuilding the sections and adding geometry for lighted parts to be more physically accurate - starting with the nacelle lighting. Wow, trying to recreate the effect is quite illuminating :whistle:

Here's my first pass that rendered overnight. I can see that I've got some changes to make.
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Figured out how to do expressions and also animated the blinks. Reduced the size of the internal spinner dome just a bit to try and get it to be more fuzzier. This version is based on the NASM re-creation although I might add more blinky lights and randomness to it.

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Refined the nacelle lighting and internals a bit and rendered out a longer test sequence. This time I even included sound effects :) Here I'm testing:
  1. powering up/down (increasing internal light intensity),
  2. blade spin rates,
  3. blade slots/gaps cover and opening
  4. spike extending/retracting
  5. (edit) and nacelle yaw/pitch +/- 1 degree on the nacelle pylon
Video is a bit noisy but overall I'm happy with the results.
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My controller setup:
nacelledomelighttests-v003-002-export.jpg

Dome lights off:
nacelledomelighttests-v003-001-export.jpg

Blade slots closed with spike extended:
nacelledomelighttests-v003-003-export.jpg
 
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Refined the nacelle lighting and internals a bit and rendered out a longer test sequence. This time I even included sound effects :) Here I'm testing:
  1. powering up/down (increasing internal light intensity),
  2. blade spin rates,
  3. blade slots/gaps cover and opening
  4. and spike extending/retracting.
Video is a bit noisy and halfway thru I noticed the red navigation light's blink interval doubled by accident but overall I'm happy with the results.
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My controller setup:
nacelledomelighttests-v003-002-export.jpg

Dome lights off:
nacelledomelighttests-v003-001-export.jpg

Blade slots closed with spike extended:
nacelledomelighttests-v003-003-export.jpg
Trying to reproduce the nacelle cap blinkies is a task which has challenged many, but these are looking very nice!
The sound effects are great
 
I noticed the nacelle pivoted upon its pylon at the 10 second mark. Given the other "mechanical" aspects you've introduced, I assume this was intentional? What the "in universe" explanation for that particular feature?
 
I noticed the nacelle pivoted upon its pylon at the 10 second mark. Given the other "mechanical" aspects you've introduced, I assume this was intentional? What the "in universe" explanation for that particular feature?

Yep that was intentional. :D
It's really to account for inconsistent alignment of the nacelles (usually some drooping) that is present in many of the shots I've camera-matched against.
"In universe" I think of it as part of a nacelle suspension/shock absorption system that can absorb unwanted torquing and also add slight rotations +/- 1 degree in the yaw, pitch and bank axis for specific maneuvers. :whistle:
 
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This rendered faster than I thought it would so here is a quick test for tonight where I've animated the retracting and extending sensor blisters on the engineering hull.

I goofed a bit on the grill cutout into the hull so I'll be adjusting that.

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