Constellation class technical manual
- Thread starter MichaelS
- Start date
I'm loving your work! I'm just getting started on the Micheal Jan Friedman Stargazer Novels and now I have all sorts of lovely visuals to go with it.
I only have One technical question, Where the heck is this thing's deflector? NX 01 has that dinky lame one in front, just like the Akira whose design the NX-Ent basically heavily ripped off, Aren't the nacelles simply flipped and the design retro modified? But I digress...
the point of my thought is, I assumed this is likewise where a deflector dish would be on Constellation, but your schem's enlightened me to the fact of the bow hanger.
So i ask, where's the constellation's deflector?
I only have One technical question, Where the heck is this thing's deflector? NX 01 has that dinky lame one in front, just like the Akira whose design the NX-Ent basically heavily ripped off, Aren't the nacelles simply flipped and the design retro modified? But I digress...
the point of my thought is, I assumed this is likewise where a deflector dish would be on Constellation, but your schem's enlightened me to the fact of the bow hanger.
So i ask, where's the constellation's deflector?
I suspect the deflector is in the same place it is on the Miranda. 
^Yes - meaning that there is none. Rick Sternbach said as much in his article. The deflector's duties are taken over by "a combination of shield grid generators, Bussard collector fields, and tractor emitters".
It's time for an update. I think I've finally hit on my ideal LCARS design. This means, of course, that I'll have to redo the earlier images of the Romulan Neutral Zone and the Bonneville Flats. I think, though, that I'll try myself at a console display next.
Image #1
Some department logos
LCARS #1
LCARS #2
It's time for an update. I think I've finally hit on my ideal LCARS design. This means, of course, that I'll have to redo the earlier images of the Romulan Neutral Zone and the Bonneville Flats. I think, though, that I'll try myself at a console display next.
Image #1
Some department logos
LCARS #1
LCARS #2
Are you going to consider printing this all up into some kind of publishable book form? Even if it is just done at your local Kinko's or something this would be awesome... I know for one I would buy one!!!
excellent work!
excellent work!
And if they won't print it, let me know, and I will be glad to. 
The end result I'm aiming for is a document looking something like a cross between the TNG/DS9 Technical Manuals, Mr. Scott's Guide to the Enterprise and maybe even Ships of the Star Fleet(but since I don't have that one yet, I can't promise anything - I'll have to read it first ). It'll most certainly be a PDF file for download by those interested.
A bit of patience is recommended, though.
). It'll most certainly be a PDF file for download by those interested.A bit of patience is recommended, though.
MichaelS
As I said before, love the department logos!
I posted over on sci-fi meshes too. Would you be interested in trading the illustrator files of your logos for some movie-era uniform Corel Draw files I've been working on. I think they'll convert to illustrator too.
As I said before, love the department logos!
I posted over on sci-fi meshes too. Would you be interested in trading the illustrator files of your logos for some movie-era uniform Corel Draw files I've been working on. I think they'll convert to illustrator too.
Yet another update. You must be getting tired of them by now, surely. [Note: while the file size is only 78 KB, the picture measures 4053x1641 pixels]
I'd originally planned to work on the sickbay layout, but when I needed to know the exact curving of the wall, it turned out that I needed to decide how high the decks are going to be. Problem is, I can't stick to Rick Sternbach's measurements, because my saucer is only 42 meters tall instead of the 54 meters given in the article. This means that I have to reduce the height of some decks. In the end, I needed to come up with five different values:
a) the dorsal sensor dome (tentatively called "A Deck")
b) the bridge level (B Deck) - I needed to lower the bridge onto the second level because the bridge dome isn't tall enough for it if I use the Constitution layout. So the bridge is on B Deck, but this means that I can use the structure aft of the bridge dome as the top of the turboshaft.
c) upper and lower saucer levels (Decks C - F and K - N). The tallest I could make them is 3.2 meters, which is pretty good, I should think.
d) cargo/shuttlebays. SOME decks would definitely need to be reduced in height, and so I chose the cargo decks because I figured that most of the space there would be one large cavern-like space, as seen on the Enterprise's cargo deck. The entire cargo bay would be three decks tall or so, even though the individual decks would only measure 2.788 meters high.
e) lower sensor dome (I Deck) - since it only incorporates sensor systems, it won't need to be as tall as a normal deck.
Comments/suggestions?
[Note: while the file size is only 78 KB, the picture measures 4053x1641 pixels]I'd originally planned to work on the sickbay layout, but when I needed to know the exact curving of the wall, it turned out that I needed to decide how high the decks are going to be. Problem is, I can't stick to Rick Sternbach's measurements, because my saucer is only 42 meters tall instead of the 54 meters given in the article. This means that I have to reduce the height of some decks. In the end, I needed to come up with five different values:
a) the dorsal sensor dome (tentatively called "A Deck")
b) the bridge level (B Deck) - I needed to lower the bridge onto the second level because the bridge dome isn't tall enough for it if I use the Constitution layout. So the bridge is on B Deck, but this means that I can use the structure aft of the bridge dome as the top of the turboshaft.
c) upper and lower saucer levels (Decks C - F and K - N). The tallest I could make them is 3.2 meters, which is pretty good, I should think.
d) cargo/shuttlebays. SOME decks would definitely need to be reduced in height, and so I chose the cargo decks because I figured that most of the space there would be one large cavern-like space, as seen on the Enterprise's cargo deck. The entire cargo bay would be three decks tall or so, even though the individual decks would only measure 2.788 meters high.
e) lower sensor dome (I Deck) - since it only incorporates sensor systems, it won't need to be as tall as a normal deck.
Comments/suggestions?
These remind me of something I did in the late 80s with my Amiga 2000 and Deluxe Paint. DP had some very nice animation features, including color cycling. A friend and I were working on video displays for a sci fi project that never got done.
The greens in the image cycled light-to-dark, giving the field a continual flowing motion.
Ya know, in almost 20 years, there still hasn't been a PC paint program that had animation features like DP had. On the other hand, I have more than 16 colors to play with now
You're right, it does look a bit like an okudagram. Speaking of which, I have something for you all to help me with, but more of that later.
First, some updates (not schematics, but labels 'n' stuff).
Cargo
Emergency Exit
Tissue sample
Soil sample
Starfleet Headquarters
And now for something completely different (well, not really):
This is as close as I was able to get to the colours of the original okudagrams used in TUC. Frankly, I'm tired of the blue-green look and decided to use another colour for my project. The red I've been using probably won't stay since that's reserved for Red Alert screens.
This is the colour scheme I like most, even though blue is a cool colour. The bridge would need some warmer colours on chairs and railings as a balance.
So, which one do you prefer? Or is there another colour scheme you'd want to see?
First, some updates (not schematics, but labels 'n' stuff).
Cargo
Emergency Exit
Tissue sample
Soil sample
Starfleet Headquarters
And now for something completely different (well, not really):
This is as close as I was able to get to the colours of the original okudagrams used in TUC. Frankly, I'm tired of the blue-green look and decided to use another colour for my project. The red I've been using probably won't stay since that's reserved for Red Alert screens.
This is the colour scheme I like most, even though blue is a cool colour. The bridge would need some warmer colours on chairs and railings as a balance.
So, which one do you prefer? Or is there another colour scheme you'd want to see?
Deleted 2
Vice Admiral
I've never seen the point of a colour 'scheme' in functional interfaces; you've got computer screens that can display millions of colours--it makes sense to put them all to good use.
To be honest, I think the Okudagrams of Trek IV and beyond were a step back compared to the simple, functional screens of TWOK and TMP; There's no visible interface on those screens, just information. It makes sense to me that the computers of the future would be so advanced that they'd need relatively little 'window dressing' to interface with the user.
To be honest, I think the Okudagrams of Trek IV and beyond were a step back compared to the simple, functional screens of TWOK and TMP; There's no visible interface on those screens, just information. It makes sense to me that the computers of the future would be so advanced that they'd need relatively little 'window dressing' to interface with the user.
^^The blue is certainly the best option out of those.
However - the colours are very close to each other. It makes it not instantly easy to differentiate. Perhaps trying blue with something else - purple or yellow perhaps?
However - the colours are very close to each other. It makes it not instantly easy to differentiate. Perhaps trying blue with something else - purple or yellow perhaps?
I'm partial to the blue-on-blue graphics, though blue-on-purple with a smattering of green and/or yellow might be nice too.
Well, there are 2 tubes left and right of the Miranda-class bridge and 1 on the top of the torpedo launcher which could be navigational deflectors. You'll also find 3 such tubes arranged arround the Enterprise-class sensor dish.
I've always liked the Constellation-class and it's nice to finally get some detailed schematics.
Well...
The dish on the Enterprise-class secondary hull is established as the nav-deflector, but not the main sensor. The main sensor array is the multi-pronged structure surrounding the lower nav-dome on the bottom of the primary hull. The three structures around the nav-deflector are field sensors, though, and MikeR and I followed that lead on the Avenger-class as well.
As for the deflectors, we made the two rectangular structures with forward angled grilles on the bottom of the hull the main navigational deflectors, with two auxiliary deflectors topside, just above the field sensors, to create a "four-pronged" system.
I was never very comfortable with the idea that the nav-deflector functions were just blended into the shields and bussard fields and such, in part because some of that doesn't fit with the functions of those other elements (especially the bussard fields, which are attractive in nature), and in part because if that system worked at all well, we'd not be seeing all those nav deflectors on later ships.
OTOH, there are plenty of pods and such on the Constellation hull that could easily be nav deflector housings, so it's not a big leap for me to imagine that as a solution to the issue.
I continue to really enjoy this, myself, and I've passed the word of this project on to some fellow members of STARFLEET (the fan organization) who are using a Constellation-class ship for their chapter. I wonder if they're following it now, too.
Best,
Alex
Couldn't the Constellation deflector be the honking big square on the bow?
I know it was meant to be another shuttlebay, but it's never really shown to be one. And the only good bow shots we have of Constellations are of derelicts, so the fact that the big square doesn't glow blue is no proof that it isn't a deflector...
A deflector location like that would also be good continuity with NX-01. (Or am I shooting myself in the foot with such arguments? )
I guess I'm just partial towards seeing that rectangle glow blue. That if anything would spell "POWER!" in a head-on meeting with space baddies...
Timo Saloniemi
I know it was meant to be another shuttlebay, but it's never really shown to be one. And the only good bow shots we have of Constellations are of derelicts, so the fact that the big square doesn't glow blue is no proof that it isn't a deflector...
A deflector location like that would also be good continuity with NX-01. (Or am I shooting myself in the foot with such arguments?
)I guess I'm just partial towards seeing that rectangle glow blue. That if anything would spell "POWER!" in a head-on meeting with space baddies...
Timo Saloniemi
Similar threads
