Huntress Class

[RichMerk]

Hi everyone! i've been on hiatus from writing and meshing for over a decade, but the bug bit me again, so I'm back.

I wrote the Banshee Squadron stories in the old days, but I completely lost interest in that storyline, so I decided to invent a new scenario for them. And one of the new things they need is a new ship. They are a crew of six -- well, six and a sidekick -- so I needed a really small ship. The only class I could think of was the Archer class from David Mack's Vanguard books. The problem is that ship is TOS era, and my stories are set in the late 2380s. So I guess I have to make my own updated version.

I'm trying to get a feel for shapes and sizes here...

 

[jerriecan]

I like it - has a very nu-Trek 'Vengeance' vibe. Looking forward to seeing where it goes.

 

[B.J.]

They are a crew of six -- well, six and a sidekick -- so I needed a really small ship. The only class I could think of was the Archer class from David Mack's Vanguard books. The problem is that ship is TOS era, and my stories are set in the late 2380s. So I guess I have to make my own updated version.

Well, there's also the single nacelle Archer-type from SNW, but that's also TOS-ish era. In any case, I like what you've done so far!

 

[RichMerk]

I like it - has a very nu-Trek 'Vengeance' vibe. Looking forward to seeing where it goes.

Runs off to google Vengeance class... That thing?! Well, I guess the front of the engines kinda reminds, but it's definitely not the vibe I was going for. :P

I like what you've done so far!

Thanks

 

[RichMerk]

This is being done in Blender, by the way. I've been using Blender to make assets for Second Life for a few years, but this is a completely different animal. Plus, I have no idea how to texture things in Blender, so we'll be learning that too. For now, I just added colors to parts to give a feel for the finished product.

 

[Artoo Atari]

Absolutely gorgeous. Well done.

 

[Mage]

Not gonna lie, wanting to see a 24th century Archer class for a while now and been thinking myself about that. This is really awesome so far!

 

[RichMerk]

I learned how to do transparent textures. You can't just slap a transparent PNG on a thing. There's one additional step but it's super easy once you know you need to do it.

I tried doing a subtle texture in the windows. Not sure I like it.

I've done a few things to make this ship look futuristic:
- The writing on the hull actually glows, as opposed to being lit by lamps.
- I don't think I will aztec the hull - I like the smoothness. Right now I have added a metallic shine to the hull, but when I figure out how to do materials or shaders or whatever Blender calls it I will try to add a proper metal. But no aztecing.

 

[B.J.]

Yes, glowing markings! I've also thought Trek should have gone that route. In the Serenity movie, the Alliance ships make nice use of that.

 

[RichMerk]

Did they? I'll have to rewatch that again. I guess that just goes to prove that there is nothing new under the sun.

 

[B.J.]

Did they? I'll have to rewatch that again. I guess that just goes to prove that there is nothing new under the sun.

It's kinda hard to see on most, but this one really stood out: https://firefly.fandom.com/wiki/Victoria_Class?file=Alliance_warship.png

 

[RichMerk]

I've spent the last few days watching videos and poking things. I understand more than I did before. I also discovered there is a thing called "material packs", which are basically pre-made textures with all the bump maps and spec maps and god-knows-what-other maps all built in, to stick on things. You don't even have to UV them! Yay! Though sometimes it helps. And there is an addon to manage them and make using them super easy.

https://www.blenderkit.com/

It's free, though there is a paid version that has double the assets.

I added shaders to almost all the surfaces. You can kinda tell on some of the hull surfaces.

I also learned about "emmisive" textures, that emit light, like the navigation lights, deflector, bussard collectors, impulse engines, and whatever those blue bits on the warp nacelles are called. I don't like the impulse engines yet - they don't show any detail when I render them.

Also learning about HDRI environmental textures - the space background in this case - though I don't really get it yet. Rendering in Blender is also very complex, with all kinds of real life camera settings, and render engine settings. I'm really liking my decision to make the text glow. It seems so obvious. Why have they not done this in TV Trek? Is it more dramatic to have spotlights? So low tech.

Still on my list of things to learn is how to do lighting. I think that might be more "artsy" than technical.

I'm actually quite shocked on how quickly I've managed to build this thing. Like I said earlier, I've done basic Blender stuff for a few years now , but more than half the stuff I've done here has been newly learned. Maybe I'm finally over the hump in the dreaded Blender learning curve.

 

[RichMerk]

 

[korblborp]

she's lovely

 

[JR TREK]

A six person crew in the 2380's would probably be on a variation of the Danube-class runabout. It is a modular design that Starfleet used for nearly everything, from science and exploration missions in the Gamma quadrant to fighting the Maquis and Dominion.

If it is a touch small, use two and get multi-vector assault mode for free!

Ironically, the ship that introduced spot lights also introduced glowing registries - and yet I took a fair amount of heat for using glowing registries on the JR-Prise, instead of spot lights. I recall TrekYards taking issues with my glowing registries.

Drive though any town at night, and notice how common glowing signs are. Logically, why switch from that technology, to spotlights that, in reality, would have to be mounted away from the ship on a pole?

 

[B.J.]

I don't know why anyone would have a problem with it. Modern aircraft carriers have light-up numbers. And they've even done different colors for events.

 

[RichMerk]

A six person crew in the 2380's would probably be on a variation of the Danube-class runabout.

Well, I didn't want my characters driving around in a bus. I wanted something "cool" instead. Kidding. My characters were fighter pilots during the Dominion War. It just feels more right to give them a sleek ship to command. Plus, lately I've really been wanting to learn how to texture and render things in Blender, so I took the opportunity. In-universe, I think this design is totally plausible as a modern version of the venerable Archer class. Six crew might seem a little short, but if it's good enough for a Danube, then why not another class. And writing stories with six main characters is about as much as my poor brain can handle.

I took a fair amount of heat for using glowing registries on the JR-Prise, instead of spot lights. I recall TrekYards taking issues with my glowing registries.

I've taken some flack too. The stated reason was that spotlights were more visually dramatic. Maybe. But to me, using glowing text feels like a step towards the future, which (to me) Star Trek rarely feels like it's doing anymore.