Minecraft 1:1 Scale Enterprise Refit/1701-A

[DanGovier]

Hey

I've been working on a little project the past month or so, and having read a few posts on this forum I think you guys should be able to help me by providing ample amounts of constructive critisism

I've always wanted to model one of the versions of The Enterprise in a computer game, for the purpose of simply running around it geekishly once it's completed. I tried it once with the Quake engine, but the ship is simply too large.

With Minecraft however, available modeling space is largely infinite so I thought I'd have a crack at building the 1701-A.

I started off by using Dennis Baileys' awesome Refit Enterprise model in Blender format:

Then, I converted that to a .obj file so I could import it into a little command line tool called "binvox". What this does is convert a mesh into a voxelised version of itself. ie, a cloud of points/cubes. Each building block in Minecraft is roughly 1 metre square, so to keep the scale accurate I made the voxelised model 305 blocks long, by 72 high. The saucer is actually 143 blocks wide because it's centered around a single block.

I then converted this model into a schematic that could be imported into a bit of software called MCEdit. This allows you to place large objects into the game's map files without it crashing Java:

The in-game model was a mess of blocks on the inside, so I had to carve it all back to the outer hull in order to start putting the decks in.

I'm largely using the "Strategic Design" and "Kennedy Shipyards" schematics, which I'm guessing you've already seen a fair few times. I like having the Impulse Core going vertically down from the Impulse Engineering section to meet up with the horizontal core in the secondary hull's Main Engineering.

I'm also using lots of screen captures from the first 6 films to try a model the interior as accurately as possible using the limited block types available.

Forgive the current uglyness, but so far we have...

Bridge:

Hangar Bay/Flight Deck

Torpedo Deck / Airlocks:

Impulse Engineering:

Main Engineering:

Still plenty of empty space to be filled though...

I'll follow up shortly with some of the fitting-stuff-in issues I've been having :P

 

[DanGovier]

The biggest hurdle I seem to be facing at the moment is where to fit in the turbolift shaft that comes down vertically through the dorsal fin. It follows the course of the vertical 'impulse core', but there's a horrible choke point where the dorsal fin meets the torpedo launchers. Because of this, if I want to keep the turbolift shaft going vertically down it has to stay really close to the impulse core:

I literally can't move the turbolift shaft any further back, because it'll then be outside of the hull. Any thoughts or suggestions on this?

Also, how are the crew supposed to get to the Torpedo Deck where the Airlocks are? I cannot see any logical place to put the turobolift doors without them opening onto either the vertical impulse core or the tracks the torpedos run along. Is there actually a different way into that section?

 

[Killer1021a]

As an avid Minecraft player, I must say, THIS IS AWESOME.

I think I may have to start importing stuff in just so i can make cool scenes. I'm not sure how to help on the turbo-lift problem, but i just wanted to congratulate you on how AWESOME this is!

 

[MadMan1701A]

Whoa, I have to agree with Killer1021a... this is awesome, and I don't even play Minecraft.

Can't wait to see it finished.

 

[blssdwlf]

Awesome job DanGovier!

You could shift main engineering further back into the hull and have the vertical warp shaft angle forward and follow the back of the neck up. That'll free up space forward for turbolifts to run down into the secondary hull. (That's how the sets seem to fit )

 

[Psion]

I'm getting a kick out of lighting main engineering with ... torches.

Magnificent work, Dan!

 

[publiusr]

It does have that stonework cargo cult look to it. It also shows you how well a layered saucer looks if one were to smooth it out for far larger designs.

 

[doctorwho 03]

Anyone else getting a LEGO vibe from this? This is awesome.

 

[DanGovier]

Update time!

I've been working on this project on and off for a while, and figured it was about time I updated this post :P

The Bridge is now looking a little more authentic. The textures really need a lot of work, but it's now more circular and fits exactly within the confines of the external dome structure:



The Impulse Engineering section now has a proper sphere for the Impulse Reactor, which protrudes nicely outside of the hull where expected:



Below the Impulse Reactor, the "Intermix Core" goes straight down vertically to the very bottom of the secondary hull. I opted to go for this configuration as opposied to a 45 degree diagonal one, because otherwise the cargo bay just wouldn't fit properly and it interfered with the botanical section.



Several decks down we have Main Engineering, the roof of which is the spine of the secondary hull. Jeffries tube access up to the nacelles will be from here. Spocks' suicide cubicle is included :P



Moving on down and to the front of the secondary hull we have the Deflector Control:



And below that we have the Matter/Antimatter Reactor and the Antimatter Storage:



Taking up most of the central section of the secondary hull we have the Cargo Bay. I had all manner of issues getting the Turbolifts lined up with the Airlocks, and I had to move them towards the outer hull more so that they would line up properly with the Turboshafts going around Main Engineering:



The Hangar Deck is largely unchanged, just tidied up a bit:



What I've started doing now is mapping out all the internal systems first, and then building the decks in around them. Like this:



I have a similar looking structure on each deck, which are all linked together by the red 'pipe'. On the opposide side of the ship there is a mirror image of this with a blue pipe. These are supposed to be internal power systems or similar.

The blueprints are generally lacking a lot of support infrastructure (like plumbling!), so I am adding it in where it seems to make sense to do so.

I'm going to finish off the Officer's Mess next, with the ajoining Briefing Room and Captain's Ready Room. I am forced to have them share the same deck space below the Bridge because of Minecraft's general chunkyness.

In order to fit all the decks in exactly as they are in the blueprints, there has to be less than 1 metre vertically between each deck. Minecraft's building blocks are 1 metre squared, so it's just not possible.

That aside, I feel a ship like the Enterprise would have at least a metre of 'stuff' under the floors of each deck anyway.

This'll be the lounge, looking out nicely between the nacelles:



I'm still struggling with the Torpedo Deck. With the vertical Intermix Core running through the middle of it, as per most (all?) of the blueprints, and the Turboshaft running alongside it, there's no sensible place to put the Turbolift doors.

They either face the Intermix Core, or they open out onto the "torpedo rails". None of the blueprints seem to show an obvious way into the Torpedo Deck either, so I guess this is a common issue :P

Also, in The Undiscovered Country we see Kirk board the Enterprise using the Port(?) Torpedo Deck Airlock. There just doesn't seem to be enough room in the 'buldge' at the bottom of the dorsal fin to fit everything in that we see on the film set

Any thoughts or suggestions on that one?

 

[Mytran]

According to these plans, the turbolift doesn't open up onto the dorsal deck at all! Or possibly straight into the intermix room, the diagram isn't clear...

Maybe you could go with that direction? The dorsal is such an awkward space anyway

Shane Johnson got around the issue by having the turboshaft progress down the rear of the dorsal, as shown here. The shaft would skirt around the impulse engines (I guess) before it entered the vertical shaft and began its descent. The stepped path is not as elegant as a single vertical one, but it does leave plenty of space for exit points!

 

[137th Gebirg]

^^^ Curious. Wondering now why it needs to be stepped. Theoretically, through the use of artificial gravity and inertial dampeners, turbolifts could go upside-down and at a slant without the passengers ever knowing.

To the OP - beautiful work, BTW! I'm working on a 1:1 WWII Minecraft Yamato right now (by hand) and it's quite challenging due to the scope and size of the vessel. I need to go mine more cobblestones.

 

[B.J.]

^^^ Curious. Wondering now why it needs to be stepped. Theoretically, through the use of artificial gravity and inertial dampeners, turbolifts could go upside-down and at a slant without the passengers ever knowing.

Well, they'd notice once they stepped out of the turbolift onto a deck that wasn't coplanar with the turbolift floor. But I get your point.

 

[137th Gebirg]

Well, yeah, they'd have to flip it around wherever a lift door was present, but it should still work.

 

[DanGovier]

Been ages since I updated, so here's my latest progress



Planet Minecraft Project Page

Being limited to 1m square blocks and a mininal texture set is really making me regret starting this project :P

 

[Albertese]

Being limited to 1m square blocks and a mininal texture set is really making me regret starting this project :P

No way! You're doing really well. I love it.

--Alex

 

[publiusr]

Great progress!