my take on the TMP-E

[wjaspers]

Take a look at the orthos of the CG Ent:

http://drexfiles.wordpress.com/2009/07/18/1701-tmp-directors-cut/

These people had the chance to measure it, so I guess its better than any other.

Espacially look at the back and front, to see how wide the neck is at the front and the back, comparing to the middle.

Also here is a pic where you can see that the front is much wider and has less fillet.

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p298/wjaspers/STMPent10.jpg

I had to redo the neck on my Ent, 3 or 4 times before I had something that looks right, thanks to the orthos flowing around the net which claim they are the real deal

 

[AnyStar]

^ i actually have portions of that model, and even high-res ortho renders of the texture maps. i refer to them sometimes, but most of my dimensions come from another source.

that forward portion is just a p.i.t.a. what you see is about my 4th try at it, and i'm sure the one i end up with will be #12 or so

i suppose i'm going to have to just push back my drydock model another week and keep digging on this one!

here's the trailing edge, i've both tightened up the fillet and widened it. but i think it still needs a little work

great eye though! thanks for the input

 

[Saquist]

hmm.
The angle on the back of the neck should continue all the way down if I'm not mistaken.

 

[sojourner]

^yep, the torpedo deck should taper in to be flush with the neck in back.

 

[CTM]

^yep, the torpedo deck should taper in to be flush with the neck in back.

I noticed that too, and double checked my sources. It definitely doesn't block end like that.

 

[AnyStar]

righto, i just couldnt do the taper before i had created the secondary hull.

i also havnt cut the hatch or exhaust port (whatever you want to call it) on the roof of the torp room at the back of the neck if thats the part you mean.

 

[Saquist]

But I think you definitely got the lower dome correct.

 

[AnyStar]

i'm getting kind of frustrated with the neck, the torp room is about shaped in a manner im happy with, but i've been doing so much manual tweaking on the shapes of the neck itself i'm ready to just toss it out the window and go at it again...

sooooooo, i'm just going to set it aside and work on the engineering hull some. i can come back to it later.

 

[AnyStar]

ok, so much for that idea, i just kept crackin' at the neck.

here's the new structure. there's a little less arc to the x-section as it travels upward, also i've only put the fillet on the spine portion that travels all the way down the hull.

the reason i keep avoiding cutting in the grill at the lower base of the neck is there are 2 versions, i'm not sure which one i'm going to use yet.

 

[BK613]

Man this is terrific stuff!

Dob't know if you know it but Christie's still has the photos up from the auction here...

 

[AnyStar]

i'm up to almost 1k unique photos of this thing...

but for even more refs, check out Kurts site, click the reference tab and go down to the trek stuff. Search4 even let me put up his drydock images there
http://www.modelermagic.com/

 

[Saquist]

Is it me or is the Pylon edges not point straight forward but a little out board?

 

[AnyStar]

i'm not sure what your referring to by Pylon?

 

[wjaspers]

ok, so much for that idea, i just kept crackin' at the neck.

Ain't it fun modeling the TMP E

the reason i keep avoiding cutting in the grill at the lower base of the neck is there are 2 versions, i'm not sure which one i'm going to use yet.

Don't know what you are pointing at (maybe the close up model they made for TWOK), but you are modeling the TMP E, not the TWOK E, or TUC E.

More interesting will be what you are planning for the dock ports (1701 and 1701A have different textured ones), are you going for what is on the model, or what they displayed at the close ups?

 

[AnyStar]

ok, so much for that idea, i just kept crackin' at the neck.

Ain't it fun modeling the TMP E

Aye that it is, and i honestly love it!

the reason i keep avoiding cutting in the grill at the lower base of the neck is there are 2 versions, i'm not sure which one i'm going to use yet.

Don't know what you are pointing at (maybe the close up model they made for TWOK), but you are modeling the TMP E, not the TWOK E, or TUC E.

excellent point, i think thats just the "kick in the pants" i needed!!! i'll put pics below to show the 3 different versions there are of that grill (if you include the mentioned "stubby" model as i call it)

More interesting will be what you are planning for the dock ports (1701 and 1701A have different textured ones), are you going for what is on the model, or what they displayed at the close ups?

to keep this model simple, and a base point to create much more detailed versions in different styles, i'm modeling only what is on the 8' mini. v2 and beyond will include details from full size sets, the stubby model, and beyond.

there is actually very little detail to the docking ports on the 8'er: only the hole, shallow scribing to represent the door, and the ring and registry decals. even the stubby (with all the intricate detail dont on it) has the same minimal detail done around the ports.

v2 is going to be a full scale theoretical starship realization, inside and out. and the details on the ports will be re-created from the full size set details.

now for some photos. these are all downsized to 800w for bandwidth consideration

as for the exhaust port.
the original version was a box shape object, planed on the back edge to match the rise of the neck. there was open gaps on the sides where it extended back into the neck. the grill spacing was also much finer, or narrower gauge.

the second version had both arced sides to match the profile of the neck, and large chunky guage ribs.

the third version on the larger stubby model had similar profiles to match the sides of the neck, but the rib size was in-between what was in the first 2 versions

and finally for the docking ports

the 8'er evolutions

and the full scale set

i used to have some archive images of this set, but i've misplaced an entire directory of my C² pictures...

 

[Saquist]

Because of the color scheme you've already chosen I'd say TWOK Enterprise for the torp exhaust.

But I like the cleaner Black vents.

 

[AnyStar]

^ funny you should mention... i just ran $.material = null a few short moments ago... :P really the color's are just there for eye-balling, and only a placeholder for finals.

been re-organizing the file since lunch, it just seemed way to big.

i still dont know why, but simply starting a new project file, and importing all the settings textures cameras, and then the objects one by one, (there's only 3 now, the saucer neck and secondary). and filesize is down from 11,020k to 5,756k.

i have to find a better way to do the lettering, i took that out several days ago. the maxtext letters quadrupled my poly count and filesize was over 16m, and that was also before any of the mesh for the neck and secondary had been created!

I KNOW!!! i had space-gremlins crawlin around inside it gummin up the werks... :P

 

[wjaspers]

as for the exhaust port.
the original version was a box shape object, planed on the back edge to match the rise of the neck. there was open gaps on the sides where it extended back into the neck. the grill spacing was also much finer, or narrower gauge.

Damn, I did not notice it on the original model, nor did I look for it, assuming it was the same as the TUC one.


Here is another comparison on the docking ports (lettering and red markings)

i still dont know why, but simply starting a new project file, and importing all the settings textures cameras, and then the objects one by one, (there's only 3 now, the saucer neck and secondary). and filesize is down from 11,020k to 5,756k.

Strange

i have to find a better way to do the lettering, i took that out several days ago. the maxtext letters quadrupled my poly count and filesize was over 16m

Even more strange, had no problems with the maxtext letters, oops I forgot, I did them in Acad and imported them.
Anyway, the maxtext should give you lower polycount.... I guess.

 

[AnyStar]

as for the exhaust port.
the original version was a box shape object, planed on the back edge to match the rise of the neck. there was open gaps on the sides where it extended back into the neck. the grill spacing was also much finer, or narrower gauge.

Damn, I did not notice it on the original model, nor did I look for it, assuming it was the same as the TUC one.

as you said earlier, Isnt modeling this thing great!

after all these years re-creating this thing i STILL find new insight to how it was made almost every day i work on it.

btw, i pm'd you something at scifi-meshes, since you cant recieve them here yet.

 

[wjaspers]

btw, i pm'd you something at scifi-meshes, since you cant recieve them here yet.

Yes, thank you