Star Ship Polaris
- Thread starter aridas sofia
- Start date
What if the cowling came from the sides of the engine pods/tanks out to the edge of the saucer, with the ring being the inside edge? That way there wouldn't be so many overlapping elements to that area.
Edit: I updated the rotate animation with the high-poly version.
It also occurs to me that I kind of like the current back as the front. Especially when it is turned on its side. Would need something added for the thrusters, but that wouldn't be too hard. Could add the fin to the back and mount them there or put them on the 'arms' of the broken ring. Then the engine pods on my variant could be turned into weapons or sensors.
Edit: I updated the rotate animation with the high-poly version.
It also occurs to me that I kind of like the current back as the front. Especially when it is turned on its side. Would need something added for the thrusters, but that wouldn't be too hard. Could add the fin to the back and mount them there or put them on the 'arms' of the broken ring. Then the engine pods on my variant could be turned into weapons or sensors.
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See the attachment below. I've tried to combine the elements that I think work well together in this set of illustrations. The more I look at the broken ring/ horseshoe, the more it looks like it should be "restrained" or made less extreme in its curvature, and made to echo the other curves of the fuselage, saucer, etc. Also, it seems to me that it should be more "rollbar" and less "ring", because the bottom part lends weight underneath that seem to my eye to throw the balance of the design off.
Also, I stuck with my upper saucer grid/detailing for convenience sake. Except for the two big grids on each saucer "wing" there is no definite function assigned to any of it.
Polaris revisions
Though... to be honest, I still like the version HERE a lot.
Also, I stuck with my upper saucer grid/detailing for convenience sake. Except for the two big grids on each saucer "wing" there is no definite function assigned to any of it.
Polaris revisions
Though... to be honest, I still like the version HERE a lot.
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I like those changes, though it strikes me as odd to have a 'top' and 'bottom' on a ship like this which will be functioning only in space. Since in reality the top is at the 'front', wouldn't it make more sense to be symmetrical on the top and bottom as well as left to right? Plus, if you do that, as can be somewhat seen at the end of my 'flyby' you can draw a visual connection to the Polaris logo. I suspect Your latest version would have an even stronger resemblance.
I'm looking at ways to combine the ring with the cowling, but not liking anything so far.
But it doesn't have to be solved tonight. We've got at least til the end of the weekend to finalize all of this.
In the meantime
But it doesn't have to be solved tonight. We've got at least til the end of the weekend to finalize all of this.
In the meantime
The thing does wind up having a "top" and "bottom" for the sake of conventional points of reference for the viewer; it's not going to do backflips or go vertically through the frame (much). There's more symmetry to the top and bottom now than there was a day or so ago, just because I've pulled the wing bottom back up to be about as "deep" as the top side.
The big windows represent a scaling problem - they're each a deck high and represent a dedicated "observation dome" area (a variation of what's visible on aridas original plans; I offset them about 80 degrees from one another partly because we've added that fin or spine and partly to eliminate the "cockpit" appearence). Problem is, I don't think people expect windows that big - they assume that they're smaller than they are, hence the ship is smaller.
The windows are big enough to require a modeled and lit interior, but that's not going to register sufficiently to make a difference in the scaling issue. So I'll probably add a few smaller portholes somewhere nearer the bow, among other things.
The big windows represent a scaling problem - they're each a deck high and represent a dedicated "observation dome" area (a variation of what's visible on aridas original plans; I offset them about 80 degrees from one another partly because we've added that fin or spine and partly to eliminate the "cockpit" appearence). Problem is, I don't think people expect windows that big - they assume that they're smaller than they are, hence the ship is smaller.
The windows are big enough to require a modeled and lit interior, but that's not going to register sufficiently to make a difference in the scaling issue. So I'll probably add a few smaller portholes somewhere nearer the bow, among other things.
Having the ship being oriented the way it is, I doubt the lack of an easily distinguishable top or bottom would be terribly disconcerting for the viewer once they understand that. in reality. neither are. Whatever side is 'up' in any particular scene will be 'up' to them.
Odd you mention the windows, I wrote a short post about them, but got distracted and never posted it. I do find them somewhat 'upsetting' for the scale. Perhaps the portholes, combined with visible 'shield doors' to close over the observation windows could help to distinguish them as larger than a standard window.
Odd you mention the windows, I wrote a short post about them, but got distracted and never posted it. I do find them somewhat 'upsetting' for the scale. Perhaps the portholes, combined with visible 'shield doors' to close over the observation windows could help to distinguish them as larger than a standard window.
Okay, I'll fess up: it's disconcerting for me. It bothers me. I want to know which way is up.
I think I've figured out a way to maybe integrate the rings.
Well, I've had at it for the last day or so and I don't think the weapons ring is going to work. Not at this stage, in any event.
I believe the windows only become a real issue if they're needed for flight operations. If the bridge uses a viewscreen a la Star Trek, then the windows are pretty much only there for crew morale. If a window is needed to see where they're going, then the bridge crew would have to lay on seats that look kind of like high-tech chaise lounges so they could look out the great big window built into the ceiling...
I like it. Have you considered the sunken in central saucer as on my model? I think it helps break up the big solid saucer a bit.
Also, the more I look at it the more I think a less conical end cap would be more attractive. Right now that 'nose' sticks out a bit distractingly from the design. Just rubs me wrong, a hemisphere would flow a lot better with the rest of it IMO.
Also, the more I look at it the more I think a less conical end cap would be more attractive. Right now that 'nose' sticks out a bit distractingly from the design. Just rubs me wrong, a hemisphere would flow a lot better with the rest of it IMO.
I tried a sunken area in the bottom of the saucer at one point, and I think aridas had done so earlier in his drawings. I didn't like the way it intersected with the central fuselage - but OTOH, I didn't think to try what you did later, which was to shift the central axis of the saucer backward off of center. I may try that and see if it works better.
The color variations here are based on those from your model, adapted to the contours and style of this one at this point.
The color variations here are based on those from your model, adapted to the contours and style of this one at this point.
I like it a lot, especailly with the paint job. One thing you had earlier, and its now muted, were those sort of curved vertical stabilizers. THe current version looks good, but have you thought about putting them back in? Also, what does the underside look like?
I didn't really think the curved stabilizers/weapons towers/whatever fit with the design. Every time I stick something on it, it takes away from the original simplicity of aridas design - so some things stick (like, for now, the engine cowling) and lots of doodads get their audition and no call-back (like the overhead spoiler of a couple of weeks ago, or - I suspect as I look at it - those radial vanes on the back half of the saucer).
The underside looks like...a blanker version of the top side, right now. You can see aridas treatment of it in his drawings uptopic and I'm using that as a general guide as I experiment with detailing (the panel break-up on the topside wing, for example, is I hope very close to what he had in mind). One thing we've added down there are a couple of round hatches on the wing which conceal the landing boats. At first I just had the boats fitting snugly into the hull (now that I think of it, kind of like the captain's "yacht" on the TNG Enterprise) but that looked somewhat like - nay, exactly like - a nice pair of boobs with nipples. So now they're behind closed doors.
The underside looks like...a blanker version of the top side, right now. You can see aridas treatment of it in his drawings uptopic and I'm using that as a general guide as I experiment with detailing (the panel break-up on the topside wing, for example, is I hope very close to what he had in mind). One thing we've added down there are a couple of round hatches on the wing which conceal the landing boats. At first I just had the boats fitting snugly into the hull (now that I think of it, kind of like the captain's "yacht" on the TNG Enterprise) but that looked somewhat like - nay, exactly like - a nice pair of boobs with nipples. So now they're behind closed doors.
The paint job really brings this design to life. I keep wanting to put details on the skin to give more of a visual sense of scale, though...
