WIP - TMP Enterprise, deck by deck

[Saquist]

I think as the saucer develops my mind will be blown wide open once again by the detail be presented as it was in the engineering section.

 

[CTM]

I think as the saucer develops my mind will be blown wide open once again by the detail be presented as it was in the engineering section.

Could be. This deck and the next are the critical pieces. I will probably build the Rec Deck and Impulse Engineering on both decks at the same time - meaning I will leave them as voids until I finish the remainder of F and G decks.

Sick bay, the brig, the transporter rooms etc. will take a fair bit more time on G deck. At my current pace and other workload, it will be some weeks before I finish them.

 

[137th Gebirg]

So which bridge are you going to use to cap this baby off?

TMP, TWOK/TSFS/TVH or TFF/TUC?

 

[Saquist]

he's been using TMP schematics so I imagine it will be the orignal refits bridge. I'm sure he won't go to every detail on it though.

 

[CTM]

Well, I got some time to start adding transporter rooms. At least two of these will change into Assault and Security Transporters before this deck is completed.

^^a closeup^^

more to come when I get the time....

 

[Cary L. Brown]

Hey, quick question here... since you're on a more powerful tool now, with more powerful hardware... and since your modeling seems to be, in large part, reuse of "symbols" (corridor segments, etc)... have you considered trying to match colors a bit more closely at this stage (before it becomes too tedious)? I can tell you've done a bit of color now, but some stuff seems to be "default grey" tone. Is that the long-term plan or do you plan to make it a closer match eventually?

 

[Saquist]

I'm really begining to see two things.
1. How truely massive this project is...
2. ..and just how good you are CTM...

 

[CTM]

Hey, quick question here... since you're on a more powerful tool now, with more powerful hardware... and since your modeling seems to be, in large part, reuse of "symbols" (corridor segments, etc)... have you considered trying to match colors a bit more closely at this stage (before it becomes too tedious)? I can tell you've done a bit of color now, but some stuff seems to be "default grey" tone. Is that the long-term plan or do you plan to make it a closer match eventually?

I am still learning AutoCAD 2000, so I don't entirely know how to do some of those things. Most of what I'm doing is exactly what I would have done with R13. I could go through and assign detailed colors, but that gets into more artistic stuff that I just don't know how to do well. Obviously, some things have been done in color (lifepods, cargo hold etc.), and I will likely add more color at key locations - I had long seen this more as a "build it" project than a "paint it" project.

Saquist - what will really scare you is that I'm starting to see this as a "rough draft" build, with a more detailed, better designed build to come in a later attempt. There are many things I would do differently, now that I am that much more familiar with the problem space. Maybe I'll build a Locknar and an Excelsior before returning and doing this project over.

 

[137th Gebirg]

Maybe I'll build a Locknar and an Excelsior before returning and doing this project over.

Either of those would be supremely cool, but what source material would you be using for those? I've only ever seen a mid-line cutaway of an Excelsior - no deck plans - and absolutely nothing on a Loknar.

 

[CTM]

Maybe I'll build a Locknar and an Excelsior before returning and doing this project over.

Either of those would be supremely cool, but what source material would you be using for those? I've only ever seen a mid-line cutaway of an Excelsior - no deck plans - and absolutely nothing on a Loknar.

I would make it up as I went along. I'd take more of CLB's approach, to Excelsior (build the exterior, then put things in afterwards). For Locknar, I'd more-or-less figure out what needs to be in there, and build a realistic ship around it. More of a real design project, not a fitting problem.

 

[CTM]

A few more items tonight, I built the labs, and roughed out sick-bay.

and some colorization. I'm not going to do much more specialization of color, as it takes a LONG time to assign materials, even on this new and improved system.

 

[Saquist]

I am still learning AutoCAD 2000, so I don't entirely know how to do some of those things. Most of what I'm doing is exactly what I would have done with R13. I could go through and assign detailed colors, but that gets into more artistic stuff that I just don't know how to do well. Obviously, some things have been done in color (lifepods, cargo hold etc.), and I will likely add more color at key locations - I had long seen this more as a "build it" project than a "paint it" project.

Saquist - what will really scare you is that I'm starting to see this as a "rough draft" build, with a more detailed, better designed build to come in a later attempt. There are many things I would do differently, now that I am that much more familiar with the problem space. Maybe I'll build a Locknar and an Excelsior before returning and doing this project over.

I've been suspecting that for little bit of time now. I realized that fitting this in the hull as the out side is supposed to appear is going to be a grade B nightmare.

That being the case I also realized that the artistic part of this (which really is the whole thing) but the color portion is really unimportant.

As I've said before I'm well versed on Auto CAD 2000, 2005 and 2007. If there is any tips I can give you I'm a PM away.

 

[Birdog]

I'm also a drafter and have used 2000, 2004, 2005 and currently 2008 so if I can help at all just contact me as well.

 

[CTM]

My only AutoCAD 2000 question at the moment is: Can I do the complex curves (like I need to do on the neck) with anything other than Edgesurf? I am not happy about the neck, but going back and doing an edgesurf and then cutting a block to make it work is just so very time-consuming and draining (and I know I'll have more issues with that sort of thing when I get up to B and C decks).

 

[Birdog]

My only AutoCAD 2000 question at the moment is: Can I do the complex curves (like I need to do on the neck) with anything other than Edgesurf? I am not happy about the neck, but going back and doing an edgesurf and then cutting a block to make it work is just so very time-consuming and draining (and I know I'll have more issues with that sort of thing when I get up to B and C decks).

Not with that Release. What you're looking for did not appear until 2007. If you can send me the profiles at the top and the bottom and I generate the geometry you want.

 

[Saquist]

My only AutoCAD 2000 question at the moment is: Can I do the complex curves (like I need to do on the neck) with anything other than Edgesurf? I am not happy about the neck, but going back and doing an edgesurf and then cutting a block to make it work is just so very time-consuming and draining (and I know I'll have more issues with that sort of thing when I get up to B and C decks).

Birdog is right, Right now edge surf and the other surf commands are you best bet and then cutting from a solid.
In 2007 you can use convert to solid and the LOFT Command which makes most of my work alot easier despite the pains of fighting CAD fincky definitions of closed and regioned spaces and which ones are right for what operation....Boy....

I'd take Birdog up on his offer. All he has to do is create sections of the solid (which you essentially already have in the form of decks) and then string a couple of guide lines and VIOLA....the perfect neck.

 

[Birdog]

My only AutoCAD 2000 question at the moment is: Can I do the complex curves (like I need to do on the neck) with anything other than Edgesurf? I am not happy about the neck, but going back and doing an edgesurf and then cutting a block to make it work is just so very time-consuming and draining (and I know I'll have more issues with that sort of thing when I get up to B and C decks).

Birdog is right, Right now edge surf and the other surf commands are you best bet and then cutting from a solid.
In 2007 you can use convert to solid and the LOFT Command which makes most of my work alot easier despite the pains of fighting CAD fincky definitions of closed and regioned spaces and which ones are right for what operation....Boy....

I'd take Birdog up on his offer. All he has to do is create sections of the solid (which you essentially already have in the form of decks) and then string a couple of guide lines and VIOLA....the perfect neck.

There is a caveat: the profiles must be closed polylines or a series of overlapping closed polylines. I'm working on a TOS exterior in AutoCAD and for the neck I had to do a lofted ellipse at the front and back and then a lofted rectangle in the middle to get the proper profile. When unioned it looks like a smooth shape.

 

[Saquist]

[
There is a caveat: the profiles must be closed polylines or a series of overlapping closed polylines. I'm working on a TOS exterior in AutoCAD and for the neck I had to do a lofted ellipse at the front and back and then a lofted rectangle in the middle to get the proper profile. When unioned it looks like a smooth shape.

Yeah the discovery on the closed polylines was not...expident...I use region most often.

You maybe able to help me: I need to create sections for loft that use spline like curves but Loft despise splines. Suggestions?

Arcs seem to be my only option with out buying one of these add-ons that convert splines into polylines.
(Perhaps we can make a thread for project questions or something)

 

[CTM]

[
There is a caveat: the profiles must be closed polylines or a series of overlapping closed polylines. I'm working on a TOS exterior in AutoCAD and for the neck I had to do a lofted ellipse at the front and back and then a lofted rectangle in the middle to get the proper profile. When unioned it looks like a smooth shape.

Yeah the discovery on the closed polylines was not...expident...I use region most often.

You maybe able to help me: I need to create sections for loft that use spline like curves but Loft despise splines. Suggestions?

Arcs seem to be my only option with out buying one of these add-ons that convert splines into polylines.
(Perhaps we can make a thread for project questions or something)

At least in R13 and 2000 splines are polylines. Much of this ship is built with splined polylines that have been either extruded or revolved.

 

[Saquist]

hmmm simpler times.
That has probably caused alot of my confusion when I worked in 3D on the newer CADs. Splines are definitely not polylines in the later version and won't combine with polylines and thus won't pedit.