Yet Another TOS Battlestar WIP - Page 2

gmd3d · January 7th, 2010, 07:28 AM

impressive

I have moved up recently to an 8 Gigs windows 7 .. but I use lightwave at 32 bit as I use a lot of plugins in modeling the only work on the 32 bit..

I think only the Mods can delete the double post

maudib · January 9th, 2010, 01:25 AM

1-9-10 update. Some work to the top done. Starting to look like something!

gmd3d · January 9th, 2010, 05:16 AM

Fantastic !!!!!!!!!!!!!

maudib · January 14th, 2010, 10:44 PM

1-14-10 update. More stuff added on top, and more pipes...

maudib

maudib · January 17th, 2010, 05:37 PM

Update 1-17-10

Got bored of staying in one area too long, added some stuff below finally...

Starting to look more realistic...

Maudib

maudib · January 19th, 2010, 05:01 PM

Oh man.. I discovered a big error in Jim Stevenson's schematics, from which I based the overall proportions of my mesh. Look at the high resolution photos of the the studio model verses the same area in the schematics..

Notice the plating outlines are accurate overall, EXCEPT the difference in the plating lines at the bottom outside corner within the area I outlined in red. Notice the angle of the lines almost parallel in the schematics verses a convergence in the actual model image. This means the angle of the taper in the front section is wrong, and any model created using the Stevenson schematics is wrong. Now I have to figure out how to correct my mesh and reposition all the many greebles already placed in adjacent areas. There are other areas in the schematics that don't match up with close examination of the high resolution images of the original studio model (not reproductions), but I thought to bring this one up since I was at the point of adding hull plating to the bottom.

Maudib

Merlin · January 19th, 2010, 06:42 PM

your model is wonderful ... I'm sorry to say this though .. I don't think any of the schematics out there on the internet are all that accurate.

I think it is best to use all the different schematics, images and what ever other resources you can find, then work out what you think is best ...

Still ... your model is very, very impressive !!!!!

Excellent work !!!!!

gmd3d · January 20th, 2010, 02:47 AM

its not really a big problem mate ... your over all work is excellent ..

no one will hold the error against you

but as a modeler I understand your need to get it right ......

Titon · January 20th, 2010, 10:01 AM

Don't try to be perfect, it will never work. You have to remember that the studio model was wacky to begin with. There was nothing a symetrical about it at all and to be quite honest in the cg world you'll never really see that anyways.

For one i quit trying to be accurate with parts of the ship since by the time you get close to finishing it it will already be a resource hog.

Those lines won't make a bit of difference.

January 20th, 2010, 06:15 PM

That is some seriously awesome work

I wouldn't worry to much about
panel lines, unless you were looking for faults you wouldn't see them.
battlestars over the planet picture, you could almost see that on the cover
of a dvd.
will be watching this build

cheers.

maudib · January 20th, 2010, 06:46 PM

Thanks all for the experienced feedback

That's why I came here for help with this build since people around here are more knowledgeable about BSG than elsewhere. Yes, I've found a lot of weirdness in studying this model. Seems not much engineering and scientific thought went in to its design, or even plain old horse sense. I'm trying to keep a realistic perspective about a 30+ year old model. I managed to spend a not unpleasant day readjusting the mesh before installing the corrected hull plates. This amounted to hacking off 40 feet of battlestar! I had to delete the top side cutouts to make room. I'll put them back in later when I'm ready to model that area.

The hull plate is in...finally..whew... the build continues.

Maudib

gmd3d · January 21st, 2010, 02:33 AM

stunning work mate

maudib · January 26th, 2010, 12:12 AM

Update 1-25-10

I wanted to ask opinions about what kind of major weapons columbia-class battlestars might have. I found only one site that gave a plausible list of weapons. I added 2 gun turrets (I think these are guns) to the corners borrowed from the one topside and behind the main bridge complex. I'm assuming they are mega pulsar-type guns or similar. When commander Adama destroyed a cylon basestar using some kind of beam weapon, I assumed the battlestar had this ability, but I don't see any such weapons modelled. This placement would provide a firing solution for at least one turret. What do you think? If enough people hate it, I'll restore the area as originally modelled.

Maudib

January 26th, 2010, 01:56 AM

I personally don't have a problem with the turrets you've put in, plus it makes sense
and ties in well with whats seen in T.H.O.G. Also I think you've got it well thought out.

cheers.

Merlin · January 26th, 2010, 06:18 PM

That's really a great Idea !!!!

Also I've sort of added in an Idea that is going to be on my Battlestar ...

(Note the Blue arrows) Maybe have them be laser cannons or even ... what I'm going to have.... RAVASHOL PULSARS ... they run along the main axis of the ship and tie right in to where I figured the Main Reactors are ... I've attached and older rendering of my model showing the location of the reactors ...

GOOD LUCK !!!

maudib · January 29th, 2010, 04:24 PM

Interesting ideas, but I don't think Battlestars were really massively armed warships, they were more like aircraft carrier/assault ship hybrids. But along your lines of thought, I converted these weird looking nurnies into the missile launch tubes. In the episode "The Living Legend", Commander Caine destroyed 2 baseships using a broadside barrage of heavy range missiles. So like the pulsars, I added them in using some artistic license. This would give a Columbia class Battlestar the ability to launch 28 nuclear armed missiles ( Not that impressive in this day and age considering a US Ohio-class submarine can launch 24 missiles). That ought to take care of those toasters! Didn't see any use for 14 holes on each side of the Battlestar otherwise...

Also a few more bottom side nurnies added

Maudib

djwajda · January 30th, 2010, 10:07 AM

incredible detail

gmd3d · January 30th, 2010, 03:16 PM

I love your attention to details mate

maudib · February 11th, 2010, 10:17 AM

Update 2-11-10

Not as much done this time.. few more details added to bottom groove. Working front to back slowly. This area has a lot of weird, seemingly pointless parts glued on to the hull frame. I have to figure out what to do with the inner and outer sides of the groove. I hate the original with all those bizarre "thingy's".

Trying to keep the mesh smooth and detailed allowing for future close up shots without showing sharp/rough polygon edges ( a dead give away that this is a CGI model and not a real model). The poly count so far is around 1.9 million polys

gmd3d · February 11th, 2010, 10:34 AM

stunning work all the same ..

maudib · March 13th, 2010, 06:06 PM

Update 3-13-10

I added filler to the sides and bottom of the trench. I don't really like using the secondary plating trick too much, but it fills up space quickly and with less poly counts piling up than modeling in dozens of greeble filler. Good enough for now... time to move on to the side coves and finish up the front hull plating. Then it's on to the neck and mid-section!

Whew.. finally. Get's boring and tedious working for months on a single area and takes a lot of discipline to keep on track.

mikala · March 13th, 2010, 06:18 PM

Bloody pretty looking mesh.

Punisher454 · March 13th, 2010, 09:37 PM

Incredible, I really like the way you've done the guns and missile tubes.

Are you taking any incremental renders from a fixed camera? If so it would be cool to watch a time-laps video of the progress.

This thing is truly epic.

gmd3d · March 14th, 2010, 04:15 AM

magnificent mesh

March 23rd, 2010, 06:22 AM

What can i say that hasn't been said already

mighty fine work!

ernie90125 · March 24th, 2010, 06:49 AM

Stunning images !

Do you have any animations of her ?

maudib · March 24th, 2010, 08:55 PM

Thank you everyone for all the kind feedback. As I mentioned in a previous post, I plan to release this mesh on this site once finished, and to also to provide several "stock" gfx sequences as they are completed for anyone to use in creating their own films. I have no plans to create an entire movie at this time. I hope to have the next update in April since this is spring-time and my home and garden needs tending to.

maudib · April 27th, 2010, 09:40 AM

Update 4-27-10.

Not much done lately, too busy with work and home. I have been working on repairing a bad portion of the mesh. The basic hull was created when I had just started, and had not gotten the "feel" of making realistic high poly meshes yet ( now I go poly crazy!) This section disappoints me on close inspection, and won't do for a close-up shot sequence. I am adding more polys to smooth thing out at bit.

G_Starkiller · April 27th, 2010, 04:39 PM

10 to 20 MILLION poly range?! (My computer groaned when I read this)
It look epic so far. I'd never try something like this. I'm sure my computer
would self destruct at the 4 million mark, or sooner.

Still, this is an inspiring work, and I'll been keeping tabs on it.
Might try a battlestar myself, someday. ^_-

Eric

maudib · April 29th, 2010, 11:22 AM

4-49-10

Little more work done.

Started on upper lateral hull plating. Don't get frustrated by a 10-20 million poly count. This figure is an estimate for ALL parts/areas ( inside and out). Depending on your lightwave skills, only a fraction of the mesh will ever be used during rendering in Layout.