Star Trek Builders Unite 5 : Where no pixel has gone before
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The .3ds file type has always been a hit or miss with me so some work and some dont. The only program I found that did a good job with them was 3D Studio Max but even then I had a few crash it. If you have not tried it yet, Deep Exploration or AccuTrans3D can convert 3ds files. Deep Exploration will run as a 30 day trial and so will AccuTrans3D. DE is $500 app though but AccuTrans3D is only $20
I came across this one by accident. I was looking for a TMP refit I could change the name on- found one by WileyCoyote ove at Sci-fi Battle Clinic.
WileyCoyote's models are originally made for star trek bridge commander, however they look great in 3d renders. he recently released a great looking negh'var, galaxy x an nebula class ships.
NifSkope did a good job converting it.
One of two major projects I need to build for the next story: TMP era Life pod. Since there are no other references that I'm aware of, I'm falling back on "Mr.Scott's Guide to the Enterprise" like I did for the crew cabin. Building it in 3 sections- the middle and then the sides. I'll do the exterior textures once I see how everything lines up.
Excellent! I was never able to get a good visualisation of what the thing looked like from those little drawings, though, so good luck.
Excellent! I was never able to get a good visualisation of what the thing looked like from those little drawings, though, so good luck.
That's the biggest problem. There's only two pages aand one of those shows Front and back cutaways while the other only shows one side of the interior. I'm going on the assumption that equipment on both sides of the passenger is the same- that way, I can build one side and then take it into UV Mapper and mirror it for the other side.
At first glance not knowing the context, my first fleeting thought was a high tech stapler. Then I assumed some lab equipment. But when I read the comments about a "life-pod", then the black surfacing resolved itself in my head as the "crash couch".
Seriously, with just a bit of minor tweaking, it could be a counter top scanner of some sort.
Sincerely,
Bill
Update: The empty shell exists now. I just have to fill it in. It won't have all the curves the drawings do- the corners are more rounded in the drawnings- but it'll serve till something better comes along. There won't be an actual sliding hatch. I'm going to build it in sections. Then someone can turn on or off as many as needed for their render.
Last update for the night. Most of the structure's in place. Now it's a matter of details.
It involves editing the file in two places. I don't have any of the corrected files at hand, but if I recall correctly, at the start of the pp2, you want to change MorphPmdfile to MorphBinaryfile, I don't recall the other step, but I'll look when I get back home in a few days.
That's absolutely fantastic! I've always loved Mr. Scott's Guide to the Enterprise, and you've done a great job on the lifepod so far. Can't sait to see the finished version. Bravo! :D
That's absolutely fantastic! I've always loved Mr. Scott's Guide to the Enterprise, and you've done a great job on the lifepod so far. Can't sait to see the finished version. Bravo! :D
Thank you. It's been going faster than I expected it to.
First update of the evening:
Looking good so far.
I can't find my copy of the book right now and my memory's a bit hazy; were those pre-TNG escape pods all supposed to be single-seat? I thought I remembered them as three-seat, but that might be just the TNG-era design.
2014 - Let's See What Is Out There
It says on page 102, that they're one-man craft.
how is your Klingon bridge coming along can you post some pics of the viewscreen part of your two bridges
Getting closer. With this one, you can see the padding on the side of the seat and the pipes above. Still need the water container and the flight stick.
All that's left is the flight stick- then exporting and mapping:
WIP Andorian Heavy cruiser Kandihar circa 2155
Everything's in place now. The side section just needs to be exported, mirrored and mapped. Just... :gulp:
oooooooo andorian stuff, must have !!!!
Haven't done this yet. Thought I'd ask ahead of time. When you mirror a prop in UV mapper, do you have to create a new texture map too, or will the original prop's map work?
To my knowledge there isn't a mirror option in UV Mapper. Well at least I can't find one to test it out.
There's no specific "mirror" option- it's a matter of settings.
Got the answer to one question- and found another problem.
First, the original prop's map will work on the mirrored prop.
Now, if someone would take a look at the bottom picture and tell me how can this be fixed? It never showed up till this render- and I just know it runs the full height of the model.
Personally I would export it to another 3D program and see if it happens there. if so, then go back to Sketchup (that is what you used right?) and try out re-exporting it but with a new setting (trying some new setting might help in this instance.).....render the obj with a flat texture and see what you get. Then try the UV mapping again...
-Paul
Personally I would export it to another 3D program and see if it happens there. if so, then go back to Sketchup (that is what you used right?) and try out re-exporting it but with a new setting (trying some new setting might help in this instance.).....render the obj with a flat texture and see what you get. Then try the UV mapping again...
-Paul
Sketch up only has one setting, there's no way to adjust that-. And what you're actually seeing is UV Mapper's obj- not Sketch up's. And I'm not sure what you mean by a "flat texture" there are no bump maps or anything else of that nature used- just the most basic texture map.
I think I might have a work around figured. Look at ths copy of the page I'm working from. the red arrows are pointing at lines that have no explaination in the book. I don't know if they're indicating the interior space or hull plates. I'm going with hull plates- in fact I'm think of a real thin corner wrap that hides the distorion.
Also, I don't have any other 3D program.
It's been way too long since I took that single class of technical drawing, but... could it be the point where the corner curvature flattens out? Which would leave everything inside that line a single flat plate of unobtainium alloy?
Sketch up only has one setting, there's no way to adjust that-. And what you're actually seeing is UV Mapper's obj- not Sketch up's. And I'm not sure what you mean by a "flat texture" there are no bump maps or anything else of that nature used- just the most basic texture map.
I think I might have a work around figured. Look at ths copy of the page I'm working from. the red arrows are pointing at lines that have no explaination in the book. I don't know if they're indicating the interior space or hull plates. I'm going with hull plates- in fact I'm think of a real thin corner wrap that hides the distorion.
Also, I don't have any other 3D program.
In DAZ you can lower the 'Angles' in the surface tab, lessening the smoothness of angles and highlighting angles as sharp corners and bends. Is that an option? You have my email. send me the obj and mtl file and I'll take a look if your solution doesn't work.