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Author Topic: My First Starship(tm)  (Read 8312 times)

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Offline Fineus

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My First Starship(tm)
on: January 16, 2006, 04:31:19 am
Well here it is. My first attempt at designing a starship. The design is something of an "as I went along, I did stuff" effort.. and I'd like your feedback!

I'm really interested in getting good at designing spaceships. I haven't looked at any tutorials... just gone with what I knew already. Please rip it to shreds and make as many (or few) suggestions as you'd like to. They'll all be welcome.

So without further ado I present you with:

My First Starship™

[attachment deleted by admin]
« Last Edit: January 18, 2006, 04:31:37 am by Kalfireth »
 

Offline Kosh

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Re: My First Starship(tm)
Reply #1 on: January 16, 2006, 05:23:57 am
I'm afraid to say anything bad because you might ban me :nervous:
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Offline Fineus

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Re: My First Starship(tm)
Reply #2 on: January 16, 2006, 05:27:04 am
Hah, no.

Like I said please rip it to shreds. Insult the hell out of the fact it's all built on one cube. How am I going to learn if I don't get someone pointing out what could be improved / changed.

Or is it just the most fantastic ship you've ever seen? :p
 

Offline Turnsky

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Re: My First Starship(tm)
Reply #3 on: January 16, 2006, 05:31:59 am
well, it doesn't remind me of anything, and that's a good thing, if you think about it, when designing starships, it's hard to be original.
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Offline FireCrack

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Re: My First Starship(tm)
Reply #4 on: January 16, 2006, 06:25:31 am
My only criticism is that the hanger bay doesnt look like it's part of the ship's main body.

Other than that, it coud do with a bit more detail just strewn about
actualy, mabye not.
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Offline starfox

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Re: My First Starship(tm)
Reply #5 on: January 16, 2006, 07:18:53 am
Hmmm, which end is the front of the Ship ?
It could work on both ends really, with the other one more B5 Omega-like box and the other more "traditional" one...
*How stupid of me, the hangar bay points forward...*
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Offline Carl

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Re: My First Starship(tm)
Reply #6 on: January 16, 2006, 07:53:46 am
I like the overall shape, but you should add detail.
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Offline Fineus

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Re: My First Starship(tm)
Reply #7 on: January 16, 2006, 08:03:31 am
The right hand side is the front, ships launch from the bay facing forwards.

Firecrack: That's a good point, and in honesty the fighter bay wasn't part of the main body. I made it separately and then attached it.

Carl: Any suggestions on detail? The ship is obviously lacking in it and I don't have much experience past extruding, bevelling and moving vertexs around.

I also have no experience in texturing.
 

Offline TrashMan

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Re: My First Starship(tm)
Reply #8 on: January 16, 2006, 08:43:34 am
Interesting design.

Shows a lot of promise :D
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Offline Carl

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Re: My First Starship(tm)
Reply #9 on: January 16, 2006, 08:48:04 am
Quote from: Kalfireth on January 16, 2006, 08:03:31 am
Carl: Any suggestions on detail? The ship is obviously lacking in it and I don't have much experience past extruding, bevelling and moving vertexs around.

well you're in luck, because all you need to know how to do in order to add detail is extruding, bevelling and moving vertexs around.

really, just select a face and add random junk to it.
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Offline Fineus

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Re: My First Starship(tm)
Reply #10 on: January 16, 2006, 10:13:40 am
Well here's a bit of an update then. I started adding turrents and beam cannons. I also added a little minor detail to the top of the front of the ship. Lens flares were added quickly in Photoshop for the engine effects.

http://www.zen8740.zen.co.uk/pics/ship/ship_00.jpg
« Last Edit: January 18, 2006, 04:29:58 am by Kalfireth »
 

Offline BlackDove

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Re: My First Starship(tm)
Reply #11 on: January 16, 2006, 10:23:21 am
It sort of looks like that transport thing from Star Wars in Episode 2 if I'm not mistaken, coupled with some features of the Colossus.

In any case, I suggest you make the wall that is in front of the hangar bay dissapear, considering massive collisions when fighters exit the fighterbay. It needs to be smooth sailing ahead, not banging into the wall when you roll off the Orion-esque runway.

Also I'd suggest either cutting the lower part of the front, or extending both the front and back a bit and bridging them down together.
 

Offline Fineus

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Re: My First Starship(tm)
Reply #12 on: January 16, 2006, 10:39:37 am
Fair enough, cheers :)

Oh... and a quick question for any Max nuts. Can you give me a brief description of how to add engine/ thruster glows in Max? I tried a tutorial and it failed to work entirely.
 

Offline knn

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Re: My First Starship(tm)
Reply #13 on: January 16, 2006, 10:49:44 am
The space tutorial in max explains it nicely. You need a light, then go into Rendering - Effects, then Add - Lens effects and in the Lens Effects Globals rollout - Parameters tab select Pick Light and click on your light in the scene. Then you can add various effects (Glow, ring, star, streak, ray...) in the Lens Effects Parameters rollout. Tweak with the parameters for the different effects, when you click one, a new rollout will appear for that effect, but you can also modify global parameters in Lens Effects Globals. Use help if you don't know what a parameter does.
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Offline pyro-manic

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Re: My First Starship(tm)
Reply #14 on: January 16, 2006, 10:51:18 am
Oooh, nice. :) It's a bit slab-sided at the moment - add some more superstructure to those big flat areas at the front (perhaps extrude the gun banks, or embed them into the hull slightly), and add some sensor booms or something to the front (like the Sulaco from Aliens).

Is there another hangar on the other side, or is that one the only one? If it is assymetrical, I'd suggest making it more so - that will help get rid of the "tacked-on" look the hangar has at the moment.

I'd also like to see some other angles - any chance? :)
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Offline Fineus

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Re: My First Starship(tm)
Reply #15 on: January 16, 2006, 01:49:38 pm
Without further ado.. the latest views. I went for a more convetional 6-view this time plus an additional with background. I added some more detail to the front of the ship as well as taking BD up on his suggestion and moving the entire front section of the ship away from the fighter launch bay (as can be seen in the top view).

http://www.zen8740.zen.co.uk/pics/ship/top.jpg
http://www.zen8740.zen.co.uk/pics/ship/frnt.jpg
http://www.zen8740.zen.co.uk/pics/ship/lft.jpg
http://www.zen8740.zen.co.uk/pics/ship/rt.jpg
http://www.zen8740.zen.co.uk/pics/ship/persp.jpg
http://www.zen8740.zen.co.uk/pics/ship/back.jpg

Any suggestions? :)
« Last Edit: January 18, 2006, 04:28:28 am by Kalfireth »
 

Offline Fragrag

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Re: My First Starship(tm)
Reply #16 on: January 16, 2006, 02:03:33 pm
Looks better, though more details would be nice, and where will the ships enter after taking off?
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Offline BlackDove

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Re: My First Starship(tm)
Reply #17 on: January 16, 2006, 02:16:20 pm
Neat.

More detail obviously, personally I'd extend the front fat part downards some more to be almost on par with the behind, and then bridge the back and forward with some kind of a cool hallway or...something. That way it'd be double-connected front to back, it'd look more menacing I think anyway.
 

Offline ToecrusherHammerjaw

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Re: My First Starship(tm)
Reply #18 on: January 16, 2006, 02:17:12 pm
At some angles, that looks suspiciously like Inferno's Aesacus cruiser.  Only at some angles.  I like it.  Good work.  :)
 

Offline Fineus

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Re: My First Starship(tm)
Reply #19 on: January 18, 2006, 04:27:10 am
Ok, update time. Here's the latest rendition of the ship:

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