Nova class bridge modelling help

[firehawk]

hi, i'm doing a re-texture of a nova bridge/ship combo but i can't get the right bridge, you see the closet i have..is the prommie bridge..because most others have the tng style conn/ops consoles but even then it still feels and looks too much like the prommieand I hope a modeller could help tweak the bridge model

i know the modellers are busy, expecially 3rd era..but can someone help me by remodellingthe prommie bridge (low res) just a lil..i have some pictures of possible ideas..

please can soomeone help..i'd be eternally gratefull

[JimmyB76]

unfortunately, the 3rd Era Team have all moved on to Excalibur...  im not sure youll be able to get assistance...  hopefully i am wrong tho...
your best bet would be to perhaps PM Mark and see if maybe he'll walk you thru the process step by step, but i know he is quite busy lately and may not have free time to help...
in the meantime, you may just want to stick to bridge retexturing...  what youre asking (remodeling bridges) requires alot more tedious and time consuming work and generally would only be successful if you really have skills in the arts of making ingame bridges in BC...
but in all honesty, less than a dozen people in all of BC's entire history have the skills (and programs) to get a bridge from the very beginning to full ingame actual use...

[Aeries]

I'd say stick with a retexture for now... For instance, just do all the textures for the walls and console LCARS. That could buy you some time up until an experienced modeler is available to assist you in this task. There's a few things you'll be needing, too: scripting/programming experience and permissions. Why do I say permissions in particular? Well, if you want to make an accurate-ish Nova bridge, your best bet is to pretty much yoink the command/xo chairs from the Intrepid bridge, if possible, and a chair from the forward helm station on the intrepid bridge as well. Anyways... while you work on a retexture, you could ask third era for permission to kitbash those components into this model. Just try to understand, that [as far as I know] you're really getting neck-deep if you want to model the bridge too. I know I can't do it. In my time here, the only people who've produced bridges in all the tedious stages of construction are actually the 3rd Era team.

Anyways, best wishes. I do hope Mark can pop around to help you out with this.

[firehawk]

I'd say stick with a retexture for now... For instance, just do all the textures for the walls and console LCARS. That could buy you some time up until an experienced modeler is available to assist you in this task. There's a few things you'll be needing, too: scripting/programming experience and permissions. Why do I say permissions in particular? Well, if you want to make an accurate-ish Nova bridge, your best bet is to pretty much yoink the command/xo chairs from the Intrepid bridge, if possible, and a chair from the forward helm station on the intrepid bridge as well. Anyways... while you work on a retexture, you could ask third era for permission to kitbash those components into this model. Just try to understand, that [as far as I know] you're really getting neck-deep if you want to model the bridge too. I know I can't do it. In my time here, the only people who've produced bridges in all the tedious stages of construction are actually the 3rd Era team.

Anyways, best wishes. I do hope Mark can pop around to help you out with this.

i know you mean accurateish nova a la equinox from voyager..but i guess i'd be happy with a couple of alterations to the prommie..after all it could be a new bridge module plus ilike the idea of the frontconsole being a helm/tactical console (after all in battle both stations should be in harmony

i guess part of the reason i asked for alterations as opposed to a full new bridge is 1) i like the feel of the prommie..2 ) it hopefully reduces the amount of work needed done

my other idea was if someone could change the conn ops consoles on the nebula bridge,replace em with the intrepid or defiant helm (but change the seat to match the others in the model) and move tactical to the stand alone console oppisate the first officers station

[ACES_HIGH]

actually the Prommie bridge is probably your best bet, as I recall they redressed that one for the Eqinox

[firehawk]

actually the Prommie bridge is probably your best bet, as I recall they redressed that one for the Eqinox

my thoughts exactly

[JimmyB76]

actually the Prommie bridge is probably your best bet, as I recall they redressed that one for the Eqinox

this is correct...

i guess i'd be happy with a couple of alterations to the prommie..after all it could be a new bridge module plus ilike the idea of the frontconsole being a helm/tactical console (after all in battle both stations should be in harmony

i guess part of the reason i asked for alterations as opposed to a full new bridge is 1) i like the feel of the prommie..2 ) it hopefully reduces the amount of work needed done

my other idea was if someone could change the conn ops consoles on the nebula bridge,replace em with the intrepid or defiant helm (but change the seat to match the others in the model) and move tactical to the stand alone console oppisate the first officers station

again, remodeling bridges is alot more complex than it sounds...  and youd need specific programs to do it...  not to mention a general knowledge of BC bridge-making to begin with, as well as the capability to edit bridge nifs...  also, youd have to create all new animations as well for the characters (main or secondary) that would be at these new consoles and such...  and write up new scripts via BPCore to get new bridge remodeling successfully to work ingame...

unfortunately, as i mentioned, the 3rd Era Team have all moved on, and they are the only ones who have the capabilities to do this...  and i know for a fact that they wont be coming back to remodel bridges at anyones requests...  there is some scattered information around here which goes into more detail about successfully remodeling bridges (i think) that you can search up to see if you can learn things for yourself, but that info is scattered around and would take some time to find by searching, and even then might not answer your questions...  also, most of that info was at BCU which is now gone unfortunately...

i dont mean to sound pessimistic, but without the experience and guidance from Mark, LC, etc, from the 3rd Era Team, i just dont think there will be anyone else that can do it...  of course, that is a shame thinking that for whatever life BC has left, its bridges can only be retextured from here on out and no new ones could really be built or remodeled...  but that is the likely fact... 

i can only hope, and i do sincerely hope, this isnt the case tho...  it would be really great to see some new people take on the process of bridge making or bridge remodeling...  but there is so much information that goes into it, and skills required to do it, and the programs and exdpertise in those programs to do it; it is so very much tricky and complex...


bridge retexturing is the best way to learn about bridges and how they work, and the best way to start...   small steps...

[Bones]

Jimmy is right, you'd need 3DS MAX 3 with NIF plugin from Totally Games or at least NIFSkope tho I don't know if you could edit model there... remodelling is just a beginning, then you have to lightmap those areas you've modeled otherwise they'll be extremely bright and cartoonish, also floorplan will be changed (XO position will be altered as well as Helmsman ) so you'll have to edit crew animations and positions on the bridge (these two people I mentioned : XO and Helmsman) and finally mapping these areas with new textures... these few minor details decides why we don't get much bridge models these days (completed mods cuz there many modders who built almost whole set but never finished it)

I'd stick to retexture for v.1 then you could go on and evenrually find an experienced modeller who would rebuild model for v.2 ;)