Mithra Class WIP (Updated May 29th, 2010)

[mayhemuk]

How about removing some of the hull plating and using textures instead

[Shadowknight1]

I'd suggest removing some of the details on the nacelle pylons and the details on the deflector could go too.  Remember, a ship can be very low poly and the textures can make all the difference in the world.

[Aeries]

Small update; Been working on new Sovereign/Akira-inspired shuttle bays and reconstructing the top-aft section of the secondary hull. Here's a pic, to show you what I've done with the new shuttle bays. I WAS going to make pods again, but I started making them and realized... it just doesn't fit the sleek design of this ship, no matter how I construct the silly pods... so she'll be left without pods.

The center shuttle bay is bugging me... gonna have to work on it a bit more...

*edit*: I am aware of the smoothing issues and various mess-ups... :[

Pic:

[Technerd89]

the port and starboard shuttlebays seem ok, i like the akira-ish bay doors. the main shuttlebay is under-scaled though, when you look at the size of the torpedo tubes, you couldnt fit a type 6 through those doors. perhaps if you recess the bay into the hull more

Edit: with a bit of photoshopping, i think ive come up with a nice idea, i hope it helps aeries

[Shadowknight1]

Agreed with Technerd, still, love the Akira-ish shuttlebays.

[Aeries]

Thanks for the input, guys. I kinda messed up, though, and the center shuttlebay got deleted... I completely forgot to save a backup of that... oh well. The port and starboard bays are still there, though... and I'll definitely look back at this for reference when I re-make it. You're right; it was waaayyyyy under-scaled, anyways. but I like the 'recessed-into-hull' idea. That's really cool. :]

Anywho, thanks again guys. Keep the ideas coming.

[Aeries]

Guess what!? A FIFTH Mithra is in the works! O_O;; *gasp!*

Many thanks to Wiley and Limey for letting me know about certian Max tools that're making construction a million times easier than before! With this, I think I can at least have the saucer darn near complete in a day... it'll be SUCH a cleaner mesh than all the others... I'm totally stoked!!! *loves max*

So, stay tuned for updates!

[ChronowerX_GT]

Hehe, look foreword to seeing it.

[DJ Curtis]

i'm sure this one will be the charm. each one has gotten better and better.  this time however, I'd say leave out all the armor plates and just texture them on.  go for a really smooth mesh.

[Shadowknight1]

I agree with DJ, though you could maybe make light lines as guides.

[limey BSc.]

I love the idea of modelling on the armour! No matter how amazing the textures are, there's just no substitute for micro-detailing !

[Technerd89]

no offense, but micro-detailing is what we got with LCs Excalibur .90, which was and still is a beautiful design, but was atrocious to play with in terms of performance when it came out. i recall aeries saying that the mesh was at one point 30k polys, so i rest my case. while im pleased that a more efficient design is in the works, we should be looking for the fine line between mesh detail and what can be masqueraded in the textures. do i think he should model armor plates? yes. should they have as much detail as the previous model? probably not. looking forward to seeing more aeries  8)

[DJ Curtis]

I love the idea of modelling on the armour! No matter how amazing the textures are, there's just no substitute for micro-detailing !

respectfully, I disagree.  Small things like panels... done right... will look better as textures in BC.  This is primarily due to BC's rudimentary lighting setup.  There are no shadows, and oppossing edges reflect light, even when hidden from the direct light.  This makes the ships look rather strange.  That's why with BC its always best to produce a mesh that is smooth as possible with as few narrow edges as possible.  As an example of well done "bumped" paneling done very well, refer (everybody interested) to LC's Intrepid Class.

All that being said, whatever Aeries decides to go with is cool by me!

[Aeries]

Thanks a TONN for the support, fellas! progress this morning has been amazing! unfortunately I lost the Mithra last night when the Max file corrupted [I hadn't gotten around to backing it up to 3ds yet] But, in any event, this new revision I've made of the fifth and final cylo... err... ship... [lol] is coming along VERY nicely. The details I've been able to integrate surprises even me and I'm also pleased to say that this Mithra even sports fully-modeled thrusters, as I wasn't certain how to do this in the past... I do now! Needless to say, I'm VERY pleased with this so far... the mesh is SO much cleaner than it once was...

There'll be pics coming up later on. Stay tuned!

[JimmyB76]

youve come a long way, sweety!! 

*cookie*

[Aeries]

Thanks, Jimmy. :]

Update. something is seriously wrong with this... I can't put my finger on it, though... it's not JUST the bow errors... Ugg... *sigh*

Tell me what you think.

Edit:
Note: The thing on the front is a secondary deflector dish... :/

[Technerd89]

while the shuttle bay in the bow is an interesting and exotic concept, the current design takes a big chunk out of the curvy feel that we all grew into loving about the previous mesh

[limey BSc.]

while the shuttle bay in the bow is an interesting and exotic concept, the current design takes a big chunk out of the curvy feel that we all grew into loving about the previous mesh

I think it's a deflector

[086gf]

while the shuttle bay in the bow is an interesting and exotic concept, the current design takes a big chunk out of the curvy feel that we all grew into loving about the previous mesh

I think it's a deflector

He posted before the edit. ;)

[Shadowknight1]

Ugh...no offense Aeries, but...find a different way to integrate that deflector if you really want one, cause technerd's right.  It's not sleek anymore.