ChiefBrex's WIPs List - Current Projects: Rigel Class & TOS Pack (03.05.17)

[mckinneyc]

Thank goodness for that Chief.

When I saw server's post I thought you would explode. 

Loving your ship and have done since you started

[Lurok91]

For you, no it's not. People make suggestions without thinking what it's gonna take to implement those changes so it suits their tastes better. I have literally spent the entire morning looking at the neck, spine, and saucer of this ship to try and add extra impulse engines, or widen the neck and spine even further.

It becomes impossible to make the neck wider at the back, because I'd have to move verts around individually. And there's no way I'm gonna be able to keep stuff aligned properly that way. Not to mention the hours its going to take to get all of the verts welded, redraw edges, polies, etc. where necessary. And all because people think the neck is too thin to house both an Impulse deck and a torpedo bay...

I mean really, I'm just about ready to scrap this project. I really don't want to work on it anymore. I'm so frustrated right now.

Understand how you feel but try and hang in there.  Sure you'll get a lot of support.  Personally I don't see anything wrong with model, which I think looks great and nice new contribution - but then I'm not a ship-nerd as everyone here knows 

[serverandenforcer]

Thank goodness for that Chief.

When I saw server's post I thought you would explode. 

I didn't see Brex's previous post until after I had posted mine and I thought he was going to blow up at me too. 

I'm glad he thinks my idea "isn't too bad"... was sweating bullets there for a minute. 

[ChiefBrex]

Well, the largest problem with making the neck bigger is the spine itself. As well as the shape of the secondary hull. HOWEVER, moving the top end of the neck to make it wider, and into a V-shape, as server has suggested, actually alleviates the problems of the Impulse engine being too small, and the neck being too thin in the back. Plus, it matches the transition from the Ambassador-style neck, to the Galaxy-style neck much better.

So yeah, it's a much better idea. My apologies to Server for misunderstanding his suggestion.

[serverandenforcer]

Well, the largest problem with making the neck bigger is the spine itself. As well as the shape of the secondary hull. HOWEVER, moving the top end of the neck to make it wider, and into a V-shape, as server has suggested, actually alleviates the problems of the Impulse engine being too small, and the neck being too thin in the back. Plus, it matches the transition from the Ambassador-style neck, to the Galaxy-style neck much better.

So yeah, it's a much better idea. My apologies to Server for misunderstanding his suggestion.

No worries bro.  You've been barraged left and right about the neck since day-1 lol

[Suricata]

The neck does have a 'V' shape (wider at the top than the bottom), which makes the joint to the secondary hull easier, whislt allowing a wider impulse engine exhaust 1 deck up. On the original design that is.

Shes coming along very nicely, looking forward to the textureing :-)

[ChiefBrex]

Thanks Suricata. Some of the angles make it hard to see that in your pics. But I am glad that you confirmed what server already was able to suggest.

[Suricata]

I was thinking about how you said earlier that you were having issues getting the neck to fit on the hull and realised something didn't feel quite right about the way the ship was lookin. So, I went on a hunt on my old computers hard drive and found some images of the original model (without textures, which seem to of gone missing over the passage of getting new computers!).

As you can see in the images below, the secondary hull is not perfectly round, but more a squashed shape, this was done to show a progression between the Ambassador and Galaxy class secondary hulls. You can also see that the pylons didn't quite fit at a perfcet angle with the hull. I don't have higher resolution images available I'm afraid, but hopefully the image will be useful for getting elements positioned better.



It's a real shame that I can't find the original model and textures right now to help you out better :-(

[ChiefBrex]

It's all good Suricata. But the thing is, to reshape the secondary hull, would mean scrapping everything I've done, and starting over. I think for now, we'll keep the circular secondary hull. It's fitting fine enough. Anyway, new pics.

[Edit: Pics at the end of thread]

[serverandenforcer]

That looks fantastic CB!

[mckinneyc]

Love the pylons. So simple yet so elegant

[Killallewoks]

Yay! 

[moed]

Excellent work. Very much look forward to this.

[metalnick]

She's a beauty, alright.

[ChiefBrex]

Okay, I re-added the Impulse Engine, and now it looks huge. So just gotta add the aft torpedo bay in a different spot, probably ad the end of the spine like Suricata originally placed it.

After that, I'll add details to the underside of the secondary hull, and rooms to the windows on the underside saucer windows. After which, it's mapping time XD

[ChiefBrex]

hmmm, I seem to be reaching an impasse with some of the mesh issues on the model. Anyone have any suggestions? The problem areas are primarily the phaser arrays on the hull. I'm having a hard time aligning the verts because they're on angles. So using the transform gizmo is a bit of a pain.

[MarkyD]

Thats a nice mesh mate, nicely done.

As for your problem you can either restrict movement on a particular axis of verts with the "Reference Coordinate System" or use the "Constraints" in the command panel. 

[Maxloef]

small big problem with ur ship brex, the nacelles arent visible from the front, its like one of the biggest rules in designing a ship.
basicly your crw would die from lack of oxygen due to the bussards not being able to operate!

[Nebula]

that rule isn't set in stone and many ships have broken it...

[King Class Scout]

i don't think the bussards collect anything for the life support, I think they collect strictly for the engines.