ISS Enterprise's Various A2 Pics

[Terra_Inc]

That's actually Dan1025's Aegian, with JF's re-texture from a while back.

I know. It's an excellent ship. I just can't decide whether I prefer Aad's or Dan's version...

 

[thunderfoot]

Your latest pics are superb! More, please!

 

[ISS_Enterprise_D]

Dedicated to maintaining a healthy friendship with a fellow screenshot maker:

The Cardassian Hutet Lie soars out of the Radion Nebula. The USS Ronald Regan and the USS Avenger move to intercept. The Cardassian Gul hails the ships, demanding their surrender, saying, "You and your miniscule starships are beyond outmatched." Ambassador Worf brings the Avenger to battlestations, and Admiral Kimoto of the Ronald Regan has only three words for the Cardassians:

"Bring It On."

Spoiler: Bring It On

 

[Jetfreak]

A satisfactory TTU for that buddy!

It's amazing how the cash strapped Cardassian economy is able to produce those juggernauts. They're even bulkier than an ISD!

 

[ISS_Enterprise_D]

Its a fact: The Enterprise-B is THE LEAST known Enterprise, meaning that we know barely anything about her, other than Kirk supposedly died saving it from the Nexus. We know a bit more about the Enterprise-C in my opinion, and even then it's just one main event, with references back to it now and again. So, I think I'll have the Enterprise-B in a generic shot or two every now and then

The USS Enterprise-B leads Task Force Delta 17 to reinforce the defense force of the Pleadies Cluster

Spoiler: Enterprise-B Leads the Fleet

 

[StarBlade]

The Cardassian Hutet Lie soars out of the Radion Nebula.

The Hutet is a Lie. There is no Hutet.

 

[ISS_Enterprise_D]

This pic I actually caught in the middle of trying to set up for another shot. The angle was absolutely beautiful, so I HAD to take it

Spoiler: Quick Capture

I also need a bit of help. The shot that I was trying to do was the scene from BOBW when the Enterprise flew by in a flash and the cube blew up. I'll talk to JF about blurring, but what I need to know is this:

Is there a way to increase the number of explosions that happen on a ship model before it actually blows up? That's the main problem I'm having with the shot right now. Any help is highly appreciated

 

[Borg_Queen]

Voila, it's done

And a new pic as well: The Federation Chintoka attack force, from my fan-fiction. The Enterprise-D and the Defiant lead the way

Spoiler: New Chintoka

Nice. Now I really want to see that episode you are recreating with a twist.

Got a new one: tribute to the end of Armada I

After discovering that history has been re-written once again by the Borg, Captain Denning orders the USS Premonition to set a course to the Deneb System; 11 years into the past, where a newly-commissioned USS Enterprise-D was just recovering from her encounter with the Q, and had only begun her legendary journey....

Spoiler: Saving History....

Great shot.

Dedicated to maintaining a healthy friendship with a fellow screenshot maker:

The Cardassian Hutet Lie soars out of the Radion Nebula. The USS Ronald Regan and the USS Avenger move to intercept. The Cardassian Gul hails the ships, demanding their surrender, saying, "You and your miniscule starships are beyond outmatched." Ambassador Worf brings the Avenger to battlestations, and Admiral Kimoto of the Ronald Regan has only three words for the Cardassians:

"Bring It On."

Spoiler: Bring It On

And you are back with including Sovereigns again. Nice battle shot.

Its a fact: The Enterprise-B is THE LEAST known Enterprise, meaning that we know barely anything about her, other than Kirk supposedly died saving it from the Nexus. We know a bit more about the Enterprise-C in my opinion, and even then it's just one main event, with references back to it now and again. So, I think I'll have the Enterprise-B in a generic shot or two every now and then

The USS Enterprise-B leads Task Force Delta 17 to reinforce the defense force of the Pleadies Cluster

Spoiler: Enterprise-B Leads the Fleet

This pic I actually caught in the middle of trying to set up for another shot. The angle was absolutely beautiful, so I HAD to take it

Spoiler: Quick Capture

I also need a bit of help. The shot that I was trying to do was the scene from BOBW when the Enterprise flew by in a flash and the cube blew up. I'll talk to JF about blurring, but what I need to know is this:

Is there a way to increase the number of explosions that happen on a ship model before it actually blows up? That's the main problem I'm having with the shot right now. Any help is highly appreciated

Great pics and beauty shots.

 

[ISS_Enterprise_D]

Nice. Now I really want to see that episode you are recreating with a twist.

It's more than just the episode, it's the entire war as well. Thanks to info I gave to Starfleet, the Dominion's weapons don't go through shields like they're not there. There are more powerful yields of torpedoes, higher marks of phasers (meaning like Mark XIII, XV, etc.), and Sovereigns got into the war earlier. Because of that, Starfleet didn't suffer the major losses they did in canon, but they didn't have any major victory until they re-took DS9. The battles up until that point were basically territory protection, with the Dominion having to turn away just as many times as the Feds

 

[ISS_Enterprise_D]

The ISS Enterprise-E asserts her authority over renegade Klingon Negh'Var's

Spoiler: Asserting Authority

 

[Jetfreak]

Is there a way to increase the number of explosions that happen on a ship model before it actually blows up? That's the main problem I'm having with the shot right now. Any help is highly appreciated

Hey there, I'm pretty sure it largely depends on the amount of hardpoints a ship has. I also noticed you asking stuff on blurring. What do you need to know?

 

[ISS_Enterprise_D]

Well like I was saying, I was going for that specific moment in BOBW. What tool due you use per say to do your blurring, and do you have any advice about like where to start and end the blurring? Don't wanna end up smudging the whole pic

 

[Jetfreak]

If you have Photoshop, I usually select each individual ship in the picture with the Polygonal Lasso tool. It helps when you select a ship's outline neatly so that the rest of the Background isn't affected.

From there, select the Filter menu and look for blur. Pick motion blur and the rest should all be self explanatory.

A recent example would be the Enterprise Redux pic in my art thread. You will notice that it gave the ships a much needed sense of motion.

Another method is using Radial Blur, this is helpful if you want to show objects moving toward or away from you.

 

[ISS_Enterprise_D]

That should make things easier, much appreciated JF

Now only to get more explosions..... :x

 

[Jetfreak]

Yeah, that's rather difficult to incorporate in pics using the game engine itself.

Most of my shots have them added in post work.

 

[thunderfoot]

Easiest way I know to do this is to open the explosions in Storm3D and then copy/paste them over to the pic you're making. You will have some pixel mismatches doing so. Expand the pic to 300 percent, 3072 x 2304 pixels, and then go in and blend the seams. When you reduce the pic back to 1024 x 768, the reduction will take care of any of the small edges you may have missed. It will always look a little off to you when you view the pic. But then you're the one who put it together.

 

[ISS_Enterprise_D]

That should also help significantly. Thanks TF and JF

 

[ISS_Enterprise_D]

All righty....

This is NOT my best work by a long shot. Still, it didn't come out anywhere near as bad as I thought it would. I'll probably re-do it in the future when I get better at editing.

Spoiler: BOBW

 

[thunderfoot]

Actually, it isn't that bad. The explosions look a little stretched, but here is an easy fix to make the whole thing look more like the concept you can see so clearly in your mind. Use the blur tools and center the effects on the Ent-D's saucer section. You'll need to tweak the blur some I think. Could take a bit. This would look a lot better if all of the fireballs and the Cube are slightly out of focus. So it looks like Ent-D is warping away just ahead of the explosion. Nick of time and all that sort of thing.

One thing I learned early on is no pic ever comes out the way I like the first time. I have to rework it and then re work it some more. Patience and sweat will usually produce the desired results.

 

[ISS_Enterprise_D]

The explosions definitely need to be re-done. I tried using Storm3D to view the explosions, but that failed miserably. So I looked on Google for some explosion pics that I could take parts here and there from. I might re-do it later today when I'm done with my homework

 

[Jetfreak]

Yeah, take heed on what TF has elborated, couldn't have said it better myself.

You can also try a more dynamic angle for the Galaxy. Blurring doesn't help much if the ship looks static to begin with.

 

[thunderfoot]

The freeware version of FRAPs will let you take screenshots in Storm3D. Also I am unsure if you are aware of this or not but there may some things in this you find helpful. Help with making screenies

 

[ISS_Enterprise_D]

Okay, so I'm currently in the process of re-doing the shot. I'm posting up the new image with no effects yet.

Seem like a more favorable angle to you guys?

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[thunderfoot]

A very good start. Just like with pictures of sports cars, the ships look much better when turned slightly away from the center focal point of the viewing plane. They also look better still when they are banked or pitched slightly. The biggest problem people have when doing an action shot such as this is they do too much. It is hard to exercise restraint sometimes. Placing items for effect rather than accuracy is very helpful. The Cube is about to explode. This doesn't mean every visible surface has to be covered by or right next to a fireball. Sometimes, the most effective tool for achieving a desired result with a pic is the viewer's own imagination. Placing a few explosions and allowing the viewer's mind to fill in the rest of the idea is something which works extraordinarily well. This also lets them participate in the pic. I call this the "Hitchcock Rule". Alfred Hitchcock never actually showed the act of murder in any of his films. He stated once that he preferred to allow the viewer's own imagination to fill in the blanks. His reasoning for this is the viewer's own mind would create an image far more terrifying than anything he could think of.

What's that Jet? No, I haven't given away all the secrets yet. Kidding again, lol.

 

[ISS_Enterprise_D]

SUCCESS.

I got this editing down faster than I thought I would. I used only game files this time around, explosions included. Blur looks great, and I didn't go over the top on explosions.


After the drones were misdirected into believeing it was time to regenerate, the Borg Cube initiates a feedback loop, which will lead to its self-destruct. After a moment's thought, Riker orders the away team back, and tells Wesley to move the Enterprise to a safe position the moment they return. Despite her injuries, the Enterprise barrels away from the Cube at an astounding speed, and not a moment too soon....

Spoiler: Best Of Both Worlds...

 

[thunderfoot]

Niiice! Like how Ent-D looks solid! Good Job!

 

[Jetfreak]

Now that's brilliant. Perfect application and execution, I like. That's no longer an average screenie. That's a full fledged CG render. ^_^

I also prefer calling that useful artistic pointers rather than alleged "secrets". Wonder where that label came from?

I'd also like to ask, is that the stock model with C2X Textures?

 

[ISS_Enterprise_D]

Now that's brilliant. Perfect application and execution, I like. That's no longer an average screenie. That's a full fledged CG render. ^_^

I also prefer calling that useful artistic pointers rather than alleged "secrets". Wonder where that label came from?

I'd also like to ask, is that the stock model with C2X Textures?

Actually, it was from another Borg Cube from A2FF, since the stock was giving me problems, but for the life of me I can't remember

**** short term memory..... :x

 

[Jetfreak]

lol that's perfectly all right, there's not much difference anyway when talking about Cubes. But I do like the textures, they really look like the ones in the episode

 

[ISS_Enterprise_D]

Must be the longest I've gone without posting something new.. Been a bit busy with schoolwork, that takes priority


Commodore Negron of the ISS Enterpise snaps out attack orders, targeting their counterpart's vulnerable areas. Type XV phasers lash out at the USS Enterprise. Lieutenant Sisut's quick actions save the ship from taking a direct hit to the nacelle. Captain Negron launches an immediate counter-attack, with his Enterprise's Type XIV phasers dealing a satisfying punch to her counterpart's shields. Thoroughly enraged, Commodore Negron orders to bring the Enterprise into an arc that will make full use of her many phaser banks. Smiling evily, he says, "Let us shatter that ugly reflection of ours..."

[SPOILER="]

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