KJCs Work

[Majestic]

Wow nice work KJC. Top stuff mate.

 

[kjc733]

Thank you.
And a new picture. Not quite how I expected it to turn out, I was hoping the torpedoes would be a little more... awesome... than that. Oh well. Maybe next time I'll do a Full alpha strike (that'd be 24 forward tubes with six rounds each ) - there's only 48 rounds in this one.

 

[kjc733]

Time to go back to the beginning...
We Will Feast

 

[Majestic]

Great work KJC, loving the new Wraith ships.

 

[kjc733]

An update to the standard cruiser

EDIT - and an update to the Hive. Still need to add more detail to the lower hull, but the domes are now more domed than hexagonal. And it's so much easier than the first time I did this! Old Hive (WraithHiveTex_01) added for comparison.

 

[kjc733]

So with the Rhode Island mesh now accepting boolians again (if my PC were a person I'd strangle it!!) I've positioned the blocks needed for cutting the windows (and actually cut out here) and started placing the window inserts. Even more frustrating than that though are the phaser strips, which are now modeled. I'm thinking my Christmas target is unlikely though...

 

[kjc733]

So this is probably the last update on the Rhode Island this year. I spent most of yesterday on it, once again proving how a lot of effort can produce little visible output - mostly uv mapping, finalising the boolians and some replacement of my own textures. I think I'll be stealing the new Impulse grill for the Intrepid along with the nacelles and phasers.

 

[kjc733]

Updates on the Rhode Island include finishing the hull base textures - just the nacelles to redo now. Also glow maps and bump maps are made, but for some reason not working *grumbles annoyed*.

And first images of my reworking (again) of the Intrepid refit. Lots of edges sharpened up and tidied up, some tweaks to the bow, new nacelles in progress and just generally I'm going to use the lessons learned from the Rhode island.

 

[kjc733]

Well I was going to finish up the Rhode Island today, but as I'm annoyed about going back to work tomorrow I instead finished up the Intrepid rebuild. Now for the arduous task of uv mapping... again!

Images taken alongside Aads Intrepid for comparison against a "standard" model, with the grid on so that you can see that most of the size differences are illusions. This build features:

New Nacelles
Improved nacelle-pylon interface
Repositioned sensor/window cutouts
New phaser arrays
New deflector-"chin" interface
Remodeled "chin"
The ridge running from pylon to deflector
Rebuilt shuttlebay (which has had the effect of increasing volume again)
Rebuilt bridge area to make it less organic
Built in saucer RCS

(don't hold your breath though, it'll be weeks in all likelihood)

 

[Terra_Inc]

That's some very fine modeling work! Good job!

 

[Terradyhne]

The Rhode Island is a great model of yours. That Intrepid two looks like it is a mix of Sovereign, Galaxy and Ambassador design elements and is a verry good model to.

 

[SciFiFan]

I love that Intrepid rebuild. Excellent work man.

 

[kjc733]

Thank you. The edges needed sharpening up and basically I got lazy and complacent on my previous attempt. I should have known better and will now pay for it by remapping the uvs for a third time!

I was trying to combine Sovereign/Prometheus (advanced) aesthetics with Vesta (slipstream) aesthetics with the Intrepid spaceframe. The Galaxy-esque ridge and pylons was an idea I considered before but hadn't quite grasped how to do. Not sure where you got Ambassador aesthetics from though - unless you're referring to the revamped version?

 

[USS Ridgeline]

Checked out your page, you got some great art posted on this page. I like your Righteous Class along with your own work on the Intrepid Class MK.2 and your B5 Whitestar.

 

[kjc733]

Thank you. I suspect the Righteous in its current form won't be completed, simply because I've come a long way since I last worked on it. One day I may attempt to make a better version, who knows.

More slow but steady progress on the Intrepid. The nacelles, deflectors and saucer have been remapped and been given a new basic texture. As those who remember the Serephim know, I have a thing for bussards with three windows, so here they are on the Intrepid

So, now I have a dilemma. I had been planning to build in the separation plane, but I really can't be bothered because I still think its a daft idea. I do need to draw it on though. So, anyone any thoughts as to where the separation plane cuts across the upper hull? I'm thinking curving down from just above the aft torpedo launchers to where the saucer blends into the secondary hull.

 

[USS Ridgeline]

Thank you. I suspect the Righteous in its current form won't be completed, simply because I've come a long way since I last worked on it. One day I may attempt to make a better version, who knows.

More slow but steady progress on the Intrepid. The nacelles, deflectors and saucer have been remapped and been given a new basic texture. As those who remember the Serephim know, I have a thing for bussards with three windows, so here they are on the Intrepid

So, now I have a dilemma. I had been planning to build in the separation plane, but I really can't be bothered because I still think its a daft idea. I do need to draw it on though. So, anyone any thoughts as to where the separation plane cuts across the upper hull? I'm thinking curving down from just above the aft torpedo launchers to where the saucer blends into the secondary hull.

Very impressive, this should of been the USS Voyager we should of seen on the small screen for all 7 seasons of life the show.

 

[Aad Moerman]

Very well done!

 

[kjc733]

Thank you both. Aad, I used your intrepid as reference for the base mesh and textures. As ever, you did a remarkable job with such a low poly count.

Very impressive, this should of been the USS Voyager we should of seen on the small screen for all 7 seasons of life the show.

Whilst I'm not a huge fan of the original intrepid design, it does nicely fit the designs of the era (apart from the Equinox nacelles, which are too advanced for the registry and time period). My refit has characteristics of later designs. Besides, the series voyager has a friendly look to it - something needed to offset Janeways attitude My voyager is more agressive and more along the lines of "Janeway Strikes Back".

For info (shameless self plug) there is a game ready version of the refit in the files section. But obviously it's an older iteration.

EDIT - and here's the preliminary location of the dorsal separation plane. And yes, I really missed the mark with those phaser markings. (And for the record - saucer separation on such a small ship is still a silly idea!)

 

[kjc733]

As far as I'm concerned I've just got to do the windows and a few minor texture tweaks and then that's the base texturing and building done on the Rhode Island! I even have bump and glow maps for it, the big problem now is figuring out why the majority of the maps aren't working! The only one that is working is the nacelle glows. Wibble.

 

[kjc733]

Fixed the glow and bump maps, it was the old problem of the mesh changing the default material. Unfortunately, the material had the same texture so I didn't notice that I was adding maps to the wrong material. Fixed now, and the default has been changed to a basic grey colour so I'll notice if it happens again.
I need to tone down the glows in a few places, add in some deflector reflections and bussard glows and make a few minor texture adjustments... and the windows, which I'm still not sure how I'm going to do. If anyone has any tips on windows I'm all ears.

 

[Rifraf]

Very nice kjc. Do my eyes deceive me or are there little lights on the exterior of the shuttle bay pad? Great work.

 

[kjc733]

Do my eyes deceive me or are there little lights on the exterior of the shuttle bay pad?

Your eyes do not deceive you, there are lights on the pad and around the doors. I think there's a couple around the cargo bay doors as well. I decided to take a few artistic liberties with the Rhode Island - the area around the shuttle bay was one of them. The actual CGI model doesn't have any shuttle bay markings, but it didn't seem right to leave it blank. As for the lights, I've not seen any runway without lights, and space can be pretty dark...

 

[kjc733]

So it seems you can't trust everything written on internet forums, who'd have thunk it

I figured out that glow maps are not grayscale (as the forums say). So with that little titbit learned, here's a pic to show just what a difference a good incandescent map can make!

This was just a test render to check if it actually worked. Now I can do it properly

EDIT - redid the glow maps, the deflector is the big change.

 

[Terradyhne]

I figured out that glow maps are not grayscale (as the forums say). So with that little titbit learned, here's a pic to show just what a difference a good incandescent map can make!

light or glow maps can be grayscale, this depends on which material settings and file-formats for them are available in your program.

 

[kjc733]

light or glow maps can be grayscale, this depends on which material settings and file-formats for them are available in your program.

Well, it was a maya forum so they should have known better. However, my "customer" doesn't use maya so thanks for the heads up.


EDIT - So I've made changes to the small windows so far, I think my textures have worked quite well. Made using screen caps from the show, overlaid with a semi transparent generic blue window, then highlighted with a pale blue glow.

 

[kjc733]

Render on a cobbled together background. I was trying some new techniques which really didn't work out so I fell back on my old methods.

 

[Chiletrek]

Hello:
Well, it is always good to experiment with other methods and stuff. I saw this pic on Da earlier today, your ship really looks good, even though I prefer the original Nova class .

Keep it up!

 

[kjc733]

Thank you.
I'm of two minds about the Nova. I was never a fan of the Nova *Science vessel*, it just doesn't seem to fit the profile to me, it looks too aggressive. I can see it as an *Escort* which was the purpose original design, although there are still a few too many inconsistencies for that. The refit is, in my opinion, more pleasing to the eye, but I'm not sure the sleekness fits such a small vessel. And its ability to kick to Klingon heavy cruisers in Endgame raised my eyebrows a little.
Needless to say, not one I'd have done without being prompted. I've learned a lot making her (which I'm reverse engineering into my Intrepid) and as I've no got her, I'll probably use her.

 

[Hellkite]

Size matter not only the quality and capability of your weapon and defense. Size for the sake of size make you a grater target in the end.

 

[kjc733]

Size matter not only the quality and capability of your weapon and defense. Size for the sake of size make you a grater target in the end.

I completely agree, that's why I dispair of starships getting bigger and bigger (STO Odyssey, JJ Enterprise for two examples). My point with the Rhode Island is that there's no point cowling over the right edges if you can't fit stuff in them.