Star Trek - Akira Class

[Freak]

Been sometime since I posted work on the Akria, so here everything I done to her since I last posted.

With the mesh now all cleaned up it was time to start cutting in the panels.
I have to say that it not a typical trek panelling but it works. I was not to sure about it, but it has grown on me.
I have also cut in a little door area for cargo to go into the secondary hull. I need to re-add some of the windows. I put in a smaller number as this is after all is a war ship.

Ignore the textures it was a test to see how it would work.
I think it work very well, I just need to make proper ones. So I will start to make all the textures for all the parts I have already finished.

I was going to remodel the saucer but descied not too. Yes I know she got segmentation around the perimeter, but it not too bad.

[lonewriter]

Nice update, this is one of my favorite ships. I'm looking forward to seeing this one finished.

[Freak]

Thanks mate

[Rigel]

In the render with the Federation markings on it, I assume that's a temporary decal? If not, then it's upside down.

[starship]

Looks very good Dean.

[Freak]

Originally Posted by Rigel

In the render with the Federation markings on it, I assume that's a temporary decal? If not, then it's upside down.

Yes it is, that was a test just to see how it would look. that decal is actually from my Type - 11 shuttle. than can be found a few pages back in this thread.

Originally Posted by starship

Looks very good Dean.

Thanks.

[Freak]

I have not had much time to work on the Akira this week. (The Sun has finally decided to come out in the UK.)
So here is another small update.
I have cut in panels for the top and bottom of the saucer. This took a lot less time than normal, reason for this that I have found a new technique that worked very well.

With the panels now done, I need to re-cut in the windows. I will lose one or two, due some of the panel edge lines. I also need to rebuild the life pods as there was some issue with them before.
I also need to re-build the thrusters around the edge of the saucer so this matches the rest on the ship. I also need to add details into the trench around the side.

[lonewriter]

Looking good, keep up the good work.

[bobakabob]

Great work... The fine details look superb.

[Freak]

Thanks guys.

[Freak]

With the windwos cut back in, it was time to start to fix some issue with the escape pods.
The ones I had before where stracthed and different sizes.
I have gone back and remodelled them and recut them back into the the main hull.
Now they are all the same.

It was mention that the RCS that I had rebuilt for the saucer made the ship look smaller than it actually is. So I have gone back and grabed the ones I had on there before and just move them around and add the yellow for the RCS so they stand out a bit better.

I am now moving onto the sensor pit in front of the birdge. I am not happy with what I got there, so I will remove what I got and just put in a load of greebles so there is more details.
I am also thinking of doing the same thing with the tranch around the saucer rim, but we will see on that one. It is then onto reworking the Cats and a few other things then she will be ready for texturing.
Then I can call her done.

[Matt]

I'd personally be careful about adding greebles on a Star Trek model. Star Wars was famous for the greebles adding to the utilitarian look, whereas (and I cannot remember where) I have heard it said that it was Matt Jefferies plan to have the original Enterprise clean and smooth in look, adding to the clean look of the future that Gene Roddenberry had envisioned. Neither wanted the Enterprise to look dirty or old, and this is a design concept which has carried on throughout all of them, with the possible exception to the Enterprise-D miniature from the 3rd season on I think, which employed raised plates of the hull to make it appear more interesting on-screen.

[Freak]

That was ture for TOS. by the TMP Era ship started to show up with small amount of greebles. while it does not cover the whole ships it did start to show up.
By the time of Voyager greebles was used more. the biggest example is Voyager herslef. she has two large pits. one on top of the saucer at the front of the ship.
This is know as the sensor pitt. There are also another one just behind the bridge.

http://idigitalcitizen.files.wordpre...6x4.jpg?w=1800

Greebles have also started to appear around the side of the ships.

[lonewriter]

I'm going to agree with Freak here, this is a TNG era and they have some greebles, Voyager and Nova class have them.

http://www.foundation3d.com/forums/a...3&d=1314912708

[Afalk]

This is still one of my fav. ships & I'm delighted w/the update - looking forward to the new sensor pit, greebles and all.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Freak

That was ture for TOS. by the TMP Era ship started to show up with small amount of greebles. while it does not cover the whole ships it did start to show up.
By the time of Voyager greebles was used more. the biggest example is Voyager herslef. she has two large pits. one on top of the saucer at the front of the ship.
This is know as the sensor pitt. There are also another one just behind the bridge.

http://idigitalcitizen.files.wordpre...6x4.jpg?w=1800

Greebles have also started to appear around the side of the ships.

Originally Posted by lonewriter

I'm going to agree with Freak here, this is a TNG era and they have some greebles, Voyager and Nova class have them.

http://www.foundation3d.com/forums/a...3&d=1314912708

True... although just to clarify, I did say be careful about adding them not that you shouldn't. Even Voyager used them sparsely and just by memory the only main area with greebles was the weird hexagon shaped bit in front of the bridge.

[lonewriter]

Originally Posted by MattMan

True... although just to clarify, I did say be careful about adding them not that you shouldn't. Even Voyager used them sparsely and just by memory the only main area with greebles was the weird hexagon shaped bit in front of the bridge.

It also had them behind the bridge and on the side of the saucer section.
http://drexfiles.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/top.jpg
http://drexfiles.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/side.jpg
The Nova had them on the top and bottom of the saucer section.
http://trekazoid.files.wordpress.com...inox-views.jpg

[CAClark]

Looks really nice, but you do still have what to my eye seems a mismatch in detail levels, with lots of tiny details which want rendering up close to be seen, only for the saucer section they are on to then reveal segmentation. If you keep the modelling in mind to the ship being rendered full screen closest, it'll look bang tidy though.

Cheers!

[Freak]

Thanks.

I was planning on close up shoots, but I am not to sure now.

Anyway onto updates.

It was mentioned on Scifi-Meshes.com by Viper. That the lower phaser was too close to the secondary hull.
I have cut part of it out and reattached the end so that the end of the array is no longer that close to the secondary hull. It is also like this on the original model.

[Freak]

With the Escape pods finished, I moved onto the sensor pits as it looked a little plain.
I am not sure if this is meant to be a sensor pit or some sort of cargo door as the original model has no detail here. I went with have a sensor pit.
Here is the old version.



I have complete remodelled this whole section adding a lot more in there.
I am very with the way I got it, but not too sure if there is too much gold?
Most of it was copy and paste and re-angle the objects.

[Afalk]

Not sure if its too much gold, but the pit area definitely grabs the eye, which is not a bad thing since it really does look fantastic!