I'm not sure if this is WIP or Finished but... U.S.S. Gilbert

[Four Mad Men]

Let me start by saying that I downloaded the latest version of blender and everything I used to know about navigating it and using it is obsolete.  And don't get me started about how they totally removed the old texture layers and went exclusively to nodes.  Anyway...

Once upon a time, when I DID know how to use blender a friend named Tholian once made a Federation ship "sketch" that was inspired by the Romulan bird of prey from the original Star Trek series.  He sent me that sketch and asked that I try to make a 3D version for him.  The sketch (which I have attached here) has call-outs on it, some of which I was able to honor and one that I was not.  There are also details of a Federation starship not shown in the sketch that had to be worked out.

So, let's roll the clock back to 2004 (alllll the way back, may take some time but we'll get there) back to a time when I knew how to use my chosen software application.

Here is the sketch I was send by my friend Tholian.  It does remind one of a Romulan BOP, does it not?

[scifieric]

Well, I still use an older version of Blender because I can't stand the new versions.  I'll have to get used to them ... eventually, but not now.

https://www.blender.org/download/previous-versions/

Interesting.  A Federation version of a Romulan ship.  Neat and interesting!

[Four Mad Men]

HaHa!  Well that is one way to go about it.  What version do you use?  2.79?

[scifieric]

2.79b  I have used later versions, but man, they are not to my liking.  Not at all.

[Four Mad Men]

I actually like what I see in the new versions but don't like that they totally broke backwards compatibility with the old texture system.  I get why it happened but that doesn't change my liking for it.

The new keyboard commands are also going to be a pain.  Muscle memory it would seem lasts a really long time.  I don't know that I'll be taking that journey anytime soon but there it is in any event.

[scifieric]

Wow, thank you for the "warning"!

I'll have to put some time into it.

[Four Mad Men]

So... Fast forward in time past the initial stages and I have a ship.  And some textures.  Many details to be added yet, said details mostly having to do with elements specific to the specific class of ship (where will photons be?, details on the nacelles, deflector, etc. etc.).

As a reminder this is supposed to take design cues from the TOS Romulan BOP so it is supposed to have forward swept nacelles.  However being me I had to see what more standard Federation design cues would look like.  So here we have the forward swept as originally designed, and the aft swept design.  Both have grown on me but at the time I really liked the more Federation angles (there is an aesthetic down side to this but more on that later).

[scifieric]

Nice!  And interesting inspiration (BoP).

I like the ones with the engines in the back.  A slightly clearer shot over a wider area for the lateral phasers!  Nicely done!

[Four Mad Men]

Nice!  And interesting inspiration (BoP).

I like the ones with the engines in the back.  A slightly clearer shot over a wider area for the lateral phasers!  Nicely done!

I agree but that was me fiddling with the design but the guy who commissioned the build wanted his BoP forward engines so that is how it progressed after that.

[Four Mad Men]

And since the original "Paint" drawing didn't specify any accessory details, I then started to try a few different things for deflectors and shuttle bays doors. 

It did show a location for the photon torpedoes but that design never fully saw the light of day after some simple blocking it just wasn't going to work.  At least not if it was to keep the expected overall aesthetic of a refit saucer.  So those got added to the center-line leading edge.  Necessitating another location for the deflector as I early on decided it was not going to get an Akira-esque deflector.

[scifieric]

Nice!  And interesting inspiration (BoP).

I like the ones with the engines in the back.  A slightly clearer shot over a wider area for the lateral phasers!  Nicely done!

I agree but that was me fiddling with the design but the guy who commissioned the build wanted his BoP forward engines so that is how it progressed after that.

Oh wow.  I would absolutely have preferred the other way.  Interesting.

And since the original "Paint" drawing didn't specify any accessory details, I then started to try a few different things for deflectors and shuttle bays doors. 

It did show a location for the photon torpedoes but that design never fully saw the light of day after some simple blocking it just wasn't going to work.  At least not if it was to keep the expected overall aesthetic of a refit saucer.  So those got added to the center-line leading edge.  Necessitating another location for the deflector as I early on decided it was not going to get an Akira-esque deflector.

Oh, one thing you have ALWAYS done is absolutely beautiful work!  EXCELLENT!

[Four Mad Men]

Thanks man.  Blender nodes and renderer have progressed so I'm back on the wrong side of the curve but still.

Next up was adding a couple rear photon torpedo launchers and some work on the landing/cargo bays.  Ignore the fact that some of the upper saucer maps were used for the lower saucer during early development.

[scifieric]

Thanks man.  Blender nodes and renderer have progressed so I'm back on the wrong side of the curve but still.

Next up was adding a couple rear photon torpedo launchers and some work on the landing/cargo bays.  Ignore the fact that some of the upper saucer maps were used for the lower saucer during early development.

Oh man, those are BEAUTIFUL!  Beautiful!

[Four Mad Men]

Next up was some detail work on the saucer and some tweaking/adding to the textures.

[scifieric]

Next up was some detail work on the saucer and some tweaking/adding to the textures.

Your work is always so absolutely, magnificently CLEAN!  This is BEAUTIFUL!