Another angle on the Jefferies (click to embiggen).
I figured out the problems I was having with radiosity—no more splotches. :) Still no major texturing changes here; just some noodling with saturation and contrast levels. From this angle I can also see where I need to add more visual interest to the hangar deck model, either with texturing, physical details or both. The CGI model is a pretty faithful recreation of the physical hangar deck model built in 1966-67 for the original series episode “The Galileo Seven”, but that means it’s also kinda bland and plastic-looking.
#1 by spockboy at January 8th, 2010
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BRILLIANT!
Love how you are using source light from the shuttlecraft itself. It makes it look more real and alive with power and a lot less plasticky!
It’s also unique in that the hangar deck is usually overly lit. The darkness also adds to the dramatic feeling of the scene of Decker abandoning the Enterprise to meet his doom.
Great angle as well! (as usual)
:)Paul
#2 by Scott Gammans at January 8th, 2010
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See, I listen to you. ;)
#3 by james michael avalos at January 9th, 2010
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sweeeeet!!!!!
#4 by Metryq at January 9th, 2010
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I definitely prefer the “mood” lighting to the shadowless, “fluorescent” style lighting. The lighting in TOS was always theatric. Besides, reduced lighting sounds reasonable for pilots about to launch into the black. The shuttles may have augmented viewscreens and all sorts of fancy sensors and other navigational aids, but actually “seeing” were you are going can be as desirable as switches with a satisfying “click.” (Unless you’re a Medusan, in which case seeing and clicking are irrelevant.)
#5 by spockboy at January 10th, 2010
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PS–PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Make the nacelles on the shuttlecraft active.
I was so pissed when CBS Digital played it cheap and didn’t have THEIR shuttlecraft do it. You know TOS would have done it if they’d had the money to. They are the exact same design as the Enterprise nacelles. Of course they would spin and blink at the front :)
Keep up the great work BTW!
#6 by Scott Gammans at January 11th, 2010
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Heh… actually, I wasn’t planning on doing that because the nacelle domes didn’t glow on the original shuttles, but after watching Vektor’s startup sequence on his Enterprise model over at TrekBBS I have to say that I’m leaning towards doing it. What I’m worried about is the traditional warp drive lighting causing too much of a groovy 1970’s disco-strobe effect on the shuttle’s hull (not to mention the rest of the hangar deck!) The light intensity falloff from the domes would have to be very carefully tweaked to add visual interest without crossing the line into Austin Powers territory. :)
#7 by Metryq at January 11th, 2010
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Scott, you can add the disco effect to the shuttle’s engines without having it cast any light on the rest of the environment (”exclude”). If that looks somehow “wrong” or unrealistic, add another light with a short throw whose only job is to cast a meager, night-light glow to objects in the immediate vicinity (shuttlecraft hull, maybe the deck below). This local glow would not have the disco ball effects — just a soft illumination.
#8 by Scott Gammans at January 11th, 2010
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Yeah, I know… it’s just a lot of extra tweaking I wasn’t planning on doing. There isn’t even a lighting rig for the warp nacelle effect in the shuttle’s base scene file right now (but it wouldn’t be all that hard to copy the one that’s in the Enterprise).
#9 by Metryq at January 12th, 2010
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…and if we never see the front of the shuttle in the launching shot, the effort is pointless. Some of the following shots might include the engine domes, but they are all long shots. Would it be easier to put an animated luminance map on the domes, rather than the “mechanical” lighting rig? (Long shots will not compromise the 2D nature of that approach.)
#10 by Spockboy at January 12th, 2010
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I hear ya Scott, the thing is though, I loved your reflections of the nacelles on the Enterprise saucer etc. It added very much to the photorealism. When you look at the shot I sent you of the Master Replicas model, you can clearly see a reflection on the hull because that is what you would see in real life. Almost ALL of the other CG artists missed this point, but YOU didn’t.
So KUDOS!
As long as they aren’t THIS bright!
http://randycoopermodels.com/2008/06/13/galileo-shuttle-craft/
: )
#11 by Scott Gammans at January 14th, 2010
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^^^ That’s a gorgeous model, though. *sigh*… I know Matt J. didn’t care for the final design of the shuttlecraft, but I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for that boxy contraption. When AMT released their shuttlecraft kit decades ago I built mine and would take baths with it, pretending that it was an “aquashuttle”. I love that dumpy flying butter dish!