OMG! Design the next USS ENTERPRISE (Offical Contest)

Obviously the earliest kind of wip, to the point of being premature:
enterprise_wip_web.jpg


The idea is to make her really big, almost starbase sized, and to join the warp nacelles to the saucer.

The Enterprise is by definition a vessel used primarily for exploration. This Enterprise would serve the same purpose, but also support a small fleet for long, dangerous expeditions.
 
[edit] It's been pointed out that I need to be working within the confines of an unfamiliar game universe. I'll do some research, but this idea^ doesn't seem to be logistically implementable, and I'm back to square 1.

The Enterprise D was so much sleeker and more futuristic than it's earlier counter-parts. Why did the design aesthetic seem to get more utilitarian and... ugly after TNG?
 
I like your design Fuzzy Modem. Here some other ships of the fleet that may help you get more ideas.




startrekships1.jpg
 
Woo!

If they're to scale, I never realised the difference in size between Kirk's Constitution class Enterprise and Picard's Galaxy class one before! Thanks, SB!
 
Sweet! That's exactly the picture I need to be looking at.

I'm thinking of moving the other direction, disconnecting the nacelles from the saucer and reverting to something closer to the original.

It's a hard place to be, because If you move away from the same basic shape, you've failed to create the Enterprise, but you want it to be distinct enough to get noticed. Right now I'm thinking circular saucer, and sleeker than the D, but I think I need to work in a more subtle direction. It should still be instantly identifiable as the Enterprise at first glance.

While I'm pondering, I've modeled the most recognizable aspects of the enterprise, and I'll now start deciding what characteristics I want to move away from.

cliche_web.jpg
 
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Paper doodles:
paper_doodle_web.jpg


I may be moving in a direction now, with the orthos on the bottom.
 
I think I need to re-imagine the nacelles completely. I want them to overlap the saucer section like they do, as I haven't seen that done before, but I think they need to be longer, extending farther back, and less like tng/tos.

I'm also torn on the current no-neck design. I'm tempted to make it nice and thick like the excelsior, but it seems that would be continued movement toward the past, rather than extrapolating the designs of the future like I ought to be.

I've been looking at this ship:
stsfc0000MonarchM.jpg

-and I think it's the closest to the direction I want, but with everything swept forward.
 
pyan said:
Woo!

If they're to scale, I never realised the difference in size between Kirk's Constitution class Enterprise and Picard's Galaxy class one before! Thanks, SB!
Click to expand...


Kirks ship only had about 1/3 crew compliment of Picards (about 350 i think). (the first Enterprise (NX) crew was tiny (83... oh, and a dog :D )

Compare that to picards which had a crew of 1,014(the D).Capt Picard quotes the crew count at this in 'Remember me; but could carry 1500 or so (about the same as a new warbird)

Ooops, getting geeky...sorry:eek:

​
 
Fuzzy Modem said:
The idea is to make her really big, almost starbase sized, and to join the warp nacelles to the saucer.

The Enterprise is by definition a vessel used primarily for exploration. This Enterprise would serve the same purpose, but also support a small fleet for long, dangerous expeditions.
Click to expand...


I wouldnt go to big, the 'E' was only slightly bigger than the 'D'. and from an engineering point of view, i would keep her in original format, the whole point of the design was that she could be seperated as there are families living on board, the warp core being safly shut away at the blunt end. plus tucking the nacelles in would mean living alongside and aweful lot of dry plasma. Feel free to ignor me... im usualy wrong :p

....oh, and the small fleet? voyger came home with the Delta flyer, you could fit a whole lot of D'flyers in a Sovereign class ships cargo bay.
 
It's very low poly at the moment, but here is the 3D version of the paper sketch above:
enterprise_002b_web.jpg
 
I'm thinking cubics - Long live The Borg.

Seriously though, I'm surprised they haven't done a Borg POV version.

Absorption into the collective episodes and the trauma of new species trying to do em in.
 
Another doodle:
paper_doodle3_web.jpg


And another low poly model revision:
enterprise_002c_web.jpg


[edit]
Minor progress:
enterprise_002d_web.jpg


None of these objects will make it into the first real draft btw. I'm just trying to establish shapes, curves and proportions before I actually get started.
 
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Okay, I think I'm ready to start modeling the first draft. Working on a good looking saucer right now, and I think I've gonna keep it.

I think after I model each hull section I'll stitch them together, then experiment with smooth settings and subdivided surface conversion. My hope is to get something a sleeker than the Enterprise D.

I'm still learning Maya's modeling tools. For a decade I modeled in Rhino, then exported to Maya for texturing and rendering. I left Rhino behind a couple years ago now, and I find there is still a lot of Maya I just haven't scratched the surface of yet.

Fortunately, a buddy sent me a Maya textbook. Thanks man :) You're a lifesaver :)
 
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