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[dwalcott]

What I sometimes use on tires and wheels is a quarter turn approach... from time to time I get that same move backwards then forward again  thing with rotations in all the directions (x,y, and z axis).  I tried a couple times to look at and modify the placement settings but it didn't work.  So when I notice it now I just go in at quater intervals and put it where I want... seems fine then. 

Good luck... love the fuel tanks... maybe some communication equipment on the hull?  Great later when you wanna light the thing up in dark space.

[Arik_the_Red]

Yeah, when I worked on my old " 'Lunch with Led' Zeppelin" (tribute to a radio program I liked), I had a single, spinning propeller that worked with the backspin problem:

I since decided to do 1/4 turn intervals, and that's what the ship wheel rotation has, but for some reason it still back-spins. So, I don't know what else to do - the sequence works fine, but when it gets put into the scene the back-spin shows.

Anyway, I decided I want to rehash the ship completely, and go for a more realistic look after all. With the cool planet and sun effect that EricAug came up with, the comical approach just doesn't cut it.

[onespirit5777]

Use the Graph Editor in scene mode

CTRL P - make sure it is upper case P

[Arik_the_Red]

not sure what you mean, onespirit... but will try it after I finish my rebuild.

And, as for the rebuild... here you can see as I am converting the ship's look completely.  Rockets maintain some familiarity with the old, fuel tanks and new tube-structure design is taking place of the old look... and you can see the "old ship" still there at the front of the model... to be replaced as I make more things. 

A shaft will run the length of the ship - within the tube-framework, and there will be several structures along the length from the rear to the front. I intend to keep the big rotating ring concept, but it will be more detailed, with all sorts of space-ship doodadderies on it. This serves as a sort of energy field generator for warp-transition.  The front will still be a spherical structure as I have always liked that look on ships. A lot more details will be found along flat surfaces as I fill things out. I will likely keep the tanks smooth as an intended contrast to the detailing of the rest.

[headwax]

Hello Arik

headwax the lurker here..... I am enjoying watching you buildthis up, inteesting how your mind works. Looking forwrad to the doodads and the greebles and maybe a bit of assymetry?

cheezels

[Arik_the_Red]

oh sure... I can depend on headwax to want assymetry!  (what were those first three letters? just kidding)  Yes, this thing is too balanced, so I do have some brainfarting going on about what to do to throw it off a little. Just not way off, or it may not keep to its course! (what ever that is)

Yeah, I did make this a real run-on thread showing my overall progress, regress, etc. But, hey, looks like everyone gets to read "Dear Anim-Diary", at least with regard to this thing.

[EricAug]

The details are looking cool. I don't know about assymetry though.

[3D Joe Wiltshire]

I'm liking it so far... looks to me like a mix of Disney and Red Dwarf.
IE. Awesome.

[Arik_the_Red]

Thanks, Joe... You may be hitting a bit of my old inspiration points there, yup... I always liked the USS Cygnus from "The Black Hole"... I'm also partial to the looks of the old "eagles" of the old sci-fi series "Space: 1999" (which really sucks to watch, but had excellent designs for the ship models), and the ships of "2001-A Space Odyssey," and the old movie "Silent Running".

Here, a little more detailing in the rocket - engine area... detailing the previously plain panels:

...and have since added the beginnings of the big "ring thing", shown here:

[EricAug]

It's looking fantastic. Those details really add a lot to the model.

[Arik_the_Red]

Thank ya Eric!  Here's a bit more ring-work... building toward the core from outside inward...

[dwalcott]

I like this ring A LOT better than the other.  For different reasons.  You have totally moved away from the cartoon feel of the previous design and have lots more detail that is really gonna shine through with lighting later.  Cool.  Keep up the good work.

[ENSONIQ5]

As soon as I saw the rebuilt ship I was gonna make a post about it's design links to such movies and shows as "2001: A Space Odyssey", "Space, 1999" and "Silent Running"... and then you went and mentioned them yourself!  I love the look of the redesign Arik, really excellent work.  The central hexagonal power plant section twixt tanks and nozzles has a nice design link to the Eagle moon lander from the Apollo missions.  I love this model Arik, perhaps in part because I love the movies and shows mentioned, but also because I like your own unique design ideas, especially in respect to the finer details.

In regards to assymetry, be careful how assymetric you go.  For a space vehicle to work properly the mass should be balanced centrally around the thrust axis, so it accelerates straight without cartwheeling.  So long as the vehicle looks like it could stand on end, nozzles down, without tipping over it should be about right I reckon.

When it comes time to rotate the ring, assuming you still plan to, could I suggest using a rotation script?  It allows simple speed adjustment and does not suffer from those unexpected backpedalling events that happen with keyframed rotations.  Let me know if you're interested and I will post a script that can be easily modified to suit your application.

[Arik_the_Red]

Thanks again, guys. I'm having fun slowly piddling through this thing.  

Ensoniq5, knowing your work because I pored over it heavily when I first saw you enter in the "Strange Worlds" contest, I had a feeling you and I had a similar bent in Sci-Fi taste, and am not at all surprised you pinpointed the same movies/shows as I had in mind. When I broke away from the original design, I started out with trying to go for a very "current day space style", but have opted to keep a certain "futuristic" element to the ship instead... else I would not have the red and white extremes that I've held over, and a certain look that definitely does not quite fit "realistic" in it.  I guess it's basically taken a "realistic contemporary look" and future-ized it. And as for symmetry, I have really tried to think "asymmetrical" for this... but it just doesn't want to go that way... However, I might purposely go and make something completely asymmetrical after this, just because I do feel it would be a great thing to build...

Here are a few of the "inspiration shots" I am gleaning from as I do work it.

This first shot, from a classic little game I played in the 1970s, called "WarpWar"... It is my primary source of inspiration, for reasons that are quite obvious as one compares images... The look just screams out the style of space-stuff I really like:

Original WarpWar Game Art:

Refined and polished up Game Art:


When I first got WarpWar it came in a ziplock baggy, and had nothing but basic ink-drawings for art, a hex-sheet for game board, and a bunch little punch-out square playing pieces that had silhouettes of the various ships for the game. But the art (as seen in pic #1) appealed to me heavily, being in the same style as the ships of the movies mentioned previously.

Obviously of the same style and inspiration, the most recognizable model from the old show "Space: 1999" has never lost its luster in my eyes, though to watch the show itself is like watching the worst in sci-fi movie making, just absolutely attrocious all around... But I still feel the "Eagle" really did play hard for "realistic and plausible" as a lunar craft:

Replica model from the show:

3D CG design from who-knows-where:


The Discovery, from "2001: A Space Odyssey":


The ship, Valley Forge, from "Silent Running" (also, for those not aware, footage of this vessel was used in one episode of the original "Battlestar Galactica"... a tribute to a movie? or just being CHEAP?):





....and, being assaulted by the Cylons in "Battlestar Galactica"...

(don't even get me started on the episode where the USS Enterprise is flying with the fleet...)

Yes, I go on and on... but hey, call it a fat-headed ego trip, because I will gladly agree.

Out of all of these, though, I still have a partiality toward the first image - the ink drawing from WarpWar....

[Ratticis]

Someone's got too much time on their hands (ya, I know, who am I to talk). It always turns out better when you're passionate about what you're doing, which you obviousky are. It looks great and every time i open this thread it looks even better. Looking forward to seeing the completed project.