>All you need now are to "animate" the domes (I don't know the>technical term) for the impulse engines.Yes. The "term" is "Collectors", but they are the main warp engines nacelles. The impulse engines (sub-light) are the thingy on the aft of the main saucer. :)>You can make easily clone the existing hemi-spheres, make the>existing ones semi-transparent, then slightly scale down the>cloned copies.Yes, I have been playing with this a bit, but trying to make it like the orignal. The real one has an outer shell of clear plastic that was sand blasted to make it transluscent. Next, a transparent dome on the inside of which there is black tape strips (triangles from the center to the edge) and then inside there is an array of christmas lights. A fan motor rotates the inner black taped dome, and the lights go on and off randomly as x-mas lights will do.It is just so complex when I have never done any of it, haha. So, one step at a time I guess. I created an array of lights, but I need to figure out how to get them to be real lights in the sim, and how to make the blink randomly.>Using an "Ambient" tag, you can add a rotation to the cloned>copies so it will appear as though there were some movement.>>I noticed this in the original ST series...Yeap, you are correct. The original pilot model where a solid dark orange with masts, but for the series they re-did them with the lights. :)Patrick

Getting there.Have to fix a couple of parts that got mirrored and adjust the FSX textures as they shrunk somehow.Patrick

And some final renders with lights!Onward to animation and enlarging her.Patrick

You have a set of "lights" on the upper saucer that, according to the actual Franz Joseph blueprints aren't lights at all but rather cargo hatchs.The four large rectangles that are 45* off the cardinal points on the upper saucer.

>You have a set of "lights" on the upper saucer that,>according to the actual Franz Joseph blueprints aren't lights>at all but rather cargo hatchs.You are correct, they are indeed hatches (which I already knew), however, if you did yer homework, you'd also know that, in fact, they are "lights" in the actual studio model which was filmed. Actually all but one. The aft port "hatch" was merely painted on as the port side never faced the camera. Even so, in the stock film footage, if one is aware of this detail you can clearly see that it is not lite up (as it is paint).As I review film footage, I may tone them down a bit and give them a bit of a bluish tint, we'll see.After 16 hours of research, I have many detailed pictures and measurements that were made with an engineering caliber from the studio model, not to mention I've seen it in person in the early 70's. I know their exact position and size. :)Patrick

FSX? No 2k4? :(

>FSX? No 2k4? :(Nope sorry life goes on. Actually, I will be amazed that I can produce anything before ACES puts out FS XXV =)

Success!http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k282/Ben...riseModel09.jpgJust a small tweek to the rate of one effect, and the studio model is done. I notice the bloom effect has some issues. Like, if you use it on a small model, and use spot view to view the reverse side from where you are at it appears over bloomed. But, hey, it's their first version of bloom, and they were planing on aircraft, not 11' models. :)Anyway, I'm relatively pleased with how it is now looking in the sim.Now just have to do a display stand, and maybe have it orbit a small planet. :)

Well, ever nearer completion.I spent a good 24-hours re-doing all the textures, rationalizing them, and then recreated all materials. This made life much easier, now that I knew what I was doing.I also added animations to the collectors, which now look very close to the film when running.Finally, I added a guy inside one of the windows, just as in the CGI version of TOS remastered. Can you find him? :)http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k282/Ben...nterprise49.jpgAlso, I finally figured out how to better control bloom, so that even on this small model, it looks awesome in the sim. Now I have only to wire up the animations, and do a bit more with the light timing and she's done!

Well, for all following I finally got her done!Dayhttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k282/Ben...iseModel011.jpgNighthttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k282/Ben...iseModel010.jpgAnd the animation works. So now I just have to decide how to best display her... on a stick with a plaque, maybe floating & rotating in a magnetic field above a plaque, or perhaps orbiting a very small fake planet.Then, I have to decide where to place the scenery. Voice yer opinions now or forever hold yer peace. ;)Patrick

No stick... we already have plenty of ships on a stick (unlike meats on a stick, never enough!)...Wish you'd made one to full scale... would look interesting floating way up there in space... which is possible in FSX. :)

>No stick... we already have plenty of ships on a stick>(unlike meats on a stick, never enough!)...Haha. Yes, more meat on a stick!>Wish you'd made one to full scale... would look interesting>floating way up there in space... which is possible in FSX.>:)Oh, the full scale is a coming next. Just learning to walk before I run. :-beerchug

Woho... done!http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k282/Ben...iseModel012.jpgJust have to package it up, and decide when to release it.Patrick

Well, you can tell your unnamed sources they are wrong. Color of the Enterprise.Just goes to show you shouldn't believe everything you hear wihtout tangible evidence. Having lived in the SoCal area for most of my life, and having seen the real ship before she was retired to the NASM I already knew the blue was an effect of the bluesreen.The real challenge however, is as Bill suggested to get a "look" that matches what we think we see on screen. This is doubly hard because the ship changes (even within an episode b/c they use stock footage), and because they use full studio lights which is a bit unrealistic for deep space.Anyway, just wanted others to have all the facts to make up their own minds. =)