TOS Bridge - Poser Conversion

[Ptrope]

Because I just wasn't satisfied with what was available ...

Not that the available Poser TOS Bridge models aren't good - they are - but I wanted something both more complete and, hopefully, more accurate. I downloaded the Lightwave version of SeanR's (I hope you're reading this and feel free to contact me - I don't have enough permissions to contact you, yet, it seems) TOS Bridge model, and I've been spending the last week converting it to Poser 6.



Along the way, I've made a lot of changes. First off, I discovered in every bridge plan I could find online, along with screen caps from TAS, that the forward exit door should be on the port side, so I flipped the front of the bridge around, making sure that the control layouts remained as they were intended. I also ended up building a new ceiling for it, since I didn't like the way the existing one rendered, either with smoothing on or off - the new ceiling is about 30x heavier, poly-wise. I also am building a complete turbolift, and the doors for both it and the forward exit now open. In addition, I've added more detail to the science station, made the captain's chair and helm/nav station separate parts (the chair now swivels, as well), removed the separate trim on the edges of the consoles, and added the grating that should fill the gap between the ceiling and the turbolift alcove. I'm also creating all-new texture maps (the model I downloaded didn't have any), and I hope to create a texture-and-prop set that will convert it to resemble Pike's bridge from "The Cage."

Incidentally, this render is a straight P6 render, with no postwork and fairly basic lighting. I think it looks promising ...

[Darrell Lawrence]

Looking good

As for seanr, I don't think he'd have a problem of you converting it for your usage. If you plan on releasing it, then you'd need his permission.

Regarding the LW conversion permission portion, you have my permission

[Ptrope]

Thanks, Warrior! It's primarily for my own use, since I 'needed' a more detailed bridge, but I'd also like to offer it for free to any Poser users who have a similar desire. Hey, anyone have an idea of what might be outside that forward exit? . I know FJ's plans show a corridor with a restroom on the other side of the screen, but I was thinking about creating something just to give the viewer something to see when the door is open (after going to the trouble to make it open, it seems silly not to be able to use it!). It's been a real project - Lightwave and Poser have different ideas about what constitutes a "valid" OBJ file; when I imported the OBJs, they worked fine, but after saving the Poser props out and modifying them to point to those same OBJs, the UV mapping went completely nuts! Finally discovered that the trick is to import, save the prop, export a new OBJ out of POser itself, link to that one, and then it works great!

Well, it looks promising! Keep on!

Very good.

[seanr]

Please do feel free to release it - just be sure to include my info in a readme.txt file in your distribution. Everything looks pretty good except fo the missing textures on the small monitors in the perimeter stations. My original mesh didn't have the door - it was a straight canon TOS set. If I recall corectly, I added the door at someone's request. Here's a render of the original:

http://www.webolutionary.com/3d/imag...dge_tos2-8.jpg

[seanr]

BTW, I have private messaging disabled for my account, but you should have been able to email me (which I prefer). Was that not the case or did you not try that? My email is also in my Signature.

[Darrell Lawrence]

Hey sean! Good to see you

[Ptrope]

Thanks, SeanR! Honestly, I hadn't seen any of your posts - I clicked on the link of your name where the tS model could be downloaded, and got the, "Hey, you don't have permissions!" message . BTW, I fully understand the "Member of the Insane Detail Club" part, after seeing this model!

Here are the latest renders of the conversion - I built a complete turbolift, although I'm not sure it's absolutely correct, since I can't seem to find much in the way of good references and pictures on the 'net:





Now it's a matter of creating all the small displays (I have nothing else to do tonight! ) , packaging everything at the right scale (70%), and trying some test shots with people in them ...

[baxart]

Request: Can you make the Sulu scope morph up & down?
The door off the bridge to port (Captain's POV) is a 2nd Turbolift in TAS, off to starboard is the head.
Looks great! I'm kinda working toward a Daz-Trek project using Hiro and Aiko!
Keep up the great work!!

Wow, this looks great!

WOW!!! That looks awesome. Is that going to be available for download?

[Ptrope]

Almost there!

I've got everything mapped - had to go back and map the vents under the consoles, and also the alert lights, so I could use ambient lighting maps for them, to make them less 'flat' looking when lit up. This meant re-exporting all the OBJ files, because trying to add the material to the existing maps was nothing but one headache after another! Maybe I just need to learn more about mapping . At any rate, all that's left now is to create the individual maps for each of the small displays (yeah, I'm using a rather monotonous placeholder image at the moment ) and also for the overheads, but I just couldn't resist one more WIP render:



Yes, as soon as it's done, it will be a free download - there's too much work in it not to be shared. However, because it's free, there won't be an articulated viewer on the helm - that would mean making a rigged figure - and a pretty complex rig, at that - in order to duplicate the movement of the viewer; a morph won't cut it, because it would look like it was melting upward out of the console. Sorry, guys .

[baxart]

So how about an up & down version? Pleeeese???

That looks fantastic. The poser 6 renders are excellent, are you using ibl lights or a custom standard light setup?

Ron

[Ptrope]

I have a standard light set of only 4 lights: 1 central point light, midway between the deck and the large central cylinder of the ceiling, 1 spotlight inside the alcove over the entry to the lift, one point light inside the lift, near the ceiling, and a broad spotlight casting from the main viewscreen, to make it look like the screen is illuminating the bridge. I'll probably add more as needed, depending upon how it looks furnished and with personnel in place. Haven't had much chance to work on it the past couple weeks, though. Glad you like it!

[evil_genius_180]

It really does look beautiful. And the lighting looks close to what they had on the show. I like your turbolift you made. Is the glass panel in the lift done with a texture/bump map?

[Ptrope]

I used a combination of texture, bump and luminence mapping on the light sources around the bridge, i.e. the panels under the consoles, the alert lamps, and the "floor indicator" in the lift . Thanks for the good words; I had a great model to work with, and I'm having a lot of fun expanding it. Thankfully, it hasn't overloaded my Poser set-up (yet!), even though I've about doubled the polys of the original model in the conversion.

I just hope no one wants me to back-fit it for P4 or PP; the textures would definitely suffer for it ...

[baxart]

Looks great!
This is the version I have.


I'm working on a Daz|studio project.
Bender's not part of it... my cast was goofing off during the photo shoot.

[Ptrope]

LOL . I'm guessing that's Excalibur's bridge? Good model - I just wanted something a little more integral, with all the stations - and I'm too cheap to buy it .... . Love the second 'photo'! Her expression is perfect.

[baxart]

Yep it is. I'd like to be able to close the turbolift and I'm thinking of re-building it into another fed bridge I need.

Thanks for doing this. Hope to see more of such great TOS-sets for poser.

I guess all I can add is a 'me too!' - this looks like it'll be great fun to play with, Ptrope... You've done a really nice job with your conversion. I can't wait to see more of it.

-jaime

Great bridge model. My only concern is the floor coloring. thought it was more grey.

He said he was going for a more The Cage look, I'm not sure what the carpet color was then...

[evil_genius_180]

The floor is about spot-on for TOS, actually. The bridge floor in The Cage looks like it doesn't have carpet. It looks like a light gray polished floor. (Man, I love DVDs )

Did they even have carpet in TOS. When Captain Kirk falls on the floor in Charlie X I didn't see any carpet.

[evil_genius_180]

I'm not sure about that. Carpet is another expense and it would get worn very quickly. I know they had to change the carpet on the Ent-D bridge every few months and TOS didn't have that kind of budget. It might have been that the floor was painted tan. I'll whip out the DVD with Charlie X and watch it in a while.

There was also another shot of Kirk walking down the corridor and it showed the floor. It looked more like they had laid out big peices of paper. I dont remember which episode it was in but it was one of the early ones.

[evil_genius_180]

I don't know. I'm watching The Cage right now. I'll look at some other episodes in a while.