TOSish Starbase

Hi Folks!

Here's one of my first real attemps in creating something own in Max.

I realy like the good ol' days of TOS and while looking around the internet I realized that's realy hard to find some good TOS-Stations, if you're lucky, you'll find a K7-type station.

Thinkin' of changing this fact someday, I later saw a picture of the news Poket Books Series "Vanguard" and - finaly- a news TOS-station! Inspired by this and the K7 I kicked my lazy butt and got startet.

While building the station I was havyly inspired by the Starbase One Design by The Reverend and the Starbase 11 Design by startrekanimated.com

So, here's what I've got til now:











And finaly a version without the dock, as "standart starbase".



So, comments and critics are welcome!

[Darrell Lawrence]

Sweet. Nice variation of the ol K-7!

Thanks!

Okay, I decided to skip the dock for a while, cause...hm, I think I don't realy like it. ^^

Here are some minor updates:

[Thomas P]

Very nice indeed. I like the dock idea but it does seem to be out of place with the design, maybe it is too big?

[skyhawk223]

Nice work for a first try. You even have some decent texturing on it. I like the idea of having an attached spacedock.

Thanks guys!
The size of the spacedock is my biggest problem and the reason why I deattached it for a while, at least until I find a better version of it.

Here's one good shot of the design, which inspired me to do the station with an attached dock:

http://startrekanimated.com/tas_comic04_05.html


Oh, and here's one of my very first versions of the dock:

[nezhdan]

That's really cool, I wish I had half the talent it would take to hunker down and create something like that.

What modelling programs do you use?

Thanks a lot nezhdan. I'm a beginner and it's realy easier than it maybe looks. Realy.

I'm using 3D Max V6. In my opinion it's the easiest program to start with 3D modeling. All you need is time and some patience.

BTW: Some updates, anyone?

[Darrell Lawrence]

What ships do you plan on having fit into the dock?

If it's the Enterprise, Bonaventure, etc (you did mention TAS, so I assume you know what the Bonaventure is ) then the dock *does* need to be kinda large....

The Bonaventure? Of course starfleet's "first" Warpship. ^^

Yeah, the size is bugging me. I think it would be good to have it big enough to carry ships like a Connie or the smaller Bonaventure. But first I have to think about the actual size of the station. I think, the 3 smaller saucers will have the size of a connie-saucer, maybe a bit smaller...

I think, this could be the kind of outpost station that was always mentioned in TOS or in the books. A station away from the inner circle of the Federation, maybe somwhere near the romulan boarder.

[Darrell Lawrence]

If it's to be super-sized, then the textures should reflect that a well.

I woke up and looked again at the grids and thought: okay, that doesn't look all right. Let's do it again, but this time with a plan.

Thoughts?

[Darrell Lawrence]

For the sheer size of what you're wanting, that text is way too big.

Try this... look at say... the Enterprise D and its text on the saucer. Keep in mind the windows too.

Now imagine your starbase as being twice the size of the Ent-D's saucer... the windows would still be the same size as on the Ent-D's saucer, and the text should be about the same size as the Ent-D's text.

Then build your grid lines based on that.

See if textures like that on your station convey size or not

Ah, damn I HATE textures. :P To try something different, I made up an new variation of the K, like the one of the comics:



PS: Why is it looking like a bad drawing? I donnot know, I just like it this way


EDIT:

Ah, I almost forgott, we where talking about size, right? I think this is a good way, isn't it?

[Darrell Lawrence]

Ya know... I'd almost be tempted to add a couple of more arms and pods

As for that rendering looking like a drawing... well... That's Max for ya!

[skyhawk223]

The drydock looks too long in your latest images. Either too long or not wide/high enough. I like the overall design, though.

I like your design.

[Darrell Lawrence]

...hmmm A better "dock" attached to it might be like the McKinnley Station rather than a drydock....

Hm, are you thinking of a more "open" kind of dock? Something without theses big panels?

[Darrell Lawrence]

Something like this-


Can be found at our pal Erik Timmermans site- http://www.trekmeshes.ch/

Hm, I'm not quite sure, if this would work in TOS...

[Darrell Lawrence]

Make it TOS style

[General Phoenix]

Wouldn't be too dificult to make it TOS-era, at least from a design standpoint. Just make the crew-occupied areas more cylindrical (could use parts of your current model for that, really), and make the support arms look a bit more low-tech. Perhaps make them extend straight down from the external ring rather than curving inward like the TNG version.

Hm, yeah, I think I'll give it a try, as soon as I'm back from work tonight.
BTW: Do you guys like wires?

[skyhawk223]

Yes, we like wires as well.

Okay, right now I'm working on a TOS version of McKinley, I hope tomorrow I'll be able to show you something. Good lord, why do I always have to work, when I've got a creativity boost?

[Darrell Lawrence]

I am so looking forward to this.

I want to see this model project completed

Me too.

[skyhawk223]

Me too!