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By the way, I am working on getting those files into OBJ. I've got a few school finals this week so things are busy, and I have to open each file separately and convert it to an older format to export it (I have the license for SketchUp 5, but I'm working in the free version 7). It'll take some time, but I'm working on it diligently.
QUOTE (DarthKev @ May 31 2010, 02:54 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Wow StarSword, what did you do when posting? I got four (yes, four) e-mails all about your one post to this thread. Serious lag, my guess.
Yeah, my connection went glitchy for a little while; kept getting "Bad response from server" messages. When the thing cleared up, I discovered to my chagrin that I had posted the same message four times.
QUOTE (Delphi @ May 31 2010, 04:16 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Don't worry, the resemblance is more than noted. However, I think that it's time that Star Wars had its monopoly on wedge-shaped cruisers challenged.
The ship is a difficult one to classify, because it isn't like most of the civilian freighters you'd normally find in EVN. Imagine a cargo ship (the oceanic, modern type) as if it was built by the manufacturers of the Tiger I tank in World War 2. The Atlas is a perfect example of a military approach to a civilian endeavor, where thoughts of power and defense encroach on the vessel's primary function: hauling cargo. The Atlas is supposed to be a ship that started from humble civilian roots, but was refitted time and time again to become a Frankenstein-like amalgamation of civilian and military interests; half freighter, half battleship. The innards of the vessel differ according to what it has been repurposed for, ranging from luxurious executive suites and offices, to dingy armor-plated barracks hallways and weapons storage. It really is a flying station when it comes down to it, and its internal demographics reflect such in each of the different places it can be found. Outer colonies will likely see the vessel in its original format: carrying countless tons of cargo around, and sporting very few armaments. Settlements on the front line against the Enclave will probably bear witness to Atlas freighters bearing military-grade artillery weaponry, fending off approaching enemy fleets while the defense force organizes a retaliation.
Also, it's one of the few freighters in the game that actually has an entire refit package for it (like the Starbridge in EVN) that converts it into a potent artillery platform and mobile star-base. Like I said, it's something of an odd ship, in that it is a warship, but it's also a freighter.
So it's kind of like an "Armed Variant" Leviathan, or a mass-mod Cambrian, then.
This post has been edited by StarSword : 31 May 2010 - 12:11 PM
QUOTE (StarSword @ May 31 2010, 11:09 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Pretty much. Imagine a Leviathan modified for battle in a hurried act of desperation. The idea is that when the Enclave Colonies rose up against the NDC, they did so in a furious blitzkrieg that caught most of the Orion systems off-guard, disrupting interstellar shipping and almost bringing the entire economy to a halt. In a knee-jerk reaction, the NDC barged into the civilian shipping sector and began interfering in regular operations, forcing military precepts and policies into the market to ensure that their weapons and starship components still made it to their destinations. This prompted the addition of heavy weapons and defensive mechanisms on the Atlas. Though the war is at present at a point of relative equilibrium (contested borders but not too many outright fleet engagements), the armored freighters are still left over from a period that saw much more intense fighting.
@Delphi I take it you get mass cargo missions like the ones Leviathans are tasked to. How much cargo are you planning to have the Atlas hold when it's only a standard freighting variant?
QUOTE (king_of_manticores @ May 31 2010, 12:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
9,100 tons.
Edit: Delphi, my copy of 'The Anything Piece' has been corrupted/damaged somehow, and when I tried downloading the set again to get an uncorrupted copy of the piece, Sketchup still said it was damaged. Any idea what to do?
** Edit 2:** manticore, alternatively it could carry 31,337 tons. Or even carry 1,337 tons while in warship form. (again)
This post has been edited by DarthKev : 31 May 2010 - 02:14 PM
I see, DarthKev. That ship is so epic it either has to deal with the number 1337 or over 9000
I wouldn't be surprised if Delphi either put down the Atlas' total weight as 31337 tons, or its length as 1337 meters, or both, thanks to you bringing such infamous numbers up.
Okay, so I don't actually need the Obj files, I got it figured out. If you still want to make files for whoever else asked for them, it looks like sketchup can also do 3ds, and those work great with most 3d programs too, so I wanted to throw that out there for reference...
This post has been edited by Insomniac : 31 May 2010 - 11:32 PM
I give you, The Defender!!
This small fighter craft packs a punch with it's two forward firing pulse cannons. Combined with its top speed this craft is sure to punch a hole through enemy defenses. Mainly for use as emergency defense on larger vessels, this ship can also be modded with a hyperdrive for stand alone flight.
P.S. I can see the benefits of modeling using a library of parts. Works good, I will have to make a library of my own for sure. Maybe a different library for each race.
This post has been edited by Insomniac : 01 June 2010 - 02:26 AM
Nice, Insomniac!
I give you the Ares Class Artillery Gunship. These devils rain hell upon their targets like no other ship their size. What's more, their massive engines make them hard to keep up with. Sadly, there is little room for expansion, but most see this as a moot point seeing as it's plenty capable already and doesn't need much tweaking in the eyes of many captains.
After making this I feel I'm better at making large, hulking ships than at making nimble fighter craft. I hope I didn't stray too far from my original inspiration. I also hope it's obvious what my inspiration was. I really like this ship and I think it's my best one yet.
Here's the Sketchup file and following is an extensive list of alternate shots. It's longer because this particular ship has so much more detail.
QUOTE (DarthKev @ Jun 1 2010, 03:38 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I also hope it's obvious what my inspiration was.
Perhaps the RAGE Gunboat? Then again, a general fuselage with outboard engines has been used in a few situations in sci-fi. That's just my thoughts, though. It looks like you're getting good into the work. Here's a handy tip I picked up on during my model-making process: when you're going to use the same piece in several locations, especially in repetition, try deforming the piece (shrinking or squeezing) and then creating filler material in the gap, just to create the illusion of additional detail. You absolutely don't have to, but just for reference, here's what I mean:
Modular hull pieces arranged - Linear
Modular hull pieces arranged and detailed - Freeform
I just found that it works well for detailing surfaces and breaking up multiplied faces into something eye-catching. Your gunboat is small enough that it doesn't have any problems with this, but when you're making larger/longer vessels its a handy procedure.
Thanks for the tips! I actually did squish the main hull down a bit after building it and before adding the engines, side guns, and bridge. And yes, my inspiration was the RAGE. The fighter I made before was originally supposed to be a recreation of the Starbridge, but I couldn't fill the space in front and keep it smooth. If you look at the first two alternate views of it, you can see the effect this had on the forward guns. They've been squished from circles to ovals.
I ask again, any idea how to fix 'The Anything Piece' on my computer? It's a little hard to make ships when the piece most commonly used is unavailable.
QUOTE (DarthKev @ Jun 1 2010, 12:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I just fixed it. Apparently, there was a problem with the model itself. It was somehow nested as a group within its own root file, and was therefore corrupted. You could copy and paste it from model to model, because it simply duplicated the error, but trying to load it from the library caused screw-ups.
Here's the full library again, with the corrected piece. Best to take this if you want to keep everything fresh and contiguous. I also tried to correct some of the massive scale differences between components, but I'm not sure if it took.
• Ship Components 1.1 - Bug Fixed •
Alternatively, you can download the piece by itself here, as a plain SketchUp file.
• The Anything Piece - Individual Download •
This post has been edited by Delphi : 01 June 2010 - 02:08 PM
Really? Then why was I able to use it the first time? Look at the Taurus, it has two as part of its nose.
Thanks for fixing it!
Also, everyone, don't be afraid to cut components apart to see what's inside! A lot of the models I create are push-me-pull-mes, meaning that they can be turned around to make a completely different function. For instance, you can take the "Fork" piece, and alter the orientation of its interior articles to make a completely different item.
First, it's just a triangle-shaped lump of metal...
Then, we cut it apart...
Turn the internal components around, and now it's an engine!
This will be important to note when I release Component Pack II, which will contain a lot of combined model items, such as the primary hull of the Alexander and the Harbinger. Ripping them apart and rotating/removing parts can completely change how the unit blends with your model.
This post has been edited by Delphi : 01 June 2010 - 02:20 PM
QUOTE (DarthKev @ Jun 1 2010, 01:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Really? Then why was I able to use it the first time?
It was the same for me when I first downloaded my own pack to make sure it worked: it did once, and then it broke. I'd imagine it wasn't until it tried to do a second load that it discovered the error. It probably writes very small amounts of data to the model file each time you use it, for component tracking purposes in whatever you're assembling, and during this process tries to save the corrupted file and cripples it on the next load.
It looks like you guys really enjoy using that aileron/flap piece. I'll have to keep that in mind when I assemble the next component pack. I'll make a few new ones for you to play with, and for my own work as well.
Also; hello, of doom!
This post has been edited by Delphi : 01 June 2010 - 04:18 PM
Darthkev, I took a look at your model, and made a couple of edits. Tell me what you think!
I've decided that even if they don't become ships in the main game, I will at least create unique ships for each of my supporters in this thread. It's the least I can do. Just model yourself a ship you'd like as an avatar in the plug, and I'll see if I can't throw it together for you. If it's good enough (possibly with minor modifications) it'll also be included in the regular shipyard.
This post has been edited by Delphi : 01 June 2010 - 05:42 PM
Just another ship.
Looks like a strike ship with a spinal cannon. Like, a gunship or something. I am obviously badly versed with my ship classes, but oh well.
Delphi, I must admit—once again—you are the master craftsman. I love what you've done with the gunship. I just have one question regarding it: do the modifications mean you're considering it for use in the Delphi TC? When I was designing it, I felt its relatively sleek nature (and I use 'sleek' loosely) compared to NDC ships might make it the perfect patrol frigate for the Enclave Colonies. Just thought I'd throw that out there in case you are thinking of using it.
As for the other ship, is that supposed to be a giant beam weapon stuck on the front? It looks like a main cannon of some sort with engines strapped on and little else.
Now for my avatar ship, the SDS Wyvern.
Measuring in at ~10km long, the Wyvern Class Dominant is one of the biggest ships in the universe. Six heavy artillery batteries, two main forward artillery batteries, six ordnance bays (two tubes per bay) capable of launching a wide variety of missiles and torpedoes, numerous anti-missile and anti-spacecraft point defenses, and a massive ventral launch bay spanning over half the length of the vessel filled with a broad assortment of fighters and landing craft including the venerable Falcon Class Starfighter. The Wyvern's massive sub-light engines give it impressive speed for a ship its size, and the hyperspace engines flanking the sub-light engines are some of the most powerful in the known universe. At present the SDS Wyvern is the only Wyvern Class in existence as none of the current factions of the realm have come to a decision on whether or not the design is worth the cost its creator is asking for.
Being my most detailed design, it should be obvious I'd want to use this ship. I wanted to say it was longer than 10km, but the Atlas Class is 12km and supposed to be outsized only by the NDC Chrenari, according to Delphi. So I put 10km and, just for fun, said it was an approximate number. The Falcon Class I mentioned in the description is the fighter I made previously. I decided to name it and, should Delphi be willing, I'd like the Wyvern to carry these inside as well as two or three other classes of shipboard craft. On the topic of fighter craft, the launch bay is the entire 'spine' on the bottom including the opening protruding from the front of it. As far as the location of the bridge is concerned, it's where those two 'fork' pieces are—a larger one behind a smaller one—filling a small space inside. Most of the surface area there is just armour meant to protect the bridge from attack, much the same as how NDC ships are built. The last bit about the price I'm asking for shouldn't be taken seriously. I'm not asking Delphi to pay me or anything to use this (I couldn't after all, seeing as he made the parts it's made of) it's simply a play on the fact I don't know if it'll be used by the AI or not yet.
You can find the Sketchup file here as usual, and following is possibly the longest list of screenshots I'll ever have for one ship.
Lastly, if it's alright with you Delphi, I'd like to use this in HOTS as the 'real' Wyvern. I've been having trouble deciding on what to use for my character's ship in HOTS. If it's alright for me to use this, it'll end my personal debate and I can finalize my profile avatar. I figured I should ask since you made the parts and I'm merely arranging them.
If it's not too much trouble, I'd also like to use the fighter I designed as an actual Falcon Class fighter in HOTS. This one isn't as important to me, but it'd help.
** Edit:** Oh, and I hope I'm not getting ahead of myself by calling the Wyvern a Dominant Class. :unsure:
This post has been edited by DarthKev : 02 June 2010 - 02:59 AM