Picturing my custom ship

[zero]

After creating my custom ship, I have decided to make a sketch of it (my skill on CG is non-existant, though if I can sketch the ship my one player knows CAD and 3D design and is quite skilled).

For this topic, I really just would like some pictures of some things so I can sketch the ship, more accurately, a pic/description of a Beam Laser and a Sand Caster for the hardpoint (atm its a double turret, I may upgrade to triple if I think the ship shares can get away with it).

Also help with what an Escape Pod would look like on the outside of the ship, a Fuel Scoop and Processor and Air-Lock and Cargo Bay doors would be cool too.

Pics in the post rather than links would be more helpful to me, I know from the recent topics there are some excellent artists here on the forum so please help. Once done, I'll see if I can get my friend to get a pic of my ship online to show off once done

 

[DFW]

From the outside, the escape pod would probably be a circular yellow/black warning strip outlining the place where the hatch opens.

 

[barnest2]

Airlock

Beam turret

(For beam lasers, I just do a barrel from a normal looking turret. same for a sandcaster. I'd put up actual pics, but photobucket is broken...)
A fuel scoop I normally just have slits in the hull (for the open position) corresponding to it's location on the deckplans. Fuel processors are inside.
Cargo bay doors...

or

Do you want any help building the model? I'm certainly willing to give it a crack in google sketch up..

 

[SSWarlock]

Do you want any help building the model? I'm certainly willing to give it a crack in google sketch up..

Would you be willing to help others as well?

Seriously, I've found that my artistic talents are abysmal when it comes to 3D. I've been able to get a flat 2D line drawing done but I've been contemplating getting someone else to do the 3D. Nothing fancy, just something more useful than a 2D. So far, all the 3D artists want to do a glorious rendition worthy of their portfolios (which I'd love to see) but that makes the result are outside my price range.

 

[barnest2]

I'm not great. Check out my model thread for some examples.
However, I'm willing to do models for free.
All i need is what equipment goes on each deck, the tonnage of each deck (ignoring armour), and a general shape you would like, and I'll give it a go...

 

[barnest2]

Also, it will just be a basic model. No fancy colourings or stuff, just a model. Think of me as your structural engineer, not your interior designer (or exterior designer, I suppose)...

 

[middenface]

Feel free to poke me for tips...

I hope to get another part of the Black Swan up at some point, had some good news so I'm a little more chipper..

 

[zero]

I'd love for any and all of you guys to help create a picture of my ship! I have done a basic deckplan for the thing, but I dont have a scanner, I'll get a photocopy done so I can give it to my friend to get it online (this may take some time, however...)

The ship is a belly lander but internally can function when gravity pushes it to tail lander gravity when in space (I know with Trav anti-grav this is of no concern anymore, but I put the options in place).

The dimensions of the thing is a 12 square long, 5 square wide body (thats 60ft by 25ft, right? I'll be using the 1 square = 5ft for further description).
The nose points slightly to a 5ft wide tip at the frontmost 10ft of the dimensions given if correct.

The wings (where the fuel tanks are) have 11 dtons each, so take up 22 squares, three are half squares at the front to give a slanting back look. Another half square brings the wing back in at the back.
They are 3 squares wide and reach from the ship's bottom to 3 squares in from the top (so 45ft long connected to the body, 25ft long at its furthest point out and they reach out 15ft). This also means the fuel tanks/wings are 5ft tall.

A double beam-laser/sand caster turret sits on the top of the ship, in the middle of its body; 5 squares up (so 25 ft from the bottom and 10ft from the edges)

The main deck is 2 squares (10ft) tall and a cargo deck sits below (also 10ft tall)
The cargo deck is up 2 squares (10ft) from the bottom, is also 5 squares (25ft)wide, reaches up six squares (30ft) and a smaller portion sits in the front, 2 squares high (10ft) and 3 squares (15ft) across.

The Cargo bay door is at the back of the cargo deck, near the thrusters. It is as high as the deck (10ft) and stretches 4 squares (20ft) of the 6.

The airlock is on the right side of the ship, sitting 10ft tall and 5ft wide, positioned 20ft(4 squares) from the tip of the ship and above the tip of the right wing.
The wings sit on the top 5ft of the cargo deck where it connects to the cargo deck.

An Escape Pod shutter sits 5ft past the airlock towards the bottom of the ship. Another is on the opposite side.

Three main viewports with shutters sit at a single one being 10ft from the tip and two at opposite sides 5ft behind (these are for the pilot and astrogator and I included redlight in the bridge as detailed on Atomic Rockets).

Two thruster exhausts from the A-class M-Drives can be seen at the bottom 5ft of the top deck, where in the middle there is an iris valve for vacc-suited Engineers to sort them out if needed, and they sit either side.

Also fuel processing is visible ontop of the wings, a single unit sits parralel to the turret (I have one dton of fuel processing but split the squares to have one on each wing). These should be around 5ft in size as Ive included inside hatches for an Engineer to access them if needed.

 

[barnest2]

OK... as far as I can tell, basic design is this.

18 metres long
7.5 metres wide
1.5 metres at the tip, front 3 metres taper to this
6 metres tall (2 decks)
Wings: (I'll centre them between the two decks)
1.5 metres tall.
13.5 metres long at hull
7.5 metres long at outer edge
4.5 metres wide

That's the basic hull form... I'm gonna do that, then once photobucket is up and running, I'll post a pic

ETA (i'm using metres because that's how squares are done in the corebook, and it's what I use in sketchup... should be about right though )

 

[barnest2]

Changing the wings to full thickness. They're gonna be fat

 

[barnest2]

Hallelujah. photobucket is working
Click links for pics

First is a shot of the hull. It has the thin wings (1.5 metres)
http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab336/barnest2/commisionthingwings.jpg?t=1302735346
Second is another hull shot. Fat wings (3 metres)
http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab336/barnest2/commisionfat.jpg?t=1302772264
Third the turret. I based the laser on modern stuff like Yal-1 and the THAL. I can change it easily enough. The sand caster has an ammo feed into the ships hull. It's supposed to be flexible, but it's hard to show that.
That sort of turret is based of modern CIWS, and is the most flexible turret, i.e. it can point at the most stuff. I can do a more conventional one, but I like how it turned out.
http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab336/barnest2/commisionturret.jpg?t=1302735771

 

[AndrewW]

I'd love for any and all of you guys to help create a picture of my ship! I have done a basic deckplan for the thing, but I dont have a scanner, I'll get a photocopy done so I can give it to my friend to get it online (this may take some time, however...)

One option without a scanner would be to try taking a picture of it with a digital camera, if you happen to have one.

 

[barnest2]

Wait... the bottom deck is different to the top isn't it...
Ok cargo deck (the 'belly') is like this:
7.5 metres wide (like main hull)
Up 3 metres from bottom
9 metres long
box on front (on centreline):
3 metres long
4.5 metres wide.

I'll edit the model for that.

 

[barnest2]

Ok, new shots of the ship with the new belly
Full ship from above, shows turret placement and belly
http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab336/barnest2/commisionnewbelly.jpg?t=1302772317
Ship from bellow, showing belly details
http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab336/barnest2/commisionnewbelly.jpg?t=1302772317

I'm not sure what to do with the wings. Because of the changes in lower hull form, they look like they'll fall off if in the mid point. But if I put them on the top deck, it looks top heavy...


ETA: There is a mistake in your plans. You say the cargo bay door should be 4 squares wide, out of the full 6. however, the ship is only five squares wide...

 

[barnest2]

My last shot until I get conformation on some things:
It's the cargo bay door, with a human for scale
http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab336/barnest2/commisioncargoscale.jpg?t=1302773617

Things I need to know:
Which deck is the wing on, or is it between decks?
How thick is the wing, one square or two (thin or fat)
The viewports, is one on the front and one on either side, or what....

 

[zero]

Firstly, thanks Barnest!

Ok, now a few things to confirm; yeah, you got all the basic measurements correct, I generally use the 5ft rather than 1.5m rule for squares, but otherwise, thats it exactly

The wings are the original thin version you posted in the earlier pics (one square).
The placement of them is on the top of the cargo deck, so the airlock has full space and the fuel scoops can sit below and be inline with the bottom of the cargo deck (EDIT - see end of post)

The cargo door mistake was an accident, but doesnt affect the deckplan entirely.
It really should be 3.6 squares of the 5 (the cargo deck is 36dtons). It should look roughly the same.
Also, I noticed it looks like the front small part of the deck is higher than the main cargo deck, actually theyre both two squares in height, otherwise well done again on getting the shape ok!

There are also two viewports on the side, 3 squares from the tip. The third is towards the front, 2 squares from the tip. Basically the ship's computer is in the tip, the bridge where the pilot and astrogator sit is just behind.

Also, the turret (amazing to see it btw!) is actually the distance put near the back of the ship, not the front like you've placed it. Otherwise the distance inwards is perfect.

Lastly, its a streamlined ship hull, so if you would make a ship hull look different based on that point, theres that too.

Once again, its really awesome to see the ship not in rough pencil sketching or flat deckplans!

EDIT - It might be best to put the wings halfway between the decks at one square size, otherwise they wouldnt look very stable. Plus, it makes the ship more even.

Also if anyone else wants to help out, please feel free. Also Barnest, I would like to see the thing with these new points added

 

[barnest2]

Muhahaha....
New pics with streamlining:
Portside shot
http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab336/barnest2/commisionstreamlined.jpg?t=1302785383
starboard shot, shows all the pretty things
http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab336/barnest2/commisionfullshot.jpg?t=1302785383
detailing of the airlock and porthole
http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab336/barnest2/commisionportholeairlock.jpg?t=1302785383
Shrunk cargo door.
http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab336/barnest2/commisionnewcargodoor.jpg?t=1302785383

I haven't done the forward starboard porthole, as it will be very close to the other one. Are you sure you want it there?

 

[zero]

The Airlock is perfect, Barnest! :wink:

I really like what youve done with the shape of the ship, it's kinda like a mini-version of the Battleship Yamamoto or the Arcadia, really cool!

The turret looks a little too far back now, it should have 4 squares behind it and 7 infront (this slight rear placement is due to much of the middle of the interior being free to the passengers and not wanting to give security hackers onboard free access to weapons! :lol:

As for the portholes, I imagined them as bigger and more panoramic, kinda like the bigger viewports in Mass Effect 2.
However, realistically, smaller windows make smaller targets :lol:

Looking at the deckplan, the bridge viewport pair go on the final squares on each side before the tapering on the tip happens, which you got perfect. There are 1.5m tall consoles on the interior below the porthole, so they may need a little raising, but otherwise, well done!

The "MU/TH/UR room" porthole would be on the roof, on the second square in from the deckplan and the current CG design (please see the EDIT below), is that clever or instead of being flat, should the tip taper down, lowering that porthole too?
I added a porthole to the Computer room so if would be easy to make piloting/astrogation calculations when inside.
Your opinion and anyone elses is welcome for this last bit of the design.

Some EDITs for clarification: The bridge viewports would have one port and one starboard, which are in the final squares before the tapering, which are on the ship.
The last viewport for the computer room is on the roof, in the middle (like the turret) and on the second square in from the tip, so it shouldnt be close to the two viewports (one on either side) at all.

 

[barnest2]

I'll leave the portholes for now. They are safer that way, plus I think it fits the bottom sitting for vertical launch. Looks more like a space rocket

Right. Added upper porthole, moved side ones up slightly, and shifted the turret. Is there anything else?
http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab336/barnest2/commisionfinis.jpg?t=1302794241

 

[zero]

Awesome!

No theres nothing else that needs changing now
I do wonder what Fuel Processing and the Scoops would look like, but for the basic model everythings where its supposed to be and looks cool :wink:

Thanks for the help in picturing my ship, Barnest2. I showed my gf and it made her smile Now I just have to wonder what colour it should be :lol:

Aswell as colour, I'm looking for a class name too, atm its called the Stubby class, its pretty obvious where I got that name from! :lol:

Also I know a few others were interested in helping out in bringing this ship to life, anyone want a crack?