# Enterprise Computer Model



## bigjimslade (Oct 9, 2005)

I am trying to figure out how to share my refit Enterprise computer model. The problem is one of size. In STL format, it takes up several CDs. In PDF format, just the bridge closeups come out to be 100MB. I can't handle downloads like that on my web site. I was thinking about CDs but I contacted the Star Trek Gods about licensing the model and they said "Go away" and don't sell it (Now I see why no one asks them for licenses for stuff). I gave away a couple of 5-CD sets of STLs but I am not doing that any more PERIOD. So I am stuck with giving it away but I can only give it away where it is not going to cost me anything to give it away.

That's the reason for the silence on this for several months.

Even the CAD programs have problems with its size. So I am trying to come up with a postable format for this.

The hardest part to create: The stern of the Engineering hull. I probably spent half the time on the project getting that right -- the cab over the hangar -- the shoulders to the sides

So I am looking for some format I can redistribute.


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

What program did you create it in? It sounds like the file is roughly 3.5 megabytes in size. If sending it by internet isn't viable, consider DVD or a cheap thumbdrive. 

Is this a mesh or images? You'd mentioned 100mb using a pdf; I didn't know meshes could be saved in that format.


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## Nova Designs (Oct 10, 2000)

Are you talking about give it away as a set of plans or as a 3D model?


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## bigjimslade (Oct 9, 2005)

Nova Designs said:


> Are you talking about give it away as a set of plans or as a 3D model?


Probably will have to do it as some kind of plans. It is in SAT (acis) format now.


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## bigjimslade (Oct 9, 2005)

Here are some samples. They are in full scale (1:120).

You can see that they are drawn in 3D so they don't have the problem of inconsistency among views.


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## Vaderman (Nov 2, 2002)

Very nicely done Jim. You can tell you put a lot of effort into it. :thumbsup:

Scott


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## Griffworks (Jun 24, 2002)

Yes, fantastic work! Thanks for offering this up to folks for free, as well. A shame you can't put it up for sale to recoup at least some of your hard work. Regardless, thanks for offering it for free. 

I have no ideas to offer which would help you, however.


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

That looks super!

No way to export to DWG or DXF format I take it? Those are pretty universal and most every other program can import them.


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## bigjimslade (Oct 9, 2005)

Paulbo said:


> That looks super!
> 
> No way to export to DWG or DXF format I take it? Those are pretty universal and most every other program can import them.


There is an Export to DWG (or DXF) option....the results are pretty crappy.

So far I have not been able to make a full plan. I can make plans of parts. And as you can see from the sensor, the parts have been sized to properly fit each other. However, if I try to do a side view of the entire thing together....GPF.


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

bigjimslade said:


> There is an Export to DWG (or DXF) option....the results are pretty crappy.


Drat!

Another quick question - did you check this by re-importing them into your current program or loading up in AutoCAD?


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## bigjimslade (Oct 9, 2005)

Paulbo said:


> Drat!
> 
> Another quick question - did you check this by re-importing them into your current program or loading up in AutoCAD?


Into autodesks Viewer program.


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## b26354 (Apr 11, 2007)

Any chance you could post a couple of small sections as ACIS and DXF? What about IGES? I used to use IGES to get files out of Maya into Rhino3d and it maintained all the curved surfaces as nurbs.

There's a ACIS sat import plugin available for Rhino but it's $195


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

bigjimslade said:


> Into autodesks Viewer program.


Again ... "drat"


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## Nova Designs (Oct 10, 2000)

I think the PDF format is a great idea... those sensor plans look great!


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## bigjimslade (Oct 9, 2005)

*Some More*

Full Scale


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## Bernard Guignar (Sep 9, 2006)

Very nice work there.


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## Richard38 (Apr 16, 2002)

Nova Designs said:


> I think the PDF format is a great idea... those sensor plans look great!


I quite agree. Outstanding work! Awesome presentation as well. many many thanks..

Richard


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## bigjimslade (Oct 9, 2005)

I wanted to shared this image with you folks. I spent more time working on this section of the ship than the rest of the model combined. (No exaggeration on that. I have 58 different file versions of this one part. )

Getting the "shoulders" right was a real pain. From some angles they give the illusion of wrapping around the back. You see that effect in the films at some point. There were a number of other places where I was happy when I replicated optical illusions in photos. For example, in some photos it appears that the round area around the impulse dome is raised at the sides and lowered in the center along the spine--an illusion the model replicates.

This is one of three areas of busywork detail on the ship. Fortunately, there were some pretty good reference photos (unlike for the torpedo tubes) that allowed me copy it pretty well. 

One detail I have here, taken from the photos, is that the hangar doors kick in toward the center as you more foward. The widest point of the doors is forward of the bulkhead.


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## bigjimslade (Oct 9, 2005)

These are at 1:5 to fit on a sheet of paper.


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## X15-A2 (Jan 21, 2004)

Your drawings look really great! For the further benefit of the model builders here, would you be willing to create a series of section profiles which could be used to create the various hull shapes as real (as opposed to "virtual") models? The saucer only needs one profile, taken from the vertical centerline to the outer edge but all the other hulls and pylons would need a series of sections taken at intervals along their lengths.

Keep up the great work.

Phil


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## bigjimslade (Oct 9, 2005)

X15-A2 said:


> Your drawings look really great! For the further benefit of the model builders here, would you be willing to create a series of section profiles which could be used to create the various hull shapes as real (as opposed to "virtual") models? The saucer only needs one profile, taken from the vertical centerline to the outer edge but all the other hulls and pylons would need a series of sections taken at intervals along their lengths.


All that should be possible...getting around all the cad bugs.


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## X15-A2 (Jan 21, 2004)

With a good set of sections to define the various hull contours, I might actually get interested in scratch building one of these!

Please give us the sections, if you have time and energy for it (after drawing 80+ sheets myself on the TOS Shuttlecraft, I know full well how much work is involved).

Thanks,

Phil


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## bigjimslade (Oct 9, 2005)

Turbocad has a mechanism for doing this automatically. I am now wrestling with the drafting tools.


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## Bernard Guignar (Sep 9, 2006)

bigjimslade said:


> Turbocad has a mechanism for doing this automatically. I am now wrestling with the drafting tools.


Sounds like turbocad is a nice program. How's the interface? I'm
and autocad lt 97 man and have not done too much in the way 
of 3D work. I'm liking what you are showing.


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## bigjimslade (Oct 9, 2005)

*Turbocad*

I have tried a few CAD programs now. Turbocad is, by far, the easiest and most intuitive to use. There's no comparison in that regard.


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## Atemylunch (Jan 16, 2006)

Rino sounds even better for this job. I've used files bigger than a gig in size and it slowed down, but it didn't crash. 

It sounds to me like you need to simplify the model. Point data can eat up a lot of space, I have this issue with my 3d scanner. When I create contour models out of the scans, the point data will choke autocad(it doesn't crash, just slow down a lot). 

When it comes to interfaces autocad is one of the best, if you know how to use it.


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## bigjimslade (Oct 9, 2005)

You don't really have user controlable point data in Turbocad.


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## jackshield (May 20, 2008)

Atemylunch said:


> Rino sounds even better for this job. I've used files bigger than a gig in size and it slowed down, but it didn't crash.
> 
> It sounds to me like you need to simplify the model. Point data can eat up a lot of space, I have this issue with my 3d scanner. When I create contour models out of the scans, the point data will choke autocad(it doesn't crash, just slow down a lot).
> 
> When it comes to interfaces autocad is one of the best, if you know how to use it.


been using autocad professionally since 1992, i use it on model designs as well, but just getting into that


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## Atemylunch (Jan 16, 2006)

jackshield said:


> been using autocad professionally since 1992, i use it on model designs as well, but just getting into that


I've been using it since 95, I was trained by the guys that could really make it sing, and they were fast. When building models use the views and orbit to see what your doing. And be sure to snap to the line/pl ends, be sure to keep things closed, autocad's 3d functions don't work at all when the lines are not trimmed and closed. Some guys try to draft in autocad like they were hand drafting, that won't work for the 3d stuff. 

BJS is your refit a 3d drawing, or a 3d model? 
When exporting stl files, binaries are smaller, that might help. 
Other than redrafting the model I'm not sure how to make it a smaller file. One of the things I've seen is curves are a series of strait lines. The more you have the better it looks, but it will add a lot more data. Without looking at the actual file I can only make guesses. But a detailed file of that ship would be big.
Another thought is to look for any lines that may be doubled(one on top of the other).


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## bigjimslade (Oct 9, 2005)

3D Solid Model.


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## bigjimslade (Oct 9, 2005)

*The Tardis*

Someone asked me about the interiors and the plans.

In these 1:120 plans, the rec deck windows are about 0.25" x 0.5" or about 30" x 60".

In STTMP interior shots, the windows look like they are about twice that size.

The distance between the window centers are about 0.5" -- giving about 6" for the height of the decks.

The entire bank of windows is about 2.5" wide on the model. Or 25'.

In short, the interior shots show a rec deck that is about double the size of the model scale.


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## bigjimslade (Oct 9, 2005)

*Maybe making progress*

Here is a front view of the engineering hull at full 1:120 scale.

The size causes problems -- both with memory and paper.


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## Gunstar1 (Mar 1, 2007)

These are lookin great - I can't remember, what are you using for reference/data to create this? Ideally I'd like to use all these images for measuring reference for hyper-accurizing the exterior of the PL refit as far as measurements, angles, curves, surface detail... so my question is really how much can one trust the accuracy of these images as compared to the original model? Are we talkin 95% or better? I'm not trying to cheapen your work, it is highly impressive - sorry if I missed any previous post in which you explained it.

Would you be interested (if you haven't done it already - I didn't see it on your site) in a studio model accurate impulse engine grille?


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## bigjimslade (Oct 9, 2005)

Gunstar1 said:


> These are lookin great - I can't remember, what are you using for reference/data to create this? .... Are we talkin 95% or better? I'm not trying to cheapen your work, it is highly impressive - sorry if I missed any previous post in which you explained it.


My goal here was to make as accurate a representation of what is seen on the screen as possible. There is an element of artistic interpretation. For example, some of the details come from the studio model. Other details come from the enlarged neck from TWOK. Still others come from the close up docking shots. One can see some differences left/right on the studio model that, to me appeared to be errors rather than deliberate. In such cases I rationalized.

Sources include:
- Published measurements
- The Kerr plans on Cult TV Man
- The PL Model
- Screen Caps from the movies
- A large collection of reference photos.

I would look at a source and compare it to the pictures. There is no 100% correct source anywhere.

One other thing is that is that I drew at full 1:120 scale. I found that things on the model appeared to have used English measurements. So I could approximate sizes from images and derive the closest rational english measure.

The big thing in regard to accuracy here is consistency. As this is drawn in 3D, all the views are consistent with one another. 

Every plan I have seen to date has 3D to 2D errors. One plan that is accurate in most respects has the neck drawn such that it would have to have no thickness at all.



Gunstar1 said:


> Would you be interested (if you haven't done it already - I didn't see it on your site) in a studio model accurate impulse engine grille?


I am still trying to figure out what the grill really looked like. I have no decent resolution pictures of the grill. I just have grainy pictures whose shape has been distorted by sampling. One thing is clear--The left and right grills are not mirror images of each other on the studio model.


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## Gunstar1 (Mar 1, 2007)

Good to know - thanks for explaining.

check my previous posting - the attached pdf is a set of decals I made drawing hyper-accurate vectors in Illustrator over an enhanced photo of the studio model.


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## Raist3001 (Oct 23, 2003)

Jim these are looking FANTASTIC!!


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## airdave (Feb 4, 2009)

I haven't read every post in this thread, so I apologize if I repeat something, but I would like to make a suggestion.

This is the type of thing a Trek (technical) fan would be interested in....in book form. Why not approach one of the book companies (that has already produced books about blueprints, technical diagrams, etc for Trek)

Imagine one coffee table type book, a complete diagramatic breakdown of the entire Enterprise. Detailed renderings of every part of the Enterprise. (That is what you have created isn't it?)

Sometimes its the packaging and presentation that can sell an item.
And properly packaged, this could appeal to many Trek and Enterprise fans.
A book company could market this for you, and make you some serious money. 

(I expect some compensation when you sign that big book deal!)


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## Gunstar1 (Mar 1, 2007)

For modeling purposes, the digital files are better than a coffee table book (though that would be nice too! As a graphic designer I would have loads of fun putting a book like that together)


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## jackshield (May 20, 2008)

Atemylunch said:


> Rino sounds even better for this job. I've used files bigger than a gig in size and it slowed down, but it didn't crash.
> 
> It sounds to me like you need to simplify the model. Point data can eat up a lot of space, I have this issue with my 3d scanner. When I create contour models out of the scans, the point data will choke autocad(it doesn't crash, just slow down a lot).
> 
> When it comes to interfaces autocad is one of the best, if you know how to use it.


i also have inventor, i am just saltier in autocad.

hmmm.....what would it cost to get the amt runabout model scanned in 3d?


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## bigjimslade (Oct 9, 2005)

*Still Trying to create a plan*

Here's a wireframe view of the entire computer model. In this particular file the mating parts have not been trimmed against each other to they slide underneath.

Still have not been able to create a plan from the model yet.


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## Gunstar1 (Mar 1, 2007)

bigjimslade said:


> Still have not been able to create a plan from the model yet.


eagerly awaiting it!


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