my mesh, you mesh

I've been downloading and comparing different 3D models of the Enterprise. It is interesting how different people make their models, the most difference is in the slope of the saucer section. It's amazing how even different plastic models have devations from each other, and you would think they had direct access to the original.

Just noting our differences in how we push our polys.

[gmd3d]

That's something I have done in the past ..I also have found it interesting ..

[evil_genius_180]

Originally Posted by shrox

I've been downloading and comparing different 3D models of the Enterprise. It is interesting how different people make their models, the most difference is in the slope of the saucer section. It's amazing how even different plastic models have devations from each other, and you would think they had direct access to the original.

It doesn't help that there were 3 original models and I don't think any one of them looked exactly like another. Also, there are many blueprints sets out there and they all have a slightly different look to them. The funny thing is, I was looking at various blueprint sets recently and watching the show. I'd think one thing was wrong on one blueprint set or another and then I'd see on-screen evidence that it wasn't wrong. It just depends on which model was used in that particular effects shot.

Your attention to detail is... well... wow. I don't think that I have ever noticed the difference in models from shot to shot.

The most noticeable difference is the rear cap of the warp nacells. One version has a white dome on the rear, another has vents on the rear.

[evil_genius_180]

That's because of the 3 different versions of the ship used throughout the series because of the cost of filming new shots when they had stock footage. The one from The Cage actually had something else on the cap but it was never seen on screen. They did have a few shots from The Cage used throughout the series, but they were all from the front, especially in the first few episodes because they hadn't done a lot of new shots, most notably the shot of the camera panning over the top of the saucer towards the bridge which was part of the establishing shot from The Cage. That one can actually even be seen in Season 3. The version from Where No Man Has Gone Before had the vents in the rear and was used for every fly-by seen from behind when the ship wasn't orbiting a planet in the series. The orbiting shots from the front and rear (but not the side) usually used the series version, which had the globes in the back.

And that's just for the different version. There were also at least 2 different series version models, which have slight differences. All this crap is what makes it so hard to "accurately" model this thing.

I need to go back and see this... I am intrigued.

[evil_genius_180]

It's really fun to watch the various fly-bys and see which version of the ship they used. It's one thing you cant' do with the "Remastered" episodes because they used the series version CGI model except for in the flashback shot in The Menagerie and in Where No Man Has Gone Before, since established fandom says the ship was refitted after both of those episodes, giving the ship the 3 different looks.

The nacells also had an antenna like probe on the front center of the forward rotator domes at one point, but it is hardly visible on most of the composite shots they used, they was very thin.

And my quarters had not been assigned yet.

[evil_genius_180]

Charles Casimiro did blueprints way back in 2003 and a new set in 2007. Both sets include the 2 pilot versions of the ship. You can compare the last two sheets with the others and see all the differences.

http://home.earthlink.net/~casimiro/blueprints.html