shep
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Post by shep on Apr 21, 2017 3:02:15 GMT -9
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Post by cowboycentaur on Apr 21, 2017 8:02:32 GMT -9
You're doing the work of the Q there sir, thank you!
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shep
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Post by shep on Apr 21, 2017 14:21:16 GMT -9
 Is that so? |
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Post by jeffgeorge on Apr 22, 2017 17:49:38 GMT -9
Is that so? Hey, this has nothing to do with anything but Q, but I'm curious if anyone else felt that ST: First Contact was a major and annoying retcon of the Borg's discovery of the Federation? I remember watching the original airing of "Q Who?", in which Q exposes the Enterprise to the Borg to force Picard to admit he (and humanity) need Q's help. We were simply stunned into silence by the Borg--a foe against which the Federation seemed to have no hope--and Q's actions seemed to put the entire Federation in direct peril. At the end of the episode, after Q has whisked the Enterprise back to safe space, there is a moment when it dawns on Picard and company that the Borg now knows about the Federation...and they are on their way! My friends and I looked at each other in shock, whispering "Oh...my...God..." That was flat-out my best Star Trek moment ever, on television or in the movies. This all makes Q a massively scary entity, too, and driving home the point that maybe humanity really doesn't have any business out in deep space (which is pretty much the defining conflict of the entire series of Star Trek: Enterprise, btw, which I have now decided I loved), where there are any number of much bigger, badder foes than the Romulans or the Klingons. (I've read the baloney about the Borg already knowing about the Federation, as evidenced by the events in the episode "The Neutral Zone" as originally conceived, but changes to that script forced by the Writers' Guild strike basically excised the Borg from that episode entirely. It was better the way it actually played out, when it was because of Q that the Borg were coming.) Then along comes First Contact, which uses a time-travel retcon to insert the Borg into the Zephram Cochrane story, followed by additional retcons somehow connecting the two versions of the first contact incident (one without the Borg, and one with) to explain the creation of the recurring Mirror Universe. I love the Mirror Universe stories, but trying to rationalize its existence by revising history is simply unnecessary--it just exists, because it can. Anyway, this change turns Q's exposure of the Federation to the Borg from the incredibly terrifying, cruel, and ultimately indifferent act that it seemed when we first watched it, into a helpful warning to the Federation about the coming Borg threat!?! I hated that every time Q showed up, they made him more silly. He was a god, for all practical purposes, and we were nothing more to him than ants are to us. When he dropped the Enterprise in front of the Borg, it was like a kid in the playground, dropping a red ant into a black-ant colony, just because he is vaguely curious see what all the ants will do. Every appearance that made him more "funny", and more sympathetic to humanity, just cheapened that first Borg appearance, which will probably never be surpassed as the scariest in Star Trek history. Sorry for the interruption. shep, your index of ST papercraft links is much appreciated, btw! |
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Post by aleks on Apr 23, 2017 8:17:18 GMT -9
Thanks a lot.
By the way, Dropbox has dropped ;-) all my things without notice (or very quitely). You are in good company.
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shep
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Post by shep on Apr 23, 2017 10:54:04 GMT -9
Thanks a lot. By the way, Dropbox has dropped ;-) all my things without notice (or very quitely). You are in good company. Since Modiphius Entertainment uses Mediafire to share their Star Trek Adventure Playtest stuff, I think I'll have a closer look at that site... |
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Post by Vermin King on Apr 23, 2017 15:15:31 GMT -9
Mediafire is what Dave Winfield (KoolWheelz) uses.
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shep
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Post by shep on May 8, 2017 11:14:09 GMT -9
On with the project of expanding okumarts corridor set for Star Trek adventures set in the TOS-era. I made a neat little turbolift for the important and famous elevator talks between captain and crew or crew and crew.  Testbuild:   I know it's a bit boxy and should be more roundish, but the way I made it, it's fold-flat and offers enough space for several minis. For the convenience of all the non-metrics among you, I set the page up as 300dpi US-Letter. I also made a shuttlebay with control room, but I found no time for a test build so far… EDIT: Version 2 of the turbolift with removable door…  |
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shep
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Post by shep on Jun 18, 2017 19:32:38 GMT -9
This is not exactly papercraft, but I thought, I'd share it with you lot, anyways. I finally came around to paint a few of my 3D-printed Star Trek ships. Here's a 1/2500 scale Archer class ship:  More pictures to follow...  |
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Post by shadowmane on Aug 21, 2017 6:10:41 GMT -9
Do you have more cadets? Your Cadet Cruise has only 3 human male cadets.
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shep
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Post by shep on Aug 21, 2017 6:18:45 GMT -9
Do you have more cadets? Your Cadet Cruise has only 3 human male cadets. Count again, there are 5 male cadets...  But I can make you more, should you need more...  But you're right, only 3 of them are human... I'll make more. |
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Post by shadowmane on Aug 21, 2017 6:44:39 GMT -9
Yeah, I didn't count the aliens in that count. I'm running a game with my sons starting this Saturday and it's going to start with a cadet cruise so I can work them into their characters' professions.
I really need to learn how to make ship miniatures.
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shep
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Post by shep on Aug 21, 2017 10:16:16 GMT -9
Yeah, I didn't count the aliens in that count. I'm running a game with my sons starting this Saturday and it's going to start with a cadet cruise so I can work them into their characters' professions. I really need to learn how to make ship miniatures. some more cadets: www.mediafire.com/file/padz9waekd48vyu/StarfleetClass2266.pdfThose were made quick & dirty using scarecrow's mini maker. I simply turned the uniforms silverish... Then... What type of ship do you need? You can find many ships and other Trek realted minis in okumarts' thread Where No Man Has Gone Before. It's basically the first thread to look for all things Trek here on the forum... But... You know that all my cadets are for the TOS-era of Star Trek. If you need TNG cadets, you can make them quite easy using scarecrow's mini maker and the following steps: 1) Open the mini maker in your browser and set the era to DS9/Voyager, then choose the Command department (red). Create away and save your creations by taking screenshots (I recommend using IrfanView's camera tool to snap the pics, because you can set it to TIF. This gives you uncompressed shots of your screen which are better for re-scaling the minis.) 2) Open your screenshots in graphics programm of your choice. I highly recommend using either Photoshop or Gimp, for they both offer layers and layer masks. Create a new paper sized document (either A4 or LTR). Select your minis in the screenshots and copy/paste them into the new document. Rescale them, if needed, and add a black box as a base. 3) Once you're done, blend out the background layer and then copy all visible layers to a new layer. Modify the brightness of that layer until the dark parts of the uniforms look medium grey. Add a layer mask to this layer. 4) In the mask, blend out the heads, hands, boots, equipment, and red part of the uniform. 5) Blend the background back in, and you should be ready for printing quick and easy TNG cadets... |
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Post by shadowmane on Aug 21, 2017 12:42:30 GMT -9
Thanks for the minis and the tutorial. I'm still trying to find a good program to use on a Chromebook. It's a mixed bag. As far as the ship, I was going to use this. It's modular and can be changed to fit the mission. I could see it being used for a Cadet Cruise within the confines of the Federation. The first mission would involve it being in the cargo configuration, as it will be resupplying a space station. I think I can actually modify the Oberth class. It might actually work if I can find the right program to work in. |
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shep
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Post by shep on Aug 22, 2017 4:55:04 GMT -9
Don't worry, I'm at it... Till when do you need the ship? If you're looking for a powerful yet free graphics solution, you should try GIMP (https://www.gimp.org/). Most of the features of Photoshop without the need to subscribe your soul to Adobe... To get started with GIMP, just download and install. It should run on a Chromebook. And to start with the app, there are many tutorials on Youtube and about as much books available... |
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Post by Vermin King on Aug 22, 2017 5:20:09 GMT -9
Looks like you would need rollApp on a chromebook to use Gimp
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shep
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Post by shep on Aug 22, 2017 5:36:18 GMT -9
Well, I guessed it would run, since GIMP has the reputation of being a Jack-of-all-trades, when it comes to OS-compatibility... |
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Post by shadowmane on Aug 22, 2017 5:54:38 GMT -9
Yeah, I've tried Gimp on RollApp. I'm not impressed with the user experience. It's why I don't use LibreOffice on my Chromebook. I'm going to try to get my boys involved in learning Gimp. I have an old Ubuntu computer that should run it fine, and they are always drawing stuff. I just need to get them a good art book for drawing cartoons and characters and we'll be set. Then I have to learn Gimp myself.
As far as the ship, I'm going to run the first adventure this Saturday. USS Polaris NCC-S495. The challenge with the ship is that the nacelles are angled outward but the modules aren't angled. Then there are the different modules that can be added and taken away. The sensor platform from the Oberth on this site could be modified to work with this ship. And the shuttle carrier is just a modified Constitution secondary hull. I don't think anyone has done the Starfleet cargo pods yet.
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shep
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Post by shep on Aug 22, 2017 10:02:13 GMT -9
Don't worry, I'll get the ship ready till the weekend. And I'll try going full monty here, meaning a modular 2.5D design that allows for all variants of the ship... E D I T . . .My inner Scotty would not rest... Here's a preview:  The scale is 1/5000, so it will work with my other ships. I'll do a test-build tomorrow, since the ships are not only flimsy at 1 inch total length, but also they might be a bit tricky. When putting them together, I'll take some photos as instructions. |
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shep
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Post by shep on Aug 23, 2017 2:27:59 GMT -9
Okay, here we go… The Capella Class in most of its variations. I had to change some minor things, so the mini would work: - There is no "Phaser Cannons" variation, since I did not know how many cannons there are supposed to be. - The "Planetary Sensor" variation is equipped with TOS nacelles instead of TMP nacelles. - The upward nacelles version has the nacelles on pylons instead of attaching them directly to the ship. These changes had to be made to keep the idea of a modular ship. You don't need to build various versions of the Capella, you can simply exchange the configuration modules.  You can download the PDF with the ship parts and including instructions here: www.mediafire.com/file/xgax4wvk7s5g93l/ST_Capella_Class_Mini.pdf |
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Post by shadowmane on Aug 23, 2017 14:24:57 GMT -9
Wow. That was fast work. I just found this. I'll have to print it out and build it to fiddle with it. I like how you kept the modularity.
As far as the phaser canons, I would go with one on each side. That's how I imagined it, anyway.
I did wrack my brain with ways to do this. Some of my ideas included giving the main hull thickness by adding layers (with different widths to create the angle of the outer hull. Then you could add an outline to glue on. The pylons for the nacelles and the modules would have hooked through the lower section of the hull. I can't think straight tonight after 12 and 1/2 hours at work, but I had it all worked out in my head.
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shep
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Post by shep on Aug 23, 2017 15:20:54 GMT -9
If I understand you correctly, your version would give you a (more or less) 3D model of the ship. Well, my 2.5D version is easier to assemble and store, but you could easily modify my version into yours by printing 7 dorsal/ventral pieces and glueing them on top of each other, leaving cut outs in the rears of layers 2 (for the upward nacelles), 4 (for the flight stand), and 6 (for the underslung nacelles). This way, you could simply slide everything into place and would even gain the option to build a version with 4 nacelles... I think I need to test that mod... |
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Post by shadowmane on Aug 23, 2017 15:46:54 GMT -9
Man, this model is very tiny. I'm almost afraid to try to cut it out and work with it. My old eyes can barely see some of the things on the ship. I think it needs to be scaled up a little bit. It's about 2/3rds the size of a Constitution main hull. I have the Constitution model from this site, but I haven't printed it out yet. I wonder if that would end up being tiny for me as well.
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Post by shadowmane on Aug 23, 2017 16:26:52 GMT -9
If I understand you correctly, your version would give you a (more or less) 3D model of the ship. Well, my 2.5D version is easier to assemble and store, but you could easily modify my version into yours by printing 7 dorsal/ventral pieces and glueing them on top of each other, leaving cut outs in the rears of layers 2 (for the upward nacelles), 4 (for the flight stand), and 6 (for the underslung nacelles). This way, you could simply slide everything into place and would even gain the option to build a version with 4 nacelles... I think I need to test that mod... The trick is to get the layers at different sizes, so that the 45 degree angle is created as you put the model together. I was thinking of the 4 nacelle ship, too. If you were to take that shuttle bay at the back of the ship and create another "hull" with it, then wrap that around the end of the ship with the nacelles sitting under them, I think that could work. You rework the model to take the square thing off of the little round thing on both the top and the bottom. Create some flaps to fold down and you have what you need. Another way to do it would be to cut a slot for each of the nacelles, then make wings at the end of it to glue down. They would go into either the top layer or the bottom layer depending on whether you're using nacelles up or nacelles down configuration. Man, I'm going to have to fire up the old Ubuntu computer and see if I can figure out Gimp. Working this out would be a real challenge. |
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shep
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Post by shep on Aug 24, 2017 1:16:11 GMT -9
The trick is to get the layers at different sizes, so that the 45 degree angle is created as you put the model together. You would need far too many layers for a smooth rim to the saucer. The less layers you have the more boxy the look, like comparing a Mexican pyramid to an Egyptian one... I was thinking of the 4 nacelle ship, too. If you were to take that shuttle bay at the back of the ship and create another "hull" with it, then wrap that around the end of the ship with the nacelles sitting under them, I think that could work. You rework the model to take the square thing off of the little round thing on both the top and the bottom. Create some flaps to fold down and you have what you need. That's far too complicated for a mini this small. My other ships are in 1/5170 scale, I made this one in 1/5000 to keep it in the same size range. However, this leaves the Capella at a length of exactly 1 inch from its bow to the end of the nacelles. This is too tiny to create boxes for the shuttlebay and such. On a larger model, I see no problem with 3D elements, but in 1/5000 2.5D is what works without multiple diffucult fractures in your fingers... Another way to do it would be to cut a slot for each of the nacelles, then make wings at the end of it to glue down. They would go into either the top layer or the bottom layer depending on whether you're using nacelles up or nacelles down configuration. Man, I'm going to have to fire up the old Ubuntu computer and see if I can figure out Gimp. Working this out would be a real challenge. This would end the modularity, as every part glued to the ship's hull means making that element part of the hull. You would have to choose, if you want 2 or 4 nacelles, and then have to stick to that choice. With my solution, you are totally free when it comes to the configuration of the ship. I will givebuilding the layered version a try and then report... |
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shep
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Post by shep on Aug 24, 2017 1:29:55 GMT -9
Man, this model is very tiny. I'm almost afraid to try to cut it out and work with it. My old eyes can barely see some of the things on the ship. I think it needs to be scaled up a little bit. It's about 2/3rds the size of a Constitution main hull. I have the Constitution model from this site, but I haven't printed it out yet. I wonder if that would end up being tiny for me as well. Perhaps you should start with settling for a scale that suits your needs and your eyesight... How about roughly 1/2500? In that case you can simply scale up all ships you can find in this or okumarts thread to double their size. The Capella would then be 2 inches long, David's Connie around 12 cm (or 4.7 inches). Nonetheless, a tiny ship stays tiny. The Archer class scout would be only 2 cm long in 1/2500, since the ship in 1/1 is only 50 m long. Another approach would be to do it like they do with Attack Wing and basically drop the scale. You could them build all ships in roughly the same size, even though they in fact differ greatly in size. However, this is of no concern, if you drop the scale. That's why the Galaxy class, Romulan D'Dericex, and Constitution class minis from Attack Wing are all about 2 inches long... |
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Post by shadowmane on Aug 24, 2017 14:37:47 GMT -9
I think when I re-scaled it and put it on a Google Doc, it was about 2 inches. Of course, it had to be put on 3 pieces of paper to do it. Modularity on the model is nice, but not necessary when I can just build a second one with the module I want under it.
As for the layered idea, I would have a strip glued over those layers with the graphics from the edge of the ship on it. That would eliminate seeing the layers altogether. Yeah, it would add some complexity to the model, but I think it would still be a pretty basic model.
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Post by shadowmane on Aug 25, 2017 17:55:04 GMT -9
  Here's my test build. I'll use it for the game tomorrow. I'm working on a modification on Pixlr. I'm slow, but I'm hoping to make some progress in the next week. |
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shep
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Post by shep on Aug 26, 2017 2:04:59 GMT -9
Looks great! You only should paint the rims black with a marker... |
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Post by shadowmane on Aug 26, 2017 5:49:13 GMT -9
Yeah. I forgot to blacken them and tried to do it after gluing it together. It didn't work out too well. That's why this was just the first draft. I'm still a novice when it comes to papercraft.
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But I can make you more, should you need more... 