(Images) TOS, Pre-TOS designs

[TFVanguard]

Did these awhile back ago, basically taking TMP or later designs and 'retro-fitting' some to TOS era - or taking some that are supposed to be pre-TOS that look too much like TOS...

Anyway, it's a dead project, but thought some people here would like to see them...

USS Ranger - Pre-TOS Exploration Cruiser

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USS Baton Rouge - pre-TOS Heavy Cruiser

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USS Alaska - Battlecruiser

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USS Belknap - 'Fast' Cruiser

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USS Carson - Heavy Destroyer

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USS Surya - Frigate

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USS Miranda - Heavy Frigate

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USS Northampton - Cruiser

[Grimace]

Pretty cool stuff there. Thanks for sharing with us! I like the look of them...nice clear pics.

I'd say keep up the good work, but.... oh well. Too bad it's a dead project.

[TFVanguard]

I might revisit them just to do a few more ships for the heck of it.. but, yeah, the project itself is dead (the other two working on it just basically stopped doing anything).

I also want a better program to do the drawing. Paint Shop Pro has been pretty good to me, but I need something that can render lines just a bit better.

[Tobian]

Does your version of PSP do vector shapes? While I've used such similar functions on Photoshop, I much prefer using vector software for editing copying and pasting line type drawings such as this.. SO I would recoment Illustrator.. but that's just 'cause I know how to use it It's what I did my props in.

Those are nice clean drawings, though I'm not a big fan of some of the wierder combinations of kitbashes that exist

[TFVanguard]

Does your version of PSP do vector shapes? While I've used such similar functions on Photoshop, I much prefer using vector software for editing copying and pasting line type drawings such as this.. SO I would recoment Illustrator.. but that's just 'cause I know how to use it It's what I did my props in.

I'll definately have to keep that in mind. PSP does use vector shapes, which is where a lot of the original lines came from. It did fairly well, but I guess I'm looking for something a smidge more versatile - like a light 3D renderer...

Those are nice clean drawings, though I'm not a big fan of some of the wierder combinations of kitbashes that exist

The Carson was downright ugly, but that's how she was described as being, so I think that's fair. Her backstory was that she was a one-naccelled heavy destroyer from the 'Baton Rouge' generation of ships that were upgraded to Connie components in a spectacular display of failure.

The Ranger I redid because I thought that the idea of a pre-Connie workhorse having all Connie components didn't make a lot of sense. I just 'downgraded' the hulls and naccels to the 'Baton Rouge' generation to have it make more sense.

The Miranda basically took the Surya and made it look more like it COULD be the Reliant after a Connie-style refit. Considering the novelization of TWOK actually said that the Reliant was an 'old bucket' comparable to the Enterprise, it made sense that a TOS era version had to have been made.

Surya is the fan-based ship, slightly modified to be more of a cousin to the Miranda.

Northampton is the FASA ship, minus some of the 'roll in' components to keep it more inline with TOS designs. I wasn't really all that happy with it, but I wanted a regular cruiser to help fill out the fleet a bit...

Belknap kinda shows how long ago I made this. This really should be the Decatur, and is the popular fan-ship cruiser that was floating around.

Alaska is wholly mine, basically to fill the role of a dedicated battleship without jumping right to the 'dreadnought' class (I always felt that Franz skipped a few ships there. ) . The Alaska basically has the lines of the Excelsior, scaled down a bit, and with Connie-styled components. Unlike the Dreadnought and most fan ships, I did balance the original design by making it slower, less maneuverable, but heavily armed and shielded. It wasn't superior to the Connie in EVERY way (as many fan ships and the infamous Dreadnought was want to be), but it was a ship that should scare the bejeesus out of any contemporary that saw it coming. (I didn't yet know about the Indomitable.)

[Tobian]

The simpleness of the TOS era ships might mean you can make them in Illustrator in 3d, but only barelly! It only has a basic bevel and lath tool for 3D and it's not the most efficient ! It's power lies in it's pure 2D abilities and the complex shapes you can easilly build up.. and the fact you can manipulate every single object indefinatelly, layer them, group them, lock them, hide them etc.. it's just not that wasy in paint software!

Yeah I know you're only working from the fan and official stuff, even the connie herself looks a little naff It's just the visual language they used to make the show, so stylewise they do fit perfectly all the same

[TFVanguard]

The simpleness of the TOS era ships might mean you can make them in Illustrator in 3d, but only barelly!

Well, my big problem is that I can't get good orthoganal views in most cheap 3D rendering software packages. The good ones, CAD programs, are expensive as all hell... not sure I want to invest that kinda cash for a project like this.

Yeah I know you're only working from the fan and official stuff, even the connie herself looks a little naff It's just the visual language they used to make the show, so stylewise they do fit perfectly all the same

No, no worries. If I have a bad ship that's not MEANT to look ugly, I want to at least clean it up so that it's in line with TOS designs. One of the problems with looking at fan works is that there are so many insane designs. I found a 'battle cruiser' with six warp engines, three TMP-torpedo launchers, etc... and, well, you get the idea.