I reworked the Distortion Engine a bit:

_________________
Bits Blitz - The place to be for all your bits needs!

http://www.shapeways.com/shops/bitsblitz

A tiny update. I've hollowed out a lot of parts of the ship. I've kept the walls rather thick (at least 2.4mm) to keep the print throughout the entire model.

Also, I've cut the ship up in components. This will allow me to make variants of the prow and main weapon system:


Green = Distortion engine + back thrusters
Blue = Lance turrets
Red = Main weapon system (in this case launch bays)
Yellow = Prow

_________________
Bits Blitz - The place to be for all your bits needs!

http://www.shapeways.com/shops/bitsblitz

Been working on a variant of this ship. Since people were suggesting different prows, I thought I could take it to the next level. The ship is already divided into components, so the possibility of different weapons wasn't that far fetched.

So I started working on a lance turret component. It's still very WIP...

_________________
Bits Blitz - The place to be for all your bits needs!

http://www.shapeways.com/shops/bitsblitz

Today I've mostly been figuring out how to make models watertight for printing. Man oh man...it was such an annoying task, finding the right software, learning that the different programs aren't compatible and tend to contradict each other, e.g. a model that's fully tight/fixed according to Netfabb is considered to be full of holes/etc according to CADspan. Very frustrating. However, Netfabb offers a free fixing service, so I'm sticking with them at the moment. Shapeways apparently also work with these guys, so I'll trust them.

In the meanwhile I started working on the thrusters a bit. They are still very WIP:

After that it's going to be the prow that will be tweaked so it has several torpedo launchers. That would mean the first model is done, and I can start working on some other components. I've got the following in mind:

Prows:
-Torpedo prow (one I have now);
-Eagle head;
-Prow mounted superweapon (comes with the middle hull part I think);
-Prow with fighter launch bays;
-Neutral (no weapons).

Middle:
-Launch bays (one I have now);
-Lance turrets (WIP);
-Superweapon (see above, comes with prow);
-Cargo.

'Turrets':
-Lance turrets (one I have now);
-Torpedo launchers;
-Neutral (armor plating);
-Bridge (unofficial) I know the demand is high for this one since it fits a certain aesthetic. I might end up making a bridge part you could put instead of one of the turrets. Personally I won't really use them, but I know there are many players who like to have such a thing on the ship.

The back part (Distortion Engine + back thrusters) will remain the same. Don't have any plans to make variants for that one. The idea is that the ships are constantly retrofitted with different weaponry/equipment. I can imagine the same ship constantly changing form by getting different component whenever needed for that fitting situation. So lets say the ship 'Lucius' (very original name) might at one moment have been a carrier craft, but during the other campaign it could have been armed with giant turrets and yet another time it was a transporter.

I liked the idea that these ships first have a live human who every now and then 'plugs' into the ship to control certain aspects of it. But this is quite demanding on the body, meaning that eventually, part be part he becomes 'fused' with the ship. Thus the ship truly becoming an extension of his body. Kind of reminds me of that Doctor Who episode The Girl in the Fireplace.

_________________
Bits Blitz - The place to be for all your bits needs!

http://www.shapeways.com/shops/bitsblitz

Here are three variants of the Legion Cruiser next to each other. The one on the left is armed with additional lance turrets, enabling it to take out enemy shields from a distance. The middle ship is a military transport ship. The size already enables it to transport entire regiments, including all sorts of support gear. I was first thinking of beefing the ship up some more, but didn't find it too fitting. I might at a later date make a battleship variant which is an even larger transport. But I would imagine normal transport ships (which are already larger) would be civilian ships, not military ones.

The ship on the right is the carrier I've been working on all this time. Not that much changed in it yet.

Note that all the components are still very WIP, the turret component still needs a lot of detailing. The transporter one needs something extra to make it stand out. The prow (single variant at the moment) will need further detailing and torpedo tubes. The engine and the rest of the components need a few thrusters and details before they're ready.

_________________
Bits Blitz - The place to be for all your bits needs!

http://www.shapeways.com/shops/bitsblitz

Tweaked the 'transport component' a bit, meaning it has become the assault barge component:


The launch bays are still quite big considering the scale, but instead of launching clouds and clouds of fighter craft and boarding pods, it unleashes dropships, drop pods, landing craft and so on.

The turrets it has can scare off raiders or some enemy ships, but it is rather vulnerable, meaning it would need other ships to support it, such as the carrier seen next to it.

_________________
Bits Blitz - The place to be for all your bits needs!

http://www.shapeways.com/shops/bitsblitz

Little teaser...

_________________
Bits Blitz - The place to be for all your bits needs!

http://www.shapeways.com/shops/bitsblitz

i really like the modul system. I would like some more moduls. Lika frigate modulsystem and a battleships system. but only scaled down.

maybe a battleship in the style of the kharak mothership with module slots in the side? Now that i think of it. Weapon moduls that can be placed in every ship type(biggest warship to smaller frigates) would be awesome.

Anyway, like the stuff i see. Can't wait for picture of the print.

_________________
Bioframe - my first wargame:
http://www.tacticalwargames.net/taccmd/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=31704

Here a look at the almost finished prow:

_________________
Bits Blitz - The place to be for all your bits needs!

http://www.shapeways.com/shops/bitsblitz

The Age of Tyrants people got back to me eventually and pointed me to these 3d printing people in the UK - http://www.ipfl.co.uk/index.php/3d-prin ... g-services

Specifically their Perfactory 3d printing process, which can print down to a resolution of. 16 microns (0.016mm). Prints should avoid that annoying stepping that spoils the surface of Shapeways prints and can supposedly be painted on.

I've dropped them an email as I'm interested in 3d printing shoulder pads with iconography for my 6mm SM army but I don't know how much they charge though yet.

@GlynG: That sounds amazing! I was very tempted to go to Shapeways because it's an easy way to quickly get a prototype done, but it would be around $90 per ship, which is kinda expensive. I'm curious about this UK company you're talking about. The level of detail sounds very interesting, I wonder if the material is strong enough to get cast.

As for the 0.016mm...I doubt you could even see it on a model, the paint would probably even be thicker than that!

In the meantime I've started working on some ordnance:

_________________
Bits Blitz - The place to be for all your bits needs!

http://www.shapeways.com/shops/bitsblitz

That's some good lookin' ordnance.

Thanks!

Here are some variants of the torpedo. Not fully happy with all of them, but there will be more and some tweaking of course.

In the meantime I'm also brainstorming about the designs for fighter craft. I'm really in love with the design of the Chaos Fighters from Forgeworld, kinda mix that with the design of the TIE Fighter from Star Wars. But I think I'll go for wings that are not only 'horizontal' like lets say this, but also 'vertical', so not just a left and right wing, but also top and bottom wings.

_________________
Bits Blitz - The place to be for all your bits needs!

http://www.shapeways.com/shops/bitsblitz

Shapeways is actually one of the cheaper ways to print your stuff. Don't know how much the market changed the last years but shapeways was the first place where i have seen afordeble things.

Anyway, make your ships hollow with some support beams. you can ycut our price easily by 2/3rds that way.

_________________
Bioframe - my first wargame:
http://www.tacticalwargames.net/taccmd/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=31704

I tried hollowing it out already, all in all it saves me very little if I want to maintain a strong structure, around $5 to 7$ at most. I know this model has been hollowed out, but to such as extent that it doesn't have a bottom anymore as you can see here.

_________________
Bits Blitz - The place to be for all your bits needs!

http://www.shapeways.com/shops/bitsblitz