Still haven't gotten around to molding the smaller ship. Apparently I'm at a state where I can model and print faster than I can make myself mold things.

Created an Indianapolis class light cruiser, got that printed, and realized the 3D file was screwed up. That messed up the resolution, so I fixed the problem and resubmitted for print.

Indianapolis CL:



Primary beam fighter (inspired by Homeworld 2's Vaygr lance fighter)

I've revised the primary beam fighter since then to be thicker, allowing for easier casting. Also beefed up the gun somewhat.

Terran Federation Navy heavy cruiser from the ISW-2 timeframe.

You know, making all these wonderfull toys, you're really putting Santa out of business...


Hmm... Otter Claus...got a ring to it...

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Sofa General

Nobody expects the Inquisition!!!
http://theepiclounge.wordpress.com/

Innaresting...
I Still want to know where all the guns are!
R>

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Starfire ships don't tend to have exposed genitalia. Er, weapons. I imagine the indentations and holes are weapon ports.

But...but...that's so... vaginal...

Wargamers need their phallic extensions...why on earth would you invent something like a titan if that wasn't the case

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Sofa General

Nobody expects the Inquisition!!!
http://theepiclounge.wordpress.com/

To have sex with spaceships, of course.

I suppose the offspring will have pelts instead of armor plating?

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"Finding new ways to screw up old problems is our specialty."

Eugh...I guess you're right: it does make a nice change: and it's probably quite a good idea too: I really like how the Death Star Mk 2 has some of those "AA" guns recessed into the hull...guess that's how i envision it...

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Here's the next problem. Given the TFN SD (super dreadnought) design below, how to make it 'look' bigger than the heavy cruiser design?

It has been my design decision that 30 hull spaces should equal 1 cubic centimeter. Therefore, a DD = 1 cc, CL = 1.3 cc, CA = 2 cc, and so a SD = 4.3 cc.

The problem lies in the spherical front part of the design - that chews up a lot of volume without looking big.

So, the solutions are:
1) Accept it. It will feel heavier if it doesn't necessarily look bigger.
2) Artificially increase its size. This will be inconsistent, and make 3D printing more expensive. It will also make the monitor designs significantly more expensive.
3) Stretch the rear hull to make it longer. This will violate the source material.

Below you will see the SD source art, and a size comparison of the 3D models. From top to bottom are the SD, CA, CL, and DD.

Not knowing the rules, what percentage of a SD is generally occupied by weapons systems? If it is a large percentage, your best bet may be to take some creative license with the source material. Shrink the spherical portion to increse the length. After all, beam weapons are of neccessity located on the surface, and launch bays and missile tubes need to at least have access. Right now it looks too close to the CL in size.

I'm not sure the 'weight' argument holds water, as it is mostly about the look on the tabletop. It's a tough call, but I'm not satisfied with the size progression at this point.

I look forward to seeing your progress, they are great ships!

SG

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SG

Ghost's Paint Blog, where everything goes that isn't something else.

Good point about the surface area.

The situation gets even worse from the top:

After seeing that, I used Rhino and my own calculator to determine surface area. The CA and SD have the same surface area!

The next step will be to inflate the SD such that it has twice the CA's surface area, then perform volume and cost calculations.

This is what happens when I scale up the SD by 1.6, making its surface area correct (in comparison to the CA), but increasing its volume 4 times the preferred value. The PrintAPart cost would be $83. I tried splitting the sphere and hollowing it out, but that didn't save any cost.