First and latest

 The Kennedy-class Missile Carrier is a starship from the hard science fiction roleplaying game "2300AD". Its got a realistic look that manages to look functional and also ready to leap into a fight. I love the design. It's blocky nature makes it an easy subject for a hard surface modelling project. It just happens that it was pretty much the first proper thing that I built in Blender, 7 years ago. 

So here it is again, built in Blender 2.9. Once again, the proportions were taken from Laurent Esmiols Lightwave renders, which remain the gold standard for depictions of the ship. 

Once again, the battlefield on which I eventually fall is the texturing. I've made more effort not to let the bad geometry mount up. Fingers crossed I can get some useful UVs for the start of the effort. 

IFS Suffren: progress report

Never quite...

A poem is never finished, only abandoned. ~Paul Valéry

So I've done a presentation render of the Kennedy, thus far. Finished then? Never, but sometimes finished enough. In this case there are some tweaks before she moves to the paint shop. Missing turrets on the forward section, a piece of cable work that 'sets off' that 'neck' between the nose and the spin section. The odd nip and tuck.

Kennedy Close to completion

Blender in action - this is my standard modelling layout. Good isn't it?

Going in for the (detail) kill

It's 12:40 and Noah has been crying on an off since about 11:20. I'm posting this entry as a break from his quivering tonsils. I'll have to go back with a new sleep plan, although I've already used up all my tricks.

So what about the Kennedy? Tonight I made solid progress on the surface details and made some decisions on where my design parts company with the references. Turrets are mostly in place. Whilst I've kept the general layout of Laurent's drive section I'm holding off actually fitting a thrust nozzle. I tried to make the turrets a little less sexy with the bulbous emitters rather than barrels. This may need to change - I'm still making my mind up about approach.

Tomorrow, if I get scrape the time I'll have this ship modelled to completion. Horrah!

Kennedy work continues

Laurent Esmiol's fantastic interpretation is impossible not to reference - although I think Ian Stead's more recent Sketchup work offers plenty of valuable lessons too -- and a reminder about the turrets. I'm finally approaching the fine-detail stage of the build which will definitely be the hardest part for me as I find blender doesn't allow me to use entrenched workflows and build strategies.

If I'm happy with the model I'll do a proper job of the texturing and lighting and maybe even aim for a short animation.

Close to finishing the main parts. Fine details, next.

My first ever Kennedy - created in Caligari trueSpace (1998ish)

Progress interupts progress...

Progress on the Suffren has been interrupted by some other progress. This other progress is one 2300AD's most iconic starships.

Suffren progress

Still lots to do. Those spin arms look awfully spindly, especially when compared with those on Tom Peters' rather more muscular original design. I still feel like I want to stretch the model a tad. Maybe 10-15 to give it a slightly less stunted look. Tons more detail required.