The Ur-Quan Masters Discussion Forum

I'm working on creating a 3D model of the Flagship, and am interested in the origin of the green-on-black schematic that is used in the UQM setup screen.  Based on the zoom in two of the pages, it looks like the original is either a vector or a high resolution graphic.  Right now, I'm trying to get my proportions correct based on the graphics in the star base when you're outfitting the ship.  If the schematic used in the menus is official, a large copy of it (and a copy of the side view, if available) would be very useful to me.

As an aside, has anyone seen a copy of a 3D modeling or rendering magazine from 96/97/98 with the flagship on the front of it?  I got a copy back in the day when I ran my own fan website, but I don't think I ever posted it on the web (being conscientious of copyright law).  It has been a while since I saw my own copy... it appears to be AWOL.  Perhaps one of you has seen it or has it?  The article that featured the ship also had the escape pod and the Sa-Matra, I believe.

Share and Enjoy!

The original is a high-resolution graphic that I believe was based on a vector representation of some kind.  That piece was commissioned directly for the menu; this is the image I received (http://www.stanford.edu/~mcmartin/uqm/vindicator-full.png).

Thanks, that picture is just what I was looking for.  It sheds light on what some of the modules are supposed to look like, which is hard to judge from their in game representations.

Yo gargoyle;  what modeling program are you using?  I've got some Wings3D files that I did a lot of measuring for if you'd like to compare/contrast.  They're currently sitting idle due to time-constraints.  I'd love for them to be usefull for someone with mad-skills.
http://vegastrike.sourceforge.net/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=6266 (http://vegastrike.sourceforge.net/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=6266)

I (can) do CAD for my job, so I'm using a parametric CAD program - SolidWorks.  It can export a couple of polygon mesh formats, which I thought I might make available after I was done.

I like the shape of your cockpit, and the detail on the modules you included.

This is what I have so far: http://flickr.com/photos/47422059@N00/282968536/

There's a pretty nice version of the flagship (http://starcontrol.classicgaming.gamespy.com/sc3d/images/artists/Nova/nprecursor011.jpg) at SC3D, made by "Nova."  I confused him with Novus here, at first.

Yours looks great so far!  The nacelles are the hardest part to model IMHO.  Is it possible you'll have some low polygon-count versions when you're done?

I'll try.  SolidWorks has controls for the resolution on STL files (which are no more than triangles), so I might be able to get it pretty low but still usable for others.  The important part is just getting it done, that's all. :)  It's not like making Babylon 5 ships, where you have a lot of high resolution reference material.  Plus, some of the material does contradict itself, like the schematic above and the mini-pictures when you buy turning jets and thrusters.  (Not to mention the painted versions of the ship...)

Can I take you up on this?  There some contradictions between the two views in the outfitting screen (and of course between that and the pictures in the intro/end).  Right now, top-down, mine is almost pixel identical with the picture Michael provided above, but it doesn't seem quite right.  Plus, I'm not sure how to model the cockpit or the struts - some of that is unfamiliarity with my tools, but some is genuine confusion about what it should be.

You should also check out the 3DO ending movie. Whoever made the movie originally used 3D models for Sa-Matra and the flagship, and (supposedly) this movie was approved by TFB. So it is likely the model used in the movie could be called official to a certain degree.

Thanks, fossil.  I've been considering a 3DO version of SCII off of eBay just for that purpose.  The Pages of Now and Forever have a copy too, once you fix the download URL.  I think it was pictures from those rendered movies that I saw in the magazine that I misplaced.

The in game sprites, paintings, and the manual all seem to disagree about various design aspects.  It's just a matter of which details can be reconciled, I think.  It's the cross sectional shape of the pods, the amount that the thrusters protrude, the geometry of the nose and the way the rails blend into the pods that is bothering me right now.

Here's the latest picture of my attempt: http://www.flickr.com/photos/47422059@N00/295452094/

I saw Danny Santos's UQM commercial with his flagship in it, and it looks pretty good - it is true to the paintings and seems to take elements from SC3 as well.  I've asked him for it, perhaps he'll give it to me. :)

As an aside, does the 3DO version have other rendered movies in it?  I heard someone complain about the "ship spins" in it, but the intro model seems faithful to the depictions of the ship in the manual, so I'm not sure where that criticism comes from.

The 3DO version has intro/ending movies, some Crystal Dynamics games commercial, and these so-called ship spin movies. The ship spin movies are just what the name implies -- spining 3D models of every ship that you can use in Super-Melee (this does not include the flagship or the probe from the beginning of the game). There are mods around that enable these movies in the game.

Ah, nifty.  Are the spin movies in the same format as the intro and end movies (DUK, I gather)?  It sounds like I could adapt the code in UQM 0.5 to play them if I get that 3DO version of the game.

The production company who produced the movies has some higher resolution stills available from it: http://www.pcagraphics.com/starcon.htm

Yes. On2 (former Duck Corp.) TrueMotion "S" codec.


Certainly.


Woah  :o I had no idea. How did you track them down? (PCA Graphics).
It looks like they had lots more stuff that did not make into the intro/ending.

Yes, and I did that already (http://koti.mbnet.fi/lonnberg/uqm.html).

Nice!