Anyone Attempting to Build a Serenity Model Discussion
POSTED BY: bkeating
UPDATED: Friday, November 18, 2005 21:21
VIEWED: 10447
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Doncoat and ME..
I would be interested in seeing where you are in your process of making a model. 
I am also currently working on a model of Serenity.. both 3D and physical. My process is probably going to be a little different though, because I am working on a virtual 3D model that I plan on using to create a physical model. If you are familiar with 3D rapid prototyping, that is the path I am taking.
So what I will be creating is a 3D Serenity that can be rendered/animated, etc. But will then outsourced to a printing facility to literally "print" out the 3d data as a physical model. One such service is www.3darttopart.com. If you go to that site (there are many others) you can see examples of what I am talking about. The benefit to this is that the physical model will be as acurate/detailed as I make the 3D model. It will not be "textured" when it is printed, so it will still need to be "painted" which I might be able to do myself but I know there are people out there that would be much more talented at this than I am.. especially painting it so it shows all the wear and tear of space travel/etc. I can do that in 3D.. but not so much experience as physical doing it in the real world. So I may be looking to partner with someone at that stage to paint the model. I currently don't intend to have any working lights or anything on the model because of how that would complicate the model at this point. So that is an extra layer of complexity I don't plan on pursuing right now. But I am thinking of having a few moving parts such as having the engines being able to swivel and such. Although I haven't figured out how the hydralic on the underside of the "wings" work when the engines rotate. Actually I don't think it "does" mechanically work.. I think it's just there for show. Actually the entire enterior could be modeled and printed to have an acutal representation of the entire ship.. but that's time I don't have right now. So I am just concentrating on the exterior, although I may model also just enough of the bridge and kitchen that you would see through the windows.
Anyway.. I don't have near enough time to work on it as I would like.. so I don't know how long it is going to take me. I am trying to put as much detail in it where I can.. and even adding some minor details where I think it is needed. And my first print out will probably be whatever the largest I can find a place that can print it all out in one piece. There seems to be new printers commming out every year that have a larger build volume than previous models. So I am thinking the first model I will print out will prbably be in the 10-14" long range. But I want to print it out as large as possible because the smaller I print it.. the more the tiny details will be lost becasue they are below the threshold of the printer. So the first print out will just be to test the 3d geometry to see if I need to add/change detail here or there. And then after any modifications that I need to make.. I will print it out much larger in pieces that I will assmble into a whole. That model I will probably try to make in the 3 foot long range.
Right now I only have the side engines modeled, so I still have a long way to go. When I have more I will try to post some progress images. 
And also I am working on making some virtual 3d models of our BDH's.. to both create some images.. and to print out "statues".. But that is going to take a while. I wish I had more time...
Smaug..
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I have ties with the computer games modding community, and I'm hoping to catch somebodies attention into making a mod with firefly/serenity models in games such as battlefield2 or a space simulation or 2.
Imagine a VTOL in the shape of a firefly class vessel hovering above the battlefield "Go back in, or i'll blow a new crater into this tiny moon"
-------------------------------------
Q: Why don't we just raise the defensive shields?
A: A superb suggestion with just two major drawbacks. One, we don't have any defensive shields. And two, we don't have any defensive shields. Technically speaking thats only one flaw, but it was such a big one I thought I mention it twice.
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Hello
Newbie here but I have been hanging out mostly at the official site. I have spent the last 4 months working on my scratchbuild model. To say this is a complex model is an understatement 
Here is my progress page
http://www.alexkung.com/scale/serenity/cmain.htm
My model will be 13 inches long when finished
I would like to see how others are doing.
Alex
Styrofoam Guy
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I know for a fact that there are a couple good folks over at StarshipModeler who are Firefly fans and trying just this. I believe there is at least one scratchbuild and one card model of Serenity in progress. Whether or not anyone will actually kit a resin garage model, hard to say. I know there are people that can be commissioned to scratchbuild and kit a model, so I presume if there was enough interest, someone would be willing to do so.
Does Blue Sun sponser the Blue Man Group?
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>I would be interested in seeing where you are in your process of making a model.
At the moment, I've made the Side Engines (no Detail, just the Structure), and I've started on the Bottom of the Fuselage
>I currently don't intend to have any working lights or anything on the model because of how that would complicate the model at this point.
Considering the Scale that I'm Working in, I would be Foolish not to at least Attempt to put Lights in the Model
To that end, I've already Bought (hopefully) all the Lights that I'll be needing....which, as you can probably imagine, is the most expensive part of the Model....cost me $90 in Lights alone!!
>But I am thinking of having a few moving parts such as having the engines being able to swivel and such. Although I haven't figured out how the hydralic on the underside of the "wings" work when the engines rotate.
Likewise I'll be trying to do that as well....
The 'Hydraulic' will be a bit of a Problem though
As will the 'Rotating Lights' before the Main Engine....might leave that one alone
>Actually the entire enterior could be modeled and printed to have an acutal representation of the entire ship.
I'll be wanting to have Interior Detail where I can....Skills Permitting
>But that's time I don't have right now.
Hey....it's not as if I'll be finished this Model anytime soon
I'd say it could take me a year or two....I'm in no big Rush
>I am trying to put as much detail in it where I can.. and even adding some minor details where I think it is needed.
That's my Plan too :-)
>And my first print out will probably be whatever the largest I can find a place that can print it all out in one piece.
What I did was take that Interior Chart with the Colours, which says the Ship is 190 Feet, Calculate how big that would be in 1:72 Scale, take the Pictures I have (Standard Views in Photos....Top, Bottom, Side, Front, Rear) and Enlage them Accordingly onto A-3
I managed to utilise the Colour Printer at Work when the Boss wasn't looking, which saved me A HEAP in Colour Copying!!
>And then after any modifications that I need to make.. I will print it out much larger in pieces that I will assmble into a whole. That model I will probably try to make in the 3 foot long range.
Sounds roughly the same as mine....mine will be 80cm (about 2' 8")
>Right now I only have the side engines modeled, so I still have a long way to go. When I have more I will try to post some progress images.
If I had a DigiCam, I'd try and Post the 'Progressive Shots', but at the moment, as I don't even have a 35ml, I'm using a Crappy Disposable :-(
>And also I am working on making some virtual 3d models of our BDH's.. to both create some images.. and to print out "statues".. But that is going to take a while. I wish I had more time...
What I would really like for this Model are a Set of Miniatures of the Crew in 1:72 (25mm) Scale
ME
"Ah, the pitter patter of tiny feet in huge combat boots"
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Styrofoamguy...
AWSOME!!!! It looks like it's comming along pretty well. I will be interested in watching the progress. Since you are building it from ground up as a physical model.. which is more difficult.. getting the overall mass of the ship modeled? Or adding all the little details?
The digital model I am working on won't be a whole lot different than the wireframes you got from Treybor.
Treybor.. if you are out there.. have you thought about printing out a physical model from your 3d model??
ME..
If you get your hands on a digital camera I would be interested in seeing your progress..
Once I am done with the ship.. I can continue working on models of the BDH's.. so printing out little statues of them wouldn't be a problem. But at 1/72 scale.. what.. that would make them only about an inch tall?? That might be too small to retain enough detail to really even know who it is.. I don't know. Maybe we will see..
Smaug..
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SMAUG
Using Treybors wireframe was a big help to get me started. However as I get down to the finer details I have noticed little errors in his file. I am not knocking his file since it is very well done considering the limited information he had and I do recommend it to people as a good starting point but there are a few very subtle points I had to correct on my model.
Most people would not even notice but I did since I am building it.
I have found the hardest part so far is matching the left and right side of the ship at the nose and neck area. I can look at something a dozen times, it will look fine but I can then look at it one more time and something is out. Once the main mass is done correctly I think the small details should be no problem.
I think a physical model is a bit easier then a computer generated model for me. Trying to view 3D items in 2D doesn't always give me an accurate idea if the image if correct or not.
The people at Starship Modeller know about Treybors mesh. I do not know if they have taken it to be prototyped but there were comments that the mesh has to be constructed a certain way for it to work properly in one of those SLA machines.
I hear that construction of that file is the most labour intensive part of the process. Also the parts should be orientated a certain way to obtain the best results. There are limitations to the rapid prototyping process and the finished product has to tbe reworked to get a nice finish.
The SLA process will give you little steps. Think of trying to make a ball out of lego.
For the rotating engine lights I am looking for a LED chase circuit board that is small enough that I can put in that area. I can replace the LEDs with white ones I have. Not 100% accurate but it will hopefully give me the effect I want. It would also have no moving parts.
I hope to finish it before 2006
Alex
Styrofoam Guy
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Quote:
the mesh has to be constructed a certain way for it to work properly in one of those SLA machines.
Yes.. I have printed 3d models before and have physically seen many samples. Basically the 3d model needs to be "watertight". You can't have any holes or edges that arn't connected, etc. These things may not make a difference if there is a gap between two edges so small that you will never see it when rendered, but when 3D printing.. that minisucle gap will be a problem. If you know this while building the model.. it's not that big of a deal.. it is just to make sure each part and piece is solid and all parts are truely connected.
Quote:
Also the parts should be orientated a certain way to obtain the best results.
Basically you just orient the pieces so that you can fit the largest number of them within the same build volume so that the pieces can print faster. The only other issue is that of large parts/pieces sagging, but most current software will automatically build support structures under any larger pieces to keep them from doing this.
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There are limitations to the rapid prototyping process and the finished product has to tbe reworked to get a nice finish. The SLA process will give you little steps. Think of trying to make a ball out of lego.
Have you seen them recenlty though? The resolution of the printers has increased every year. True on a smooth curved surface.. it isn't goign to come out of the machine "pefectly" smooth.. but it's nothing like it was built out of legos or anything.
Unless you consider that each lego is only like 1/600 of an inch tall or something And with just minimal sanding and then a coat of paint.. I have held printed part that I couldn't tell where not molded plastic/metal etc. Actually there is a new 3d printer that can print parts in 24 bit color.. so they come out of the machine with whatever color/texture/etc. you would wish them to be.. no painting necissary. Although I will still probably look to to paint (or have painted) the model myself rather that do it that way..
Oh.. and about discrepancies.. since Serenity doesn't actually exist of course, I don't think there is one "difinitive" Serenity. I am sure there are probably slight differences from the 3D CGI Serentity to the life size props/models they have built.. and probably differnces from one episode to antoher... one shot to another.. the show to the movie.. etc. etc. etc. etc. Not that it makes a difference because no one is really going to notice when Serenity is typical only on screen for a few seconds at a time.
I am convinced at this point that this hydralic piston under the wings is a physical impossiblity, unless it can be disconnected and retracted. But if it can do that.. why is it needed in the first place? It's probably something that just "looked cool" or looked like it belonged. BUT they needed the engines to be able to rotate and someone probably pointed out that the piston thing can't work like that.. and then someone else said.. "but it looks cool.. so we will just fake it when the engine rotates"
Smaug..
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Others have mentioned the discussion over on the official board at:
[url] http://browncoats.serenitymovie.com/serenity/index.html?fuseaction=for
um.viewtopic&t=24523&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0[/url]
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double post. Oops.
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