Completed Interiors Fly-Through

Interiors Almost Complete!

Stealth Covering

Finally getting to the exterior proper

Here's the stealth covering for the top of the ship

There will be gaps made for the protruding sensory equipment and hatches

 

 

 As you can see, the light appears to be distorted across the surface as designed

Populating the Anderson

Here I have started populating the ship's rooms with assets; chairs, servers, airlocks, doors, beds, wardrobes transformers, inverters, the battery bank, circuit breakers and escape pod hatches.

Assets





 Airlocks

 

 

Crew Chair

 Bridge Desk

 

 

Doors

(Side)

(Front)

 

 Enclosed Transformer

 Escape Pod Hatch

 

 Nuclear Thruster

(Exterior)
 

(Interior)
 

 (Bottom)

(with Landing Gear)

(with Arm)

 

 Server

 Stackable Kitchen Chair

 

Wardrobe

 
 
 Nuclear Reactor

Changes and Reasons

One of my initial concerns was how to provide the medical care safely and easily. Another was to provide the passengers aboard the ship a comfortable and not-too-unsettling journey. The obvious answer was gravity.
Unfortunately providing gravity in a space environment is usually expensive, in resources, space and energy. The most developed method is to use a torus structure spinning at high velocity, causing the contents to be forced against the outer surface. Providing one of these large enough without encumbering the ship or providing discomfort to the passengers moving in and around it would have been counter-productive.
Therefore I have removed the outer ring from my design, instead opting for a more radical approach. Extrapolating on current research (http://arxiv.org/ftp/gr-qc/papers/0203/0203033.pdf), I have chosen gravitoelectromagnetism through super-conductors as my source of the force. This is where I have chosen to take artistic liberties with the ship, but I will provide ample space for the housing for such technology and its source of power. I will also have to create a safe environment should the system lose power.

I have also reduced the amount of floor space needed for the rescue equipment, as continued work on plans has revealed I had overestimated the space required.

The large port and starboard engines have been removed, as I have increased the number of VTOL capable engines, which are integrated into the landing gear. This will allow the ship's weight to be more evenly spread and provide more responsive and agile flight, as well as increased stability should the front section need to be detached.

Initial Block Modelling

Detailed Floor Layout (Near Complete)

Much more detailed and readjusted layout, now including Exterior features. I am slightly behind on this, but the time I spend planning will help me with the modelling and prevent me straying into creating random attributes to fill space and forgetting more important features.

Draft Layout Designs

 

 This much smaller scaled version had similar features to the latest design, but lacked the organisation and safety considerations of the later layout. It also lacked a main engine and adequate space for rescue equipment and supplies as well as life support systems.

Key

Red - Bridge

Blue - Communications

Cyan - Navigation

Light Green - Systems

Green - Medical

Green Striped - Wards

Grey - Crew Quarters

Black - Evacuee Quarters

Purple - Engineering

Yellow - Landing Gear/Engine Control

 

This design was separated into decks and included all the needed features, but did little to account for the close proximity of the crew and passengers to the engines.

Key 

Red - Bridge

Blue - Communications

Cyan - Navigation

Light Green - Systems

Green - Medical

Green Dotted - Wards

Green Striped - E.R

Grey - Crew Quarters

Black - Evacuee Quarters

White - Water/Oxygen

Light Grey - Shuttle Bays

Orange - Rescue Equipment

Purple - Engineering

Interior Floor Layout

This is my final floor layout for the ship, with exterior features shown in red line. The scale of these may change slightly as the scale has not been finalised.
I have colour coded the rooms and I am now populating the ship with its equipment:
Red - Bridge
Cyan -  Navigation
Blue - Communications
Light Green - Systems
Green - Medical
Dark Grey - Crew Quarters
Grey - Passenger Quarters
White - Life Support (Air and Water)
Dark Orange - Kitchen and Living space
Orange - Equipment Storage
Purple - Engineering

Initial FMP Mind-Maps and Designs

 These are my (somewhat messy) initial designs and plans for the project.

This mind-map shows every area of the spacecraft I have considered, with the branches leading to possible features for each of the parts or rooms.

As you can see at the very bottom, it reads "[Thunderbirds]". As I was asking for advise for this mind-map, I was reminded of the awesome television show I watched so fondly as a child, and I felt such a fool for not remembering it, or mentioning it in my specification.

The shows visionary creator Gerry Anderson died on Boxing Day.

I always intended to name the ship in his honour from as soon as I was reminded, but with this news I felt compelled to dedicate this project to his memory. The ship's name will be Anderson IR (Interplanetary Rescue).

 

 Above is the initial layout of the ship's bridge. I have taken much inspiration from the bridges of the Star Trek franchise. I chose this layout as it would be both familiar to the audience and practical. The captain, slightly raised on a central platform, can receive information from as many directions as possible (the light arrows show roughly the flow of information).

As you can see, I have used a hexagonal shape to maximise efficiency and strength. The rest of the ship will be designed around this, creating a honeycomb of rooms (unless they become redundant, like perhaps in corridors).

 

This was my initial ship layout, based on the hexagonal design.

As you can see from my notes, I thought the essential systems (communications, navigation, life support and the evacuee quarters, along with the bridge) should be more central, or at least be more localised, so as to be further from engineering (and the ship's engines) so they would perhaps be able to detach if there was any problems with the engines, thus preserving life (as that is the ship's purpose).

 

At the very top of the basic initial layout I have noted "think in decks". Above is my first rough attempt to do so, but as you can see I was as yet unable to significantly separate the vital systems and the engines.

 

This was a quick sketch where I seemed to solve the problem of separating the aforementioned systems. I finally realised this is why Star Trek's Enterprise had been designed with its long 'neck', as it separated the main decks from the engineering decks, and furthermore the engines themselves.

You can also see the (unrealistically large) landing gear on each corner.

 

Here are my design sketches for the ship's landing gear. I started by designing the 'feet', making them as adjustable as possible, allowing the craft to land on varied and uneven terrain.

I added the treads (with their own adjustable suspension) so that two 'toes' would be able to lift slightly and automatically move each 'foot' should the landing surface become unstable. This would also allow the ship to crawl along, enabling it to approach rescue sites without taking off.

I added engines onto the legs so it would be VTOL capable, allowing for swifter approaches and departures in hot zones and negating the need for substantial wings.

 

Above was my first design for the ship's communications tower, with antenna on top for long-range radio transmissions and a large dish for satellite communications.

However, whilst conducting research into the area I found (as noted) that a hollow glass tube would do the job whilst staying radar invisible. This could be extended and retracted as needed to avoid damage.

 



 These are my designs for the spacecraft's defences. Mainly automated and designed to be non-lethal, the system would track incoming missiles and, depending on the range and speed of the incoming target, fire either a long range rocket or deploy flares.

Since these sketches I have added a railgun system for the rockets' initial propulsion and firing on closer targets.

 

 Above is a quick first design for the ATVs the crew could take closer to rescue sites. These would be extremely tough, so as to survive most anything nature might throw at it.

I think I may deviate from this 'all-in-one' design and go various vehicles capable of different tasks.



Some Useful Links... (or at least that I've found interesting)

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/home/index.html
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/technology/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spacecraft_design
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radar_cross-section
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radar-absorbent_material
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stealth_technology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flak
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goalkeeper_CIWS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_Airframe_Missile
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashtan_CIWS
http://www.darkgovernment.com/news/missile-shield-relocated-to-israel/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missile_guidance
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missile_defense
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Defense_Initiative
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tactical_High_Energy_Laser
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brilliant_Pebbles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-satellite_weapon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railgun
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_countermeasures
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMX
http://thinkingbeyond-curiosity.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/stealth-aircraft-one-of-deadliest.html
http://www.aviationweek.com/topicsevents/Innovation.aspx
http://www.aviationweek.com/Blogs.aspx?plckBlogId=Blog:27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7&plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%253A27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post%253Ac61d80df-a87d-4909-8ae9-5b80e3609ae1
http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/deckplans.php
http://www.lr.tudelft.nl/en/organisation/departments-and-chairs/space-engineering/space-systems-engineering/expertise-areas/space-propulsion/design-data/size-estimation/
http://www.eurenco.com/en/high_explosives/new_energetic.html
http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/286589/top_75_spaceships_in_movies_and_tv.html
http://arxiv.org/ftp/gr-qc/papers/0203/0203033.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitoelectromagnetism
http://www.relativitybook.com/resources/gravitomagnetism.html
http://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/lcars/starfleet-vessel-enterprise-nx-01.php
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19910023479_1991023479.pdf
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/technology/index.html
http://www.space.com/8141-nasa-test-medical-device-sick-astronauts-space.html
http://nasamedicalsupply.com/index.html
http://singularityhub.com/2009/06/08/growing-organs-in-the-lab/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICAN-II
http://www.engr.psu.edu/antimatter/introduction.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISS_ECLSS
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/pdf/104840main_eclss.pdf
http://mix.msfc.nasa.gov/
http://suzymchale.com/ruspace/indexiss.html
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20050092399_2005093339.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanobacteria

Revised FMP Specification

Project Aim: To model futuristic technologies for a computer generated spacecraft set, as if consulted by area specialists, as is common on science fiction films.

There are many military and research spacecraft with popular science fiction, but very few rescue or medical ships. The Star Wars franchise includes various medical and rescue ships, including medical ship Redemption where Luke Skywalker receives his robotic hand, and several fire service craft seen after a crash landing on the planet Coruscant. Medical bays play a large part in the Star Trek franchise and Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, both having larger numbers of crew aboard their key ships. However none of these are really equipped to retrieve downed crew members or rescue those stranded in environmental catastrophes, either on an international or interplanetary scale.

The spacecraft will therefore be designed with these areas as a priority, with human safety and rescue capabilities put first in the dangerous environments of both planets and space.

The research involved will cover many areas including current and projected space, medical and rescue technologies.

With the recent advancements in both scientific and computer generation technologies, there has been a recent resurgence in sci-fi films, many coming as massive investments and profitable franchises. With green screen set extensions now common-place and full digital sets becoming standard for film environments, I believe developing the techniques to construct such sets in the computer will give me an advantage in the field as they become normal practise.

Having assets like this allows visual effects teams to composite actors or characters into the generated environment, but also provides a basis for practical sets and pre-visualisations.

There has also been increased interest and research into environmental and climate changes in recent years, with the concern they will bring about more weather based disasters for the human population. This issue has increasingly been used as the subject message for films, including science fiction. Therefore I believe the presence of search and rescue teams and vehicles within these films will increase as a result as filmmakers dream up more and more terrible disasters for characters to endure.

This project will allow me to invest further in prop modelling and environment design, two areas I have great interest in. I believe each aspect of a visual effects asset should have a purpose and a reason for its existence, rather than the sometimes purely aesthetic preference that often seems illogical and impractical. Efficiency in the asset’s design will therefore be paramount as well as keeping close to technology in use today or projected for the future.

The areas of focus will be production design with visual effects assets. Within the asset there will be models of equipment and structures involved in medical treatment and recovery as well as search and rescue technology, all in the context of space travel and living.

As the topics for research are quite wide and varied, I am unsure I will complete all the research and modelling in certain areas.

Due to the heavy space based aspect of the asset, NASA and its associates are obvious candidates for me to contact, with their lengthy and focused research. Unfortunately due to the large distance to them, as well as current budget cuts, they may be unable to provide ample assistance. They do however have extensive online resources including possible applications of technologies from science fiction. Results from research in this area may have to be vastly extrapolated to fit the asset’s intended purpose (as is often the case in science fiction) as no direct comparisons yet exist.

Medical advances and projected future innovations in the area are often the subject of expertise in large universities. These should be far easier to contact and will also have their research published in journals as well as online. Unfortunately any current research is probably unlikely to be allowed to be discussed or released.

Rescue technology should be quite easy to research with the amount of footage compiled from incidents worldwide every day. This should allow research into dealing with many different disasters that occur in multiple environments across all continents. Disaster movies could also serve as good reference for current technologies and techniques. Developing and future technologies in this area would be harder to gather research on as much is often developed in conjunction with other areas including the military, making it confidential.

Other experimental technology is often constructed under military contracts and so would be harder to discuss or find evidence of. These include stealth, armour and non-lethal weapons technologies that the spacecraft may need to use in entering hostile environments.

The final assets I wish to create for this project are:

1.       A 3D spacecraft that can be used as both a visual effects asset and a basis for practical sets; interior and exterior

2.       A user manual for said spacecraft including labelled cross-sections and blueprints of the ship’s decks and systems

3.       A video of a fly-through showing the interior of the ship with labels for systems similar to a HUD or AR system

Final Major Project Specification Draft

Project Aim: To model futuristic technologies for a computer generated spacecraft set, as if consulted by area specialists, as is common on science fiction films.

There are many military and research spacecraft with popular science fiction, but very few rescue or medical ships. Many ships have medical bays and treatment facilities aboard, but few are equipped to retrieve downed crew members or rescue those stranded in environmental catastrophes, either on an international or interplanetary scale.

The design of the ship would therefore be designed with these areas as a priority, with human safety and rescue capabilities put first in the dangerous environment of space.

The research involved will cover many areas including current and projected space, medical and rescue technologies.

 

Science fiction directors have used scientific consultants since the dawn of the space age. There has been an increasing fascination with the genre since, and has become one of the corner-stones of popular culture.

With the recent advancements in both scientific and computer generation technologies, there has been a recent resurgence in sci-fi films, many coming as massive investments and profitable franchises. With green scene set extensions now common-place and full digital sets becoming standard for environments, I believe developing the techniques to construct such sets in the computer will soon become normal practise. Doing so will allow the visual effects teams to composite actors or characters into the generated world, but also provide a basis for practical sets and pre-visualisations that the director can approve.

With the increased interest and research into environmental and climate changes, with the concern they will bring about more weather based disasters for the population, has increasingly been used as the subject of a basic message for films, including science fiction. Therefore I believe the presence of search and rescue teams and vehicles will also increase as a result.

 

This project will also allow me to invest far more in prop modelling and environment design, two areas I have great interest in. I believe each aspect of a visual effects asset should have a purpose and a reason for its existence, rather than the sometimes purely aesthetic preference that often seems illogical and impractical.

The areas of focus will be production design with visual effects assets. Within the asset there will be models of equipment and structures involved in medical treatment and recovery as well as search and rescue technology, all in the context of space travel and living.

The Star Wars franchise does include various medical and rescue ships, including Rebel Alliance medical ship Redemption where Luke Skywalker receives his robotic hand and several fire service craft after a crash landing on the planet Coruscant. Medical bays play a large part in the Star Trek franchise and Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, both having larger numbers of crew aboard their key ships.

The Star Wars and Star Trek franchises both have their own Wikipedia databases and many art books including designs and extensive cross-sections of many of the ships featured.

As the topics for research are quite wide and varied, I am unsure I will complete all the research and modelling in certain areas.

Due to the heavy space based aspect of the asset, NASA and its associates are obvious candidates with their lengthy and focused research, but due to the large distance to them, as well as current budget cuts, they may be unable to provide ample assistance. They do however have extensive online resources including possible applications of technologies from science fiction. Result from research in this area may have to be vastly extrapolated to fit the asset’s intended purpose (as is often the case in science fiction).

Medical advances and projected future innovations in that area are often the subject of expertise in large universities. These should be far easier to contact and will also have their research published in journals as well as online. Unfortunately any current research is probably unlikely to be allowed to be discussed or released.

Rescue technology should be quite easy to research with the amount of footage compiled from incidents worldwide every day. This should allow research into dealing with many different disasters that occur in multiple environments across all continents. Disaster movies could also serve as good reference for current technologies and techniques. Developing and future technologies in this area would be harder to gather research on. Much is often developed in conjunction with other areas including the military.

Other experimental technology is often constructed under military contracts and so would be harder to discuss or find evidence of. These include stealth and armour technologies as well as non-lethal weapons.

The assets I wish to create for this project are:

1.       A 3D spacecraft that can be used as both a visual effects asset and a basis for practical sets; interior and exterior

 

2.       A user manual for said spacecraft including labelled cross-sections and blueprints of the ship’s decks and systems

3.       A video of a fly-through showing the interior of the ship with labels for systems similar to a HUD or AR system



"The Wizard and The Spaceman"

Here are the effects shots and unfinished edit of my short effects based film "The Wizard and The Spaceman", created for a second year module

 

Compositing Exercises

My reel of compositing exercises created for a second year module

"Falling" Animatic

This is my original animatic for the "Falling" animation

"Falling"



Final piece for my second year double module, CG Technique, entitled "Falling"

There are some improvements I want to make to this and it was originally going to be longer, with beginning and end portions to be added

 

SteamPunk Cat & Mouse

Finally able to post my final piece for my first year Introduction to 3D Animation module!

Teesside University School of Computing DVD Introduction

Final short introduction for promoting Teesside University's School of Computing, based on the previously conceived animatic