RCS thrusters and sensor palette

Completely re-modelled the RCS thrusters, the original ones were quick and nasty. Also added a sensor palette similar to that on 1701-D. (Old vs. new)

Lewis

Better geometry

I learnt a far better way of doing the escape pods, mainly building one, and then cloning that using empties. So I've been going round aligning empties with my existing escape pods and replacing them with the much higher quality version below, looks far better imo.

Lewis.

Escape pods and better lighting

I've added some escape pods, as well as changing up the lighting to be more physically accurate to real world values. Cheat windows for now with emission added to the glass, I'll do interiors later on down the line.

Lewis.

Ahead full impulse

We have impulse engines, plus some underside panelling and other various detail bits dotted around.

Lewis.

More windows...

Windows all cut in the saucer underside, phaser strips added, and some detailing added to the insides of the nacelles.

Lewis.

Re-route power from the deflector

Now that we have one! I re-did the deflector, using the Enterprise E deflector as a the basis. It needs a bit of tweaking but the idea is there. I didn't go wild on the geometry because it'll never resolve at anything other than hyper close range.

Lewis

Playing with some temporary materials

Had a play with setting up some base materials, and trying to dial in a look. The Enterprise-E is surprisingly 'white' when brightly lit (in First Contact anyway), whereas the Akira looks very dark in FC, but again that could be due to lighting, so I need to decide how I'm going to play this;

Lens flare to hide the awful first pass at the deflector

I feel like this is almost certainly too dark

Lewis.

More phaser & nacelle detail

I made the strip a bit 'humpier' (that's a word right?) and rebuilt the detail, also added the caps on either end, plus some other bits on the nacelles done.

Lewis

Phaser Strips

I need to play with the profile a bit but as a test for the array-along-a-curve theory I'm happy with the result;

Lewis.

Details, panels and bussards...

I'm sort of darting about the ship filling in various bits and bobs, just so as not too get to burnt out on one section, but it's slowly getting there...

Lewis