Not too sure... but that top pic of yours is giving me strong urges to get to the other side of a busy road.
180286
- Thread starter Gearz
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Not too sure... but that top pic of yours is giving me strong urges to get to the other side of a busy road.
GAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! .... why can't PC equipment + software.. just WORK !!!!!!!!!..... if they were hand tools, I'd return em' to the store via their window.... :curse:
There's plenty of reference pics I'd like to grab from the Aliens movie.. My borrowed laptop plays DVD's ok.. BUT.. I'm pulling my hair out trying to get screen caps using Media Player 10. (PrintSrceen)
I've tried a few the methods suggested on the net ~ Media Player 10 *turn off layering * reduce acceleration.. I've even tried a different program, but resultant Print screen just shows as a ... blank /. "hollow panel" that I can still see the movie through..
Could any Techno Wizards Please suggest any possible solutions..?
There's plenty of reference pics I'd like to grab from the Aliens movie.. My borrowed laptop plays DVD's ok.. BUT.. I'm pulling my hair out trying to get screen caps using Media Player 10. (PrintSrceen)
I've tried a few the methods suggested on the net ~ Media Player 10 *turn off layering * reduce acceleration.. I've even tried a different program, but resultant Print screen just shows as a ... blank /. "hollow panel" that I can still see the movie through..
Could any Techno Wizards Please suggest any possible solutions..?
BWwwhhahahaaa!.... CJTK ~ Thank you Thank you Thank you .. Can you believe i had that program on a disc that came with a DVD drive..( Had never bothered to look at it.!!) *Wish all programs worked this well..
Not a Wizard ? You are as far as I'm concerned mate.. At the moment I'd offer to bear your children, but that would be just way to weird.. So
THANK YOU !
:thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb:
Not a Wizard ? You are as far as I'm concerned mate.. At the moment I'd offer to bear your children, but that would be just way to weird.. So
THANK YOU !
:thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb:
What a difference some good screen shots make as reference material, or more aptly ~ back to the drawing board!
I hope posting these images isn't an infringement of some sort..
Just a few observations on the design ~
refinery A ~ C, There's a significant difference in design between the miniature and the large model. (The pics of the miniature reposted without permission from Mr Martin Bowers site here..) To date I'd been using the miniature as reference ~ dumb!
refinery B ~ F, The refinery's platform is considerably thicker with deeper alcoves than I'd realised, a few mezzanine levels as well..
refinery B, ~ There's a significant downward slope to the three forward Peninsula * sigh* modification # 1 to my box brace idea.
refinery C ~ F, The surface detail is a lot 'chunkier' than I'd noticed before..
refinery G + H !! WT... How many ships were there..? *refinery G shows a partial shot of the 180286 registration on the side of the 'a' Nostromo.. refinery H shows the registration 180246 in HUGE letters on the side of the Nostromo + the bit it pulls. I guess modelling for film must be a hectic 'on the spot' affair..
refinery H ~ Interesting.. the Large Separation Gantry ~ housing + Arm, is missing / not included from the model.
refinery I ~ Love those Domes !
+ + a few other important design aspects that'll have to be incorporated into a paper version...
One aspect of the design that's weirding me out ( partially visible in refinery H) on the centre forward peninsula of the refinery's platform, there seems to be a comparatively... ENORMOUS... set of bracing bars? , ... NO SIR... I don't like em'... "
Overall ~ About as far as you can get from a glamorous design, although you have to admit its one magnificent model. Its a real shame those days have been lost in the budget bin.
MMmm.. better get back to hammering all those the little dots and lines, so i can test a few build ideas.
I hope posting these images isn't an infringement of some sort..
Just a few observations on the design ~
refinery A ~ C, There's a significant difference in design between the miniature and the large model. (The pics of the miniature reposted without permission from Mr Martin Bowers site here..) To date I'd been using the miniature as reference ~ dumb!
refinery B ~ F, The refinery's platform is considerably thicker with deeper alcoves than I'd realised, a few mezzanine levels as well..
refinery B, ~ There's a significant downward slope to the three forward Peninsula * sigh* modification # 1 to my box brace idea.
refinery C ~ F, The surface detail is a lot 'chunkier' than I'd noticed before..
refinery G + H !! WT... How many ships were there..? *refinery G shows a partial shot of the 180286 registration on the side of the 'a' Nostromo.. refinery H shows the registration 180246 in HUGE letters on the side of the Nostromo + the bit it pulls. I guess modelling for film must be a hectic 'on the spot' affair..
refinery H ~ Interesting.. the Large Separation Gantry ~ housing + Arm, is missing / not included from the model.
refinery I ~ Love those Domes !
+ + a few other important design aspects that'll have to be incorporated into a paper version...
One aspect of the design that's weirding me out ( partially visible in refinery H) on the centre forward peninsula of the refinery's platform, there seems to be a comparatively... ENORMOUS... set of bracing bars? , ... NO SIR... I don't like em'... "
Overall ~ About as far as you can get from a glamorous design, although you have to admit its one magnificent model. Its a real shame those days have been lost in the budget bin.
MMmm.. better get back to hammering all those the little dots and lines, so i can test a few build ideas.
Attachments
Oh yeah the colours.. The studio model looks white and shiny. On film its blue-ish and grungy, sort of like the uber scratch version linked at the beginning of this thread.. I'm leaning a little between a combination of the both, although that may turn to worms.. any suggestions..?
The actual model colours, and how it appeared in the movie can be quite different. The cinematographers would use filters and lighting to create whatever mood and tone they were going for, so the actual model colour would almost be irrelevant, except to us fanatics! It probably appears blue-ish in the movie to give it that "cold-and-alone-in-the-depths-of-space" feel. Ultimately go with whatever tones you feel convey the spirit of the model...definitely industrial grunges. I like the scratch build version colouring...but it may be a bit dark. Then again it could just be the photography.
As for inconsistencies in studio models....its more common than we realize. Often they have different teams making different scales of the same thing, or they're so danged pressed for time they can't make it a perfect match...plus they probably had unit directors and producers saying "Who cares, its close enough...get it done, we need to shoot it tomorrow."
The Rodger Young, the Serenity, the Millenium Falcon, you name it, just about every studio model that's been made more than once in different scales has its share of inconsistencies that drive us modellers nuts. Just so long as we remember that WE who are the ones with the "issues" not the folks who made 'em in the first place.
As for inconsistencies in studio models....its more common than we realize. Often they have different teams making different scales of the same thing, or they're so danged pressed for time they can't make it a perfect match...plus they probably had unit directors and producers saying "Who cares, its close enough...get it done, we need to shoot it tomorrow."
The Rodger Young, the Serenity, the Millenium Falcon, you name it, just about every studio model that's been made more than once in different scales has its share of inconsistencies that drive us modellers nuts. Just so long as we remember that WE who are the ones with the "issues" not the folks who made 'em in the first place.
True. In fact, that's why in Star Trek TNG, just before the Enterprise D goes into warp, the engines flash. Its to hide the transition from one model to the other.
I personally would keep it white, or off-white so that if the modeler wishes it he can print it on blueish paper.
mmmm.. astute observations and interesting insight gents.. Yep good point, staying in spirit with the 'feel' of the vessel will be the order of battle.. * I'd always dreamed of a model making job for film, in hind sight it sounds like it would probably be heart attack material ( for a chronic diddler like me)
Good thinking MF, stays in spirit with the design and offers options..! Yep I like it... = sorted!
Minor progress.. Although hard to discern from the previous shots, I've tweaked the refinery's platform in thickness and added a 3 degree slope to the forward peninsulas. The Nostromo was scaled down 8 ~ 10 % to match the changes... much happier with it, certainly enough to test build the base without wasting a boatload of paper N cardboard ..
IN SPACE ~ NO ONE CAN EAT ICE-CREAM.... wall1
Good thinking MF, stays in spirit with the design and offers options..! Yep I like it... = sorted!
Minor progress.. Although hard to discern from the previous shots, I've tweaked the refinery's platform in thickness and added a 3 degree slope to the forward peninsulas. The Nostromo was scaled down 8 ~ 10 % to match the changes... much happier with it, certainly enough to test build the base without wasting a boatload of paper N cardboard ..
IN SPACE ~ NO ONE CAN EAT ICE-CREAM.... wall1
Attachments
LOL. Nice space background render! I can see it already.
I almost cursed you aloud yesterday Gearz, I spent almost half the day exploring Bower's site (again), when I had an absolute refinery-load of work that I had to do...
His work and artistry are absolutely amazing. I can sit and stare at photos of his models 'til the cows come home. I think I like the Gothic tower refinery version look better than the final shooting version, but I can understand why the director knocked all that stuff off. It was likely too busy and fiddly for the blue screen shooting technology of the day...it would've looked wrong in the final screen version is my guess. They likely needed cleaner lines. Even so, the detail in all the different scale versions is mind boggling, especially given how little screen time it actually gets.
Go for whatever texturing you feel works best.
"In space, no one can see your detailed texturing efforts"
I almost cursed you aloud yesterday Gearz, I spent almost half the day exploring Bower's site (again), when I had an absolute refinery-load of work that I had to do...
His work and artistry are absolutely amazing. I can sit and stare at photos of his models 'til the cows come home. I think I like the Gothic tower refinery version look better than the final shooting version, but I can understand why the director knocked all that stuff off. It was likely too busy and fiddly for the blue screen shooting technology of the day...it would've looked wrong in the final screen version is my guess. They likely needed cleaner lines. Even so, the detail in all the different scale versions is mind boggling, especially given how little screen time it actually gets.
Go for whatever texturing you feel works best.
"In space, no one can see your detailed texturing efforts"
Wow! Gearz, this is looking fantastic. Every time I see you guys begin work on some humungous model, I think; well that's just got to be the last huge build I'll see. But, just like a James Bond movie, you keep ramping it higher. What's next, the ring-station that circles the moon in Starship Troopers? Great work.
Just an interesting little tidbit of trivia to add. In the novelization by Alan Dean Foster of O'Bannon and Shusett's screenplay, the Nostromo's registry number is 180246 (see page 22 of the paperback by Warner Books published in 1979). It also described the refinery as being an oil refinery, bringing a load of soon-to-be-refined petrochemicals back to Earth.
Hahaha.. Curse away Duncan.. Its the Wild Tangent Willies.. I've lost count of the times something shiny has side tracked me ( Even with my socks off..!) Viewing and RE-RE-viewing Martin's work is good enough excuse to put anything off. 180246 eh.. no wonder fans/modellers go crazy filling in the gaps and explaining away inconsistencies.
Thanks Nexus9. I'm kind of thinking that I've bitten off more than I can chew. The only drawback to mega models is that the number of builders gets proportionally smaller with the increase of size. I'd say only a handful of these buggers will ever be built ~ if that..
Progress.. I've nutted out the basics for the refinery's base platform. I'd had in mind to laminate two sheets of cardboard, for each 'plate' although I'd say with a sheet of card glued to each side ( the templates) is going to be more than adequate.
prelim3anim there's 8 parts to one plate template..
prelim3 Eeeek.. 8 sheets x 2 x 2 !! 32 sheets just for the templates alone. * Its going to be an expensive model to build...
Prelim3pop.. Hick-up.. each layer + level will need positioning marks on the textures for the, extra levels / domes/ towers etc.. Since its ( will be) a single texture spanning the entire template ( 8 sheets.) I'll have to populate the platform with the additional levels ++ before making the texture. ~ a lot more 3D work before test building. ( this image looks weird ~ I hate working upside down, so I've selected that section and used META's mirror 'Y' function. Once its done, I'll just mirror it back to its correct position.. )
prelim3detail.. Just thinking ahead on possible construction. Considering the size and probable length of time a model like this will be parked on the bench ( or under it) anything to make the builders job easier would be helpful, so I'll include extra detail templates/panels/plates so that some of the detail work can be done in bite size sections, and separately..
Ok enough prelim work to get it under way. Pics to come as it happens.
:yep:
Thanks Nexus9. I'm kind of thinking that I've bitten off more than I can chew. The only drawback to mega models is that the number of builders gets proportionally smaller with the increase of size. I'd say only a handful of these buggers will ever be built ~ if that..
Progress.. I've nutted out the basics for the refinery's base platform. I'd had in mind to laminate two sheets of cardboard, for each 'plate' although I'd say with a sheet of card glued to each side ( the templates) is going to be more than adequate.
prelim3anim there's 8 parts to one plate template..
prelim3 Eeeek.. 8 sheets x 2 x 2 !! 32 sheets just for the templates alone. * Its going to be an expensive model to build...
Prelim3pop.. Hick-up.. each layer + level will need positioning marks on the textures for the, extra levels / domes/ towers etc.. Since its ( will be) a single texture spanning the entire template ( 8 sheets.) I'll have to populate the platform with the additional levels ++ before making the texture. ~ a lot more 3D work before test building. ( this image looks weird ~ I hate working upside down, so I've selected that section and used META's mirror 'Y' function. Once its done, I'll just mirror it back to its correct position.. )
prelim3detail.. Just thinking ahead on possible construction. Considering the size and probable length of time a model like this will be parked on the bench ( or under it) anything to make the builders job easier would be helpful, so I'll include extra detail templates/panels/plates so that some of the detail work can be done in bite size sections, and separately..
Ok enough prelim work to get it under way. Pics to come as it happens.
:yep:
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This was a semi-widely known element of the movie. It was in the Graphic Novelization and in a widely dispersed synopsis provided by the studio back in '79. The Nostromo's published mission was to haul the fully loaded refinery back to earth, and during its trip there, the fully automated refinery would process the crude into whatever end-product was desired when it arrived at earth, presumably 87-93 octane.
Come to think of it, I don't know if anyone has analyzed the numbers to see if this makes sense. How much a typical (or estimated by the FX shots) refinery masses out, how much space in that refinery is original crude, how much space & mass the final product takes up, and would this make ANY kind of economic sense. E.g. would interstellar 87 octane be less expensive than devoting 'Africa' to nuclear reactors and lots and lots of power lines.
Yes.. its hard not to speculate, sadly it does opens up a can of 'very ugly' worms.
The visual impact and the whole 'Way Kewl' factor of the hardware aside, I'd guess you'd have to accept much of it with a grain a salt, and put it down to 'Hollywood / Film Physics". Even ruling cost effectiveness out, speculation on 'en-route' refining would quickly draw away from anything to do with the refinery's design and supposed purpose. The engineering aspects alone of refining petro chemicals ( liquids) in zero G + Zero temp, would be a nightmare. Certainly vertical cracking towers would be pretty much useless in zero G. Probably something like the Babylon 5 Station would be a more realistic design for the purpose ~ Artificial gravity through Centrifugal force. ...
You'd also have to consider ~ They FLT drive..? would they even use something as inefficient as IC (Internal Combustion) engines. I'm sure we will eventually have some sort of space borne processing activities. However, Its kind of freaky considering its all to real, but to twist Ripley's statement slightly * Octane* ~ You can just kiss that all good bye..!
Personally I'm more than happy to forgo real world physics and probable economics, in favour of entertainment. I think Alien would have to be one of the VERY few movie's that I didn't nit pick. ( Well.. During the first 25 viewings anyway :mrgreen
IN SPACE ~ NO ONE CAN SNIFF GASOLINE
The visual impact and the whole 'Way Kewl' factor of the hardware aside, I'd guess you'd have to accept much of it with a grain a salt, and put it down to 'Hollywood / Film Physics". Even ruling cost effectiveness out, speculation on 'en-route' refining would quickly draw away from anything to do with the refinery's design and supposed purpose. The engineering aspects alone of refining petro chemicals ( liquids) in zero G + Zero temp, would be a nightmare. Certainly vertical cracking towers would be pretty much useless in zero G. Probably something like the Babylon 5 Station would be a more realistic design for the purpose ~ Artificial gravity through Centrifugal force. ...
You'd also have to consider ~ They FLT drive..? would they even use something as inefficient as IC (Internal Combustion) engines. I'm sure we will eventually have some sort of space borne processing activities. However, Its kind of freaky considering its all to real, but to twist Ripley's statement slightly * Octane* ~ You can just kiss that all good bye..!
Personally I'm more than happy to forgo real world physics and probable economics, in favour of entertainment. I think Alien would have to be one of the VERY few movie's that I didn't nit pick. ( Well.. During the first 25 viewings anyway :mrgreen
IN SPACE ~ NO ONE CAN SNIFF GASOLINE
Hello,
so i am definitely looking foward to this. I often thought about doing this, but only in smaller around 40cm.
But this will bi huge, but very well, i hope someday i have the space for it
I have an suggestion for the internal backbones, stiffeners and so on....
If you provide a dimensional-drawing of the backbone anyone can look out for corrugated-card or even an woodenplate (it just not prozessed paper) to cut out to fit in. This will also relieve you of drawing the boxes (as i see in the pics)
No need here to get very deep, just the needed dimensions to cut out and the needed thickness.
you can provide this also for recesses and so on.
If i need some thicker card, corrugated-card i often look to our IT-department, because they often have boxes, in which the thingies they need are deliverd, which they have no further use. Also a good location to grab some are supermarked and for bigger boxes furniture-stores.
And a thought about the prozessing in space. I always thing this is only the plant with some small stock.
So just a suggestion: Build this like in the movie and then (later?) make some additional parts to get the whole model more logical as massive prozessing plant.
So i see two possibilties.
First is to add a storage part which fits into the back recess like the nostromo. But this think should be very huge an bulky, and have a lot of possibilities.
Secound is to add some additonal parts to highen the Domes, presuming this are the tanks/storage.
(if you wish, i can make some quick drawings to make it better clear.
I hope i hadn't overstepped my authorities.....
so i am definitely looking foward to this. I often thought about doing this, but only in smaller around 40cm.
But this will bi huge, but very well, i hope someday i have the space for it
I have an suggestion for the internal backbones, stiffeners and so on....
If you provide a dimensional-drawing of the backbone anyone can look out for corrugated-card or even an woodenplate (it just not prozessed paper) to cut out to fit in. This will also relieve you of drawing the boxes (as i see in the pics)
No need here to get very deep, just the needed dimensions to cut out and the needed thickness.
you can provide this also for recesses and so on.
If i need some thicker card, corrugated-card i often look to our IT-department, because they often have boxes, in which the thingies they need are deliverd, which they have no further use. Also a good location to grab some are supermarked and for bigger boxes furniture-stores.
And a thought about the prozessing in space. I always thing this is only the plant with some small stock.
So just a suggestion: Build this like in the movie and then (later?) make some additional parts to get the whole model more logical as massive prozessing plant.
So i see two possibilties.
First is to add a storage part which fits into the back recess like the nostromo. But this think should be very huge an bulky, and have a lot of possibilities.
Secound is to add some additonal parts to highen the Domes, presuming this are the tanks/storage.
(if you wish, i can make some quick drawings to make it better clear.
I hope i hadn't overstepped my authorities.....
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