Size Comparison

[Digger_One]

Hi everyone. I just found this really great website, and I have to say, I LOVE it! I'm a bit of a fan film maker (actually, I'm more into the visual effects bit of fan film producing), and use Lightwave 3D along with a few other programs to make visual effects for my films. I was wondering about the size comparison between a Columbia Class Battlestar, and a Refit-Consititution Class Starship. Here's what I came up with, using windows and the viper to figure maybe how big they are.

http://www.captainshuttle.com/uploads/galent1.jpg
http://www.captainshuttle.com/uploads/galent2.jpg
http://www.captainshuttle.com/uploads/galent3.jpg

Do I have this right?

Credits:
U.S.S. Enterprise N.C.C. 1701 Refit by: Dennis Bailey
Battlestar Galactica by: Steve Wilson, converted by Darrell Lawrence

[Digger_One]

By the way, I've located a new Columbia Class Battlestar, a good looking Viper Fighter, as well as some really nice Cylon Raiders and even a Hades Class Basestar. I'm hoping to make a short "visual effects" test, or a spacebattle, with all these fighters...and adding the U.S.S. Enterprise to the mix, on the side of the Colonials, of course. I'm working on the first scene as I type. I do have a question. Where can I get sound effects such as the Viper Turbos, the Viper Engines, the Raider Engines, the basestar's laser fire, etc...? I hope to have something to show here soon.

[ernie90125]

There are a few things here :

http://battlestarfanclub.com/battlestar/bgaudio.htm

You add another reason for me to be considering making a resources library to provide things like this to fanfilm makers....

[Stevew]

Just for your info
http://www.merzo.net/index.html

[Digger_One]

Thanks for the comparison chart. Looks like I sized up the Battlestar Galactica and the U.S.S. Enterprise about right. Well, I've finished the first few shots of my CG/Live Action fan film. No title at the moment, just these shots.

http://www.captainshuttle.com/uploads/enterprise.jpg

http://www.captainshuttle.com/uploads/basestar.jpg

http://www.captainshuttle.com/uploads/raiders.jpg

So...what does everyone think? Hopefully I'll have some of these...:viper:...to help defend the Enterprise soon.

[ernie90125]

verrry interesting....

Not too keen on the model used for the basestar......and the colouring is very brown. Is this because space is not well lit unless there is a star nearby ? I'm suspecting so, but this nod to realism is at the cost of part of the character of the ships......I'd vote to keep the traditional colouring.

Also, in the first of pictures, you have no light from the galactica's engines. She never turned her engines 'off'

The model of the Enterprise is beautiful....its another reminder why the ships of the movies were my favourite design. Much better lit because she provides many lights herself.

I am eagerly anticipating the addition of those :viper: and further pictures......

[Digger_One]

Hmm...you're so right!

I've alwayed used a slightly orange keylight for the scenes, mainly because I always thought that that's the color stars would make. But looking at it now...it does lose something in the model. THink I'll change that.

The Basestar model is identical to the one found on this website. I originally found it on battlestargalactica.com. Not sure where I could find a better one, if said model even exists.

The Columbia Class Battlestar in the first few pictures was just a model I happened to have in my model folder, so I used it to compare the size against the U.S.S. Enterprise. I found another one, with the lightup engines, so no worrys there.

I should have another update soon, hopefully with the :viper:'s.

[Stevew]

Just for kix I would like to see more light so I could see the models, my ols eyes are not what they use to be :salute:

[peter noble]

Just for your info
http://www.merzo.net/index.html

The battlestar size is totally off the mark.

[Digger_One]

Here's an update. Just a new scene I made. The Enterprise starts to evade the laser fire from the Hades Class Basestar.

http://www.captainshuttle.com/uploads/entevade.jpg

Any thoughts or comments?

Oh, and by the way, I've updated to earlier scenes with a more "Battlestar Galactica" like lighting, so the Base star and raiders are grey, as in the original series. Example:

http://www.captainshuttle.com/uploads/basestarUPDATE.jpg

Still working to get some Colonial Vipers.

:viper:

EDIT: It seems I resently got 5 posts. So, I downloaded the Battlestar Galactica from here. It looks SOOO much better then the Galactica I was going to use. I also intend on seeing what other models I can use from here, to enhance my fan film.

[ernie90125]

Its great to see these ships back to being grey. I'd never thought about what I'd think of them in different colours. I remember when the Enterprise D came along, first time I saw it was the first time I'd seen a non-white ST starship and it took some getting used to !!!!

Looking forwards to your continued work on this project......

[Digger_One]

Well, I was hoping to have an update worth showing today, but it seems that I'm having a problem with making the Raider's lasers fire. They're supposed to fire paired up, and that's just what they're not doing. I'm still working on it, and hoping to have an update worth posting by the end of today.

Go figure, those :cylon:'s never work when you want them to...

:viper:

[ernie90125]

Never had a problem with my toaster firing both at the same time.....oh never mind, bad Cylon joke !

Best of Luck......

[Digger_One]

Good one!

Well, I'm going to try something else to try and get these blasted :cylon:'s to fire properly. I'm hoping to start working on the interior footage soon.

Also, I have an new avatar, from what I think, was the creepyist two part cliffhanger from Battlestar Galactica "War of the Gods" Part I. That's about it for now.

:viper:

EDIT: One more question. Anyone one know where I might be able to find a model of the Battlestar Pegasus?

[ernie90125]

I have no idea on if a model of the Pegasus has ever been made. I know of Battlestars, other than the Galactica, appearing in fanfilms, but mostly distantly so it is very likely it was just two Galacticas. There are subtle differences between the Peg and Gal, and it may be the case no-one has ever made a specific model of the Pegasus. Sorry I can't be of more help....

[Digger_One]

It's okay. I was just wondering how hard it would be to change the name plate from "Galactica" to "Pegasus".

UPDATE

I finallly got those tin heads :cylon: to fire properly, and there for, finished yet another scene.

http://www.captainshuttle.com/uploads/raiderstart.jpg

Hopefully I don't have all that much farther to go. I've already started to cut these together, but without a music score yet. I'll get this done...somehow...

:viper:

[ernie90125]

Another image that builds anticipation......

Still not too sure about the model of the basestar, its kinda not coming off, it looks a bit like its made out of Lego. This isn't a reflection on you....i'm not sure what it is about it......perhaps it will come off better when part of an animation.

The Raider and lasers really standout in this image.....it really is building anticipation.....great work.

Have you thought of a name yet ? Also I think I mentioned before about a interesting factor of any fanfilm is the storyline....Space Battle 2 is a very visually impressive piece of CGI, but there is no established reason why Battlestars and Star Destroyers would be fighting ?

You could actually perhaps consider using the name to setup the storyline.....then the 2 jobs are done in one go, with no extra CGI work. For example :

An Allegiance's First Test
(This tells us : Galactica had found Earth. They have formed an allegiance with Starfleet against the Cylons. The Cylons have found their way to Federation space and they will likely destroy innocent targets. This battle is the first stand against them.)

Just my thoughts.................keep up the good work !

[gmd3d]

Try Here Digger, your will find a few BSG sounds

http://www.b5tech.net/sounds/sound.htm

there is also here for others.

www.findsounds.com

[spcglider]

Okay, I am SUCH a geek.

I opened up this thread and saw the Enterprise flying alongside the Galactica and got a little tingle run up my spine.

That was nice. That tiny geek-neuron cluster in the back of my brain that sent out a priority-one tingle to catch my attention thanks you.

-Gordon

[gmd3d]

how do you do your laser effect?

[Digger_One]

Thanks for those sound effects Taranis! They'll help me most extensively! The laser fire...

Well, at first, I was going to make the effect purely with Hypervoxels in Lightwave, and it worked too...for a little bit. I got the laser fire looking blue, and glowing, so I thought I was set. Then...disaster. I set up the "dramatic" lighting of the scene, and the laser fire turned purple on me! :cry: I wasn't all that happy, and was ready to give up, when I remembered everything I learned about rotoscoping lightsabers.:smart: I basicly took the technique for rotoscoping lightsabers, and put it in 3D. First, I did a render of the scene with the ship and stuff...no laser fire. Then, I killed all light in the scene, turned off the stars, and turned on pure white lasers. Did a render with the pure white lasers, and sandwiched the two renders together. Then, I simply enhanced the glow, and used the same color correction technique as a lightsaber would be, and there you have it. Galactica style laser bolts. They can be any color of the rainbow and more! :salute:

Hoping to have an update by tonight. Stay tuned.

:viper:

[gmd3d]

cOOL. I am a lightwave use myself and have just started getting into the Animation side of things ..

Have a look here
http://battlestarfanfilm.org./

[ernie90125]

Digger_one.....I shall be staying tuned tonight in eager anticipation !

The forum link Taranis has provided is for the major 14th Colony fanfilm.....not to be confused with my site which has a similar domain name....!!!!!

So Taranis....you're getting into animation too ? If they are as good as your still pictures.....we will ineed have good reason to stay tuned !!!!

When I started my site at the end of 2006...I just had a gut feeling that 2006 would be the year of the BSG fanfilm....very pleased you're with us Digger_One !

[gmd3d]

Yes I am work on the 14th Colony fanfilm and have spent the last month or more learning as much as possible :)