New X-Ship

By wayne douglas power (Wayne) on Monday, February 17, 2020 - 05:32 pm: Edit

Three Strakes works for the PCX (perhaps three diamond shaped bumps along the sides of the strake could work?)

By Charles Chapel (Ctchapel) on Monday, February 17, 2020 - 06:09 pm: Edit

Could you have hexes as an engine detail to link the neos' tech into these advanced PC hulls?

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, February 17, 2020 - 06:31 pm: Edit

Charles has a thought.

By Shawn Hantke (Shantke) on Monday, February 17, 2020 - 06:57 pm: Edit

The strakes look good. Is Charles thinking half hexes on the sides of the strakes instead of rectangles? On second thought, that might be a good way to differentiate strakes for the different Empires. Fed Rectangles, Kling Trapezoids, Tholians, Hexes, Kzinti Diamonds, Orions Wide hexes etc. some shape that each empire uses often on the sides of the strakes.

By Mark Hutton (Trynda1701) on Monday, February 17, 2020 - 06:59 pm: Edit

Shawn, I thing Charles might mean the cooling grids? I'd like to see that too, I mentioned something like that on the CX thread when the first PCX pics were posted.

I also mentioned putting a small wedge at the top rear of the three wings...

/\7

...where the '/' and '\' symbols are the wing slopes, and the '7' is the wedge.

I see that might not work due to the web generators, so how about putting the wedge on the front slope?

By wayne douglas power (Wayne) on Monday, February 17, 2020 - 07:10 pm: Edit

I was thinking similar detail along the strakes, the detail shapes like the ones on the hull.

By AW Cookson (Awcookson) on Monday, February 17, 2020 - 09:42 pm: Edit

Looking at the floor plan from CapLog I'd like to suggest that the strakes all be a uniform distance from the bow. I think the forward most position looks best.

By Mike West (Mjwest) on Tuesday, February 18, 2020 - 09:52 am: Edit

I agree that all three strakes should be the same distance front-to-back as each other. The current configuration looks uneven.

This is partially because I think it just looks better if they are equal all the way around. It is also because of the idea that strakes should be opposing each other. In the Tholian case, they aren't directly opposite each other, but I would expect all three need to find the same "core", so should match front-to-back.

By Steven Zamboni (Szamboni) on Tuesday, February 18, 2020 - 10:48 am: Edit

Wedges on the wing tips looks too much like the Remastered Web Spinner. Had to toss that idea a long time ago.

By Mark Hutton (Trynda1701) on Tuesday, February 18, 2020 - 11:14 am: Edit

SteveZ

I wasn't suggesting anything as drastic as the Remastered TV ship. My wedge idea was a small almost equilateral triangle shaped wedge only on the top plane of each wing, the same plane as the strakes. Kind of like a door wedge? Gives another slight difference to the standard PC hull.

I always loved the old SL2200 details that were added to the basic shape of the TV ship. Those minis are some of my favourites of all the Trek minis that I own.

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 - 01:07 am: Edit

My main concern with the bulked-out side wedges shown here is how large those on the DDX might have to be in turn in order to follow suit.

I do like the idea of replacing the diamond-like surface on the X-engine cowls with something hexagonal. Perhaps that could in turn be carried over to the command modules of Neo-Tholian X-ships.

And I would also agree with making the strakes here more Tholian-ey, with sharper angles on the "body" of the strakes, and possibly hexagons instead of squares on the sides.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 - 01:59 pm: Edit

Version 3

By AW Cookson (Awcookson) on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 - 02:57 pm: Edit

Ooooooo! Shibby.

Point of inquiry; The hex field along on the aft section... Why did you raise the hexes instead of recessing them like a grill pattern?

By Mike West (Mjwest) on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 - 03:01 pm: Edit

I gotta admit that ship is pretty sweet.

By Mark Hutton (Trynda1701) on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 - 03:03 pm: Edit

Very nice, SteveZ!

That hex pattern on the cooling grids really helps say advanced engine design on the basic PC hull. The hull 'aztec' panelling added also gives the ship an advanced look.

Also like your new design of the strakes, gives them a unique Tholian look. Could they be a touch lower please?

They're all in line now, yes?

By Will McCammon (Djdood) on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 - 03:09 pm: Edit

Any lower, and the strakes won't be there anymore. They're only a bit more than twice the height of the shuttle door and tractor on the rear edge, as they are now.

By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 - 03:53 pm: Edit

Very nice ship all around....
Though the Strakes resemble rifle rails,
make people wonder what could be mounted on them...
Maybe a little surprise that wouldn't fit inside....

By Steven Zamboni (Szamboni) on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 - 05:14 pm: Edit

Recessed hex patterns have printing issues - the grid between the hexes turns into a complex raised wall pattern which requires very high detail plastics to pull off. (The Andros and Neo-Tholians already fought that battle which is why they both have raised hex patterns.)

Keep in mind Tholians are tiny ships, and we're zoomed in close so scale is a bit distorted. There's not much on this ship that can be made smaller and still print.

By Charles Chapel (Ctchapel) on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 - 05:32 pm: Edit

Nice, thank you.

By wayne douglas power (Wayne) on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 - 10:22 pm: Edit

Good one, nice PCX version 3

By Chris Nasipak (Ecs05norway) on Thursday, February 20, 2020 - 12:05 am: Edit

I like this version. Very nice.

By Lawrence Bergen (Lar) on Thursday, February 20, 2020 - 02:02 am: Edit

Can the pillar ends of the strakes be slightly shorter and hexagonal? I am just sticking with a theme

By Steve Stewart (Stevestewart) on Thursday, February 20, 2020 - 07:25 am: Edit

Very nice indeed!

By Charles Chapel (Ctchapel) on Saturday, February 22, 2020 - 03:11 pm: Edit

New idea, make the strakes a line of faceted hexagons, like the ends of crystals "growing" out of the hull.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, March 02, 2020 - 03:51 pm: Edit

APPROVED