Federation Commander

Rags · Posted: Sat May 20, 2017 6:57 am Post subject: Hydran Light Cruiser Variants

I am modelling a few Hydran ships at the moment and before I get too far down the track I wanted to double check I am using the correct hull designs for the light cruiser variants. For the Hydran light cruiser variants with ship cards available for FC, my understanding is they are based on the following hull designs:

Mongol Variants - Apache Command Cruiser, Mongol-S Scout Cruiser, Tartar.

Horseman Variants- Cataphract Commando Cruiser, Mule LTT, New Escort Cruiser.

Steve Cole · Site Admin Joined: 11 Oct 2006 Posts: 3807

Those are some of them.

What do you mean by "modelling"?
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The Guy Who Designed Fed Commander

Rags · Posted: Sun May 21, 2017 4:35 am Post subject:

Thanks for the quick reply. I am trying to make some Hydran miniatures in the same scale and style as the Starline 2500 ships for other fleets. All for personal use, not anything that will be distributed to others. I am also experimenting with making much smaller (about 1/8000 scale) ships to use as an alternative to counters on the small hex side of the Federation Commander map boards and as play pieces for other games where smaller ships are more suited. Again, this is just something for my own personal use.

Before I get too carried away with modelling the entire Hydran fleet I am slowing down and focusing on the Mongol, Horseman, and a variant of each. Hopefully I can find most problems and solve any unexpected difficulties as I finish making those ships. The Mongol and Horseman also give me the opportunity to explore how variation in the panel lines can add visual distinctiveness to ships with very similar hulls, in the way the various proper SL2500 miniatures like the Klingon D6 and D7 were given distinctiveness.

Sgt_G · Posted: Sun May 21, 2017 6:43 am Post subject:

Are you hand-carving them, or drafting them up in CAD and porting to a 3-D printer?
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Master Sgt, US Air Force, Retired -- 1981-2007 -- 1W091A

Rags · Posted: Mon May 22, 2017 4:40 am Post subject:

I am using Wings3D to create the models and will be 3D printing them. Dedicated CAD software would be more suited, however I am already familiar with Wings and it is capable of exporting the file format required. I just need to always keep in mind the limitations of the printer and make sure I don't do an action that will make something unprintable. Before printing I will be using software from the printer manufacturer for orientation, mistake detection, adding any required support structures etc.

My original plan was to 3D print bare hull shapes and then complete all the finer details by hand. After finishing the models of the basic hulls I decided to try continuing with the 3D modeling and attempt 3D printing fully detailed designs. I will be printing them with a stereolithography machine that can print what I think is very fine layer thicknesses, so I may as well take the opportunity to explore what it is capable of producing. Since this is in general discussion I won't go any further with the details and risk derailing this into a technical discussion.

djdood · Posted: Mon May 22, 2017 3:34 pm Post subject:

Raqs -

Feel free to set up a thread in the Miniatures topic to discuss CAD modeling and 3D printing of minis. There are at least 3 of us here who at least dabble.
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Steve Cole · Site Admin Joined: 11 Oct 2006 Posts: 3807

And were are looking for 3d modellers to provide ships for our Shapeways store. Email me.
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The Guy Who Designed Fed Commander

Rags · Posted: Wed May 24, 2017 7:00 am Post subject:

SVC - Email sent.

Will McCammon - I will start a thread in the Miniatures topic when I get home later tonight and share a few screen shots of my progress so far.