Sovereign blueprints master source for all needed

[detailgremlin2006]

Well... I was wanting to make some nice crisp straight lined up clear sharp (you get it now right?) great looking textures for the cgsov model for use in the latest version of my mod for another game but so far I can't find a very up close sharp see above blah blah source for reference.  The usual top/bottom side front back view type stuff but hi res enough so that when I zoom in with photoshop it doesn't all turn into pixel soup and jaggies ya know?

Is there a master directory for any and all sovereign blueprints? 

Yeah I know google well I've spent a long long time there and found that gerard gillian is very good at making blueprints but even his only hold up to about 50% zoom and thats not enough to get the windows and some other stuff super accurate.  I just need a little better than that and I should be able to properly match a texture to the model. 

I remember it was either mark or seanr had posted some links to an image directory of theirs somewhere on a forum but I forgot where that was lol. 

I've looked at the textures that cg himself made but I don't like them when I zoom in, even his ultra res pack which was like 10mb I could see where some of the escape pods were supposed to be lined up to a curve and were not all lined up etc. 

Now I know from all the reading I've done around here and other places on the web that due to the three different versions of the sovereign it's hard to make an accurate canon blueprint of the ship but I will take close enough for an answer as long as it looks very close to the nemesis design thats all that matters to me. 

It would be a big help to everyone here though not just me if this place had some kind of big huge collection of sovereign blueprints, if anyone that has them can upload them to one place and duplicates could be sorted out etc that would be a big step in the direction of getting closer to canon for everyone.

If someone can share a link here that has some good GOOD close up stuff that would be great and much appreciated thanks:-)

[lint]

if you want some high quality textures for the CG Sovereign search BCfiles for the Ultra Textures,
They are about as crisp as you can get

[detailgremlin2006]

Well those aren't ultra res enough for me.  When I zoom in the windows look like pixel soup and some of the things that should be following the curves of the saucer section don't curve and are noticeable.  I dunno when I would have time but I'm gonna try making something from gerard's blueprints and the ultra res stuff from cg and see if I can start from an originally super hi res photoshop image, use some sort of curved lines that are computer generated not people generated and maybe that will help a bit.  When everything is really straight and lined up it's easier to eliminate texture stretching during the skinning process.

[Nighthawk]

use some sort of curved lines that are computer generated not people generated

unless you have an uber-improved top of the line computer, and unless you change the code of BC (wich is impossible), you'll always have pixelation when you apply a texture to a model.
you can make your own model with all modelled details, but that would mean 25000 polygons just for the saucer.
the other way around is to use vector graphics but AFAIK, neither 3ds max nor lightwave support them as texture.
so, I'd say you ask a 3D artist who has already done a CGI sovereign for pictures because it's too hard to get it detailed.

[detailgremlin2006]

Well actually I'm not using it in BC but in another game thats not even star trek related.  Having 25k polys for the saucer alone isn't bad actually considering I already tried modelling all the windows and details into the cg sovereign but I'm not happy with the way it turned out.  Also it seems that multiple uv mapping slows down the game I'm modding for but I suspect it slows down any game because uv maps may be treated like polys in a strange way.  The main thing for me is getting all that darker grey paneling lined up correctly and the windows and the escape pods lined up correctly on a custom texture.  The game I'm modding for supports bump mapping and some other things so I can make a bump map for the texture I come up with using nvidia dp3 tool.

[Nighthawk]

what game is it?

[detailgremlin2006]

The game is x2 the threat, it's been widely known to x2 modders that new textures can't just be added they have to replace some defaults that aren't used instead but knowing which textures are used where in the game is difficult because there are thousands of 3d models in the game and going through them all to find out what is not used takes a long long long time.  I've found two of the three texture spaces I need to make some custom textures for the sovereign I just need one more replaceable texture and it's all good.  X2 can do bump mapping correctly and it has some good lighting and shadow effects on the textures too.  The texure use goes like this, diffuse, bumpmap, self illumination.  Earlier I tried modelling in all the panels and windows on CG's model but I'm not happy with it and it bogs down the game so I want to go back to the original CG model and only change a few things but use some really good textures this time for all the details and let the bumpmaps do the rest.

I've been browsing a 3d modelling site where I believe there are some official prints being used to make a model.  I have sent pm to that person that I think has them but haven't received a response yet.  If they share the prints with me I will also ask if those prints can be shared here and see what they say.  Hopefully if it all works out people around here will have some really nice prints to work from for the nemesis sovereign.

[Chronocidal Guy]

Well, I can say that I scoured the net for several years, and have yet to find a good Sovereign schematic.  The best I've ever been able to get for high-res pictures is to make planform renders of the CG Sov model.  I do have one set of schematic views of the Insurrection model, but they're pretty low resolution.

I've been hoping to put together a nice set of high quality schematics for a long time, hopefully when I rework the textures for the 2.0 version (sometime after I graduate this spring most likely) I can get the detail a little smoother.

[lint]

these seems to be a lack of pics like this on the net unfortunatly and they are often in low quality if they do exist.
Mr, CG, i will eagerly be waiting for more info on the 2.0

[detailgremlin2006]

Wow hey thanks for posting in here CG and thanks for the pics:-)

I was searching around for a model kit of the nemesis sovereign and could not find any not even on ebay or amazon.  Am I correct in assuming that no company has ever produced a nemesis model kit?

The reason why I ask is not for the model kit but for what might be sent along with it.  Many years ago I bought a model kit of the first contact sovereign and it came with an ortho view poster... unfortunately I threw away that poster lol but also sometimes the instructions offer some interesting views as well.  Even if the crappiest kit was produced it might still contain this ortho view poster and the instructions might be much more accurate than the model.

Is there a site that has scans of the various sovereign model kit instructions and or posters?

[DJ Curtis]

You probably wouldn't want them anyway.  AMT was notorious for the ship models being inacurate.

[Eagleeye]

hmmm I only found one model so far, thats based on the Nemesis Sovereign but im hell sure that it will cost pretty much !
I've got a Banzai Enterprise-E standing here, but it's the Enterprise form First Contact and the model itsself isn't canon based on that Sovereign.
Heres the one I mentioned earlier http://sovereignreplicas.com/mp.htm
Hope it helps, at least a bit

It's a good idea on getting a Sovereign to X2, many are waiting for a decent Sovereign over at X3 Reunion, too.
The only Sovereign I have is in X3 and it's CGs, but I just tested one, I think it shows perfectly to what the X2 or X3 Games are capable of, Hull walking (ok you fly in an Space Suit but still flying near a ships hull will give you the feeling that you walk on its Hull

[detailgremlin2006]

Sovereignreplicas is the place that I tried to contact although it's actually with the guy that was making the models himself cuz I have reason to believe that he has access to canon reference of the nemesis sovereign but can't fully disclose where he got it or maybe I'm wrong about that it's just the vibe I'm pickin up over there in those forums...

I have X3 I just haven't started playing it yet due to me wanting to finish the final version of my mod for X2 first. 


Like I said the model kit is not really needed just the possibly included ortho poster and or instructions which might provide more canon reference to the nemesis design.

[Chronocidal Guy]

Your best bet for good instructions would likely be the Bandai Enterprise-E they released.  It's a fancy expensive model with lights included.  I don't remember if it's based on the Nemesis version or not.  Likelyhood is though, since those models came pre-painted, there's probably no reason for them to include detailed decal/painting schematics.  I don't remember the Ent-A coming with any.

You might also try looking up the company Art Asylum, they produced a toy/replica of the ship based straight off of the Nemesis CGI model.

[Eagleeye]

I've got one of those Banzai Enterprise-Es but belive me, it's the First Contact Version and its un canon if you really want one thats absolutley canon (I got that one on my Birthday, if you ask me I don't really care if it's 100% canon, good enough that it's the Enterprise-E I never found any other ones on the Internet that were payable, it costed 130? and that was much to my school times, but those times gone, I'm already working in a Laboratory for Textile stuff). But if I remember correctly there were some of those Maps in there but I don't know if I still have them, I gotta look tommorow, maybe I can find them ;) . And in Terms of un canon things on Banzais Big-E werde that the section form the Saucer to the bridge, where the registry is on, is too flat. And it has 2 Torpedotubes under the last Shuttlebay on the aft.
Here are some pics to show what I mean...

edit (nah I can't find the pics with the wrong torpedo tubes, gotta post them tommorow)

[detailgremlin2006]

Thanks for the info guys if you find that image please let me know because a good scan of it would benefit everyone especially if it's a nemesis design:-)

When I bought that first contact sov kit (gawd it was a while back) it came with this black and white poster or paper was it, the poster and or paper had clean detailed lines of top bottom side front back view of the ship and it was all line work no paint instructions or anything like that just a black and white line drawing like a blueprint.  I really wish I would have kept that but I know it got tossed years ago lol.  I've got a very low res gif of the same image that I found on the net but I haven't found a hi res version of it yet.

If I just wanted to go with the first contact model I could use gerard gillian's blueprints of the ship which are pretty good actually but nope me wants nemi lol I just wish paramount would release a good kit of her and some good prints too.

[Eagleeye]

Well is was not able to find that one, but I found another Poster I collected a while back look at this :

I hope that helps, but it's only the FC Sovereign thats the only thing I had

[detailgremlin2006]

Wow I see what you mean about the front area of that model kit being too flat lol it looks like somebody sat on it.  Reminds me of the galaxy class model kit I have I think it was made by ertl but can't remember atm, anyways the right nacelle pylon is twisted inward on that kit and I have seen atleast one other of the same galaxy kit that had the same problem about a year after I got mine.

I think it would be nice if sovereign replicas would make a small version of the ship instead of the several feet long variety.  It would cost less and sell faster too.

[Chronocidal Guy]

Just so you know, that Sov blueprint above is a disaster.  Completely wrong in quite a few areas, most notably the deflector area, nacelle design (especially the pylons) and underside of the saucer (they completely forgot 4 of the underside window bays).  That's not even covering whether the thing has correct proportions.  Most online references you're going to find are based on that set, and are all completely screwed up for it.  It is possible to make an accurate Sov model with them (I started with these prints several years back), but you'll have to modify the heck out of it before it's accurate.

[Chronocidal Guy]

Don't know if anyone is still looking at this, but I tried a little trick in Max earlier with my latest Sovereign model.  It's not a detailed schematic, since it's missing the actual hull details, but it does give an overall outline of the design.  As far as I know, the proportions are the same as the Insurrection CGI model, with the Nemesis modifications.

I made it big on purpose, to get a good level of detail.  If this isn't big enough, I have a 5000*5000 version. ;)