Rendezvous with Rama

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My attempt showing the S.S.V. Endeavour approaching and then touching down on the surface of Rama, modelled in @Lightwave3d, I modified the Endeavour a little.

Rendezvous with Rama is a science fiction novel by British writer Arthur C. Clarke, first published in 1973. Set in the 2130s, the story involves a 50-by-20-kilometre (31 by 12 mi) cylindrical alien starship that enters the Solar System. The story is told from the point of view of a group of human explorers who intercept the ship in an attempt to unlock its mysteries.

Images

Posted on Apr 12, 2019 by gmd3d

I have removed a number of older images, work in progress of the USS Enterprise and such which have never had any trafic worth mentioning, along with my shift away from Star Trek and other franchies like Blakes’7 which was a great distraction away from ST I have spent far to long in that universe to the point I have Star Trek fatigue, my focus will be for my own designs like the Halcyon ship, I had in mind to design a mothership for this, and currently racking my brain to remember the ideas I had at the time.

In my imagination I thought along the lines of a huge design, a few miles long design perhaps never to return to Earth once launched, a generation ship. And this Halcyon ships/shuttles would act like Space1999 Eagles 🙂 the shape of the cockpit windows now make sense, yes! (Londo Mollari voice)

Will I hope to have some early designs posted asap.

Star Trek: Birth of a Star

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Another rendering using my Enterprise model and GrahamTG art as the setting, birth of a star perhaps, good enough title as any.

my appreciation to Graham Gazzard aka GrahamTG who makes his artwork available for us modellers who sometime get around to rendering..

gmd3d designs

Posted on Mar 31, 2017 by gmd3d

“Welcome to my small corner of the web”

Hello and welcome, my name is Gerard Duffy aka gmd3d, a mix of my name and interest, not very inventive but easy to remember. Feel free to look around and check out the number of science fiction designs I have worked on over the years.

You can also find my tutorial of how to build the USS Enterprise from Star Trek TOS in Lightwave3d, aimed for beginners, check under Lightwave Tutorial in the menu above, its is downloadable in PDF format and is free.

This blog features a mixed bag of designs and interests, you might find something at the side options to interest you >>>

I have made some very good friends over the years through forums, two of the remaining sites are listed below.

Foundation3d
Lightwave3d and other 3d programs
(can be slow with bad connections)

3dscifi
Blender & other 3d programs

“All are welcome”

My CGI program of choice is Lightwave3D by Newtek, which is an excellent 3D modelling and rendering program and I’ve used it since 2006, Lightwave3d was first seen used very effectively in Babylon 5 (1994) where the producers took a bold step with this new CGI visual effect technology approach and went on to make a name for itself in the entertainment industry, though now its use has dwindled.

Science fiction and designs created for these shows have always being of interest to me from as far back as I can remember, in book or film, the stories I enjoy the most are those that shows us possible futures where technology transports us to new worlds and where humanity has grown into a space traveling society.

Star Trek
Battlestar Galactica
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
Star Wars
2001: A Space Odyssey,
Destination Moon,
The Day the Earth Stood Still,
When Worlds Collide,
Forbidden Planet,
Journey to the Center of the Earth,
The War of the Worlds,
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

The old 1930s
Flash Gordon
Buck Rogers

Legal Disclaimer

© Star Trek, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica and other trademarks are held by their relevant copyright holders “no infringement is intended” I hold the copyright for my own works, please do not use my artwork, images, tutorial in any commercial setting without first contacting me.
Contact
gmd3ds@gmail.com

I am always happy to see comments or suggestions on any of the artwork or designs, comments not in relating to the art or designs, ie: spam is deleted.

Gerard Duffy

Concept Design: The Halcyon Part 6

Posted on Jan 29, 2017 by gmd3d

The Halcyon

The plan of the external look of the design is more or less complete save some minor detail on the main body and some additional details in the engine section.

2000AD’s: Dan Dare P1 “Eagle Shuttle Scale”

Posted on Dec 2, 2016 by gmd3d

Updated the scale of Dan Dare Shuttle design..

The Final scale is still open to revision but its works for me

Concept Design: Jules Verne’s Nautilus 10 “Nautilus Layout”

Posted on Oct 18, 2016 by gmd3d

“Nautilus Internal Layout”

Here you are my friends the last working I did for the Nautilus

It is the last, I don’t want to explore this any more, but for fellow readers of Aronnax and Conseil odyssey under the sea’s with the irascible Ned Land and the mysterious Captain Nemo, this is the design I now imagine, as much as I love Harper Goff’s Disney design.

The Nautilus is described as having a cylindrical hull 70 meters long and 8 meters in diameter, which I have indicated with this outline, and I could just about fit all the internal settings as described by Jules Verne on one level (the mid section), that could house the cabins of Professor Aronnax (2.5 meters long) which would have room for a simple bunk, writing deck, chair wardrobe and adjoining W.C with show, working back then to Captain Nemo larger room (5 meters long) with a work area and W.C. that could contain a bath.

Moving back we have the salon (10 meters long) with the large portholes for viewing the undersea world, this room doubles for museum, that has art and marine collection of some significant value, next is a dining room (5 meters long) of some elegance and adjoining that is the Library (5 meters long) containing 12,000 books.

We are now at the midpoint of the submarine where you will find a spiral staircase connecting 3 level the size of this central section is not given this area connects to other smaller rooms that house the galley & some storage rooms, where I have placed our other two passengers Ned Land and Conseil as they travel 20,000 leagues under the sea’s, moving further back we have a large W.C or bathhouse for the crew which I have estimated at 12 men can bunk comfortably. Then there is the batteries and engine machine area

Star Trek Chain of Attack

Posted on May 4, 2016 by gmd3d

“Art inspired by one of my favourite Star Trek Novels”

Star Trek: Chain of Attack, Novel by Gene DeWeese

Stranded in a hostile galaxy, the Enterprise is caught up in a deadly interstellar conflict!

While mapping a series of gravitational anomalies, the USS Enterprise is suddenly hurled millions of light years through space, into a distant galaxy of scorched and lifeless worlds… into the middle of an endless interstellar war.

With no way back home, the crippled starship finds itself under relentless and suicidal attack by both warring fleets! And Captain Kirk must gamble the lives of his crew on his ability to stop a war that has raged for centuries – and ravaged a galaxy…

The Enterprise is playing host to Federation Science Council representative Doctor Jason Crandall, an irascible bureaucrat who oversaw the creation of new sensors designed to detect gateways—portals in space, which the Enterprise had previously encountered. The Enterprise is investigating the gateways when it is thrown through one, and ends up in an unknown area of space with extremely dense star formations. After trying unsuccessfully to return through the gateway, the Enterprise sets off to explore the nearby star systems, in hopes of finding the gateways’ creators, and thus a way home. However, all they find are planets rendered uninhabitable through bombardment with fusion bombs, phasers and other weapons. Finally they come across a spaceship, but rather than responding to their attempts at communication, it just attacks. Armed only with lasers, its attacks are ineffective, and so it tries to ram the Enterprise and then when this is ineffective, detonates its warp core.

Background by NASA and manipulated by a friend (Tom).. a quick render.. but the background just set the scene for me.. 2nd and 3rd have minor lighting change.. I am not trying to be picture perfect space shot but to create and interesting image for a view to enjoy.

*****

Star Trek “One More Orbit”

Posted on May 1, 2016 by gmd3d

One More Orbit

A rendering using a NASA image as background (Mars, standing in for some far-off world) featuring the Constitution Class Starship USS Enterprise.

I hope you like them.

*****

Star Trek: Federation Space-Dock P6

Posted on Apr 13, 2016 by gmd3d

I mostly just renders to show of designs. but I was goofing around with this scene and added stars and planet Epsilon III by David cgc and this was the result .. I liked it and decided to post
Starbase 13 was a Federation Starbase located on the edge of the Federation Phalanx, It also was the destination in the Star Trek Novel Enterprise: The First Adventure It was not trying to create a real space scene as I said, I was just playing with the scene and the result was something I liked.

Star Trek: Federation Space-Dock P5

Posted on Apr 11, 2016 by gmd3d

Well a little play with the title, but its my last post for these designs, for the time being, I have the need for a new project and I am looking at a few ideas, but I will be back to it in the near future.

Star Trek: Federation Space-Dock P4

Posted on Apr 7, 2016 by gmd3d

Star Ships

Docking & Powering Down

I have wondered from time to time how I would liked to have seen the USS Enterprise or any Star Trek ship from The Original Series era, entering a space dock, in this case one inspired by Franz Joseph early designs, entering one of the 5 bays (Orbs) and then the 5 Inner docks (Connective Tube), which is how I have defined the inner sections of the facility, I do some plans sometime later. but the outer dome area is the Bay (which there are 6 and can hold up to 3 Constitution Class ship, and in my view of Star Trek is the largest man-made vessel, no Dreadnoughts) and the inner is the Dock (6), I will have to add some kind of Dock like mechanisms.

The bussard’s, I imagine power down in set stages as the docking ship enters the inner docking area.. the colourful lights powering down first then the outer orange layer power down before it all goes to a darker shade, then nothing a silver transparency.

1. USS Enterprise approaches the Starbase
2. The USS Enterprise hands over control to dock control and under remote control.
3. Kirk orders the Warp engines to Power Down
4. Commander Scott deactivates the Bussards and Warp Engines
5. The reaction within the Bussards start to cool
6. Within moments the cooling has taken effect and the engines themselves are cold
7. The USS Enterprise now with Warp Power deactivated and crew can disembark,
8. It will take 30 minutes to power up to return to space and roam free.