So the model is having some of the last few details added on but thought I would post some pictures.
Firstly we have to see where we came from, you may remember this bad boy the Scipio Africanus
The front with antenna and questionable number of torpedo launchers, the image for the Scipio does only show one though so I guess it was correct?
Side view, bits missing from the vessel such as the rails that run above and below the PDCs and the model was a two section design. Detail was lacking in terms of texture and detail as well as body work parts.
Side front, thruster array was just wrong and again the plating was a bit off and lacking in detail
Engine bell, was wrong layout and number of stays as well as fins, infact the entire back end was just a bit off. Again lack of detail and design compared to the actual ship
Underside, again wrong shape for the docking bay, engineering details lacking the usual stuff
The model was designed around ease of trying to build as well as limitations in experience and design with the new version I have tried to fix and expand on the level of detail as well as the complexity of while trying some different techniques for building parts.
So the big update firstly we have the new Blender model
It's a combination of trying to get as close to the actual shape of the ship while adding more detail within a level that can actually be built. I've taken a few artistic liberties in terms of shape and design of some parts of vessel as the vessel is an oddly difficult one in terms of interconnected bits to get right. The same goes for texturing and detail.
So what's changed with this model over the last version? Well the biggest change is this
Say hello to the Cu Chulainn.
Named after a Celtic God and if you're wondering when she appears in The Expanse it's the vessel that the Roci nearly runs in to when Alex is doing his rollercoaster ride around the moons of Jupiter on his re-entry to Ganymede. I chose it because it is one of the few models where it is possible to get a 360 degree look at the layout of the ships livery.
I've also tweaked; the colouring, darker blacks and a better contrast of orange and grey (this took a fair amount of tweaking of monitor settings to get what was on my screen coming out of my printer), added detailing and wear and tear (I have tried to cut down on cut and paste pattern repetition of things like dirt, detail and wear basically tried to give it a more naturally occurred look.) I also sorted the plating texture effect so that it is closer to the actual vessel in terms of size and layout while trying to add a better depth effect to it.
New front end that's been reshaped along with increase in detail with added depth to detail parts. The parts should also fit together a bit better than the older ones
Top front, more detail, and added the cut away insert where the rear hull and front meet. Also rescaled and resized the various 'intakes'.
All the new stuff in one shot. The model now has three main sections. I've sorted the back end of the model to more closely represent the layout and design of the fins. Added loads of additional detail and parts to rear sections of the model. Added the missing rails above and below the PDCs as well as repositioning the layout of the PDCs and their mounts and yes new stands for displaying the model.
Engine bell has had a whole load of new details added as well as a rework of the textures and look. The model does include the correct number of stays and fins as well as their layout, however my build actually has the stays incorrectly laid out. The whole point was to add depth and detail to the parts around the back. This has had a fair amount of artistic liberty taken as there is literally only one shot of the back end of this ship and it has next to no useable detail in it.
New better shaped and detail docking bay and engineering section. I know odd going for detail on something that will never get seen unless it is removed from the stand but it actually bugged me going for the lower detail incorrectly shaped parts simply for a quicker easier build.
Just a close up of one of the thruster modules showing a closer look at some of the texture and plating details
Her sitting with her fellow Expanse mates. The Roci will be getting new stands that match the Truman and Morrigan very shortly.