Celestia Forums

I'm building a new spacecraft model for Celestia. I don't have time to describe the project in details, but I'm showing here the first stages of the construction :

First step :


Adding some details :


Building up the command center (some parts are wrong and will be updated) :


EDIT : Here's a download link to the model. WARNING : The model has a very HIGH resolution (LOTS of details) and will probably slow down your Celestia to an unacceptable level. You need a powerfull computer, a large screen and FSAA (hardware antialiasing) to use this model. If you don't have FSAA and a good video card, don't bother downloading the model, it's not worth it !

http://nho.ohn.free.fr/celestia/Cham/SS_Kepler.zip (14.9 MB zip file)

If you use the model, please, tell me your frame rate in Celestia, and if you have antialiasing, so I can know if it's really worth it to make other models of that resolution.

If your system can't support the above version, here's a link to a lighter version, with MUCH less details (if it still can't work properly on your system, then I'm really sorry) :

http://nho.ohn.free.fr/celestia/Cham/SS ... _Light.zip

Here's a link to three smaller variations models :

SS Copernicus : (a bit smaller than SS Kepler)
http://nho.ohn.free.fr/celestia/Cham/Copernicus.zip (13.2 MB zip file)


SS Carl Sagan :
http://nho.ohn.free.fr/celestia/Cham/SS_Sagan.zip (10.6 MB zip file)


Courier :
http://nho.ohn.free.fr/celestia/Cham/Taxi.zip (9 MB zip file)

Very cool! It looks like quite a complex models--be sure to leave some triangles around for the rest of us

--Chris

I think that the spaceship models look pretty complex. I can't make my own spaceships because I don't have the skiils to do it. I'd just be making stc and ssc files.

Looks great Cham.

Looks very interesting! Sort of Von Braunish...
Are you planning something with it?

- rthorvald

I don't think it has enough fuel tanks...

Seriously, looks very cool .

The frame rate should be very acceptable for most ppl. I'm optimizing all the pieces, and I get a pretty high FPS for the moment. I expect the frame rate to drop at around 25-30 FPS (on my system) when the model will be finished. Right now, I'm having about 55 FPS.

I'm planning a Mars and Beyond exploration mission.

Here's an update to the model. It's about 40% finished. I don't have a final name for the spaceship yet. Temporarily, it's called 'Nexus'. The parabolic antennas should be corrected, the head isn't finished yet, and there will be much more details everywhere. The main engine is a bit too small, I think.

I think it could do with some manoeuvering thrusters along the length... looks like it'll be a right pain to try to turn it!

Malenfant,

don't forget gyroscopes ! To rotate a spaceship, you don't need thrusters. Internal gyroscopes could do the trick.

Cham wrote:Malenfant,

don't forget gyroscopes ! To rotate a spaceship, you don't need thrusters. Internal gyroscopes could do the trick.

On something small (like a space probe) that'd work, but that thing looks far too big for that. You'd need some massive gyroscopes, and I think the stress would probably break the ship.

You're probably right. I may add some thrusters, anyway.

No, no thrusters...a ship like this will know where it's going...looking very fine I must say.

Unfortunately, spacecraft can't use only gyroscopes for attitude control. Frictional and other losses eventually cause the gyros to be running at extremely high rotational velocities so they have to be "unloaded". Thrusters often are used for this. The total fuel usage is much less than it otherwise would have to be, though.

Couldn't the attitude adjusters be placed at the base (On a long, ship like this) near the primary thrusters? Or, maybe the outer ports on the primary thrusters could be angled accordingly to serve as the adjusters.
Awesome ship Cham!

How about crew accomodations? Are you planning any rotational sections?

This is a really excellent design, though. I have a Mars ship sketched out somewhere, but your design looks much more plausible.

...John...

At first, my project was supposed to have a rotating part. Well, I failed at it. I'll try to add this feature for a future variation on this model.

Here's my design. If the link doesn't work, let me know and I'll transfer it to image shack or something. Apologies for the poor scanner quality.

The length of the ship would also have clusters of "grapes", I call them, the spherical fuel containers, as well as the "pills" - the oblong fuel tanks - which are shown. Also not shown are another set of solar panels, opposite to thos which are shown.

...John...

I'm still adding details. The frame rate is around 35 FPS, so far so good ! The head will be worked later this week. I don't plan to add any textures.

Here's a large shot :

If one day Celestia permit models to cast shadows, this one will be really cool...