Questionabrolly's Classic Console

[questionabrolly]

I've been teaching myself Cinema 4D for the last year or so, and this is the first full set that I'm attempting to replicate. There are worse projects to try to take on doing this, right?

It's clearly a work in progress (been at it a couple weeks), but it is the first big model I've built from scratch.

I'd love any feedback, comments or suggestions anyone has to offer.

A few of the console elements are still missing, I know. The thingamahoocher on the top corner of panel 1, for instance...which, if anyone has a particularly good reference for modeling, I'd appreciate it. I've been having a heck of a time trying to get the chicken head knobs to look right as well.

I'll try to post more images as time permits. My computer isn't all that fast, so renders take a really long time. On that, render settings are kind of a beast unto themselves that I haven't quite tamed yet. Mostly guess and check. If anybody feels like explaining those and how I could fix my renderings, you'd be my new best friend.

[questionabrolly]

A couple more views of the same scene. Already spotted a few issues (namely the roundels on the living quarters doors are off by a smidge).

Still looking for a way to get those florescent tubes in the time rotor to pop more.

[galacticprobe]

Looks great so far. By the "thingamahoocher on the top corner of panel 1", if you're referring to the Fast Return Switch, you'll find some really good reference for that here in rob49152's great thread, in both a screen grab (http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=3209.msg36569#msg36569) and a most outstanding render (http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=3209.msg36548#msg36548). In that thread you'll also find a great image of the "Power Octagon" (a.k.a. "Canopy") that used to hang from overhead (http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=3209.msg35860#msg35860).

You'll find more on that "canopy" in Tony Farrell's excellent Articles here (http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=3709.msg52915#msg52915) and especially here (http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=4825.msg57931#msg57931). There is also this thread on it here (http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=3198.0 ...which, um... wasn't really an octagon.).

As for other suggestions, you may want to apply the same level of "whiteness" to the white triangles in the Black & White Flags at the top of the central column's internal rotor. Even under the cover they were still very white - almost as white as the outer section's light tubes when they're turned off. (The best way to show that is with this photo from Tony's Article. I'd have linked to it, but there were a lot of photos in that part of the Article and you'd have needed to scroll through them to find this one:)

You can see the light tubes are off, and they're just as white as the triangles in the black & white "flags" at the top of the rotor.

Also, those little orangey rectangles on your panels, I think, are (were) actually black (strips of rubber or thick electrical tape). Oh, and don't forget the red center disc on the Demat Lever knob on Panel 6. (It's the only knob like that on the console to have the red disc in its center; the other knobs like it are just plain black.)

And don't forget to check out the rest of Tony's Article on the original console room, as well as the http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?board=26.0 Board, especially the http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?board=51.0 Sub-board, which includes the "Power Octagon" thread above.

I hope this helps.

Dino.

[mutantrad]

Very nice indeed. The only 3D rendering I ever tried was of the original console in SketchUp, but it taught me enough to be impressed with this (especially as it's your first full set render). Were the roundel walls a little lighter green than the console? They are in the recent BBC rebuild. It's shaping up really nicely though - I'm looking forward to seeing more of it - keep posting!

[questionabrolly]

Dino, I think you just saved me what probably would have been days, if not weeks, of research! Thanks!! I should be able to get that section modeled by later this afternoon. Plus, that showed me a really good closeup of those indicator lights, which I've been meaning to fix up, too.

As for the flags, I just noticed that too. Thanks for pointing it out. Since it was a complex model, I've been modeling all the components in their own files and using "instances" of them in the main composition (which I find really funny, since it means the main console actually doesn't have any geometry on it at all!).

Mutantrad, thanks. Honestly, I think it'd be a lot tougher if I were using Sketchup. I was just fortunate enough to have a friend who let me use his old C4D, which otherwise would have been wicked spendy. Still, as far as free programs go, Sketchup's pretty darn good.

I've only toyed with Sketchup, but I think it's actually harder for me to use than C4D. In fact, I've toyed with most 3D programs and honestly, C4D is the first one I've been able to use to do much of anything. It still has some shortcomings of its own, but it seems to work even for someone with thought processes as disjointed as mine...which can lead to a lot of "what does this button do?"

Also, ctrl-Z is my friend.

[mutantrad]

Mutantrad, thanks. Honestly, I think it'd be a lot tougher if I were using Sketchup. I was just fortunate enough to have a friend who let me use his old C4D, which otherwise would have been wicked spendy. Still, as far as free programs go, Sketchup's pretty darn good.

I've only toyed with Sketchup, but I think it's actually harder for me to use than C4D. In fact, I've toyed with most 3D programs and honestly, C4D is the first one I've been able to use to do much of anything. It still has some shortcomings of its own, but it seems to work even for someone with thought processes as disjointed as mine...which can lead to a lot of "what does this button do?"

Also, ctrl-Z is my friend.

C4D - spendy indeed. I'm a graphic designer so more Photoshop/Illustrator than 3D - lucky you had a generous friend. I have a few online 'friends' for freebies Sketchup is actually surprisingly ok for good basic rendering. I've also tried using a light rendering plugin (free trial) which gave amazingly good results on a set I'd built. I imagine C4D may have such things built in though.

Can't believe you know ctrl-Z. A good mate of mine too.

[galacticprobe]

Dino, I think you just saved me what probably would have been days, if not weeks, of research! Thanks!!

No problem! I aim to please, and help out. ("Remember, I'm pulling for you; we're all in this together." )

Dino.