XCV-330 Orthographics

Description:

This is my model of the XCV-330. I'm not overly concerned with the presentation of these images in specific. What I prefer is commentary on the model itself. You can download the model (and my others) here: https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/by/WideFoot I've done a fairly large number of 3D ship drawings, but this is my only canon ship from any universe. I feel comfortable doing this ship because the original "official" design is so loosely defined. There are two things which make my version stand out: Most dominantly is the use of a cylinder in the engineering hull in the back. In every other design I've seen (including my old one) the stubby "wings" and main pylon sort of sprout out of nothing. One of the earliest design decisions I made was to use that dynamo detail in front of the centerdyne. I liked it, it was unusual for the ship, and it was fun to make. But, using the dynamo meant that I couldn't follow the standard detail for this section. It also meant that I got to add stiffeners to the base of the long boom leading to the habitation section, which I like. Next, the bubble attached to the side of the habitation module is covered in sensor equipment. In the original design for the show "starship" which never got off the ground, I'm told that this bubble was supposed to be a sort of holodeck where the crew could explore the planet while never leaving the safety of the ship. Of course, that's not very Star Trek-y, so in my case it became a sensor package. I imagine it spinning like some kind of 3D-mapping LiDAR system, just much more advanced. In other versions of this ship i've seen, that bubble turns into a shuttle bay with TOS style clam-shell doors. That's a good idea too because, as it is, this ship is too old to have transporters, but also doesn't seem to have a shuttle anywhere. My rings are fairly standard. I discovered afterward that the shading on the little fins that I added to the outer side of the rings work really well in lots of ways when properly lit. The connectors running longitudinally between the rings aren't as bulky or prevalent as in most designs, but that's okay. I don't think big bulky connectors work well with the otherwise sleek shape of the ship. There are very few things I don't like. most of them have to do with the lack of detailing in the habitation module. I'm not really sure what to put in the very forward-most section. Nothing seems necessary, but it does look vacant.