Can 3D Modeling Bring Classic Star Trek and Looney Tunes Together?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the recreation of classic Star Trek matte paintings as 3D renderings, incorporating elements from Looney Tunes characters. Participants share their experiences with the technical challenges of 3D modeling, lighting adjustments, and the creative process of blending these two distinct universes.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant discusses the difficulty of aligning 3D models with the original perspective of matte paintings, noting issues with perspective lines and unrealistic connections in the design.
  • Another participant questions the lighting in the images, suggesting that they appear too dark compared to the original renderings.
  • A later reply acknowledges the lighting issue, attributing it to the contrast between the rendering background and the display background.
  • Several participants reference the reuse of matte paintings in different episodes, indicating a shared interest in the historical context of the visuals.
  • One participant expresses enthusiasm for the 3D models, highlighting a mash-up of Star Trek and Looney Tunes themes.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying opinions on the lighting of the images, with some agreeing that the darkness is an issue while others do not address it. The discussion includes multiple perspectives on the technical challenges faced in the modeling process, and no consensus is reached on the best approach to resolve these issues.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention specific technical aspects of 3D modeling, such as the use of HDRI backgrounds and the "fur" feature in Blender, which may imply limitations in their understanding of lighting and rendering techniques.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in 3D modeling, fans of Star Trek and Looney Tunes, and those exploring the intersection of animation and classic television may find this discussion relevant.

Janus
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deltavega.png

"I knew I should have taken that left turn at Aldebaran!"

As of late I've been trying my hand at recreating some of the matte paintings used in the original Star trek series as 3D renderings.
Above is first one I did. It turned out to be a bit trickier than I first thought. Since this was a painting, the original artist was a bit free with his perspective lines. No matter how I placed the camera or adjusted the focal-distance, I couldn't get my 3D models to line up the same. Also, some of the piping had an Escher-like quality, with connections that just wouldn't work in reality. Adding Bugs just struck my whimsy. He is a full 3D model of my own making with armatures to make him posable.

Rigel_VII.png

Looks like Marvin got himself some new digs.

Rigel VII fortress from "The Menagerie" (also used in a later episode as something else) I kind of felt that Marvin the Martian would feel at home here.
This was my first attempt of using the "fur" feature of blender to create a ground cover vegetation effect.

Janus_VI.png

"The Devil in the Dark"

Underground mining facility from the Episode of the same title ( To get the "gag" look about 1/3 of the way from the left at the bottom of the image.)

No Looney Tunes characters in the next two ( but If I can do a good 3D model of Daffy Duck, I could add "Duck Dodgers" into either of these.)

Eminiar_VII.png

Eminiar VII from "A Taste of Armageddon"

The figures in the image are posable 3d models imported from Daz-3D. I did very little with them other than posing them and a little adjustment to the clothing textures.

Starbase.png

Starbase 11 from "Court Martial"

Base human figures were imported as before, but this time I fashioned the Star fleet uniforms they are wearing.
With this one and a couple of others above, I added a slight focal blur effect that softens the details of objects in the distance. It serves tow functions: It adds to the feel of "depth" and makes it so I don't have to spend too much time and effort of adding all the fine details to the distant objects.
Another one where the perspective lines gave me headaches. I compromised with this one. Some of the modeled objects in this scene aren't exactly made "square" so that I could preserve the look of the original.
 
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Nice, but why is the lighting so DARK in all of them?
 
phinds said:
Nice, but why is the lighting so DARK in all of them?
Your right, the posted images do look a bit dark. The originals renderings looked somewhat lighter. I went back and adjusted the brightness a bit for the images in the first post. I'm not exactly sure what caused this. It might be due to the fact that when I render them, they are against a dark grey background, and here they are against a bright white one. So what looks good in terms of brightness during the render looks dark in contrast here.
 
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Janus said:
also used in a later episode as something else
Requiem for Methuselah. Flint's digs.
 
Vanadium 50 said:
Requiem for Methuselah. Flint's digs.
Give the man a cigar! The Eminiar VII matte was also used as Scalos in "A Wink of an Eye ", and the "The Devil in the Dark " painting was used in " The Gamesters of Triskelion "
Waste not, want not.
 
Fourteen quatloos foe the prisoners!
 
Janus, I *love* them!
 
While the background for this one isn't from a ST matte painting but a HDRI instead, it is another ST-Looney Tunes mash up."Be vewy quiet, I'm hunting twibbles!"
elmer_2.png
 
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