TNG Engineering Panel WIP

[mtblillie]

Hey my first graphic post on this site!

I usually suck at these but I've got an itch to try again so I've started work on Geordi's panel that sits on the other side of the window facing the warp core.

Still needs a ton of work and I haven't quite aligned everything yet (BTW, does anyone know how to make those alignment bars in photoshop????), but it's a better start than I usually get.

Comments and suggestions are very welcome!

[deif]

looks like a good start. unfortunaetly i'm not familiar with the vector graphic tools of photoshop. i'm mainly workwith illustrator. hope, that you may find some help by somoebody here.

[mtblillie]

Thank you, I know quite a few here use photoshop (or at least, a few), I'm sure they will step up when I need it.

In the mean time I've kind of figured out another way to align everything, not perfect but a little better.
http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/8579/engineering1copy.jpg

[mtblillie]

PS Im going off of only a couple pics I found at trekcore so I know this is maybe 65% accurate at best, if anyone knows any changes I need to make please let me know.

[Kmpr´rak]

Very cool for a start!

[mtblillie]

Thanks for the good comments guys. Here is my version 1.0, if there is anything you can suggest that would make it look better just let me know!

http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/1478/bestofbothworldsone271.jpg

[Kmpr´rak]

Cool artwork!

[Adge]

A very good start indeed, considering Robert you have never tried before, well done. Can I ask why the water-mark? As I believe easter eggs would be better and still has your identity e.g. your own initials on a button. Just curious though. Again well done.

[deif]

i have to second kmpr_rak and adge. good work. and i'm a little bit disturbed my the watermarks... maybe less are more?

[Kmpr´rak]

No or only a few would be cool, but I can understand WHY!!

[deif]

me too !!
i use some special small things i put into my graphics, so i can identify them easy. i found some of them already on the net with the signatures from other people....what the hell! as long they don't sell my artwork under their own name...
this world isn't a nice place anyway

[mtblillie]

Actually I had never considered that before, I only used the watermark because I also posted at okudagrams.com and it was my understanding that it was policy to use the watermark there. I don't mind using that system (clearer work that way) I don't even mind if they take it and use it other places, it's just that if ppl figure out what that mark is they can cut it out or cut out parts of your work to create their own (I do that sometimes, though I never repost it as my own). I'll have to look into doing that though, I never really liked d/l images with watermark all over them either.

[Kmpr´rak]

Never mind. It is better to secure own work!

[mtblillie]

lol well I don't want to be selfish either, like I said I always hated downloading stuff that has watermark all over it, espically since like I said I would use it to make documents or other art (again, not stuff I post). I think most ppl are honest, and the ones that I have seen try and make a buck from others don't seem to get very far, so I don't mind. I think from now on I will post here without the watermark, just because I love you guys!

[deif]

thnx, robert, that's very kind of you. your work looks great!

[Kmpr´rak]

That is cool you want to do it this way. I also changed my politics about and only write my (C) under my projects. I have the originals, and if someone will steal and sell it as his/her own work, I will not take it so easy! If you know what I mean! :-D

[mtblillie]

Thanks for the comments guys! I really like the group here, so I have no problems posting without watermark, I'll continue to put in eggs though (moreso because it's fun, I did it anyway on this one before the watermark). Now that I know I can do it, Ill be posting a few more in the future. Thanks for the warm welcome of my okudagram!

[LCARS 24]

I think two of the TNG colors suited for that are olive (#999933) and khaki (#CCCC66). I generally avoid using tan (#CC9966) on large brackets. Another good one for brackets (used a lot on VOY) is #FFCC99, but usually not together with olive and/or khaki.

Here's a color chart:

http://lcars24.com/sh21.html

[deif]

You really can trust bill (lcars24), robert. he's an expert and helped me a lot with the colors for lcars graphics.
it's good to see your work here and i enjoy your creativity. look forward to see more....

[mtblillie]

Cool thanks. I was using a color palette list from okudagrams.com that generalized the colors rather than seperating TNG from the others. I keep finding ones that have all different colors from all different types of consoles from all different series so I definately appreciate the color help. Maybe we should all pitch in and create a single palette list for everything.

[mtblillie]

PS I found a better pic of this panel and the ones around it so I'll have an update next week.

[deif]

concerning colorcharts: captain elgy has posted a helpful chart here long time ago. unfortunately it isn't available yet, so i post it here again. hope it helps!

[LCARS 24]

For the elbows, this little snippet from the LCARS Mania design guide shows how to construct them with ovals instead of circles for the arcs. This is for normal elbows. The proportions may be a little different for the unusual type in your figure (where the narrow limb is proportionally wider than usual). Anyway, elliptical arcs normally yield nicer elbows than circular ones. I've never tried it with the type you made. And you really have to slice the oval exactly in quarters to get a smooth fit with the limbs.

http://lcars24.com/Elbows.png

And an endcap should be just be a circle squared off on one side.

[mtblillie]

^^^Actually, that was the way I used to make these, which is probably why I was never very good at it. I've figured out how to do curves in photoshop without having to cut and paste circles and elipses, which is why I wanted to try this again, but now that you mention it when I look at the image at full resolution there are some imperfections I need to correct.

@Dief
Thank you that is very helpful, the one I was using was very similar only I don't think the colors were quite right and they were kind of mixed up a little more, this really helps!

[mtblillie]

Here is an update based on the attached pic, just need to make a few tweeks and then color and label:

http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/1222/64285201.jpg

[LCARS 24]

From TNG. I guess the ovals and narrow limbs were a later development, as seen on VOY, which I like better than the early TNG versions.

[Library Computer]

Its very good indeed!