# Main > General Discussion >  3D illustration of a sci-fi Japanese capital

## Gamerprinter

I will be making a map of the city, eventually, but since I've been using Vue Creator, a 3D terrain generator, I needed an illustration of Kaidan-kyo, the capital city of the Kaidan empire. It took forever to render, so I thought I'd post the results.

The background of the image: the lake, the woodlands and the skyline including the Japanese castle took 38.5 hours to render using Vue Creator. The foreground: a red maple tree, some cattails in the water, the ficus, the stone lantern and the geisha, also created in Vue Creator took only 7 minutes! I just tweaked it today and am finally done. I think it turned out well. Enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Kumori-kyo, one of 24 cloud cities on the Tengu world of Kowareta, one of the moons orbiting Jigoku, the Oni planet (gas giant). Once a verdant Earth-like world that received a bombardent assault by Oni forces using barometric bombs, which toxified the atmosphere and greatly increased the barometric pressure at the surface, making it uninhabitable, except at the highest mountain peaks and in their cloud cities. Once over a billion tengu inhabited this world, now slightly more than a million survive there. Enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Next 3D scene, the swampy jungle moon of the kappa race, slave laborers of the Oni of Jigoku, a gas giant that this moon orbits. Kappa are small, turtle/frog cross humanoids of Japanese folklore. Created in Vue Creator, a 3D terrain generator and Poser 11, to custom create the kappa in the foreground ... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

This is Wa Station, located on a water world that features two small islands and extensive shallow continents for the ningyo (merfolk) and same-bito (shark shapechangers) that inhabit this sea world. The Kaidanese have built Wa Station to both study the seas, and have a secret hiding place within orbit of Jigoku, which this like many of the worlds presented are moons of the gas giant. The Kaidanese have recruited the same-bito into a fighting force of armored ashigaru... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Totally for experimentation purposes only, I may use this, but otherwise it's probably usable in both sci-fi and fantasy. You know those heavily eroded limestone spires of rock in China with trees growing on them. Vue has a land texture that is more than just a rocky surface, but also has plants built in placed randomly, but only appear in flat surface areas. So I created a spire of rock in Wings 3D, with outcroppings and small ledges with flat tops, imported to Vue and applied that texture. And so it wasn't just landscape art, I placed some towers, a landing pad and a bridge on it's exterior. Anyway, even if I don't use it, maybe you can use it as inspiration in your own adventures for unique places for adventurers to visit... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

More a quickie, this is the FiveCorp asteroid mining station. When the mining consortium made it clear that as a smaller concern, they couldn't claim all the trillium rich asteroids in the region they discovered. They could only claim the asteroid they were attached to, so the engineers at FiveCorp determined to move the three richest trillium asteroids into close enough vicinity they could build a hub station that connects to all of them. Enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Finished the blue dragon 3D model yesterday, and I wanted to render it into a scene, but didn't want to spend a lot of time building a scene, so I used my previous limestone spire model, retextured it with something other than limestone, and with some nice plant textures on it - I think this works out fine. Oh, I changed the structures on the spire to be more fitting medievil architecture to fit most fantasy game expectations. Done! Enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Almost a map, Kaidan-kyo, the imperial capital of the Empire of Kaidan, with the structure of the imperial crest, the chrysanthemum, done in Vue, Wings 3D using a J-Displacement to create the building displacement map. Enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

The Imperial capital of Kaidan-kyo, aerial version is finally done. I added some bigger skyscrapers of the MegaCorps around the inner circle downtown area of the city, and some further out. I added a starport, with a train station on the adjacent petal with tubes going into and around the city, then out into tunnels beyond. I added a stadium, a large temple, a power plant and water treatment facility, and on the outlying "islands" are defensive structures that serve as weapons platforms with pop up capital weapon turrets, missile batteries and the upper portion are shield emitters to encapsulate the entire city inside massive shields. A hydrofoil ship is seen passing to bottom right. Enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

One of the races being included in the Kaidan Interstellar Empire of Japanese horror setting for Starfinder, is the Jorogumo or "spider women" race. While physiologically resembling a spider, societally they are more like ants or bees. For each nest city, they have a queen, several male drones, and the rest of the infertile females, so the majority resemble females and why they are called "spider women". Strangely they think in binary and hexidecimal, and are extremely skilled in computers with bonuses for such skills. They are a starfaring race and while an enemy of the oni are solitary versus joining other races. They live in subterranean caverns on their homeworld... enjoy!

This one uses a Poser human female head, other than that modeled in Wings 3D, and rendered in Vue.

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## Gamerprinter

Another experiment, though I might use this - I like it. When I was playing around with the textures for Jorogumo, I accidentally selected a pink glass, which looked cool, but didn't find what I wanted to do with that race. However, I recall a movie I saw on Netflix called Ex Machina with a sexy android, that had a face with "human skin", but most of her was metal and glass. So I took a Poser model and diced up it's surface allowing me to use different textures on different parts. Her face, upper torso, upper arms and legs are covered in a metallic skin, somewhat similar to Androids as depicted in Starfinder. While the back of her head, neck, abdomen and lower arms are transparent pink swirly glass. You can see light passing through her arms in her shadow behind her on the floor. Anyway, my take on Android as a pilot aboard a starship. The starship seen in the background behind her, is an identical ship with an android on that bridge too... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

This is "Evie Foray" as she's listed on the crew manifest, though this SRO (sentient robotic organism) is actually a labor droid with the EV-4A nomenclature. I needed a robot character for other illustrations I'll be doing, and wanted to put her into a scene to make it less boring. Enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

The ISS Tokugahara, a Ryu class Imperial Battlecruiser as it passes a white dwarf while on patrol through the Ghost Nebula that encompasses the Kaidan Imperial starsystem - for my upcoming Starfinder setting of Japanese horror.

ISS Tokugahara Tier 15
Ryu class, huge Imperial Battlecruiser
Speed 8; Maneuverability average (+0 Piloting, turn 2)
AC 27; TL 31
HP 180 (increment 25); DT 5; CT 36
Shields Heavy 360 (forward 90, port 90, starboard 90, aft 90)
Attack (Forward) capital persistent particle beam cannon 2d10x10
Attack (Port) light high explosive missile launcher 4d8
Attack (Starboard) light high explosive missile launcher 4d8
Attack (Turret) heavy persistent particle beam 10d6
Power Core Gateway Ultra (500), Nova Ultra (300); Drift Engine Signal Booster, 2; Systems advanced long range sensors, arcane command chair, arcane sensors, crew quarters (common), h8 thrusters, mk 2 trinode, mk 6 defenses, mk 8 armor, self destruct system; Expansion Bays cargo hold, command intelligence control, power core housing, spell-primed shield bay (5th level), Sick Bay, Tech Shop
Modifiers +2 computers x3, +0 piloting; Complement 100

Enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Next a battlestar ship with a kabuto (samurai helmet) as decoration and where the ECCM emitters are located. This is a gargantuan missle platform ship. except for 3 coilguns for close defense, all other weapons systems are missiles and ECCM suites lower opponents Targetting Level by 7, making missiles easier to hit their targets. I tried a different design that failed, so went with the Star Wars imperial battlecruiser for inspiration on shape...

ISS Tairo no Kiyomori			Tier 16 
Shogun class, gargantuan Imperial Battlestar
Speed 8; Maneuverability (+0 Piloting, turn 2)
AC 29; TL 28
HP 420; DT 10; CT 50
Shields superior 600 (forward 150, port 150, starboard 150, aft 150)
Attack (Forward) Hellfire Torpedo Launcher 2d10x10; Heavy Plasma Torpedo Launcher 5d10 x2
Attack (Port) Heavy Plasma Torpedo Launcher 5d10 x2; Coilgun 4d4
Attack (Starboard) Heavy Plasma Torpedo Launcher 5d10 x2; Coilgun 4d4
Attack (Aft) Coilgun 4d4
Attack (Turret) Heavy Plasma Torpedo Launcher 5d10 x2
Power Core Gateway Ultra (500), Gateway Light (300); Drift Engine Signal Basic, 1; Systems advanced long ranger sensors, crew quarters (common), g8 thrusters, mk 3 trinode, mk 8 armor, mk 8 defenses, self destruct system; Expansion Bays ECCM suite (x3), medical bay, power core housing, tech shop
Modifiers +0 Piloting, +3 x3 computers; Complement 300

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## Gamerprinter

Probably the most complex 3D character illustration I've ever modeled and created. This is the Oni Taisho (oni general), the true BBEG of the Kaidan setting - arguably the Shogun and many of the daimyo are not pleasant people, but the Oni is the true enemy. The Oni Taisho leads the forces of Jigoku in order to destroy all planets that are not oni possessions. I used mostly Japanese styled armor, but there's some Chinese designs in it too. This is a greater oni, who can have four or more arms, one, two or three eyes, a pair or two of tusks from the mouth, some have horns other do not, since the Oni Taisho has much power he has 4 arms, 3 eyes, a pair of horns, 2 pairs of tusks to show his rank among oni-kind. He's armed with a green crystal mace, a chrome pistol, a spear and some type of elemental arcane energy is forming beneath is lower left hand. He is of ogre height, as well. Interestingly this illustration fits both Starfinder and dark fantasy too... enjoy!

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## Redrobes

You have been busy ! Im kinda enjoying these - they are very creative.

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## Gamerprinter

Thanks, Redrobes!

With an art budget of zero dollars, after having paid for a few pieces, and still needing more, I've gone 3D myself to accomplish. It's for sci-fi so I think 3D is acceptable for sci-fi stuff, I probably wouldn't use 3D for fantasy products.

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## Gamerprinter

Next of the war ships is the ISS Toranaga, a Shishi Destroyer class ship. It shares similarities in the nose design of the Ryu battlecruiser, with the Shishi lion temple guardian statue above the nose. Since it's a large ship which can land on a planet, I rendered on planet. I thought the custom shishi lion I modeled turned out pretty good (modeled in Wings 3D, rendered in Vue Creator).

ISS Toranaga			Tier 11
Shishi class large imperial destroyer
Speed 10; Maneuverability average (+0 Piloting, turn 2)
AC 29; TL 35
HP 180; DT -; CT 14
Shields medium 200 (forward 50, port 50, starboard 50, aft 50)
Attack (Forward) Light Particle Beam 3d6
Attack (Port) Light Particle Beam 3d6
Attack (Starboard) Light Particle Beam 3d6
Attack (Aft) Flak Thrower 3d4 (point)
Attack (Turret) Light Particle Beam 3d6
Power Core Gateway Ultra (500); Drift Engine Signal Major, 3; Systems advanced long range sensors, crew quarters (common), mk 2 duonode, mk 8 armor, mk 10 defenses, self destruct system; Expansion Bays cargo bay, ECM suite, medical bay, tech shop
Modifiers +0 Piloting, +2 x2 Computers; Complement 20

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## Gamerprinter

Okay, new model and rendering of the ISS Taira no Kiyomori, shogun class battlestarship. Same weapons and complement, got rid of the kabuto helmet motif, and replaced with the Enflamed Circle motif that appear behind the heads of Buddhist deities, with the Taira family house crest at center (a butterfly), as Kiyomori is the Shogun of Kaidan.

ISS Tairo no Kiyomori Tier 16 
Shogun class, gargantuan Imperial Battlestar
Speed 8; Maneuverability (+0 Piloting, turn 2)
AC 29; TL 28
HP 420; DT 10; CT 50
Shields superior 600 (forward 150, port 150, starboard 150, aft 150)
Attack (Forward) Hellfire Torpedo Launcher 2d10x10; Heavy Plasma Torpedo Launcher 5d10 x2
Attack (Port) Heavy Plasma Torpedo Launcher 5d10 x2; Flak Thrower 3d4
Attack (Starboard) Heavy Plasma Torpedo Launcher 5d10 x2; Flak Thrower 3d4
Attack (Aft) Flak Thrower 3d4
Attack (Turret) Heavy Plasma Torpedo Launcher 5d10 x2
Power Core Gateway Ultra (500), Gateway Light (300); Drift Engine Signal Basic, 1; Systems advanced long ranger sensors, crew quarters (common), g8 thrusters, mk 3 trinode, mk 8 armor, mk 8 defenses, self destruct system; Expansion Bays ECCM suite (x3), medical bay, power core housing, tech shop
Modifiers +0 Piloting, +3 x3 computers; Complement 300

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## Gamerprinter

While I may put a starscape behind it, I'm thinking this will be the logo I'll be using on my Kaidan Starfinder setting books. It's using the symbols I used on the Taira no Kiyomori battlestarship, the Taira House crest surrounded by the burning wheel halo symbol behind the heads of Buddhist deities, then Kaidan and descriptor in jade. It meets the style I'm trying to present.

I had images of the samurai crest for house Taira, and recently purchased a Japanese illustrator's portfolio as a book, that had a section on Buddhist beings of power. I scanned and imported the images to Xara Designer Pro, the vector program I use for all my maps. I hand-traced all the symbols into vector, then exported the files to AI format. Wings 3D, the subdivisional surface modeling software, I use for most of my 3D models, let's me import AI files and convert to one way extruded 3D models. Once in 3D format, I export to OBJ format, which I can import into Vue Creator, apply the textures, lighting and render the scene to this result.

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## Gamerprinter

Next character build in 3D, possibly being one of Kaidan's iconic characters. This is Kumiko, a bugeisha samurai of House Inoue (EE-no-way), in flying armor, with thrusters on her shin guards, and not seen from a pack on her back. I planned to place a pistol in her ribbon around her waist, but forgot to make it. She bears a vibroblade naginata in her hands that can cut through armor. As an Easter Egg for me, Kumi Inoue (maiden name) is one of my first cousins in Japan... enjoy!

Female Asian model (purchased and downloaded), armor and weapons were modeled in Wings 3D, image rendered in Vue Creator.

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## Gamerprinter

I needed a break from making ships and map tiles, so I created a detailed race called the Nelid, a segmented worm being that is hermaphroditic (both male and female parts), though it still needs a partner where both leave the encounter pregnant. It's highly intelligent with telepathic communications ability, capable of controlling those with weaker minds than it. Though it can move fast in liquid and muddy environments, it harnesses itself to a cybernetic walking vehicle with insect like legs and humanoid arms to wield tools and weapons. Don't know if I'll actually publish this or not, but the idea has been spinning around my head for the last week or so, finally getting the opportunity to create it... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Well after completing a 22 map commission for Legendary Games Ages of Empires AP, I'm finally free to get back to my own projects, but needed a non-job project to clear my mind to set me on course again, so I created a 3D model of a wasp with a metallic body, and a transparent abdomen showing the mechanism as a medical syringe micro drone. Enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Next I'm going to create several themed sets of map symbols using the same 3D software for use in sci-fi virtual tabletop applications, in varying dpi, including 300 dpi for use in printed maps. Because I'm creating these in 3D, it allows me to offer 3D printable files allowing one to print their own map symbols for tabletop use. Here are 4 map objects - again all created in Wings 3D. So for the first set, I'm working 10 3D token designs that fit a sick bay. I'll create a version for ship's bridge, cargo hold, engineering, weapons platform, etc, then providing a comprehensive set of 100 or more objects. Below are tokens for Sick Bay: a surgical/examination bed, an isolation bed, a dental chair, and a cold sleep pod.

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## Gamerprinter

Just created a medical laboratory table, corner unit with an electronic microscope, centrifuge, test tubes, and petri dishes; a microwave/radiation box, weight scale, medical computer, pharmaceutical prep station, and an organic 3D printer, printing a heart. And a surgical tool caddy...Enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Here's another common sci-fi movie trope object...

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## Gamerprinter

The final object for the Sick Bay Map Object/3D printable set of 10 tokens. This is a premium physician drone robot. Instead of 4 tool limbs and 4 walking legs as depicted in the Armory, this bot, as tracks for legs, two side arms that can lift a patient, a stretcher and turn a patient on a table to access area requiring medical attention. Between those arms are 6 tool arms all arrayed to point to a location for surgery. Left to right, the tools are: a small circular saw for bone cutting, forceps, a cutting/cauterizing/focused radiation laser, a scalpel, syringe and topical gel dispenser. I included a close up of just the tool array, because... I went overboard, this is too tiny and too much detail to be 3D printable, so for the printable version, I'm going to beef up the size and lower the detail so it can be printable. I just wanted to show off the overboard detail work I put into this... Give me a couple days and I'll release this product, hopefully on Monday... enjoy!

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## Jaxilon

Thanks for sharing. I've wanted to learn 3d myself but haven't gotten into it yet. It seems like the tools are a lot to take on at the beginning but I'm sure like anything once you get the basics it starts to roll along.
It's been fun looking these over and see what you've been up to.

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## Gamerprinter

3D design is a different kind of animal entirely compared to 2D graphics/mapping. The first time I started using 3D (20 years ago), it took me a week to grasp the basics - working in 3D space, in today takes a little to wrap your mind around. I use a relatively simple, FREE, subdivisional surface modeler to create my objects, because it's based on Nichimen Nendo, which I used for 10 years, so I'm familiar/comfortable with using it. It does not apply textures, lighting or renders, I require another program to accomplish that. Although I use Vue Creator now ($20/mo. subscription), I ought to use Blender 2.8 which is free, but uber-complex, so a bit intimidated now, but I should use it. Believe it or not, but all my objects in this thread (except the land which is done using Vue), began as a cube, cylinder or sphere, more rarely using octoids, icosahedron and geodome, but I begin using primitive shapes and through extrusions, insets, rescales and subdivides, I can create whatever is in my imagination and skill to accomplish it. Like anything else, it takes some practice to get the hang of it, 3D is not always intuitive, but once you get it, you can do a lot - even useful for creating complex objects for a map.

I wouldn't use 3D with fantasy, but sci-fi seems a good fit for using it, and why I am.

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## Tiana

> 3D design is a different kind of animal entirely compared to 2D graphics/mapping. The first time I started using 3D (20 years ago), it took me a week to grasp the basics - working in 3D space, in today takes a little to wrap your mind around. I use a relatively simple, FREE, subdivisional surface modeler to create my objects, because it's based on Nichimen Nendo, which I used for 10 years, so I'm familiar/comfortable with using it. It does not apply textures, lighting or renders, I require another program to accomplish that. Although I use Vue Creator now ($20/mo. subscription), I ought to use Blender 2.8 which is free, but uber-complex, so a bit intimidated now, but I should use it. Believe it or not, but all my objects in this thread (except the land which is done using Vue), began as a cube, cylinder or sphere, more rarely using octoids, icosahedron and geodome, but I begin using primitive shapes and through extrusions, insets, rescales and subdivides, I can create whatever is in my imagination and skill to accomplish it. Like anything else, it takes some practice to get the hang of it, 3D is not always intuitive, but once you get it, you can do a lot - even useful for creating complex objects for a map.
> 
> I wouldn't use 3D with fantasy, but sci-fi seems a good fit for using it, and why I am.


I've just started working with Blender 2.8 and yeah, it is crazy how complex it it is. It's not intuitive at all in most places, and I haven't got a bloody clue how to perform most tasks, or even how to phrase a question to Google, making it take literally multiple days to figure out how to progress past one step. With that said, I actually haven't figured out how to do anything that's remotely sci-fi right now... I've been exclusively doing fantasy monster sculpts starting from a sphere. I don't know how to get them out of the program or even how to get a nice screenshot of them, or how to make textures do anything at all. Everyone keeps being like "it's soooo powerful" but I'm convinced that's code for "it's overly convoluted and extremely challenging to learn". The only part that's intuitive to me is sculpting. It sculpts real nice. I don't use Vue so I can't compare, but it only took me a few days to get the hang of doing basic monster sculpts, so I assume eventually I'll figure out how to make fantasy terrain items (main goal).

Anyway, I love your sci fi art and I now have an idea of how ridiculously complicated it is to make. I already love sculpting in Blender, I just have no freakin' idea how to get it from there to a finished piece of art, and the process is nightmarish to learn. Yeah, Blender's "powerful" but if you like Vue and it's something you can charge as a business expense, screw it, man, just use Vue.

And having sculpted a bit now I do believe all your stuff started as simple shapes. Kinda seems like that's the easiest way to build something in 3D.

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## Falconius

@Tiana I can't recommend Blender Guru's beginner series enough.  I know it's only making a donut, but it will provide a foundation in almost every aspect of Blender to help move forward on your own.  He's made one for Blender 2.8 now.  If you just go through each lesson with him as he does it, you'll get it.

I don't know if that tutorial series is feasible for you though Gamerprinter, it might just be mindnumbingly frustrating since you are already familiar with other 3D programs.

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## Gamerprinter

Jax - here's a very rough "tutorial" I made for creating clown fish, I did several years ago, which might give you an idea how to create organic shapes like fish, starting with a cube.

1. Start with a cube
2. Double it's length up and down
3. Cut the faces on two side, push the lines outward, then bevel all the lines.
4. Extrude one flat face to double it's length, then reduce the scale
5. Extrude and repeat
6. Reduce the scale
7. Scale side to side
8. Repeat to the narrowest point then extrude, while scaling vertically outward then inward to create the round tail
9. Select the line loops along the shape, and pull to one side, then select the next line loop and pull to the other side to simulate the body moving to swim
10. Grap the opposing flat face and extrude and scale to create the head of the fist
11. Eventually squish the scale up and down inward to create the mouth, then extrude into the head to create the inner mouth.
12. Grap the points behind the line line up from center, bevel the points to create a diamond shape, select the points of the diamond and bevel again to create round eyes, then extrude out scaling down
13. Grab the faces on top of the fist, inset then extrude to create the fins, bevel the corners to make rounded shape
14. Do the same to bottom faces to create the lower fins
15. Determine the gill area behind the eyes and behind that inset/extrude/bevel to create the lateral fins.
16. Subdivide or smooth, which cuts every face into four pieces with center pulled slightly away to round the shape. You can subdivide a couple times to get a more smooth shape, but adds to file size. Done.

Take model and export to your favorite full 3D program to texture, light and render the image - as the final top down of the clown shown.

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## Jaxilon

Nice tutorial and who doesn't love clown fish?

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## Gamerprinter

Thanks, Jax.

Completed the first 10 3D map objects and printables set for Sick Bay... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

An illustration for inspiration, modeled in Wings 3D, then textured, lit and rendered in Vue Creator. This is Juno Asteroid Station. The spherical asteroid is the main habitat, with a micro singularity at it's center to create 1g of gravity just below the surface area. The two smaller asteroids were towed here. The one of the left is a metallic rich asteroid being mined for ores, with the smelting factory beneath it. On the right is a large ice asteroid mined also, for water, and the separation of hydrogen for maneuver drive fuel and oxygen for breathing. This is a very permanent asteroid base with over 50,000 residents. Perfect for the Diaspora (asteroid belt)... enjoy!

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## Francissimo

beautifull work with those stone textures, and the domes on the asteroid are really well integrated!

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## rredmond

Wow. Yes, that's incredible. At first I thought the structures too big to be possible, then realized this is an asteroid, and thus smaller than a planet... also that it's science-fiction so...  :Smile: 
Really neat looking, thanks for sharing Gamerprinter!
--Ron--

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## Gamerprinter

Thanks, guys!

Took two renders to do this, but the second one was quicker. I will need an image of a sky elevator, accessing an orbiting ring in low orbit (still inside the ionosphere protected from micrometeorites). The orbiting ring sports a Mach 10 dual mag-lev train tracks that can take passengers, or separately cargo containers in 15 minute trips to the opposite side of the planet, or to other sky elevators enroute. The elevators continue upward to reach the starport torus station at the top in higher orbit. Using this for my Kaidan System Empire project... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

I created a tengu floating city illustration a few months ago, but it didn't really satisfy me like I wanted - it looked more like an orbiting station in low atmosphere which wasn't what I wanted. So I got inspired to try a city attached to a rocky spire rising out of the mists and haze below. This is the tengu moon orbiting the Oni gas giant called Jigoku (which is also the Buddhist Hell). Once a healthy planet until the Oni tested weapons on the world, relegating the near surface uninhabitable with toxic gases and overly high barometric pressure levels that would kill most humanoids. At about a mile over the surface, the air is breathable and clouds of water vapor can keep things alive. So the tengu built atop the mountain spires of the world with a dozen cities for their depleted populations. Vertical farms and moisture collectors with lifting balloon over it number in the hundreds providing the food for the tengu on this moon... enjoy!

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## rredmond

Both wow, but that floating city... amazing!

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## Gamerprinter

Thanks, again. 

This was a quick one, I was trying to create something else, but it was going to take forever to render, so I need to figure what I have to do to fix that. Instead I created a quickie for a different Kaidan need. This is High Noon over Fubuki Prospecting Outpost 206. A moon over Fubuki, the planet furthest from the Kaidan sun... Enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

I guess needing to create my own art for publishing projects where I have no art budget, and doing this kind of work is paying off. I have a gig for some asteroid station maps coming up, and the publisher just saw this illustration posted on my FB page, so he asked, in addition to the maps I'm creating, he could use some landscape art too... so I guess I'll be doing my first non-map art commissions soon!  :Wink:

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## rredmond

That's great! There's definitely work out there for rpg artists. Good luck and, again, great stuff!
--Ron--

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## Gamerprinter

Thanks, Ron. Know that I've been making professional maps for the RPG industry for 11 years, with over 1000 published maps. So getting pro RPG commissions is what I do, but until now I've never done non-map commissions.

Okay, not as sexy as the last two, this illustration is a bit creepy, depicting a habitat cave of the Jorogumo (spider people race) on another moon of Jigoku, for my Kaidan Star Empire project. Despite looking evil, this is a neutrally aligned race of master computer programmers, due to a natural understanding of mathematics and binary, and a starfaring race. As a specie unlike spiders they are like ants or bees, with a Queen over each nest, males are tiny short-lived beings only around for reproduction, while the main population consists of infertile females. They too have received the brutality of the oni of Jigoku... enjoy! (This is the design that I was having problems with yesterday, due to a translucency issue, which I fixed.)

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## Gamerprinter

Another odd illustration I needed for my Kaidan Star Empire project. This is the yakuza shipyard station, located in the upper layer of a smaller gas giant, than Jigoku, further away from the Kaidan sun, called Tsukimi or the Autumn Moon, something that in the west might be called a Harvest Moon, associated with a moon viewing festival of old. Because all ships built by the Yakuza are essentially illegal, they cannot be built in any of the other shipyards across the system, so they have their own, hidden on this large orange yellow slush ball of a gas giant. Huge gunships are currently nearly completed in construction. Above it flies an Ika class smuggler ship. It's large, fast, well shielded, but lightly gunned, but most notably features an environmental transformation mobilizer, allowing it to maneuver in the exotic environments of a gas giant, as well as a submersible on ocean worlds - allowing it to more easily hide from pursuing authorities. I basically created a thick cumulus cloud layer, and lowered the sun's angle to show the orange decay level of sunset to give the clouds a color, instead of the default white. Sticking the station deep into the cloud layer was my solution to hiding the shipyards  inside a gas giant... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Here's the last two 3D illustrations for the planet/moon portion of my upcoming setting guide - the ice planet on the system fringe and the jungle moon of the hebi onna... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

While I'm still doing 3D illustrations, I decided I needed this one for Trevor Gulliver's work on Chains of Purgatory, our prison/garbage world. These are watch stations in low orbit over this tainted atmosphere desert planet in an empty part of space. Instead of guards in the presence of inmates, all the inmates are free to roam the planet. Monthly supply drops are made across the planet, the population are free to govern themselves, how ever they want as long as they work salvage operations on planet with a quota, make no attempt to leave the planet, nor fly higher than a mile over the surface, no attempts to create weapons that could engage with orbiting stations. Each watch station has scanners pointing down to the planet and up into the space above it. Each station is approximately 200 km apart in both a longitudinal and latittudinal array completely covering the planet from poles to equator. Each watch station has crews for 3 small armed ships, or 6 fighter/interceptors, and a science officer to maintain the scanners aboard the platform. Any breaches of the rules from below, or any unfriendly ships that near the planet alert the crews for action above or below. Enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Here's my first rendition of the Free Camp, an area on the garbage/prison planet of Purgatory for a series of one-shots for Starfinder being written by Trevor Gulliver. This is a highly inaccessable area of the canyon lands region near the equator. A particular gang called the Dudarks reside here. A resourceful, Ysoki scientist and technomancer is a part of this gang and works scientific miracles to give them an edge against the other ruling prison gangs of the planet. The only way to reach the camp is via mecha with jump jet capability to leap from plateau to plateau, down into the canyons to reach this place, it is fully a half mile over the bottom of the canyons for an impossible difficult place to assault... enjoy!

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## rredmond

> Thanks, Ron. Know that I've been making professional maps for the RPG industry for 11 years, with over 1000 published maps. So getting pro RPG commissions is what I do, but until now I've never done non-map commissions.


Sigh, yeah sorry about that. I should have known by the quality and mastery of your stuff... and also, oh yeah, your website.  :Blush: 
Love the new pics. So good!

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## Gamerprinter

> Sigh, yeah sorry about that. I should have known by the quality and mastery of your stuff... and also, oh yeah, your website. 
> Love the new pics. So good!


Also all these 3D illustrations are for products that I will be publishing, I'm also a small publisher. I lack an art budget, so cannot hire out for my art needs, so I do them myself. Being a pro cartographer, means that my adventure products can include more maps than what most publishers can afford to include, I can, because I do all my own maps. It's just I also have to provide the other art as well. And regarding the post you responded to, one of my clients now wants me to create illustrations for him, in addition to the maps I'm already being commissioned to create.

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## Gamerprinter

Quick render. A few days ago I posted the Mosquito Interceptor tiny starship, kind of helicopter in shape. Anyway, many people pointed out that it was mechanically like the bubble plane in _Oblivion_ - which was a movie I hadn't even heard of. So I watched it yesterday, it was decent movie. I wasn't inspired by the bubble plane, rather the Tet (alien) station, which was a tetrahedron (an upside down 4 sided die), well I decided to create a space station with two tetrahedrons, one over the other, connected by structural framing pillars.

I call this *Erebus Station*, a corporate owned facility and waystation with a population of 28,000, mostly scientists and administrative personnel, though it features a full hospital, as it's primary activities involve genetics and bio-hybrid research. Just for scale and more content, I placed the Jack of Diamonds trade ship coming from the right side, silhoeutted by the moon behind it. Erebus Station, though moves slowly, moves from planet to planet and moon to moon within the Tarterus star system. I might do a map of parts of this station... enjoy!

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## Jaxilon

Cool stuff. Seems mapping the interior of that would make for an interesting project.

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## Gamerprinter

Had a moment to myself, between commissions, and I thought I'd make another space station, calling this Elysium Station owned by the Aegis Corporation. I used Wings 3D and started with a icosahedron (20 sided die shape), selected all the points, beveled, inset, then extruded them, then mirrored the faces to create the structure. I pushed some of the outward facing struts back in to place hydroponic domes, and left the others as docking ports for ships. All three ships shown will be featured in a Starfinder Starship Deck Plans book I'm putting together, when I have more time. Enjoy!

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## rredmond

Really nice. What's the part of the station with the gold edges on the bottom left as you are looking at it?
I dig the mirrored, clean look.

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## Gamerprinter

Thanks, Rredmond! The gold edged, boxy shape on the bottom left is a luxury cruise ship docking to the station called the Tsukimi (Autumn Moon in Japanese), which is owned by the Interstellar Yakuza with casino, bath house, brothels, kabuki theater, fighting arena, black markets, fine restaurants and more.

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## Gamerprinter

So my internet has been down since yesterday about noon - no TV either. But it's running now. While it was down yesterday, I decided to do a 3D illustration for something I might make into a project - ships, equipment, armor, weapons for Colonial Marines for Starfinder. I created a 3D monster model and hadn't gotten to use it yet. So I did this illustration. Everything was modeled in Wings 3D, and then textured, lit and rendered in Vue Creator... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Now on to making some vehicles, weapon systems, equipment, personal weapons and armor for the Colonial Marines Starfinder supplement I'm working on. This is the *SPARTA* artillery system - (*S*elf *P*ropelled *A*uto *R*oving *T*actical *A*rtillery system) I haven't done the stats yet, and I'll do a combat car, tank, war bike, submersible, though I've already done a dropship last month. Enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Last 3D illustration for the night. This is the* CERBERUS* Colonial Marine Light Armored Combat Car - will stat later. Because I named the dropship I did a few months ago, the Achylles, a Greek Hero, I thought I'd keep with the Greek nomenclature...enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Now I'm doing Marine personal weapons, seeing a wall of weapons and armor is kind of an expectation for RPG guides, especially one that has to do with Colonial Marines. So here's the M90 marine plasma assault rifle, the M95 marine micro-railgun sniper rifle, the M900 Devastator portable particle cannon (note: an anti-grav unit under the nozzle allows a soldier in power armor to lift this thing for use), and the M49 marine pistol. Working on a carbine then grenades next.

I also created a Pegasus Grav tank and redid the Prodromos Scout Bike as a grav bike...

Enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Just created another one, a carbine energy weapon of some sort - I haven't figured out which, yet. The design throws me, as I've made plasma weapons and particle weapons, and they don't look anything like this...

Also some hand-grenades - enjoy

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!

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## rdanhenry

Laser carbine?

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## Gamerprinter

I made it into a laser shot gun, and made separate laser carbine!  :Wink:

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## Gamerprinter

Made all the tweaks on the weapons and grenades, so uploading those images, plus...

So before I get to making two sets of armor for my Colonial Marines, I did have a model of a sci-fi soldier (made by somebody else) that I paid for last year, but never used, so last night I textured it up, built a scene and rendered it - calling it the Colonial Marine in standard kit (unarmored). Now on to some body armor, power armor and a mecha, next... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Finished the power armor, put a micro-singularity generator cannon in her right hand, a circular saw/shotgun glove on her left hand, taking a stroll in search of targets in the city to eliminate... enjoy!

Thinking on naming this - these boots were made for walkin'.

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## Gamerprinter

A Colonial Marine sniper armed with an M95 micro rail gun sniper rifle (I changed the barrel to match a rail gun), laying on a rooftop in the city under a Sniper Blanket (think cloak of invisibility, as a tech device). Readying for his final shot... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

I thought I needed one more vehicle for the Colonial Marines supplement for Starfinder RPG. This is the Leonidus class heavy urban assault mech (45 ton), big, but not too big that it won't fit on urban streets. This has a medium pulse laser on it's turret that only targets starships, fortifications, vehicles and mecha, a heavy machine gun under it's belly, that can target soldiers. Two pincer hands to grab and grapple. There's a dust storm as the day is coming to an end for this mecha... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

So yesterday, after checking my email in the morning, I went out to do laundry and when I got back... no internet the rest of the day (some storm knocked it out). So I couldn't upload what I was working on. Well, I finally am able to get online and this was what I did. After writing the fortification and military vehicle "frames" for the combat rules. I created a couple that I hadn't yet designed illustrations of. The first one is the Chelonian class fast amphibious assault submersible - yes, it looks like a giant sea turtle, with no head. What a perfect amphibious vehicle, a sea turtle. You'll notice the hole or dent located below the head lamp - that where water flow into the turbo caterpillar drives that speed this vessel along under the waves. The fins provide maneuvering planes, but you'll notice the glowing parts under the fin - these are gravimetric emitters, so when the vessel reaches the shore, and the fins are out of the water. They become grav emitters that lift the vessel onto the beach, where the nose ramp drops to let Colonial Marines raid the beach... enjoy!

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## rredmond

Dig the organic (is that the right word, or is it "fishy") look of the amphibious vehicle!

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## Gamerprinter

Thanks, RRedmond! I'd say organic inspired, indeed.

Next is what I call the Talos class EVA Assault Platform, essentially a small pod that a single marine navigates around his immediate ship to deter boarding actions or anyone doing shinnanegins just outside the hull. This is armed with a laser net on a turret at the bottom, while not a powerful weapon, it is very accurate used especially against incoming missiles. Two grappler arms can be used for repair, but for tech and individuals off the ship that don't belong there... enjoy!

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## rredmond

I hope that Assault Platform isn't in violation of Starfleet General Order 7!  :Very Happy: 


Actually it kind of reminds me of the robot exoskeleton suit from Aliens, except you sit _inside_ this one. 
Very nice!
--Ron--

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## Gamerprinter

This is the CICS NAVSOC Poseidon Tactical Dreadnought, and the 2 abbreviations stand for Confederation of Independent Colonies (the regional government), and Naval Special Operations Command. This is both the flagship of the Colonial Navy, and the primary base for Colonial Marines in Colonial Space. Starfinder ship stats below. The ship is in the shape of a giant squid or Kraken, as the name implies, though it appears to have many weapons in it's nose. In reality, only 2 capital persistent particle beam cannons sit as a pair on the lower portion of the nose, the other extensions are antennas for the communications and the scanning array which share the same location - and appears as the tentacles of the squid itself.

*Poseidon				Tier 19*
Kraken class NAVSOC transport-carrier dreadnought
*Speed* 6; *Maneuverability* clumsy (-2 Piloting, turn 4); *Hyperspace*1
*AC* 25; *TL* 32
*HP* 600; *DT* 15; *CT* 80
*Shields* superior 600 (forward 150, port 150, starboard 150, aft 150)
*Attack (Forward)* 2 capital persistent particle beam cannons (2d10 x10)
*Attack (Port)* 3 Hellfire torpedo launchers (2d10 x10); rail gun (8d4)
*Attack (Starboard)* 3 Hellfire torpedo launchers (2d10 x10); rail gun (8d4)
*Attack (Turret)* 4 laser net (2d6 x4)
*Power Core* Gateway Ultra (500 PCU) x3; *Hyperdrive* Signal Basic; *Systems* advanced long range sensors, biometric locks, c6 thrusters, crew quarters (common), mk2 tetranode, mk4 armor, mk10 defenses; *Expansion Bays* auxiliary shield bay (extend shields x2), cargo hold (6 bays), external docking collars (4), colonial marine colossal bay, power core housing (2), recreation suite (gym), sick bay, tech work shop
*Modifiers*-2 piloting, +2/+2/+2/+2 computers, +4 scans; *Complement* 500; 1000 marines

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## Infinimine

> Kumori-kyo, one of 24 cloud cities on the Tengu world of Kowareta, one of the moons orbiting Jigoku, the Oni planet (gas giant). Once a verdant Earth-like world that received a bombardent assault by Oni forces using barometric bombs, which toxified the atmosphere and greatly increased the barometric pressure at the surface, making it uninhabitable, except at the highest mountain peaks and in their cloud cities. Once over a billion tengu inhabited this world, now slightly more than a million survive there. Enjoy!
> 
> GP
> 
> Attachment 113817


Floating Cities are always cool ^-^

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## Gamerprinter

So after joining the DSC League Discord community, one of the first requests I got was for an illustration and map (haven't stated the map yet) of a Drift Station. Imagine Absalom Station, for Paizo's Pact Worlds Starfinder setting. Absalom is a giant space station that represents the location of the homeworld of humanity, elves, dwarves and the other legacy races from Pathfinder, now located on a space station. Well the DSC League, sees the Drift Station as kind of an anti-Absalom. A creepy, alternate station located somewhere deep inside the Drift - kind of a cross between hyperspace if that accessed it's own layer of space with say the Astral Plane. When your Starfinder ship goes "FTL" it actually goes to the Drift and distances traveled inside the Drift moves vast distances outside the Drift when you exit. Also whenever you enter the Drift, you take things from the plane were on and take them into the Drift - that's how stuff on the outside gets inside. Now the DSC League preferred a more red cloudscape behind, but this is the best I could. I have to say, I've even impressed myself. This is modeled in Wings 3D, and lit, textured and rendered in Vue Creator... enjoy!

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## Redrobes

Nice, that orange is giving me the John Berkey feels. All very imaginative stuff !

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## Gamerprinter

> Nice, that orange is giving me the John Berkey feels. All very imaginative stuff !


You know, I've been making maps, since forever. While I've dabbled with 3D for a long time, I've never considered myself meeting the bar of my expectations, like I do of my maps. I'm kind of uncomfortable doing commission work that isn't a map, but this isn't the first time. I'm fine with using my own work in my publications, but doing it for others... eh, I'm not quite ready for that yet, even though I seem to be doing it anyway. <shrug>

Oh, and Thanks, Redrobes!

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## Gamerprinter

Okay, this one's a keeper. I wanted "landscape" illustration of a water world. Had I tried to make a sphere in space, a blue ball with some clouds, just doesn't sound interesting to me. Nor an aerial view a hundred miles over the same, maybe showing some shallow and deeper areas, but still boring. So I decided this is the best way and the most interesting. Here are 4 Man-o-war class Sea Landers, as colony science vessels that are huge (those mushroom caps are 2000' in diameter), with 500 scientists, equipment and submersibles on each one. So the four make 2000 total. Nine more sets of 4 are coming until by end of year 20,000 will be colonized here. Aquafarms are being established. This is for the Planet Builder project...enjoy!

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## rdanhenry

So, those are some very big waves.

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## Gamerprinter

> So, those are some very big waves.


Actually the camera view and that closest sea lander is at the bottom of a valley between waves, so the wave just behind the sea lander is blocking the horizon - it just looks like massive waves from this camera angle.

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## Gamerprinter

A small planet with a hydrogen sulfide atmosphere, toxic to breathe, but due to rich deposits of heavy and rare earth metals, makes it worthwhile to place terraforming platforms, which two can be seen behind the geologic survey station on this world... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

The xeno-biologist team spent a full week on planet studying the various lifeforms. An amphibious cephalopod came as great interest to the team, speculating it's intelligence, perhaps being the superior on this world. That is until we encountered the Stygian hexwing hornets that hunt in packs. It's stinger venom causes both anesthetic and paralytic affects on the wound area, then subsequent liquifaction of organic matter, where the hornets suck the cavity clean for feeding. Notably a single individual has the intelligence of a wasp, whereas two have share a hive mind intelligence of a mouse, three of a dog, four of a 5 year old human child, five as a genius intelligent human adult, and six is unknown though presumably superior to human intelligence. Lacking the ability to use tools, these creatures reserve their intelligence to being the apex ambushing predator on the world... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Not sure what this is. I intended to create a world with an extinct civilization, which I think I accomplished, but this could also fit my prison, garbage world of Purgatory. However, I'm thinking those torus structures were probably orbiting staitons, however, they couldn't have fallen out of orbit and crashed, otherwise they'd be debris fields, these seem intact, just stuck into the landscape, as if affected by some kind of Manhatten Project/Teleportation accident. Perhaps some experimental planetary defense teleportation shield was invented and used, however, all the orbiting structures got teleported into the world beneath, somehow causing the end of civilizaiton here... not sure what happened. Perhaps it's just a mystery that explorers to this world might fine...? Thoughts?

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## Redrobes

I think this one is missing a few shadows. I know its overcast but the actors in it all look like they are stamped into the frame and not part of it. But I like the rain and I think the persepctive is great. It looks like those structures were designed to be in space and would not handle the forces of supporting themselves on the ground. But then thats Earth and maybe this place has barely any gravity for some reason. Maybe its a hell of a lot smaller planet but large enough to keep those structures bound to it.

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## Gamerprinter

> I think this one is missing a few shadows. I know its overcast but the actors in it all look like they are stamped into the frame and not part of it. But I like the rain and I think the persepctive is great. It looks like those structures were designed to be in space and would not handle the forces of supporting themselves on the ground. But then thats Earth and maybe this place has barely any gravity for some reason. Maybe its a hell of a lot smaller planet but large enough to keep those structures bound to it.


I didn't remove any shadows, and I don't need to turn on shadows using the default Sun light source, so the heavy cloud overcast, heavy fog and haze combined seems to have minimized the shadows from appearing. And as stated in my post, I'm thinking some kind of teleporation accident caused this to happen, as normally a fall from orbit would result in a debris field, not intact toruses, yet these are intact...

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## Tiana

Nice, I like the composition. I would photoshop in shadows after the fact if the setting is causing them to not appear, though.

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## Gamerprinter

There are actually subtle shadows showing, the sun is the front right of the scene. You can see a shadow cast by the object on the left of the foreground, the leg is casting a shadow. As well as to the front of the figure standing there, though as stated very subtle.

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## Gamerprinter

Another, I had an image in my head, but no purpose behind the thought. I need several more illustrations for the Planet Builder book, and have unrefined visuals ideas that don't seem to have a reason to exist, so maybe just make work to keep me modeling until I hit on something I actually need. Big structures in the clouds was all the inspiring thought I had to work with, but don't necessarily have a use for it... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Next 3D illustration for the Planet Builder supplement... this could fit a lot of categories: flying through the asteroid belt, riding the torrents of an event horizon along a black hole, in proximity to a moon in an unstable orbit too close to a gas giant and is breaking up into a descent path, in the wake of a passing magnetar, or a planet nuked from orbit, because it was the only way to be sure. This fits any of those, though the event horizon is where I was aiming for at the start... enjoy!

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## rredmond

Firefly Class look to that one  :Smile: 
Very nice, thanks for sharing!

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## Gamerprinter

Here's an illustration I've tried doing in the past without luck, so maybe this one will do the trick. An asteroid mining station, with towers and structures in many of the larger surface craters, and a deep shaft placed into one side where an O'Niell cylinder 30 miles wide and 120 miles long is inserted into shaft holding a population of 240,000 in dozens of communities with extensive areas of farms, forested hills and large lakes. A semi-tropical environment exists within the colony. Regular supply drops in exchange for food exports is the standard trade at this location. This fits within the Planet Builder project as well... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Inspired by the hexagonal basalt columns you find at Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland, as an architectural feature as an alternative to skyscraper urban design. I saw the image in my head as something on an asteroid, but when trying to make it, it ended up looking more like an urban landscape on some planet, so I added detail for it to fit that function. Calling this New Dublin, on Hybernia Prime, a 50 year old space colony, that now rivals the ecumenopolises of the core worlds in Corporate Space. I might use this as is for the Planet Builder Project, or as a background for other illustrations - we'll see where it fits best... enjoy!

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## Carlos McIntyre

Cool stuff. Seems mapping the interior of that would make for an interesting project.

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## Gamerprinter

> Cool stuff. Seems mapping the interior of that would make for an interesting project.


There's quite a few massive starships, stations and city maps that I've yet to map. The real challenge is that I'm a detail man as far as mapping goes, I love huge amounts of detail. That is just far more difficult for projects like this!  :Wink:

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## Gamerprinter

This is the largest starship I've ever designed so far. This the Argos, a super colossal base ship with the colony ship framework. To give you a sense of scale, this ship is 396 miles long. That rotating torus/habitat ring measures (I did the math): 9.96 miles wide, 192 miles in diameter, and 603 miles in circumference, which is 5,991 square miles, at 90 occupants per square mile being the ideal non-urban population density, the torus holds a population just over 600,000 residents. I figure six cities of 50,000 evenly spaced around the circumference, with smaller communities of 5000 - 10,000 interspersed between them, with plenty of farmland, hills, forests, lakes and rivers. Using light effects the sky is blue, real clouds circulate overhead that can release rain, and an artificial sun rotating slower than the torus rotation to simulate the passing of a day. The rear "half" behind the torus is the engines (engineering and fuel processing), while the front "half" holds an extensive hanger for many transport ships, currently inoperable foundries, manufactories, industrial 3D printers, refineries that will be operational once the ship reaches it's destination. While the ship may eventually return to it's origin base, it is just as likely that the ship becomes permanent operational structure and colony at the colonial destination. I'm tentatively planning on doing the deck plans for this ship as well, including the torus as six regional maps measuring 9.96 x 100 miles each. 

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## Gamerprinter

Well after that two day fiasco regarding the the Argos habitat ring, I had to cleanse my pallate with something easy, mindless and altogether without a plan. I took some existing building models, my Marathon colonial marine fast ship and created this scene of achieving escape velocity, exiting a planet with a huge mega-city rising in the clouds. I wanted to create something that looks cool that didn't take much planning get done! Enjoy!

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## -K2-

It looks great, keep massaging it.

K2

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## Gamerprinter

So I had odd commission, the client had an existing starship deck plan, but he wanted exterior views - the problem was the deck plan barely hinted at what the ship looked like, except for having odd upswept wings.

So I created the hull using Wings 3D, a subdivisional surface modeler and textured, lit and rendered in Vue Creator, with the map open in another application so I can go back and forth between modeling and referencing the map. Since the client wasn't actually paying for the service, I posted it to Facebook last night. Then people began asking to see the deck plan in the comments. Well, I never post other people's art, only my own, so I didn't want to post the existing map - it's not mine.

So I created the deck plan, slightly adjusted from the original to better fit the new fuselage. There are two decks. Bottom deck is 2 cargo bays and an aft drop down ramp, with stairs going up. Top deck has a bridge in front, crew quarters, then galley, with sickbay to top, entertainment room to bottom, overlook over the cargo hold, with lavatory up top and ship's locker on bottom.

Enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Decided to do a series of 3D designed crab-based starships, as living constructs for a one-shot I am writing for Starfinder, and calling them Crustacea. Having already posted a shrimp salvager, and the command and control crab construct. Then mentioned needing a small repair bug construct. Well these are those, a pair coordinating tasks, before doing some work on the crab construct over them. I used a wood louse/pill bug configuration - they are of crustaceans, believe it or not. This version has longer legs than pill-bugs. On it's head are 4 articulated antenna, which are essentially 3D printer heads using UPB (universal polymer base) equivalents in refined disassembled materials - to keep the other crustacea in working order. Going to create a couple more, thinking a hermit crab next... enjoy!

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## rredmond

My daughter and her college friends just started playing Starfinder!
This looks great.

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## Gamerprinter

Thanks, rredmond!

Here we go, seems to have some wahoo factor, but oh well, _living crab construct ships_, what do expect? This is the next _Crustacea_, a *Hermit Crab Scrap Hauler ship*, medium in size - so bigger than the land crab ship (I should have included one for scale). The land crab makes itself a ramp allowing the shrimp disassemblers to carry their materials into the hauler bin, then shuts the door, allowing the hermit hauler to lift the salvage material and return it to the carrier mother lobster ship in orbit. The colossal lobster carrier/processor ship is next and last in this series... enjoy!

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## Redrobes

Nice textures. I can see them sifting through scrap heaps for useful bits.

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## Gamerprinter

Thanks, Redrobes!

Alright, I just finished the constuct Lobster carrier-salvage-processor mother ship of the Crustacea. This is a colossal ship, 15,000 feet long. Carrying all the other types of Crustacea with locker/quarters all along the inside of the hull, while the vast majority of interior space is dedicated to sorting and processing salvage materials converting to refined material components (UPB equivalents). It's tail has the same forward and reverse thruster action as does the prawn disassemblers. As seen from the forward view illustration, under it's eyes and antenna is a square entrance to it's flight bay, where all Crustacea move into and out of the mothership... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Calling this *Towing Hazard:* _a one-shot module for four players of 6th level for use with the Starfinder Roleplaying Game_. This will be both the cover art and an interior illustration. With the players working as a towing service for a salvage yard station, where they tow a huge derelict with a salvage beacon. Unknown to them Crustacea have claimed the ship for themselves not recognizing a salvage beacon claim. So enroute to towing the vessel in, prawn constructs are seen crawling out from inside, and a medium crab vessel is joining the fray. This is where I'll introduce the Crustacea living construct starships. I haven't even written the module yet!

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## Gamerprinter

After creating last night's illustration, I realized that I need a portrait oriented image and not a landscape one (duh); been using square-ish formats previously then cropping down. But I decided to redo the cover illustration version at least in portrait. I used a different atmosphere, maybe a planetary nebula, where the derelict destroyer sat adrift. The salvage towing service has securely connected to the destroyer and now pulling it the two days flight back to the salvage yard station. A prawn is crawling across the hull of the towed destroyer, a crab is about to land, and from behind the colossal lobster mothership is in hot pursuit. I thought with the dust clouds, asteroids and the menagerie of Crustacea, this was a more epic and dynamic image than the previous - and it fits the space on the cover! Now I need to write the dang thing!  :Razz:

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## Gamerprinter

Was in the mood to create another crab based ship design, though this isn't "Crustacea", as this isn't a living construct, and the ship cannot walk once it's grounded. Inspired by Crustacea, this is based on the Robber or Coconut Crab, and is designed as a pirate boarding ship. In the Starfinder Starship Operations Manual, buster weapons are described that only damage shields, and not hulls. I considered using the claws as a heavy ram, but opted instead to call them heavy tether claws (assuming tethers refer to cables or chain systems, but the pincer claws serves as the anchoring mechanism). So this ship finds potential victim ships to attack. using it's forward buster cannon, and twin buster cannons on the turret to reduce a targeted ship's shields to zero quickly. Then it's fast maneuver drives and grappling claws attempt to close onto the  ship and anchor it in the pincers. Once anchored, the boarding ramp drops and 4 boarding marines with cutting torches in armored vacc-suits breach the opposing ship to board. While some damage is incurred in the grapple, opponent ships only need to be breached, then the pirate boarding party treats it like a non-ship combat encounter. Kind of a unique method of starship combat...

*The Highwayman			Tier* 8
Robber Crab class medium corsair boarding ship
*Speed* 13; *Maneuverability* average (+0 Piloting, turn 2); *Hyperspeed* -
*AC* 25; *TL* 27
*HP* 100; *DT* -; *CT* 21
*Shields* medium 200 (forward 50, port 50, starboard 50, aft 50)
*Attack (Forward)* Heavy Tether Claws (4d8; *Anchoring); 1 Heavy Buster Cannon (6d8; *Buster)
*Attack (Aft)* Flak thrower (3d4; point)
*Attack (Turret)* 2 Heavy Buster Cannon (6d8; *Buster)
*Power Core* Pulse Blue (200); *Hyperdrive* -; *Systems* advanced medium range sensors, crew quarters (common), mk4 armor, mk6 defenses, mk5 bulheads, m12 Horacalcum thrusters; *Expansion Bays* cargo holds x3, sick bay, tech workshop
*Modifiers* Sensors +4; *Complement* 6 (Pilot, Gunner, 4 boarding soldiers)

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## Gamerprinter

Decided to create a second pirate ship to couple with the Robber Crab ship, this is the Crackerjack small fast signal boat, which is a fast, lightly armed boat with a Hacker module used to attack the computers of targeted ships.

*Crackerjack		Tier* 6
Nautilus class small Fast Signal Boat
*Speed* 13; *Maneuverability* good (+1 Piloting, turn 1); *Hyperspeed* 1
*AC* 19; *TL* 25 
*HP* 40; *CT* -;* DT* 7
*Shields* medium 160 (forward arc 40, port arc 40, starboard arc 40, aft arc 40)
*Attack (Forward)* 1 Laser Net (2d6; point); Digital Strike Conduit (Special, *Hacking)
*Attack (Port)* Light particle beam (3d6), 10 PCU, 5 BP
*Attack (Starboard)* Light particle beam (3d6), 10 PCU, 5 BP
*Power Core* Signal Orange (250); *Hyperdrive* Signal Basic; *Systems* advanced long range sensors, anti-hacking system, crew quarters (common), mk3 duonode, mk6 defenses, s12 Horacalcum thrusters; *Expansion Bays* science lab, sick bay, tech workshop
*Modifiers* +1 Piloting, +3/+3 Computers, +4 Scans; *Complement* 6

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## Gamerprinter

After creating a couple pirate ships inspired by sealife, I decided I needed a pirate base, some chunk of rock floating in the Sargasso Nebula. Strange reef building space corals cover some of the rocks, perhaps some needed nutrient found in only some asteroids in nebula dust clouds feeding on the finest grains of nutrients in the dust. The space pirate with their Robber Crab ships and Nautilus pod boats are based on this one, called Scallywag's Rock. Several pirate gangs hide in this nebula. The Colonial Navy has closed in on this asteroid base. After creating all the "sealife" I needed a scene they best fit in - space corals, why not?

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## Gamerprinter

_... dammit, T'Chixik, recheck those sensor logs... this can't be the Drift Beacon coordinates..._

Deep Space Anglers are gargantuan, space born, starship sized creatures who ride the gamma ray bursts, solar winds and radiation waves feeding on substances with exotic particles, including jump drives on starships. If they spend at least 7 days within 10 AU of any drift beacon, their biochemistry attunes with the beacon's frequency and signal output and emulates it perfectly. Within close proximity it isn't a problem, however, if it swims into open space, it can confuse starship astrogation systems into thinking they are the drift beacon destination. Which can cause problems...  :Wink: 

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## zhar2

looks great, surfaces do need smoothing, you can see where faces join up.

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## Gamerprinter

Actually, you're seeing the fractal effect on the texture - it's the texture that is creating those "surfaces".

Thanks, zhar2!

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## Gamerprinter

So I needed to create interceptors to fill the Hammerhead's shuttle bay, to be rapidly deployed when engaging with enemies of Colonial Space. I still need to create the pilot for this. I wanted a light force ramming prow to deal with space mines, and an Inubrix rail launcher as the main gun. However for special considerations, I gave it a ghost drive which lets the ship go ethereal for one round, and the Inubrix rail launcher can go ethereal and bypass armor to make more serious attacks. So this is a special craft. Here's the stats.

Ghost Manta  Five                                                Tier 6
Manta class tiny interceptor
Speed 13; Maneuverability perfect (+2 Piloting, turn 0); Hyperspeed -
AC 23; TL 31
HP 30; CT 3; DT 6
Shields heavy 420 (forward 105, port 105, starboard 105, aft 105) 
Attack (Forward) Inubrix Rail launcher (2d8, linked *Rail 1d :Cool: 
Attack (Forward) Light force ramming prow (-, force field* (20), *Ramming)
Power Core Pulse Red (175); Hyperdrive none; Systems advanced medium range sensors, consciousness uplink drive, fortified hull (nanocarbon plate), ghost drive, mk 4 armor, mk 14 Horaculcum defenses, t12 Horacalcum thrusters; Expansion Bays none
Modifiers +2 Piloting, +4 Scans; Complement 1

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## Gamerprinter

Psyching myself up for the upcoming Tech Revolution, and building myself a mecha design. Now I may need to change the weapons array, as I don't know the number, arcs, type of weapons allowed for Starfinder mecha. So going on a guess. I've created an Amphipod Mecha (a long, skinny sand flea, more or less) with a double barreled gun of some kind on one main arm, and a pincer claw for mecha melee attacks. I created a secondary pair of arms with manipulators that can handle things, but not serve as weapons. Hard to see, but under the  windshield on the head and kind of covered by one of the small claw hands, an anti-personnel weapon barrel is sticking out. Again, I'll change the weapons array, once I know what I can place on this mecha design... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

So the previous version of this mecha, was too sunny and cheery for the subject matter - wanting a more menacing and moody sensibility, perhaps I went overboard. But it fits many genres: sci-fi, modern, war-torn, post apocalypse, and even cyberpunk perhaps. The Amphipod mecha - a relative of the sand flea, a tiny, nasty looking crustacean. This isn't the Florida variety of sand flea which looks more like a Volkswagon beetle, which I denstined to create a ship basing on. Anyway, happier with this version... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Well, I've been struggling with this scene for 3 days now, first I was having problems with the included plants/forest on the ground level, it caused my system to crash twice, before I figured out what was wrong. I adjusted the atmosphere, clouds, light direction, light angle, and camera angle. As labeled, this is Nova Lisbon, Man-o-war Station, Tethys II, a small gas giant in the Tethys star system. I've done jellyfish stations before, which is cliche really for sci-fi, but I think this kind is a unique version, I'm not sure, how many others have seen a Portuguese Man-o-war space station before. This is either a space station, or a lighter than Venusian air platform in a heavy atmosphere world... enjoy

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## Gamerprinter

Keeping on the Sealife in space motif, the Minestar Corporation specializes in asteroid mining throughout Colonial Space using their primary mining vehicle, the huge Minestar Starfish Mining Platform. It's articulated legs can grapple an asteroid to hold itself in place firmly, while cutting lasers, drills, excavating tools beneath the arms work the asteroid for materials, deposits into a conveyor tube that takes raw ore into the ore processor in the hub of the station. It holds around 50 crew miners. It has maneuver drives allowing it to move about a star system, but do not feature jump drives. Enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

This is Scylla, a living construct originally created by a renowned engineer, whom his lover, Circe, forcibly powered the living ship with his soul. Circe is a lich on the rogue moon of Aeaea that seems to roam across the universe in haphazard directions that change, sometimes intruding some planetary orbit, sometimes just passing by - it must be driven by some kind of hybrid drives, though no visible thrusters can be seen. It also seems to have a jump drive as well. It is a rocky planet, mountainous across it's entire surface, though it should have a microgravity, it features a low gravity instead. Circe is said to live here among her transformed slaves, of ships captured by Scylla, whom it allows the crew to survive, then destroys their ship upon the peaks of the world... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Nine moons over Olympus cruise aboard the Iruka, dolphin class passenger cruise liner. Olympus is a super gas giant with over 200 moons in it's orbit, however the 9 largest moons have significant populations and all have amazing vistas, that it's a common holiday event to take the week long cruise around this gas giant, with a port stop-over along the way.

CCS Iruka Tier 10
Dolphin class gargantuan passenger colony cruiser starship
Speed 7; Maneuverability poor (+1 Piloting, turn 0); Hyperspeed 1
AC 20; TL 26
HP 300; CT 10; DT 48
Shields heavy 240 (forward 60, port 60, starboard 60, aft 60) 
Power Core Gateway Heavy (400); Hyperdrive Signal Basic; Systems advanced long range sensors, biometric locks, crew quarters (good), mk 6 Horaculcum defenses, g6 Horacalcum thrusters; Expansion Bays cargo hold, 2 docking collars (escape ships), resort entertainment block (6 bays), sick bay
Modifiers +1 Piloting, +2/+2/+2 Computers, +4 Scans; Complement 300 crew, 1500 guests

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## Gamerprinter

Have to begin working on the hermit crab inspired Starfinder race, the Chiladae. These are small about 2 feet tall, though can stretch out to nearly 4 feet long, is a small being with an exoskeleton. I'm thinking INT is it's positive attribute. Haven't given a whole lot of thought on it yet. LIke hermit crabs, they park themselves inside a protective housing, in their case, android and robotic bodies to suit different purposes. That's all I got so far.

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## Gamerprinter

Yesterday, I began my intro to the Chiladean sentient hermit crabs, but I needed to create one of their "humanoid suit-vessels" they pilot from inside to integrate into society better than their natural forms. Because they have cybernetic jacks built into their heads and at the end of their tail to operate the vessel's AI and walking system, any critical damage taken by the vehicle can cause damage to it's pilot. Klattera is walking in her natural, unprotected form beside her brother/mate Kladdick who wears his new soldier vessel. You can see his glorious face through the helmet visor. They pull they legs close into their body, and use their tiny chest limbs to dexterously work the bridge controls. In humanoid form, they can better adapt to other humanoids societies and work technology, that their natural form isn't well adapted for... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

This is almost a MAP!

This is a small planetoid, not Ganymede sized, probably closer to Phobos, but still a not an asteroid, bigger than that. It features some anomalies, even if observers don't detect course corrections and changes in speed, including what appears to be an atmosphere envelope - something you wouldn't expect to find on a moon it's mass and expected microgravity. It features mountains. Created by what. There is no evidence of volcanic activity, nor continental drift, so what is creating these very high (Olympus Mons height) ranges on such a tiny world. Finally anomalous spikes detect a heavy gravity well, but is incredibly close to the planet itself, and deeper than it should be. The latter is so exotic, a science team has been sent to map and explore, and set up an unmanned observation post. Within seconds of arrival an automated distress call was activated. It's going to need a rescue mission.

Of course, unknown to distressed, nor their rescuers, this rogue moon is the home, laboratory and prison moon of Circe the Mystic LIch of Aeaea. And I've decided that my version of Circe's means of transforming victims into her "animal menagerie" is more like John Carpenter's The Thing... Enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

The Drae were an alien militant humanoid race of a once great interstellar empire, in a century of war with all their neighboring border nations. Their greatest failed gamble was made upon the discovery of the Cheladeans. They are a small crustacean based race of sentient scavengers on a super earth, heavy world. While highly intelligent lacking hands capable of creating anything, but crudest construction given their physiology. The Drae, experimented with the Cheladeans, eventually placing cybernetic jacks into their heads and tails allowing them to reside within android/robotic vehicles that serve as the shells these creatures normally carry with and live within. After 40 years of brutal experimentation, the Cheladeans proved exceptionally adapted at using the shell vessels to fully function in society. However, unlike the Drae experience with past exoskeleton based vermin encounters, which here horrid simple beasts, the Cheladeans are peaceful at heart, eager to join the intergalactic community. They will defend and engage in violence as is necessary in a violent universe, but use every option before turning to violence. The Cheladeans watched as the Drae destroyed themselves in doomsday weapons, and left them, thankful for the gift of technology they can expand their race with, but also for their demise, such a violent being is best for everyone if they ceased to exist by their own hands...

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## Gamerprinter

So far, going to call this a Horrid. Based on a necro-synthetic shapechanging ooze as the main monster in the upcoming Rogue Moon adventure set on Circe's moon, not unlike The Thing or Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Now this isn't all my modeling, the giant monstrous mouth is, but I just deformed and duplicated parts on a Poser model to depict this very creepy thing... enjoy!

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## rdanhenry

Cool backstory for the little crabs; a few issues with the text on the image:

"evolved" doesn't distinguish Cheladeans from any other reproductive species; I think "enhanced" would be a better descriptor.
"vehilcles"
Inconsistent capitalization. "Cheladeans" or "cheladeans"?
"physcian"

The image kind of looks like a toy collection. Was that the intent? I like it.

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## Gamerprinter

All those spelling corrections have already been made, but not worth reposting the corrections. Technically Cheladea is an Order of hermit crabs, so evolved should actually have accurate meaning.

No, not a toy collection, although these are all 3D and could all be potentially printed on a 3D printer. Rather you know in any D&D Core rulebook where an illustration of armor types is shown, side by side. This illustration is for that, but in this case showing the "shells" of the Cheladeans.

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## rdanhenry

As for the toy collection thing, it's not so much the 3d models as such, but the surface they are on, the background and the shadows, all combining to make them look like they're displayed on a shelf. I have no idea if that's a standard look for modern D&D.

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## Gamerprinter

I have no idea either - I create based on what ideas I come up with... what the current trend in design happens to be, I have no idea, nor do I care. I never base anything on trends, I just don't care about that. It just seemed a concise way to show different shells, along with an actual Cheladean without a shell at center, done in a single 3D scene.

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## Gamerprinter

After that last illustration, I had to clean my palette, not necessarily of the horror trope, rather working with Poser figures - I'm not good with people, so am forced to use Poser, but never really cared for it. Anyway, I was experimenting on some new atmosphere settings, and came up with this weird, ominous, stormy, brown sky. And most interesting to me, is the play with light, the mountain in the distance is in the light, whereas the mountains in the midground is not, and so dark as if there is little ambiant light, then light peaking again in the foreground. I used a rusty, techno, metal texture on the mountains, just for something different and intentionally alien, it worked. Added the Cheladean crab at the last minute, and decided this must be the Cheladean homeworld. I removed the cybernetic jacks to show the crabs in their natural form, and used a prehistoric fern for a tree, in the distance, and giant mold fungi for the water plants. I needed a nice alien wildlife scene to balance my spirit... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

So I decided I needed to create space armor for a Hatamoto, the Shogun's elite samurai guard. This armor emulates 15th century Japanese armor with kabuto helmet and harimakido suit. The kammon (samurai house crest on the chest and on the helmet) is the House of Taira, which is whom I made the Shogun of my Kaidan setting of Japanese Horror (PFRPG), now being updated to Starfinder... enjoy!

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## rdanhenry

The samurai space armor looks great!

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## Gamerprinter

Thank you, sir!

So, not wanting to limit the Kaidan Star Empire content to just samurai. This is Kintaro, an ascetic monk, android vanguard has achieved perfect spiritural balance able to levitate above the floor, only in meditation in recovering resolve. Though he is not actually above the water, rather he is using his favorite holo-program, Sunset over Lake Shizukesa. My take on Androids have them with transparent portions of their body showing the technology within. He does this daily for the sake of his sanity... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Mamushi-san, (Pit Viper), a Yakuza Operative 6th level, N. He specializes in Breaking Entry, whether as a hacker or a technician. He has cybernetic parts: an eye  allowing him to see ultraviolet/infrared security beams to avoid crossing, focused hearing ear enhancements, a board and chip implanted into his brain under a metal plate on the top of his head, and his left arm which was lost in bomb disarmament attempt when he was young.  His father incurred a huge gambling debt prior to his untimely death from illness, Mamushi and his sister were taken as payment by the yakuza to serve them. His sister went from bath house attendant to prostitute in training, but was saved by a wealthy courtesan who was a "true friend" of the yakuza. Those who do "business" with the yakuza usually involve some kind of debt with interest that needs paid, but that is separate from the "cost", which incur additional fees for protection and other "services". If someone can fully pay their debt with interest, and pay the "cost" as well, is released from any obligations and considered a "true friend of the yakuza". Mamushi has earned enough profit to pay for his sister's debt incurred by his father, plus costs for both. However, Mamushi remains an absolute loyal member of the Tsu Hoshi Gumi (Ten Star Syndicate)... enjoy!

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## rredmond

> ...experimenting on some new atmosphere settings...


 I looked at the picture before the post and automatically thought "what great atmosphere this pic has!" That little bit, and you give a sense of a whole new world. Really nice, thanks for sharing!

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## Gamerprinter

The *Wardens of Mayhem* are an undead, Eoxian biker gang that roams the Drift riding tiny, chopper configured, armed racer starships with "open cockpits". Riders with environment armor, androids and sentient robots that don't breathe, and undead, like these Borai riders don't need life support, and it isn't available, though all other starship systems including shields protect riders from debris "space rash". The forks and "front tire" doesn't turn, rather when you turn the handle bars, at the center on either side of the forward maneuvering pod has thrusters to either side for precise turning. Thrusters to it's front apply as breaks, and thrusters beneath for landing. Under the sea is the actual fusion drive, and beneath it are thrusters for landing as well. The pipes, of course are the main thrusters. The founder of the DSC League Discord community dreamed up this idea, and I decided to illustrate it... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Calling this the KSS Sakura, a Daedalus class armed corporate frigate is lightly armed, though carries a squadron of defense, scout and mercantile boats. This is a flying research facility, and a kind of corporate field office. It is flying through the Kaidan star system which is located inside the Yurei (ghost) Nebula, and why dust fills much of the space between the stars and planets. This ship is currently flying in orbit around the Gas Giant, Jigoku. I wanted to create a large non military ship... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Kind of ran dry on ideas, but I wanted to do something, even "make work" just to keep designing, while fresh ideas build in my head. So I took that armored samurai model, and my Marathon Colonial Marine fast boat, and put them onto an alien world with shallow seas and oddly angled rock peaking above the waterline, and that is the terrain across the globe.

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## rredmond

Wow!  :Idea:  That rocks!

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## Gamerprinter

Thanks, RRedmond!

Just playing around with some terrain and sky presets, then adding in a flight of Kaidan Imperial Naval Interceptors. Tanto class, with a second flight coming around to follow. They are doing atmosphere flight training and "nap of Earth" flight operations, followed by strafing ground targets as a military exercise. 

While the main continent of Kaidan looks very wet and verdant like it was on the Old World (think Japan), before colonial resettlement, western Kaidan is extensive deserts behind the central mountain range causing a rain shadow in the lands west to the sea. Some of the region includes mining operations, an airport, and mostly weapons development corporations, much of the west are flight and artillery ranges, proving grounds and terrain for military exercises.

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## Reisen

Yeah, that's pretty cool.

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## Gamerprinter

Thanks, guys!

I've been getting sidetracked lately, and needed to get back to the Planet Builder project. I think I'm going to rename it the Star System Builder, since the supplement focuses on entire star systems, not simply planets, though keeping the Planet Point system and name. I'm trying to wrap up the map part of the guide, which I'll then "play-test" at the DSC using the rules to create custom star systems and planets. I also need more content one can "purchase" with Planet Points - artificial structures, space ports, etc. I needed a filler illustration showing a starship exploring an alien world, so whipped this up this evening to fill the slot... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

I am jumping ahead of myself - starting to plan my 2022 publishing schedule, though these might not all fit this, yeat, it's a goal.

The Kronusverse is the default setting used in all Gamer Printshop publications, originally created by T. H. Gulliver in his one-shot horror anthology, Dead in Space. Since then I've been expanding the setting in nearly all of my releases. After having published The Planet Builder supplement last year with tools for creating entire star systems - I'm ready to bring my setting out of the background and into it's own product line.

Mini setting guides include: overview with history, culture, government, technology, resources, factions and unique aspects, of each primary world described (at least 2 per guide). Maps of the entire star system, world maps/sphererical image of primary worlds, mapped locations for large complex and interesting locales, a starship deck plan and illustrations of other ships of the system. Unique weapons, armor, equipment and other items found here. New races and monsters. The full stat block which works like a gazetteer almost.

Having already announced the Gemini Binary Stars as a the first mini setting guide for my new product line. And because I should have an overview guide to the entire Kronusverse setting - I plan to release those simultaneously.

However, I've got 3 more mini-guides I want to do, so created the concept covers for the entire line, so far...

Thoughts?

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## Gamerprinter

Haven't rendered a 3D image in a while, and needed something to depict the Colonial Navy, so this is the 4th Colonial Fleet on patrol in the Daedalus system. Shown is the Kraken class dreadnought, 4 Hammerhead class battleships, and many packs of Nautilus class medium patrol corvettes. I'm doing the secction on the Colonial Navy in the Kronusverse Guide - and I needed an illustration for it.

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## Gamerprinter

How about it guys, after those very stylized navy ships, this is probably the practical designed starship I've ever created, and helps explains the mindset differences between the Colonial Navy, and the Colonial Merchant Spacers Guild (think merchant marine). This is the Trireme class CMSG gargantuan massive freighter. This ship shows a mixed cargo load, as all the cargo holds are external with 4 bays of container assemblies with 32 cargo containers each, 2 gas/liquid containers, and 2 bulk containers. Many ships have just one type, this has all three. Engineering and Tech shop at aft of ship, central corridor connects the the engines to the fore of the ship. The weapon platform is on the bottom of the ship with clear lines of sight for all attacking arcs. At the top is the pilot house, what merchant spacers call a bridge. At center is the crew areas.

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## rredmond

I like your organic ships a lot, but dig this "been around the space block a few times" ship as well.  :Very Happy:

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## Gamerprinter

Thanks, rredmond! I just did a top down orthographic render of the ship, in case I decide to do a deck plan! 

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## Redrobes

I think this is a pretty cool shape for a ship too. Although I would not want to be standing on that gantry bit when they fire up the retro thrusters !

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## Gamerprinter

Note that gantry bit sits above the trajectory of the thruster, so it won't get burned when firing the retro drives, though you might still be thrown into the bulkhead when it does fire!  :Wink: 

Anyway, on the product I'm doing these latest illustrations, everything is written and designed for it - I need to finish 3 faction/themes of the setting, stat 2 ships, do the deck plan for the Trireme - and this product is complete, at 32 pages plus covers, at a sellilng point of $2.99

However, I am about a third done with the first Mini-Setting Guide: Gemini Binary Stars, which need 2 world maps, 2 globe views, a section of city map, and a couple encounter scale maps, and a ship deck plan, and finish up the writing, so probably a week or two away from finishing that.

Once both guides are finished, I will release them simultaneously, and begin working on the next Mini-Series product: The Delphi Clerisy...

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## Gamerprinter

While the Ysoki (ratlings) aren't indigenous to the Kronusverse, they are recent arrivals to the Delphi system, aboard a Ysoki Sphere Colony Base ship with a singularity drive at center creating a stable .98 Gs to those living aboard. They plan to settle one of the desert planets in the Delphi system...

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## Gamerprinter

Once the Ysoki arrive at their destination, they will need craft to land on planets to settle them. This is their 300 ft. diameter landing ships, called Planeteers.

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## Jaxilon

I like those ships in the last one there, they go along with something I've had in my head for a while now but haven't found any time or energy to work on. Cool

edit: Woops, I'm so far behind I was referring to an image way back with the ships that were like sea creatures.

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## Gamerprinter

Hey, Jax! I guess I post too often for you to keep up!  :Smile: 

While I liked that sunset image, I needed something illustrative of a story more than a nice image...

The Ysoki Invasion of Delphi II. Although authorized by the Ecclesiastic Council of the Delphi Hegemony to immigrate to the unincorporated planet of Delphi II, in the Delphi star system. A small, population of criminal elements, squatters, and other outlaw types residing on small armed encampment on the planet with a crudely, prepared starport. These ysoki pilgrims from across the galaxy claim religious reasons for claiming the second planet of the Delphi system, to which the Ecclesiastic Council acknowledge, that prophecy speaks of a chosen people for that world, that they were awaiting their arrival. The ysoki are the chosen people of this world.

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## Gamerprinter

So having nothing to do with my last few posts, one of the illustrations I was using in the Kronusverse involved describing an event that lead to the formation of the Colonial government, and that was of an alien incursion occuring on a distant colony world, and the rest of the colonies formed a military and conducted 7 years of operations to get the aliens to leave - which they finally did. However, as an illustration, I just showed a bunch in space reading some kind of an attack, but otherwise a non-action scene. That didn't work. I needed to show an alien invasion, so I created this last night. It may be a little busy. Some of the alien's leg details are hidden in the busy-ness of the background, but this was my first attempt at this...

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## Gamerprinter

*Vapor Kine* are a kind large, floating, invertibrate creature of unusual biology, about the size of an imperial mammoth. It is native to Mini Neptune type, small gas giants with rocky cores, 
and extremely high pressure of mostly-hydrogen atmosphere, but it's metabolism absorbs lithium-6 from the atmosphere and metabolizes it into tritium, which it excretes and eventually decays into helium-3. Although the creature is inoffensive and somewhat less intelligent than an Earth cow, the helium it produces has valuable uses, causing them to be herded in vast ranches in certain gas giant's dense atmospheres, tended by special robotic herders designed to withstand the gravity, pressure and temperatures they need to survive.

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## Gamerprinter

After dropping dozens of metallic jellyfish shaped oceanographic study stations onto the water world of Eirene. A sentient being on the world with a means of communicating directly with psionically talented species, stated that the foreign metals on the ships were putting toxins into the water. She offered a local lifeform that resembles an Earth jellyfish, but has a unique semi-organic crystal structure of a flexible, yet resiliant material. A unique and advanced material science, given to the Colonial scientists as an alternative to the toxic ships. 

The Sea Nymph is a large (800' diameter dome top), the tentacles retract and extend within a certain temperature range, and only when immersed into appropriate level salinity. The Colonial Academy of Science and the Colonial Bureau of Naval Intelligence has constructed this station/science ship as the first of it's kind using this new material, as is thus classified Top Secret. As an oceanographic ship it rides transglobal current that meanders across the planet, offering an opportunity to study the course, the lifeforms and geology on it's journey. Naval nautilus assault transports are ported as defenses for an otherwise vessel with heavy shields, gravity weapons and anti-missile/point defense only. 50% of the crew are scientists.

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## Gamerprinter

Calling this one - Cylindrical Serengeti.

While it's not the Serengeti, though the animal life seems very similar to Earth counterparts - an antelope specie, a large rodent, something very similar to a rhinoceros, which only adds to the mystery. The Gaea system was declared banned from colonization until further notice by the Colonial Academy of Science. Any system where a sapient developing, non-starfaring species is found, it is declared off limits for colonization and resource exploitation; a kind of prime directive. Also systems with anomalies or mysteries, as the Gaea system is. All it's inner planets are missing, presumably dismantled and used as the material to construct a cloud of over 100 Oniell cylinders, each over 1,000 miles long, slightly more than 100 miles in diameter with millions of square miles of interior space. They aren't easily detectable however, seeming to be shielded from revealing power and operations of each cylinder. When these were found, it was expected to host billions of humanoid inhabitants. Which they do not. Our teams have only managed to enter one, and only allowed to send in probes to film the interior, however, each one appears to have a unique ecosphere, with a defined niche of lifeforms from simple to advanced and filling every niche in the food chain, from grazers to predators and scavengers. We believe these represent different epochs of time on the world of it's builders. Aside from knowing these were constructed 3800 years ago, we have yet to find out anything regarding the builders. Who are they? What happened to them? Why build the cylinders and not inhabit them? Too many questions...

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## Gamerprinter

This is my second attempt at this image, and I'm still not satisfied, though it's better than my first attempt. This is Red Cliff House, of the Chacoan Ancestral Pueblo culture, on the desert planet of Chaco. They were brought here by the "sky people" from their home on Earth long ago. Around 100,000 now live in various communities across the planet, and keep in regular contact with the "sky people" alien humanoids, who led them here...

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## Gamerprinter

On Delphi II there exists an unincorporated city of pirates, smugglers, and a small mining and processing operation of alcubierrium (element 174), an exotic element that all FTL science is based - though it's completely illegal, unlicensed, and with some large bribes paid so the star system authorities look the other way. However, any attempt for major operations would be shut down.

A retired pirate captain is mayor of this off-the-books town, he calls *New Tombstone*. He once operated a fleet of pirate vessels whose crew called themselves "the Cowboys". Now outlaws operating in a system governed by a theocracy has been a difficult task. However, everyone knows that the planet is restricted, and that it's illegal to be there, but they seem to be getting away with it...

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## Gamerprinter

I needed at least one illustration for the picturesque Colonial capital of Vespa, which is from a planet with more water than Earth, but not a water world, perhaps about 80% surface oceans and small continents. It's the second most successful colony with a population of 420 million. Communities are widely spread out in mostly forested terrain, some mountains. This planet is Earthlike and in many ways a vacaction world for the wealthy, with regions of glorious beaches. This planet features weather control. With snows on the mountain tops, afternoon rains in coastal regions. While the Colonial Navy and Bureau of Naval Intelligence is based at New Dublin colony. The rest of the Colonial bureaucracy exists at Vespa.

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## Gamerprinter

After watching the new Dune movie on DVD, I decided to create a sci-fi city map, inspired by Arrakeen, for a non-skyscraper urban area. Appearing as various mastaba shaped short structures only a few levels high, but after getting the bulk I realized, this city is more like a super colossal starship, unmoving and inset into the ground. The top level are essentially rooftops peaking through a contiguous roof hull, with floors dropping beneath the ground 2 to 10 levels down. For simplicity, and modularity I created squares of structure, so they could be easily fitted together into a custom city - prefab. 

First I created a manufacturing module, half the width of the other modules with pits dropping down. Next I created the habitat/down town block, which is the downtown shopping area with a glassed roof. Then I created the residential block with a fortress for city leadership, and a temple, with other structures surrounding on a varying level hull. I then created the starport, with airfield sitting lower than the ground level on other blocks. Finally I created a large hydroponic dome as the main source of food. I plan to do top downs to show the transit tracks and corridors and some of the structural interiors. Also posting closeup renderings of the residential, fortress and manufacturing blocks. Enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

So I'm currently working on a private commission for a custom Spelljammer shuttle design and deck plan, called the Sparrowhawk. Though I won't post the deck plans, as it is a commission, however, I may include this as part of a collection of custom Spelljammer ships as a potential 3PP product, I'll be making... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Just completed the illustration view, though I need to create top down and a few other angles. This is the Spelljammer ship, *Cristatus* - _a large Peacock Elven noble sloop_, with presumably a crew of 36, in 3 shifts of 12 crew. This for an ostentacious, noble elf as a kind of aristocratic yacht. Although as shown is unarmed, it is always accompanied by an escort flight of Sparrowhawks. Beneath the poop deck under the ring of the tail sail is the helm, which also serves as a wizards laboratory and navigation. Beneath that is the noble captain's personal quarters. Beneath that is officer rooms for sick bay, galley and dining room, offices, with a stairs to floor above and stairs down. The main deck is the gravity plane, so all decks below are on the otherside of the gravity plane, includes crew quarters, armory, grain stores and cargo hold at lowest deck. A trap door on the main deck allows access for cargo, though at aft on the lower end is another larger bay door for accessing cargo. Tomorrow I'll work on deck plans and top down render... enjoy!

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## rredmond

It all has an awesome alien feel to it!!  :Smile: 
Thanks for sharing!

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## Gamerprinter

Thanks, Rredmond!

Next is a living tree ship, called the Arbor Galley, an official craft of the Astal Druidic Council. As a living tree, the aft end is the root ball, the midsection trunk has all the leaf branches which serve as sails. The forward part is a hollowed log with interior structure in the hollow, and living trees, grass as a grove above and below the gravity plane. Notably the passage across the gravity plane is via a pool of fresh water with fishes inside, 4 feet deep, but the top/bottom is the top on either side of the gravity plane. You can dive from one side to the other. The ship needs not enter a color sphere to refresh it's air bubble - the tree does that itself. A druid and staff operate this ship... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Next Spelljammer custom design is the Scylla lobster ship. This ship flies backwards uisng it's tail and leg fins as sails. I've repurposed a model I created as a Starfinder starship sized living construct with an entire family of crustaceans. I added the winglets on it's legs, cut out the back of it's carapace to place a deck and trebuche. At the rear I inserted a platform to mount a ballista. I figure this is a pirate ship. While it flies backwards at cruising speed. When approaching a targetted ship, it does a "Crazy Ivan" maneuver twisting it's tail fins and one sides winglets to rotate 180 degrees in order to grapple an opposing ship. Since I doubt Spelljammer ships are allowed to have crushing weapons to them, at least these claws should be allowed to grapple another ship... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

The Scarab is a destroyer class undead Beetle ship of the Anubians, a jackal headed gnoll humanoid. They worship Anubis and live as ancient Egyptian necromancers and slavers. These ships require constant surface oiling to keep the chiton from rotting. Animated dead is used once landed on a planet/color sphere allowing it to walk and attack structural targets on the ground. These beetles are from the jungles of the Anubian homeworld.

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## Gamerprinter

Well these ships are for Dungeons & Dragons Spelljammer ships right? So I need to create at least on of these for flying beast based ships. This is the Drake class mercenary light destroyer (I reclassed the beetle ship to corvette class). This ship is long, but narrow with limited interior space, mostly in the body section. Enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

A thri-kreen operated armed bulk freighter, called the Locust, which is the size of a cruiser class ship. It features 3 trebuches and 3 ballista. The abdomen section is entirely dedicated to bulk cargo. Yes, grasshopper, it is a reaper of grains... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

The Zhitchaka are a humanoid crustacean race from a planet of shallow tropical seas, as a starfaring race of militant philosophers. They exist within the Kronusverse setting. (I'm currently sidetracked developing a collection of Spelljammer ships, but once done, I'll get back to setting development for Starfinder). This creature uses parts from a 3D insectoid collection by Bernhard Vanderhorst - not my 3D design. Enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Another illustration to clean my palate, just to try out some new assets (not my work), but where I can use them for illustrations I need for my publications. I consider this a scorpion spider, you'll note it has 10 legs, not 8, like a spider, though it has a spider's head. the 4 forelimbs are kind of mauls with spikes to hug prey in range for their poisonous bite. You cannot see the abdomen at this angle, but not a spider's, nor a true scorpion tail, it has a pincer tail (not a claw) like an earwig has - just more nasty to deal with. I would title this as *Spider Hole*, or _why I stopped playing solo adventures_... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

For clarification, this illustration is for my Starfinder setting, not Spelljammer, finding a cluster of small asteroids, gathered and bound together by an intelligent, alien, gargantuan spider (presumably Tiny to Gargantuan, starship scale) and those mean large, humanoid scorpion spider I produced yesterday, is their tiny males of the species. Each queen has dozens of male laborer warriors to protect her. They catch passing small asteroids by placing webbing between it and their nest. Noting, I'm calling this a spider nest, not "the spider nests", as apparently these can be found in asteroids belts, dust clouds and nebula where these giant spiders dwell... enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

I've updated the last image to include 2 drapes of webbing attached on either side of the spider's nest, presumably attached to larger, nearby asteroids, to both add more secure anchor points as well as provide web nets between them to catch passing small asteroids and possible ships...

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## Gamerprinter

I am almost certain there is a scorpion Spelljammer ship, but am not sure. That said, I made this anyway...

Atsuko Mizumi is a kitsune pirate captain aboard the Sasori, which is Japanese for scorpion. Her crew consists entirely of yokai (Japanese folklore shapechangers), which include such beings as kitsune, hengeyokai, and tanuki, as well as more rarely a same-bito (shark shapechanger). Their ship is fast and maneuverable, though lightly armed and armored. It hides in the terrain of moons in ambush, eyeing for passing ships to raid.

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## Gamerprinter

After reading about someone's homebrew Spelljammer setting based on mezoamerican culture, that inspired me to try this - especially since I wanted to create sails from scales or feathers, so this is perfect. And since I went all Japanese on the last illustration, I decided to celebrate another civilization.

The Quetzalcoatl is an Olmec Royal Armed Sloop with 3 ballista. The helm is upsidedown - on the other side of the gravity plane, in the mouth, where the pilot sits on a cushioned blanket rather than a chair.

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## Gamerprinter

Somebody asked if I'd do a Stargate inspired pyramid ship, but as a ziggarat, since I did the quetzalcoatl. Simple enough (the pyramid, gates and towers were existing models in my 3D program, and I purchased the Mayan Calendar, because I wasn't going to  model that!)

*Temple of the Moon*, Olmec Imperial Dreadnought Flagship, with 4 catapults. This vessel accompanies the Olmec fleet at war and for important ceremonies. The emperor with his family, entourage and guards, along with his high priest is actually on their way to the system PItz ball court championships being held on the Chacoan world. The emperor's son is leading the vanguard aboard a Quetzalcoatl armed sloop, seen in the distance. The Mayan calendar is the sail.

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## Gamerprinter

I planned on doing 12 ships, at least, and I've got 12 ship illustrations done, but it doesn't feel finished to me... so I'm doing 3 more Spelljammers. Since I did 2 Mezoamerican ships, and I've done 1 Japanese ship with the Sasori scorpion pirate schooner, I thought I'd do one more, more official Japanese ship, and one more larger ship.

This is the Jade Dragon, the Shogun's Imperial Battleship, with 3 ballista, and a trebuche. I used simulated jade with a slight translucency - it was set higher, but I lowered it, so it would show the exterior details better.

Two more to go... then the deck plans for all.

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## Gamerprinter

Final Spelljammer ship and illustration is complete. This is Lolth's Handmaiden, a dreadnought class drow spelljammer ship, although this one is slightly larger than a true dreadnought. It was built by a drow noble house, making it's escape from an underdark city and taking it's family and possessions into Spelljammer space. They have located a large astral spider nest along the fringe of the Outer Wilds and will be establishing a drow city there. You could consider this a colony ship of sorts, one built for an entire noble house... enjoy! Now mapping ensues.

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## Gamerprinter

For the Japan corner of Spelljammer space is a former planet that endured the a massive planetary body passing too close to it causing the planet to break apart into large chunks, but eventually settling into a stable orbit of thousands of rocks floating in close proximity. The peoples living there built bridgings, zip lines, cable cars and single sailed boats to travel between the floating islands. Calling this the Sorashima archipelago (Sorashima is sky islands in Japanese). Enjoy!

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## Gamerprinter

Xalapa is the capital and planet of the Olmec Confederacy, a mountainous jungle world with extensive underground river systems throughout reaching the seas. The Olmec were among the first Spelljamming cultures, just shortly after the Egyptian introduction. They have since returned to the Earth on several rescue missions to bring entire cities of subsequent indigenous civilizations before others would come and destroy their worlds - as predicted by Olmec prophecy. Among their retrievals were Aztecs, Mayans and Chacoan peoples. Each live on a different moon that orbits the gas giant, Chac Ixchil, the storm god and his consort, Lady Rainbow in the Olmec/Mayan pantheon. There is said to be a constant storm beneath it's tranquil rainbow surface.

The King and the Temple of the Moon ship returns and is landing at the capital.

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## Gamerprinter

Only mentioning that the Sahuagin with the Deep Space Angler and Astral Pirahna ships are from an ocean planet, no surface land. Only land ever revealed during high seas where the nearest surfaces break the water for moments at a time. But still felt compelled to create something for them. Several of the operating bays of Sahuagin spelljammer ships are wet bays (fully submerged) including their helms as depicted here. I don't know why, but I imagine spelljammer helms as featuring a wizard's glass (crystal ball) to view the ship and it's surroundings in combat, and wider views showing entire navigational route being taken. So that's the big glass ball in front of this Sahuagin captain at the helm...

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## rredmond

Nice! Could be a pulp cover of a Jules Verne type book!

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## Gamerprinter

Thanks, rredmond!

Now I need to create deck plans for all the ships, some maps of the included locations, and back story text, then ready this for publication!

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## Gamerprinter

Calling this: Spent a weekend in Innsmouth and all I got was this weird infection... or this why Illithid wear those long robes - how do you get pants over those?

Just some assets I wanted to use, but had no purpose for, so created it anyway. Now that's out of my system...

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## rredmond

Y'ha-nthlei calls!

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## Gamerprinter

I decided to redo the Scarab Beetle ship, for several reasons. One, I called it a scarab ship, since I wanted the associated Egyptian motif, however, I used a stag beetle which is not a scarab. I had the models for a rhinoceros beetle which is a scarab, so that's what I used instead. I also wanted to do a better job on the textures than the previous one. Plus the original image featured a deck that was overly narrow and not too many decks high - I couldn't fit all the featured bays I wanted to include in the first one, due to lack of interior space. Plus I added an Egyptian temple on it's back for more detail. This fixes it all, and allows me to post a better image. Doing a top down render now, then a profile render and I'll be done. I'm making this ship the first entry in the supplement.

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