Paul Dobson
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martocticvs.bsky.social
Paul Dobson
@martocticvs.bsky.social
740 followers 170 following 320 posts
Engineer, modeller. Sometimes I render things

Tools: C4D, Redshift, Substance 3D

Likely to be posting about #3dart, #SciFi, #3dModeling, #NavalHistory, #Space, #StarTrek art

https://www.artstation.com/martocticvs
http://www.youtube.com/@MartocticvsCG
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martocticvs.bsky.social
And finally, at long last... Bird of Prey modelling is complete*!

Last element to add was the rear ramp, roughly as seen at the end of The Search for Spock. As this was not part of the model, some minor changes were needed.

Originally had it with 2 sections, but added a third to reduce the angle.
Bird of Prey with rear ramp extended - 2-section iteration Closeup of the Bird of Prey's rear ramp - 2-section iteration Tighter closeup of the Bird of Prey's rear ramp plus interior details - these are matched as close as I can to the live action set that was comped into the model footage at the end of The Search for Spock. Bird of Prey's rear ramp extended - 3-section iteration. This is the final form, giving a more comfortable slope angle for the ramp.
November 4, 2025 at 8:30 PM
martocticvs.bsky.social
So now the Klingon Bird of Prey's landing gear is fully complete. Working out the mechanism for the hatches turned out to be a lot harder than I expected! Very little room left to work with!

Forward ramp also finished. This was included on the studio model, but never seen on screen.

#StarTrek 🖖🖖
WIP render of the Klingon Bird of Prey extending its landing gear. Viewed from underneath, the feet still folded up just emerging from the gear bays. WIP render of the Klingon Bird of Prey, landed. View from ground level astern. WIP render of the Klingon Bird of Prey's main access ramp, which opens facing forwards. This version of the ramp was included on the original studio model, but never seen on screen.
October 22, 2025 at 7:03 PM
martocticvs.bsky.social
Bird of Prey feet detail is basically complete now... a few more elements of the landing gear structure to flesh out inside the gear bays... landing ramps to do as well yet. Getting there!

Qa'pla!

🖖🖖

#StarTrek #Klingon #TNG #DS9 #Feet
WIP render of the Klingon Bird of Prey's landing feet WIP render of the Klingon Bird of Prey landed
September 24, 2025 at 11:08 PM
martocticvs.bsky.social
With the main modelling basically finished on the Bird of Prey, I turned attention to the landing gear. Refs for this are few and of poor quality, but I decided in advance I would only do it if I could find a way to make it work and fit inside the ship. So... here is Iteration #10!

🖖🖖

#StarTrek
September 13, 2025 at 1:26 PM
martocticvs.bsky.social
For a Bird of Prey to represent HMS Bounty from The Voyage Home, you have to add this stupid extra thing to the bottom of the hull. It blocks the hatches the landing gear and access ramps come out from...

This was visible on every shot of the model in TVH. But thankfully never seen again! 🖖🖖
WIP render of the Klingon Bird of Prey. View from underneath, slightly forward. Looking at the stupid extra lump added to the bottom of the model for Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home WIP render of the Klingon Bird of Prey. View from underneath, slightly aft. Looking at the stupid extra lump added to the bottom of the model for Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home
August 23, 2025 at 6:45 PM
martocticvs.bsky.social
...scorching effect that had been applied to rear of the ship for the final shots of ST3 and all of ST4 showing the damage done by the exploding Genesis planet. The scorching was still visible in ST5, and still no panels. So it must have been either for ST6 or Generations. 2/2
Still from Star Trek V: The Final Frontier showing the Klingon Bird of Prey. The scorching effect is still present at the rear of the wings and there are still no extra panels between the 'pyramid' and the raised ridge. This means they must have been added either for Star Trek 6 or Star Trek Generations. Do you know which??
August 19, 2025 at 6:31 PM
martocticvs.bsky.social
Here are a few more renders of how the Bird of Prey is looking right now...

Does anyone know when the extra panels were added to the top of the wing, between the 'pyramid' and the raised ridge? I'm thinking maybe for Generations, but maybe it was earlier, when they were removing the.. 1/2 🧵
WIP render of the Klingon Bird of Prey. View from above and behind. Wings in attack position WIP render of the Klingon Bird of Prey. View from below and behind. Wings in cruise position. WIP render of the Klingon Bird of Prey. View from the starboard beam. Wings in attack position. WIP render of the Klingon Bird of Prey. Closeup view of the extra panels that were added to the studio model either for Star Trek 6 or Star Trek Generations, between the 'pyramid' and the raised ridge separating the main wing panels from the previously plain rear inboard area. The panels were added to the top surface only.
August 19, 2025 at 6:31 PM
martocticvs.bsky.social
#Klingon Bird of Prey progress! First detail pass modelling finally complete! Still some alternate version stuff to add, maybe try the landing gear too...

Feels like a milestone has been reached!

#StarTrek #BirdofPrey #LLAP #IDIC
Klingon Bird of Prey WIP model render, from port bow. Wings in Cruise configuration. Klingon Bird of Prey WIP model render. View from ahead and below, wings in landing configuration. Klingon Bird of Prey WIP model render. View from above starboard bow. Wings in cruise configuration. Klingon Bird of Prey WIP model render. View from port wing. Wings in attack configuration. Closeup on port disruptor cannon.
August 15, 2025 at 7:15 PM
martocticvs.bsky.social
Still making slow progress on the Klingon Bird of Prey. Onto the wing detailing now!

🖖🖖🖖

#StarTrek #TNG #DS9 #SearchForSpock #Klingon #B'rel
WIP render of the Klingon Bird of Prey's upper starboard wing surface detail (incomplete) WIP render of the current state of the Klingon Bird of Prey, view from above rear quarter
May 29, 2025 at 10:40 PM
martocticvs.bsky.social
Finally time for a small #KlingonBirdofPrey update. The big details at the inboard rear end of the wings are now done. Lots of assymmetric detailing needed in there, as usual.

🖖🖖🖖

#StarTrek #TNG #DS9 #SearchForSpock #Klingon #B'rel
April 16, 2025 at 5:59 PM
martocticvs.bsky.social
Admiral! There be engines here!

#Klingon Bird of Prey progress update! Main hull details are now basically done. Just the wings to go! 🖖🖖🖖

All lighting effects are very temporary!

#StarTrek #TNG #DS9 #SearchForSpock #TheVoyageHome #HMSBounty #Q'pla
WIP render of the rear hull and engines of the Klingon Bird of Prey, view from behind WIP render of the rear hull and engines of the Klingon Bird of Prey, view from above WIP render of the rear hull and engines of the Klingon Bird of Prey, view from behind and below
February 20, 2025 at 8:28 PM
martocticvs.bsky.social
A little progress update on the #Klingon Bird of Prey. Detail work on the main hull now almost complete - just the engine to go! After that, just the wings plus mopping up left.

#StarTrek #Qa'Pla #B'Rel #CGI #WIP
Render of the rear end of an incomplete Klingon Bird of Prey. Main hull details largely complete, but still missing the engine. Overhead view of the current state of the Klingon Bird of Prey
February 12, 2025 at 11:02 PM
martocticvs.bsky.social
Here's a slightly smaller version, photographed by me on the forecastle of HMS Belfast in 2016, for reference.

#NavalHistory #WW2 #Cruisers #Anchors
Underside of a Byers pattern anchor, resting on the forecastle of HMS Belfast Byers pattern anchor, resting on the forecastle of HMS Belfast, viewed along the shank.
February 12, 2025 at 7:44 PM
martocticvs.bsky.social
For a laugh, this is what they looked like from my original 2006 model! My references (and attention to detail!!) were somewhat lacking back then!

#CGI #Battleships
Hilariously bad attempt at a Byers anchor
February 12, 2025 at 7:44 PM
martocticvs.bsky.social
Byers pattern stockless anchor from the King George V class battleships. I completely remodelled this back in 2016 (so long ago!!) as my original was laughable 🤣

There's a problem with the normal map in this render, but all the materials will be redone eventually anyway.
Three Byers anchors from a King George V class battleship, laid out to show from all angles.
February 12, 2025 at 7:44 PM
martocticvs.bsky.social
#Cardassian #Keldon class cruiser.

Model & render by me. 🖖🖖🖖

Simple but effective changes to the base Galor model. Would have been nice to have seen a few in the big fleet shots of the #Dominion war, but sadly not.

#StarTrek #TNG #DS9 #CGI #Cinema4D #Redshift3D
Render of a Cardassian Keldon class cruiser, promo-shot style.
February 4, 2025 at 7:52 PM
martocticvs.bsky.social
For anyone unfamiliar with that term...
Photo of a Cockroft-Walton generator
January 27, 2025 at 10:08 PM
martocticvs.bsky.social
3D model of HMS Agamemnon that I completed in... *checks in horror* ... 2004.

Horatio #Nelson was captain of Agamemnon, a 64-gun third rate ship of the line, between 1793 and 1796. Later, the ship took part in the battles of Copenhagen and Trafalgar (amongst others).

#NavalHistory #Cinema4D #CGI
Render of my 3D model of HMS Agamemnon, a 64-gun third rate ship of the line, launched in 1781. Nelson was her captain from 1793 until 1796.
January 26, 2025 at 6:24 PM
martocticvs.bsky.social
#Cardassian #Galor class cruiser.

Model & render by me. 🖖🖖🖖

#StarTrek #TNG #DS9
January 21, 2025 at 11:02 PM
martocticvs.bsky.social
Yeah, there we go. Oddly, they've been turned through 180 degrees here
January 14, 2025 at 10:15 PM
martocticvs.bsky.social
3/ Finally, my first reworked version, from 2015. The detail is much better, but there are several basic shape errors carried over from the originals!

#RoyalNavy #Cinema4D #CGI #HMS
Render of HMS King George V, showing the initial reworking of the 5.25" secondary turrets - still inaccurate! Annotated render of HMS King George V, highlighting the main errors with my initial reworking of the 5.25" secondary turrets
January 11, 2025 at 3:51 PM
martocticvs.bsky.social
2/ Here you can see my original version of the turret. Very basic, and with a lot of detail errors!
Render of HMS King George V showing the inaccurate original 5.25" secondary turrets
January 11, 2025 at 3:51 PM
martocticvs.bsky.social
The first area I reworked on #HMSKingGeorgeV was the secondary turrets, 5.25" QF dual purpose guns, 8 twin turrets per ship. I wanted to retain what I could of my original work, which meant I kept some errors, leading to a second rebuild recently! KGV 1945 and PoW '41 shown here.

#NavalHistory
Render of a 5.25" QF Mk.I turret from HMS Prince of Wales, late 1941 configuration. Render of a 5.25" QF Mk.I turret from HMS King George V, 1945 post-war configuration.
January 11, 2025 at 3:51 PM
martocticvs.bsky.social
Time for a #Klingon #BirdOfPrey update! I have been detailing out the main hull over the last couple of months. Still have the bottom panels and the rear to do, but I think the worst is out of the way now! 🖖🖖

#Qa'Pla #StarTrek #TNG #DS9 #LLAP #Cinema4D #Redshift #CGI
Main hull top surfaces of the Bird of Prey detailed. The navigation light will be added later. I think I may have recut the windows in the upper structures to be slightly lower after I made this render. Panel detailing and greebles added for the upper main hull sides of the Klingon Bird of Prey. Panel detailing and greebles added for the lower main hull sides of the Klingon Bird of Prey. This area can be difficult to make out from the reference photos. Overview render of the Klingon Bird of Prey thus far, seen from below with wings set in landing position. Slots added to the upper radiator pieces, and greebles visible in the undersides of the main upper hull and the upper hull shoulder pieces.
January 10, 2025 at 12:11 PM
martocticvs.bsky.social
2015 (Back to the Future Day): I decided to pick up my
King George V project again (originally "finished" in 2006) to up the detail level and accuracy. About as much time has passed again, and I haven't got very far! This is how she looked in 2015 before I started... 🇬🇧

#NavalHistory #CGI
Render of my model of HMS King George V (1939), as the model appeared in 2015. All colours are temporary and do not accurately portray any camoflague scheme worn by the ship. Render of my model of HMS King George V (1939), as the model appeared in 2015. All colours are temporary and do not accurately portray any camoflague scheme worn by the ship. Back lit for a better impression of form.
January 8, 2025 at 7:25 PM