Farm of Tomorrow :: Rai 5

What might the farm of tomorrow look like? Here's two quick sketches done with SketchUp, Vray, and GIMP of an automated rice farm, monitored with a DIYdrone, watered with solar powered atmospheric water generators, and tended to by a gantry-style harvesters/planter/irrigation system. 

SynBio Simulations Incorporated

This is a sci-fi concept for Synthetic Biology Simulations Incorporated, a fictional institute that safely and efficiency takes your synthetic biology projects and turns them into a reality. More on this concept can be found at Helios Labs here.

SketchUp Models of Copenhagen Suborbitals Rockets

The ReGen Center

The ReGen Center is a fictional medical facility of the future enabled by advances in gene therapy and synthetic biology.

The interior of the ReGen Center featuring a modest reception desk and a waiting area that can be repurposed to host workshops and lectures.

HDRI Tests

HDRI maps used in SketchUp and rendered with Vray allow you to set up lighting and reflections. The problem with rendering reflective objects in an otherwise empty scene is that there is nothing to "reflect" off the object. With HDRI maps, you can create a scene without actually adding additional geometry.

For a very helpful, quick and simple tutorial, see SketchUp Artists' "Using HDRI in V-Ray for SketchUp." Effects, blurring and some shadows were added in with GIMP after rendering was complete.

SpaceX :: Dragon Spacecraft

SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft modeled in SketchUp and uploaded to the Sketch 3D Warehouse. It includes an internal pressure vessel, hatches, portals, a sensor bay, trunk section and solar arrays. Also pictured is a Falcon 9 rocket, though this hasn't been finished or uploaded to the warehouse yet. The dimensions were based on SpaceX's official datasheet for the Dragon found here.

B612 Foundation's Sentinel Telescope

The Sentinel is an infrared asteroid hunting space-based telescope to be launched in 2017 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9..

Based on the B612 Foundation's proposed Sentinel Telescope (covered here on Helios Labs) this SketchUp model was made to show the scale and basic features of the spacecraft. The animated .gif was made in GIMP after taking shots of the model from different angles in SketchUp. The model was rotated 10 degrees, 36 times for a complete 360 degree rotation. To see the original specs used to build up the model, see B612's data sheet here - or visit their website here.

This model is also now available for downloading on SketchUp's 3D Warehouse here. Enjoy!

Space Station Suvarnabhumi

Suvarnabhumi is a lot like the Southeast Asian version of the legend of Atlantis. It was a golden kingdom, abundant in resources and a true paradise to live in. It is used today in Thailand as a concept of striving toward abundance and progress - so why wouldn't a post-scarcity (or semi-post scarcity) space city easily fit that description and earn the name, "Suvarnabhumi."

This is not actually done. It would be nice to fill up the inner ring of this Stanford Torus configured space station with a tranquil Southeast Asian landscape, mixed with ultra-tech, and maybe genetically engineered organisms to replicate the creatures of old Southeast Asian legend.

This was done in SketchUp, rendered in Vray, and touched up in GIMP.

Random Quick Renders

A shuttle craft taken from the SketchUp 3D Warehouse, and a built-from-scratch replicator.

Turning Models Into Background Images

Two models were downloaded from Google Sketchup's 3D Warehouse. The giant humanoid Evangelion can be found here, while the NERV VTOL gunships can be found here. Next, materials were edited and prepared for Vray which was used to render the scene. Afterward, the image was edited in GIMP to add in a background sky and clouds and to apply a "cartoon" filter. Text was also added in this final stage.

The 3D Warehouse has many models from popular TV shows, movies, books, and comics which can allow people to easily create their own artwork for personal use - such as backgrounds for computer desktops or wall art for your room. These techniques can also be used for custom models to create a similar effect.

O'Neill Cylinder - Venice

The "O'Neill Cylinder" is an orbital space habitat, rotating to provide artificial gravity by way of centrifugal force with the inner surface of the cylinder providing living space. This design features a diameter of 1.6km (approximately 1 mile) and a length of about 5km (3.1 miles).

Within the inner surface of this particular conceptualization lies a replica of the Italian city of Venice. The 1.6 diameter design specified back in the 1970's by physicist Gerard O'Neill, after whom the habitat is named, managed to be just right to fit the main island of Venice perfectly.

While the technology to build such a habitat would be advanced, most likely the product of a post-scarcity economy, one could imagine designers replicating all sorts of versions replicating existing, historical, or fictional settings within which colonists could settle. The interior, in other words, does not have to reflect the level of technology required to construct the exterior. Being in a post-scarcity economy, efficiency would not be the primary priority when designing such a habitat.

The images were achieved using SketchUp7, a high-resolution satellite image of Venice mapped onto the inner surface of a 3D cylinder (all in actual scale) and then strategically placed buildings to give the illusion of being in the model. Vray was used to render while GIMP was used to edit it. There is more work to do on this -or perhaps another setting will be tried.

Mars Force Concept

Had some Mars pattern digital camouflage and was looking for a project to work with it on. MARSFOR, or Mars Force represents a fictional security force based in a future Mars colony. The astronauts are from the SketchUp 3D Warehouse, in particular, the "MAX GRÜTER" collection.

The background image is taken from a NASA Mars rover panorama. The dirt texture was just changed in GIMP from typical Earth-bound colors to a red more suitable for Mars.

The concept behind these armored transports are to have them large enough to sustain their crew for long periods "in the field." On earth, most down time would be spent outside the vehicle, however on Mars this is not practical, so the larger interior is meant to compensate for this and provide round-the-clock shelter. The long range guns and heavy machine guns on the front are meant to engage targets in the open and the large wheels meant to allow the vehicles to move quickly over rough terrain.

Digging Machine

The basic model without textures, without several
features, and without the worker's shack on top.

A rendering with textures and the worker's shack. You can
see some light coming out, there is a chair and TV in there
as well. Depth of field effects are done in GIMP.

A night scene, blending in with some photography taken
in Singapore near Marina Bay.

Another rendering, using depth of field effects done in GIMP.

A final image, rendered in Vray, and finished in GIMP. The
photo in the background was taken in Singapore near the
Paya Lebar MRT station.

An extra side-project done in between jobs, this digging machine had been on paper for a while. While there is still a lot to do on it, enough was there to try out some renders.

Geodesic House

Interior of the enclosure, complete with pines and a small pond.

Front view, the pond is more visible.

Aerial view of the enclosure. This was an earlier, "bare" version.

Geodesic domes are always interesting to work with, whether it is for a small greenhouse or for a fictional enclosure. Here is a controlled environment under a geodesic dome in the midst of a desert like scene. Creating the dome took some calculations. A good tutorial on how to figure out the dimensions of the triangular frames can be found here. To find the meeting points in SketchUp, instead of using a compass like shown in the video, two intersecting circles with the proper radii were used instead. This model was created using SketchUp7, rendered in Vray, and finished using GIMP.

Wintery Scene

Used as part of a Christmas card for 2010. This is of course
a "Killer Kan" from Warhammer 40,000. SU7 & Vray.

Final Ship Designs

Finally, a capital sized starship to round off the line up. This design was entered into the ongoing contest here, the winners of which will be announced in April, 2011.

More Ships

"The Swift" custom designed for duty in a solar system's asteroid belt.
The asteroid belt in the background was modeled and rendered
separately, then placed into the background in GIMP.

Designed for maneuverability and speed, it makes easy work
navigating within a crowded planetary system.

Another render of the "Expedient."

Desktop sized image of the "Expedient."

Custom designed and modeled in SketchUp 7, rendered in Vray, and edited in GIMP, these images are rounded up from the last tests of the "starship study." An asteroid field was also made, separately, and used as a background image.

There is however an excuse for at least one more design; an interesting contest here, for designing the next "Enterprise," the winner of which can get a new laptop among other prizes.

Starship Study

Starship model from: NoMad

Starship model from: NoMad

Starship model from: NoMad

More of an exercise in lighting, post production and materials, this project was to test and develop rendering subjects in science fiction. The model was taken from SU's 3D Warehouse. The inspiration for this particular scene can be found here.

The ship was named after Chinese explorer and mariner Zheng He.

New design blueprints made w/SU7 with perspective
turned off. Imported and finished in GIMP.

Modeled using the Fredo6 plugin Curviloft

USS Expedient design was made while trying out a new plugin for SU7 called Curviloft. It was used on parts of the saucer section as well as the nacelle supports. Projected texture mapping was used to mark the hull with name and registration number. Post production went much faster after completing the previous Zheng He project.

save

Station Alpha (under construction)

Structural details visible in a semi-constructed module inside the
newly modeled aerospace workshop.

250 ft (76 m) diameter station with center docking port,

truss supports, and solar panels.

Close up exterior view of the truss system including the access walkway.

Lower deck, with ladder well, and modular
computer console installed. Looking a bit empty.

Looking toward the upper deck.

Upper deck, and view portal.
Another exterior view, with a SU 3D warehouse astronaut
(thanks to MAX GRÜTER) added for scale.

Based on Werner Von Braun's space station, it is 250ft/76m in diameter and provides 1/3 the gravity on earth by rotating at around 3 rounds per minute. It features two decks, a truss system, solar arrays, and a forward, center docking port. There will be more to come.

Spacesuits, an orbital tug and an in-orbit aerospace fabrication shop need to be either integrated into this design or featured in another station modeled based on what I learned doing this one. An old Lockheed design featured here, expanded and enlarged, seems like a good logical next step.

The entire model was made and rendered in SU7 using Vray and post production done in GIMP.