UPDATE: January 1st, 2007 AD
uc44.01.01

The "New Suit". As you can see, it is heavily based on the current NASA design. Due to time and software restrictions, I only worked on that portion which was need for the final shot, with the helmet and DCM (Display and Control Module) getting all the effort.

In this down-angle rendering, you can see all the work that went into the suit's external control pack; the instruments on the DCM also reflect off the suit's visor.

There are difference in my design, but not many. I felt staying true to the basic idea would create a greater level of realism.

The "New Suit" master shot, minus the "Space Battle Reflection"; the background and reflected image is that of the Martian landscape.

The Space Battle which was reflected in the spacesuit's visor. The ships in this image are placed to deal with the curvature of its visor.

Here we see the Aerocom frigate Chamberlin, sustaining heavy damage, while dishing-out some of its own against the Dominion destroyer Viktor (which is launching two of its antiship missiles). Mean while, the destroy Richards has just had its bow blown off by the frigate Sheridan. The gunboats Custer and (unnamed) are seen below.

Note the suited crewman being blow out of the Chamberlin.

IN CONCLUSION:

I had a great time working on this project. I revisited some of my earliest CGI work (Tycho and Leviathan), and adapted them into new and dynamic deisgns; although the Levs didn't make it into the final rendering.
The "Spacesuit" was a challenge, since my 1990's Corel software didn't do organic shapes very well (primitives only), making the complex curved surfaces of the helmet an uphill fight.
One day I hope to upgrade to "Lightwave" (the program used to produce such shows as Babylon 5 and Battlestar Galactica), but that will require big-bucks.

DECALS:

ORIGINAL 2006 AD SITE:
uc43 (Ultra Cunabulam "Beyond the Cradle")

Welcome. The following are examples of the 3D models (minus any of the special effects) being used for my cover submission for the upcoming military sci-fi anthology, "Breach the Hull".

The overall premise of the scene, is that the AeroCom frigates and gunboats will be attacking a convoy of Leviathan freighters and their escorting destroyers. All of this will be seen as a reflection, in a spacesuit's visor.

At this stage, all the models have been constructed using Corel Dream3D (1990s vintage), with the special effects being done in Ray Dream Studies (also 1990s), and finally touched up using Corel Photopaint (21st century).

The rendering that started it all. "Bob" (my agent), suggested doing a scene, where a "space battle" is reflected in the visor of a spacesuits' helmet; based on this earlier work.

A new, highly detailed space helmet is still in the early design stage.

The Stellarclipper McKay--from Danielle Ackley-McPhail's story, "In The Dying Light"-- is basically a refitted version of the Tycho. Now in turn, it was used as a basis for the AeroCom frigates (no relationship to any of my works; they just look good.).

The AeroCon frigate Chamberlin 1862. Her new command module was inspired by the casing of a WWII submarine, which includes torpedo tubs in the bow; while her  paint scheme was pseudo-NASA, finished with Air Force style markings.

The drive section was unmodified from the McKay, except for the addition of new tank designation decals.

The starships Sheridan 1864, and the Chamberlin 1862. The ships'' main guns (top/bottom) are based on the WWII naval Bofors gun, crossbred with the antiaircraft gun from a German Gepart tank.

The gunboat Custer 1876 (battle: Little Big Horn), is a redressed version of The Boat from "In the Dying Light". Armed with four torpedo tubs, and one belly-mounted Bofors, it's meant to be carried into battle in the same way that the Tycho would transport a HVL: mated nose to nose.

Inspired back in the late 80s by Naval surface warships (search and targeting radar, antennas, missile launchers, and even a deck gun), the Dominions' Viktor class Stardestroyer 4-41 (4th squadron, hull number 41) was conceived as a warship, built using the same industrial base as that of the Leviathan freighter.

On her bow are massive phased-array radars, which are supported by additional units located at key points on the outer casing.

Classified as an "Armor-clad" warship, she is protected by composite foamed ceramic plates, affixed to an underlying tubular framework.

Based on ablative shielding used to protect ships from orbital debris and micrometeoriod impacts, it give the outer casing a quilted looked.

The Viktor was named after Victor Ponce, the youngest All'Arc player to date (he started at age 14 back in the 80s).

Here we see the Viktor  (4-41) with its comrade the Richard  (4-40); this one is named after a character from the original All'Arc (M)RPG series, played by Jeffery Ponce (a friend from my Academy days).

Here (minus any special effects) is a test fitting/launch of Viktor's weapons systems. The larger (angled launched) missiles are Polaris size anti-ship weapons known as Rams; while the smaller (vertically launched) missiles are Phoenix interceptors, each of which sports a wrap-around decal of a heraldry Phoenix.

On the gun deck is the 6-barreled Dragon, 20mm Auto-cannon.

The Soviet-esque Leviathan (Lev for short) is a design going back to the mid-80's, and is intended to be in stark contrast to its contemporary, Tycho. the Dominions' Lev tug/freighter is more of a series of space-going 55 drums, wrapped around an off-shore oil drilling rig.

What she lacks in looks, she more than makes up for in abilities. normally she would have a cargo platform clamped to her forward dock. This while carrying up to a hundred passengers inboard, using the ship's fuel tanks as additional radiation shielding.

Here she's refitted to play the part of an armed merchant freighter.

Just because; here is a side-by-side comparison.

[LEFT] The publisher will be designing the actual layout, but here is an example of my concept for the anthology. ESP will be using my idea of customized logos for each story representing some faction from within that story. I will be soliciting the authors' help in coming up with these logos. This mockup uses my newest short story as an example, though that story most likely will not appear in the collection as it is slated for another book.

[RIGHT] This example is our concept of the authors bio page. We have duplicated a reduced version of the logo for each story next to the author's name, the story title, and a brief explanation of what the logo represents, with the author's bio running beneath.