I was actually hoping that the space station for the TEC in the new expansion would have looked like Babylon 5.  That would have been sick.

These are a few of my favorites (cause I made em from scratch  ).  Now, before you professional graphic artists start critisizing my lack of texturing and polygons you should know that 95% of these designs were created for a custom Freelancer mod I did.  Freelancer only supported a very low number of polygons, textures were "coded", and weaponry was added by the game using simple location mapping.  Unfortunately that leaves the models looking rather "1st Grader"-ish.  Also, yes a couple are based on "famous" designs that I liked...  Descriptions below the pictures;

Small Cargo Transport

• Weapons:  1 Medium Turret Hardport (centered on top)
• Armor:  Light
• Use:  Short runs between close planets
• Specials:  Atmospheric Flight

Large Cargo Transport

• Weapons:  4 Medium Turret Hardports (80% coverage)
• Armor:  Light
• Use:  Long distance cargo runs
• Specials:  Small shuttle bay

Small Support Fighter

• Weapons:  2 Stationary Forward Hardports
• Armor:  Light
• Use:  Short-Range fighter to fighter combat
• Specials:  Atmospheric flight

Heavy Support Fighter

• Weapons:  8 Small Turret Hardports (100% coverage), 2 Forward Missile Launchers
• Armor:  Medium
• Use:  Fighter vs Fighter or Fighter vs Cruiser combat
• Specials:  Atmospheric Flight, Faster-than-light (FTL) travel

Light Support Crusier

• Weapons:  3 Heavy Turret Hardports (70% coverage). 2 Forward Torpedo Launchers
• Armor:  Medium
• Use:  Destroier Support
• Specials:  Medium shuttle bay, FTL Travel

Heavy Destroier

• Weapons:  8 Heavy Turret Hardports (80% coverage), 4 Torpedo Turrets (80% coverage, see below)
• Armor:  Heavy
• Use:  Carrier Support
• Specials:  1 Large fighter bay, Communication hub, FTL Travel

Heavy Battleship

• Weapons:  12 Turret Hardports (100% coverage), 10 Torpedo Turrets (80% coverage, see below), "Main Guns"
• Armor:  Heavy
• Use:  Heavy Combat vs Battleships, Carriers, or Planets
• Specials:  2 Large fighter bays, FTL Travel
• Main Gun: 2 High-Powered Laser Cannons, each roughly 2x the power of a "Galaxy Class" phaser.

"Planet Killer" Battleship

• Weapons:  12 Heavy Turret Hardports (100% coverage), "Main Gun"
• Armor:  Heavy
• Use:  Planetary Desimation
• Specials:  1 Medium fighter bay
• Main Gun: Plasma beam generator, roughly 1/4 the power of the Death Star laser.

Well, that does it for the ships... Still with me?  Well, it's time that I reveal the mysterous "Torpedo Turrets" that I've been listing.  I did them up as a "dream", since I'll never be able to put them into any of the games that I could use my models in.  So, without further adue, here it is;

Heavy Torpedo Turret

• Weapons:  4 Torpedo Launchers
• Crew:  2
• Coverage:  360-degrees on X/Y axis, 90-degrees on Z axis
• Modes:  Single or Multiple fire modes
• Special:  Retractable (stored under armored hull plating)

Hope you all enjoied!

Good eye!  I actually took apart my ED209 model (low poly one I used for Mechwarrior 4) to make that front end... *LOL*  That was one of "based on" models, another was the heavy support fighter, loosely based on a Star Wars B-Wing.

The one I figured most people might pick out was the Planet Killer, which I made by heavily modifying a Krenim Time Ship (Star Trek Voyager) model I made years ago.

Although, out of all the ships I've posted I think I have to change my vote to the following...

I didn't make this model, simply because I'm great at modeling but suck at texturing.  I did, however, make the modifications and simple lighting to it for a Star Trek RPG I used to play.  It was capable of going 1 on 1 with a Galaxy Class.... *LOL*

Here's a couple shots after I added some more advanced lighting, effects & a basic starfield.

I think it looks better from the back angle, can't put my finger on what's wrong with the front lighting.

well I think Ill go with this

mooninites ships are to advance for your brain

can't figure what is wrong, since you light source is from under the ship, the underside of the saucer section needs to be lighted too

Wings3D?
http://www.wings3d.com/

SketchUp is supposed to be used for, you know, just sketching up. Not detailed models or stuff...

My top choices are Maya 2008, and Pro-Engineer 3.0 (CAD Program, not great with curves).

Thnx, i think i'll try out Wings3D. And i suppose i will give SketchUp a second go. I just can't figure out how to make any sort of more advanced shapes than a circle square and hexagon.

I'm really loving all these designs and how everyone has been mixing ideas and sharing experiences with 3d modelling. This is exactly what this post is ment to do. Excellent work all of you, not only for the ships but working as a community.

HEY! everyone im sure yall know about halo wars well i modeled the spirit of fire not perfect but im still working on it.Akkan117

I don't know about a dream ship, but this is something I did aaaaages ago with Wings3D.  I was messing around with modular stuff so you could swap out front and weapons sections.  Anyway I'm a musician, not a modeller but it's still fun once in a while!

In fact, just found these...even older.  Some of the first things I did with Wings in fact.  Again, modular and what not.  But not textured or anything.

Aaaand lastly my first attempt at UV mapping - quite old again.  But not like I've gotten much better!  Yup.  It's modular.  And really utilitarian in design.  No sleek curves.  Just..chunks Enjoy!

Thanks man I may have gone a little antenna-happy on that last ship but hey...pokey-outy things look cool.  First rule of sci fi!

**Edit: no...bevels look cool.  That's the first rule...

Quoting chimpspanner,

reply 21

Every time I think of the early days of the Federation my brain always come up with an image similar to the one you posted (IE: Spaceships that look like submarines flying through space).