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babylon5.doc
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********************************
* BABYLON 5 - THE STATION *
********************************
V E R S I O N 2 . 0
January 15, 1995
Thanks for downloading my model of the Babylon 5 Space Station for
Amiga LightWave 3.x/4.x AND all ported versions* of LightWave includ-
ing those that use the 8.3 filename format. Yep! You can unarchive
and use this on MS-DOS systems!
* when available.
This archive contains version 2.0 of my hand made model of the Babylon
5 space station as seen on Paramount's science fiction series by the
same name. In comparison to my "beta" 1.0, this version has 11 authen-
tic-looking texture, color, and panel maps that really make this model
look nearly indistinguishable from Foundation Imaging's actual model.
All "buggy," missing, and mis-named polygons have been corrected as
well as having several wireframing tweeks applied.
I designed B5 to be as correct in FORM as possible, thus it is a true
5 miles long (8.1 Km). However, it does not exactly match the origin-
al in every possible detail or size proportion (How could it!? All I
had was a collection of B5 LW scenes that I pulled and edited together
from about a dozen episodes and then went through frame-by-frame
in order to see B5 from almost every possible angle). At any rate, I
believe that you'll agree that my B5 still commands a very high degree
of accuracy. I wonder what'll happen when Ron Thorton and the crew at
Foundation Imaging get this? (Don't hurt me! I'll work for $$) <grin>
I designed B5 from the very start using maximum polygon and point re-
duction techniques to make the object files as small as possible, yet
as detailed as possible so that RAM starved systems (like our 8 fast/2
chip A2000) would be able to load the ENTIRE model without running too
short on memory. Well, I take that back. I can't render the whole
thing using ray-traced OR shadow mapped shadows without going out of
memory now that image maps have been added. That's why I modeled B5 in
18 parts. Five of them are nothing but the minute details that gobble
up a lot of polygon and point memory and are visable only in close-up
and can be eliminated from the scene to save memory when the whole
station is viewed at a distance.
As with my other B5 related models (JumpGate/vortex, Vorlon ship, and
Blue Nebula), enclosed is a complete model of Babylon 5 itself total-
ing some 34,000 polygons, 51,000 some-odd points, and 105 surfaces,
fully assembled and parented via the included "Load It ALL Up For Me,
Please" scene file.
The following original and unaltered files are contained in this arc-
hive DIRECT from the author, which supercedes previous versions:
(*.lwo=LightWaveObject; *.col=color detail IFF; *.map=texture IFF)
BABYLON5.DOC - This document and copyright info.
B5-Statn.scn - A "Load it ALL up for me, please" scene file.
CDBayRng.lwo - Rotating Central Docking Bay hub or ring,
parented to Sphere1.lwo (re-modeled for 2.0).
CDockBay.lwo - Rotating Central Docking Bay, including CNC
(Command and Control), parented to Sphere1.lwo
CobraBay.lwo - Cobra Bays (x4) where Starfury's are lunched
from, parented to Sphere2.lwo
CBDtails.lwo * - Cobra Bay details for use in close-ups,
parented to CobraBay.lwo
Collectr.lwo - Solar Collector Panels (x12) and support arms
(x2), parented to EndSectn.lwo
CylDtail.lwo * - Detailing (x4) on the cylindrical interconnect
between spheres 1 and 2, parented to Sphere1.lwo
Elevator.lwo - Elevators (x4) that connect to CylDtail.lwo
and Sphere2.lwo, parented to Sphere2.lwo
(re-modeled for version 2.0).
EndSectn.lwo - Stationary End Section, bearing point for the
rear end of the Mid Section and where solar
collector support arms, reactor, and rear super-
structure are attached, parented to Null Object.
FSupStr.lwo - Front Superstructure that bridges sphere 1
and 2 and contains the Upper Docking Bay, par-
ented to Null Object.
MidDtail.lwo * - Close-up detailing for the station's rotating
Mid Section, parented to MidSectn.lwo
MidSectn.lwo - Rotating Mid Section between Sphere2.lwo and
EndSectn.lwo (now smoother than version 1.0),
parented to Null Object.
Pylon.lwo - Stationary front bearing point and pylon support
for the front superstructure, parented to
FSupStr.lwo
Reactor.lwo - Stationary power generation assembly connected
(and parented) to the station's end section.
RSupStr.lwo - Rear Superstructure that bridges sphere 2 and
the end section, parented to Null Object.
S1Window.lwo * - Protruding window details for Sphere1.lwo,
parented to same.
S2Window.lwo * - Protruding window details for Sphere2.lwo,
parented to same.
Sphere1.lwo - Smaller front rotating sphere, Central Docking
Bay connects to this thru the front superstruc-
ture pylon, parented to Sphere2.lwo (now twice
as smooth as version 1.0)
Sphere2.lwo - Rotating middle half-sphere, Cobra Bays and
Elevators attach here, parented to MidSectn.lwo
(also reworked for smoothness and accuracy).
* close-up detail parts that can be eliminated for whole station views.
B5Panel1.map - 16-step gray scale general panels for Diffuse
and Spec mapping on many flat and detail sur-
faces.
B5Panel2.map - Same as above, but for added variety.
GrayPtrn.map - 16-step gray Dif/Spec of the pattern applied to
gray front and rear edge bands of each sphere.
Blue1&2.map - 16-step gray Dif/Spec map for the front and
rear blue bands on sphere's 1 & 2.
Blue1&2.col - Matching blue decal for above map.
Blue3&4.map - Same as Blue1&2.map but for the two types of
Mid section blue bands.
Blue3.col - Matching type 1 blue decal for above.
Blue4.col - Matching type 2 blue decal for above.
CobraDrs.col - Decal of the Cobra Bay Starfury doors (instead
of more polys <grin>).
Squares.map - 16-step gray Dif/Spec of the panels for the
blue checkerboard band on sphere 1 and used
elsewhere for another variation of general
panel mapping.
Squares.col - matching decal for above.
After unarchiving, place ALL the above files into a new drawer, some-
thing like ":TOASTER/3D/OBJECTS/SPACE/B5." This is the default dir-
ectory structure defined in the scene file and where LightWave will
want to look for these files.
To make the station rotate, ROTATE _ONLY_ MIDSECTN.LWO! ALL OTHER
ROTATING PARTS WILL FOLLOW THIS OBJECT. DO NOT USE ANOTHER ROTATING
PART TO MAKE THE STATION TURN. Use the NULL OBJECT to orient the EN-
TIRE Station. At this time, the pivot center for the Station is in
the center of sphere 1.
It took approximately 120 hours over a three week period to construct
just the model's wireframes and another 40 - 50 hrs over two weeks to
create and map the 11 images and do the polygon debugging/tweeking.
This model is my MOST complex to date and probably the last one that
will be so complex. Have fun picking it apart, finding out how it all
went together.
Thanks to all those who helped out indirectly by answering my many
questions about doing neat stuff in LW. Specifically noted are: Ron
Kramer and his fine job moderating the Fidonet Toaster/Lightwave e-
mail echo AND sysop'ing Obstacle Illusion BBS; Ronnie Norwood and
Manuel Coats, aspiring LW'er like myself; Dan Bloomfield, who knows a
lot; and hordes of others who frequent the echo and the Internet LW
mailing list and have knowingly and unknowingly illuminated my learn-
ing curve's path! Blessings in all that you do.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
For more infomation, you can contact
me by via snail-mail at:
Dean A. Scott
2043 Hillsdale Dr.
Davison, MI 48423-2313
... via FidoNet e-mail at: Dean Scott, 1:2240/130.1
... or Internet e-mail at: DScott5663@aol.com
=====================================================================
THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART!!! READ IT CAREFULLY.
=====================================================================
This archive is being distributed as FREEWARE, meaning I hold the
copyright to my work, but am allowing others to use it without charge
so long as ownership CREDIT is noted in productions/animations using
the contents of this archive.
None of the contents of this archive have originated nor have been
obtained from Babylonian Productions, Inc., Foundation Imaging, Para-
mount, or Warner Bros. They are thus released from liability for
damages, tangible or intangible, arising from the use and distribu-
tion of this archive.
Creation of this model was strictly as an educational challeng/excer-
size for personal non-profit use and is NOT intended to infringe upon
any original material or concept copyright held by the above named
entities. USE OF THESE FILES CONSTITUTES LIKE INTENTS AND USAGE.
This document MUST accompany the distribution of this archive.
This archive MUST remain UNALTERED during distribution.
THIS archive is to SUPERCEDE all other PREVIOUS versions of the
author's work. DO NOT ACCEPT IMITATIONS!
With all said and done, users are free to modify these files for PER-
SONAL use, but are NOT permitted to re-distribute THIS or any NEW ar-
chive containing such modified data without the author's written per-
mission, either via snail- or e-mail, per the above addresses.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Babylon 5 - The Station, Freeware Copyright 1995, Dean A. Scott.
"Babylon 5" Copyright 1992-1995, Babylonian Productions, Inc.