Carmen Rizzlo proudly presents...

        Yet ANOTHER Imagine 2.0 object: NCC-80E Shuttlecraft


    Welcome back!  Or if this is your first time; Greetings!  You've 
just downloaded an object for Imagine 2.0.. Sorry Imagine 1.x users, 
you've gotta upgrade to use this object.

    This is a very small structure compared to the "CRUISER" object I 
made a while ago.  It's only capable of holding 2-8 people.  In fact, 
you can actually see two of them in the object.  Look in the window of 
the shuttle, you'll see two pilots.  Don't get too close to the window 
because the illusion will be destroyed by seeing too much of the 
detail of the pilot's objects.

    The burning engine glow is improved over the way I did the engine 
glow of the CRUISER object.  It's the first time I've dinked with the 
RADIAL texture.. Pretty neat.

    You'll notice the "NCC-80E" markings in four places on the 
shuttle.  I did this because it is similar to the shuttles you have 
seen in Star Trek movies/shows.  If you have an Enterprise object you 
want to use the shuttle with, the markings will help it to blend in 
nicely.  If you want to get rid of the markings, it's real easy.  
Render the object, so you can see where the markings are located.  
Then load the object up in your detail editor.  Select the markings by 
clicking on them in the object and delete them.  Simple, eh?

    If you're unfamiliar with the CRUISER object, you'll notice the 
object is grouped in a very odd method.  There' a parent axis that has 
two child axis.  One above and one below.  Then all the parts of the 
SHUTTLE are grouped with either the upper or lower children axis.  The 
reason I did this is to give YOU the user more control over the look 
of the object.  All lights, windows and flames are grouped to the 
upper child axis.  Don't mess with that one.  All gray metal parts are 
grouped to the lower child axis.  This axis uses the PASTELLA texture.  
In the texture's window you'll see that APPLY TO CHILDREN OBJECTS is 
selected.  This means that all of the metal surfaces have that 
PASTELLA look on it.  You can easily modify the PASTELLA texture 
information or add other textures by adding it to this lower child 
axis.  Just be sure to activate APPLY TO CHILDREN when adding a new 
texture so that the entire object is textured properly.  Pretty slick 
trick, eh?  I thought so too. :)

    What the hell are those beams for in the front of the ship?  I 
dunno.. I just added them for looks.  There is a conical light source 
going through those beams, so if another object intersects with a 
beam, you'll see a spotlight hitting it.  This would be great for 
having your shuttle traveling low along a planet's bumpy surface.  Be 
sure that is something DOES intersect with a beam, that it's thick 
enough not to let the beam show through on the other side.  That 
wouldn't look to realistic.  In other words, the beams are ideal for 
large asteroids, planets or other ships.  But if you have the beam 
showing through a small monolith or a flat plane, you'll see the 
remainder of the beam projecting through the object and sticking out 
the back.  That's a no-no.  If you want to, of course, you're welcome 
to delete the headlights and/or the beams if it conflicts with the 
scene you're about to use.

    This object does not use ANY iff brushes (yay!).  It does, 
however, use at least three textures, so if you moved or renamed your 
"Textures" drawer, you're in for a rude treat upon rendering.  It 
belongs in the same directory that your Imagine program is located.

    I hope you enjoy using the object as much as I have enjoyed 
creating it. This object, and everything included in the NCC-80E 
archive is FREELY DISTRIBUTABLE, but it is not PUBLIC DOMAIN.  Please
only distribute the original archive with all of it's files in their
original form.  This way the next guy knows what the heck he's just
downloaded.  You may not use it commercially or for broadcast
purposes without written permission by me.  If you use this object
in a project and decide to distribute it, please give me credit for
modeling help.  Is that too much to ask?  Thanks.

                                     Carmen Rizzolo

                                      June 11, 1992

P.S. Included in the archive is a .fake version of this Shuttle object,
and of the CRUISER object.  The samples are examples of slightly more
complex structures than a single box..  There are no rules here, just
remember, the simpler the object, the faster your animation creation!
Notice I left in the outline of the shuttle's window.  This way I can
tell exactly where the window is, even when the majority of the object
is boxed up.  Not even Lightwave 3D can do this!  Keep in mind that
you can leave in pieces of the original object for referance.  Here
are some examples: Floppy Disk Drive holes that a disk will insert in.
Windows that the camera will peer inside of.  Holes that another object
will rest in such as a light switch in a wall plate.