Topic: SFC Technical Manual

[Tus-XC]

looks fine.  This is the fundamental problem with any form action reaction propulstion - you must expel x amount of mass in order to accelerate at certain rate.  in order to sustain that acceleration you must have enough propellant (say, H2).  You then have to take into account the mass of that fuel, which will affect your accleration, which inturn will require more mass... (you can see the problem).  We also run into an effeciency problem.  The more thrust we create, the less effecient our engine is.  This similar to stomping on the gas at the stop light versus a gradual accleration.  So we need that high thrust to acclerate, but now we are consuming our fuel at increasingly faster rate with less net results.  This problem is further compounded when you take into account relativistic effects where not only are you increasing your KE but you are now also increasing your mass - big problem there. 

So for Trek ships to work at impulse we must cheat and assume that there is some device that reduces mass (say the inertial dampeners) in order to allow the impulse engines to work and be highly effecient.  Now that is the fun part

[FoaS_XC]

Sadly, the that sub-warp coil in the impulse deck can sometimes screw with the rest of the calculations down the line - just feels awkward to me. I'm gonna take another bash at messing with the numbers, but not tonight. ><

[FoaS_XC]

I'm just gonna leave this here.....

[Bernard Guignard]

I'm just gonna leave this here.....

Nice I like it 

[Bernard Guignard]

This morning I put together a primitive spread sheet in calc  showing how I used the starfleet SSDs and here are a couple of JPGs
showing how its done. The calc spread sheet is in xls format if people are interested in it.  I have Scribus for desk top publishing Ill Create some
draft technical manual templates so that we can put schematics and notes together for the various races.

[Bernard Guignard]

Here's a draft of the Starfleet Ship specification page.   I figure the same format could be used just change the colors and Command logo.
Rather than use a schematic, I'd prefer using a schematic view of the model but as I said this is a draft. I'd like  your opinions and comments.
and make this a community effort 
 

[The Northern Star]

Nice!

[marstone]

In all the time I have watched Star Trek, I have never seen a 22 person (FASA thingie) transporter.

[FoaS_XC]

Eh, call it a large cargo transporter.

Care for some C&C on that page layout, bernard?

[marstone]

but FASA also lists cargo transporters too.  But will drop off this topic, just i have always had problems with how FASA did things (comes from being a SFB player).

[FoaS_XC]

but FASA also lists cargo transporters too.  But will drop off this topic, just i have always had problems with how FASA did things (comes from being a SFB player).

*shrug* you're right, FASA doesn't fit in a lot of cases, but yes, let's keep on topic here.

Bernard: you're using Scribus you said? *googles* I've been using InDesign for all my PDF efforts. Again: Norsehound has a much better eye for print than I do.

EDIT 1:

Okay, here's a couple points of C&C: Things need to be tightened up. There's a lot of wasted space, it seems. I'd use a quarter-inch space between each "block" I also wouldn't worry about trying to keep each entry to a single page. I'd make a couple block-layouts where you can have just a page of pure text, a page of a single side-view cross section and the rest is text, etc etc.

I'd try to stay away from Trek-like fonts for everything except headings and subheadings. Legibility is a big thing with body text and trek fonts aren't always so easy to make out at such small sizes (12pt or whatever the case may be). I like Trebuchet a lot for my body text, myself.

Edit 2: added examples of different layouts.

[FA Frey XC]

I had a post all done and f*cking IE decided to eat it.

*sigh*

Regards,

[FoaS_XC]

I had a post all done and f*cking IE decided to eat it.

*sigh*

need to start using notepad to set up your posts, bossman.

[Bernard Guignard]

but FASA also lists cargo transporters too.  But will drop off this topic, just i have always had problems with how FASA did things (comes from being a SFB player).

*shrug* you're right, FASA doesn't fit in a lot of cases, but yes, let's keep on topic here.

Bernard: you're using Scribus you said? *googles* I've been using InDesign for all my PDF efforts. Again: Norsehound has a much better eye for print than I do.

EDIT 1:

Okay, here's a couple points of C&C: Things need to be tightened up. There's a lot of wasted space, it seems. I'd use a quarter-inch space between each "block" I also wouldn't worry about trying to keep each entry to a single page. I'd make a couple block-layouts where you can have just a page of pure text, a page of a single side-view cross section and the rest is text, etc etc.

I'd try to stay away from Trek-like fonts for everything except headings and subheadings. Legibility is a big thing with body text and trek fonts aren't always so easy to make out at such small sizes (12pt or whatever the case may be). I like Trebuchet a lot for my body text, myself.

Edit 2: added examples of different layouts.

Alot to respond to 

The 22 person emergency transporter is from the  grandaddy of Star trek Technical Design  Franz Joseph   

  After Looking at my first effort  I proceeded to create a second example, but I Like what I'm seeing here  with the small race logo on top and  one thing we do need to leave at the bottom is a page indicator    Yes I agree that the my first example has a lot of wasted space and I need to tighten it up 
how do you enjoy using In design is it  open source ?  Intutive to use?  This is actually the most that I've done with Scribus, except for creating some Cover pages to Illustrate  Anatomy of a Starship Series   





Back to  the topic at hand  I'm thinking that going to a 2 page format  would be the better route to go. The  first page  ship graphic and  Specifications  Second page   Ship registry  and  Notes on  this would  Maximise the space for the graphic but still keep it interesting with specifications it also leaves more room for those Longer specifications when the ships start adding  extra weapons such as phaser 3's, phaser G's,  drone racks and other systems.
    

Also the font that I currently work with is Ariel, I find it easy to read but I understand that other people do have difficulty with it do we have any suggestions as to what I should be using. 

We are going to need to have someone coordinate this Project. Its going to be a very big job.    Luc aka Firesoul had mentioned how many ships that there are in His modded ship list,  there are quite a few 

Some basic rules will have to be decided on, IE how we divide up the different era ships and what the Design Lineage (aka Look of the ships) 
I've always looked at this as being  Early era  =  TOS Design Lineage     Middle era = TMP Design   Advanced era =  X-Ship.

Volunteers will be needed. Here is how I imagine how the members of this community can help out. 
Project Manager this individual will have the final say in case of disputes.
For lack of a better title Advanced Starship Design Comittee  This group of individuals
will look at ship models and decide which artists models make it into the book based
on certain  critera. Critera to be decided.
Graphic guys to help in putting together the schematic views of the models.
Writers - to write up Specs Registrys and notes for those ships that we don't have any.
Researchers to dig up data and material to help the writers do thier job
Editors and proofreaders

Whoa the scope of this is making my head spin   
 

[Bernard Guignard]

Revised draft pages how does this look ?  I might have to save each page as an individual template file. Then insert them into a master document down the road. I tried creating master pages but they are a pain to edit and I'm not sure if you edit one master page then the edits take on all the master pages also you lose any text information when you create master pages its a very strange set up.  but then again I'm still in learning mode with this soft ware.  FOAS I noticed that InDesign is part of the Adobe family very nice but I can't afford that software.  Scribus is free to all to download. 
 

[The Northern Star]

Even better! I like the increased size of the graphic. I'd be hopeful; however, that the dimensions, specifications and the registry would be made to fill the width of the page. Or perhaps the dims could be included as a graphic element in the ortho.

[Bernard Guignard]

Hi Northern Star
Thank you  these are still drafts at the moment . The Specification box and registry box currently are manual fill ins.   I'm going to see
if we can import Excel or calc spread sheets into those boxes.  What would be nice is an ortho of a federation class dreadnought model for
this draft copy.     We need to come up with common fomat so that all we would have to do is punch in numbers  and paste the data in the boxes.   Would you guys want to see volumes by race  ie  Volume 1= Federation  Volume 2= Klingon  Volume 3 =
Romulan  etc  or would you rather have Vol 1  FED, Klingon Rom  Vol 2 Hydran, Pirates, Mirak  etc.

[Starfox1701]

you might be able to do the words in open office and combine them in photoshop

[Bernard Guignard]

calc is the spread sheet function of open office  we could also do the pages up in writer.  the word processing ap of
open office 

[Bernard Guignard]

I tried to enter the specifications and registry as Text or Spreasheet files and its no go 
I had to create a table inside of scribus and fill in the information manually this means we have to create
the base information on a template then add the information into a master document . 
On the good side Here's what I have in mind for the Klingon Layout  " Please Disregard The Specs !!!!! "
I haven't had time to put in the proper ones for the D7.  I like the D7 ortho the way its laid out
and wouldn't mind using that lay out, replacining it with sfc models for all the ships.
I'm not fussy about the 2 divider lines at the bottom of the page if any one can think of
something better. Please let me know.