Russian Rockman wrote:That actually doesn't look too bad! I think it completely resolves any possible perspective problems. The outline is a bit "too" thick owned bright on that mock-up, I think but if you were to make it maybe double thickness like the ones splette showed us examples of I think that is perfect.
Hah, I think it's a matter of prefferences - I, for one, always perceived the ship as being "inside" the bubble, not as camera "cutting" them in half. While the lighteer edges, indeed, make it look like we're seeing half of [strike]egg[/strike] shield, it also looks like our ship is inside some kind of glass eggshell, not a forcefield shield. Can't really get used to look at it - maybe, because I always imagined shield as field with deepth, (that is, a "bubble" of forces or whatever, that ends on outer surface of shield), not consisting of only thin, outer layer.
Anyway, thank you for high-ress classical version, using it now. I'm also looking forward to how your 3D version develops. Personally, I think that it looks much better with more trianlges and thicker line, so throw another vote to that "basket"
Actually, I think it would look best with (almost) as thick lines as on original hexadons, and as many triangles (that is, even smaller ones). Other proposed tricks - like more transparent internal section - could help as well.
/Estel
// Edit
Was just aboiut to write that
Tveelve's idea of making 3D hexagonal shields is even better, when I noticed that I've missed 3th page of this thread.
Gah. I think that the hexagonal shield already looks tons better than triangle one, but please, maxe hexagons comparably small to the original ones. Also, why the hell your program doesn't allow to create hexagonal spheres? Tried using some other, prefferably FOSS 3D moddeling software?
BTW - unrelared, but might be interesting - considering that, incidentally, the original hexagons are exactly the same on the background of the enemy's ship view (which is a screen output from ship' computer, not unlike many of those in space sims), it is possible, that 2D pattern on shield is effect done on purpose - the actual shields might be invisible, and the hexagon layer is just a sprite, that our computer puts, just show where sensors are detecing forcefield.
Despite noticing it ages ago, I like the "visible" shields concept more, so I tuned my perception to see them as "real" things around ship, though.