Further refinements to the city. Itys going to be in the distance on the horrizon and commong towards the viewer. I think I’m about a third of the way there in modeling out the basic elements but still a long way to go and thats not even thinking about texturing it up.
I quite like the dusky look of these test renders and I may try using something similar when I get back to lighting setup. Dawn etc.
Really nice so far. I think it might help if you work out more of a story. You mentioned a meeting in the foreground, whit is it about?
Keep up the good work.
-Bret
Ok so here is the idea behind the story so far …
In the far distant future on a planet far away an uneasy peace has held for a number of years between two dissimilar but nontheles once compatable races (a bit the Romulians and the Vulcans).
The rebuilding of their once great civilisations has taken deccades and is nearly complete but cement their trust and newfound peace an exchange is taking place between the leaders of the great houses of the two races.
A marrage (or the adoption or fostering maybe … hav’nt decided yet) is taking place in the foreground. There are also thoes who oppose such a union who lurk in the shaddows plotting and schemeing.
I aim to show a capital city in orbit about a home world where this meeting will take place. At the moment I’m just working out the architecture of the city; I want it to look different but cohesive, to have a distinct architectual style.
I’m leaving the modeling of the different speacies for now as I realy dont know how I’m going to tackle that.
I think theres more to the story but I want to make something thats not only grand and expansive but also intimate and poingnant.
You mentioned those who oppose it. Are you planning on putting “enemys” in this also?
I really like your city design so far. The bridges in perticular are very well done.
I want the city to look REAL even though most of it will be in the mid to back ground. There will be a platform (or maybe a landing pad) in the forground on which the action takes place. Behind the city will be a mountain range and a planet (see first sketches)
Good job! I like your idea a lot, with this giant planet in the background.
Great buildings. The windows, especially with the skyscapers, look a bit too evenly distributed.
Good luck on your challenge!
Thanks ~ I agree about the windows ~ I’d like to find a LW plugin that will “procedurally” colour each polygon in a given surface a user defined amount differently ! if yer see what I mean. Otherwise I’ll be texturing each sky scraper individually.
or
I could just uv map the windows
Doh !!
cyphyr
Hi Richard. Really like the look of your city. will watch with interest to see how it fits into the whole image. Good luck. 
Claireabella
I’ve been busy with “real” world work for a while but in the slow bits I’ve been working on , among other aspects, the background planet, I’ve have two versions at the moment. They both need more work but I’m becomming happier with them. Both are utterly lifeless worlds but the seccont once had a vast civilization sprawling accros almost all of it (the same peoples who will be in the foreground image) I’m interested in feed back as to which world I should choose.
Here is the seccond version. The basic texture is from the high resolution Magellan images from venus, heavely edited and turned into a tileable image with city elements being made up from an old circuit board design overlayed multiple times.
all c & c welcome
Richard
Here is an Fprime close up of the planet showing the city structutre. I think it may be too regular seeing as the final output will be high resolution A4
tell me what you think
Richard
Hi,
Thats certainly too regular, add more different structures, maybe roads, and other things on your planet… all will be covered by cities? no mountinains or craters?
Anyway interesting work, keep it up
nice concepts for the city…
from the plant texture I can’t seem to make out the circuit design, it’s a little too faint. maybe try adding lights for the city structures.
It’s all looking good Richard…My only thought and this is just one guys opinion…I would scale down the planet,it looks very nice,I like the color scheme very much and all,but…I think it takes up too much of the shot/screen…I know you want to really show it as a central figure for the most part and all but I still think you should shrink it down 25 % or so…Allowing for more of your other creations to be seen,and possibly add another model here and there with your extra space…Ok,as I said just one guys opinion here,trying to help some where I can…All the best,and you are doing a fine job…:arteest: 
THis is a little more the feel of the final composition of the planet in the scene. I knocked this up at home in bryce, might even use it to make up a nice sky, dont know yet. I’m worried that at the very high resolutions the final image has to be submitted at any textures may end up being blured and not crisp. its difficult to do test renders at 3000 pix accross. Te final image will be composited as well with seperate elements for the planet, sky, landscape and foreground.
Richard
THis will be the basic style of the ships in the scene, sleek with not to many external “deck furniture” I’m finding it dificult to mary up what deck furniture the is to the sleek design, any sugestions