Donny's TOS Enterprise Interiors

[Donny]

These are absolutely incredible! I can't believe they're not real starship interiors, nevermind sets.
I really like "The Cage" bridge thanks to your efforts - I hadn't paid it too much heed before, but seeing it devoid of crew and without the fuzziness/graininess shows what a clean, stylish work place it is.
From a 21st century point of view, the only thing I'd change would be to make the viewscreen 'widescreen' (i.e. in place of the panels on either side). I mean, I'd pop back in time and arrange to have a widescreen viewer as part of the set in the 1960s, so when you recreate the sets here in 2019, they include that widescreen

I too have a deeper appreciation for this set now that I've studied it and re-created it. Sure, it's more austere than it appeared later, but it's got its charm!

 

[Maurice]

Bravo Donny.

I do have one question for you a regards the color of the set. Is the gray of the walls the same as the production version? There is a memo that indicates the bridge was repainted gray from a "silver" color after the first pilot that caused a lot fo reflection issues. The memo isn't super specific about exactly what/how much was this "silver" color.

 

[Donny]

Bravo Donny.

I do have one question for you a regards the color of the set. Is the gray of the walls the same as the production version? There is a memo that indicates the bridge was repainted gray from a "silver" color after the first pilot that caused a lot fo reflection issues. The memo isn't super specific about exactly what/how much was this "silver" color.

I remember you pointing this out to me years ago, but as far as I can tell, the bulk of the walls are a flat, non-metallic grey like in the rest of the series. The only parts I can see that appear to be painted a faux-metallic silver are the edges of the command pit, the rail supports attached to those edges, and the turbolift doors (and perhaps the turbolift interior). I could be wrong, of course, but the majority of the walls appear to be very matte to my trained eye.

This is probably the closets view we get of the bulkheads themselves, and they do not appear silver nor metallic in any way:


Compare that to the edge of the command pit, the turbolift doors, and rail supports:

 

[Professor Moriarty]

You, sir, are certifiable.

I am flabbergasted not only at the artistry but also the immense amount of research that obviously went into this virtual set. I've been staring at the Enterprise for almost fifty years now, so I'm pretty good at spotting the slightest missing or incorrect detail. I see nothing here--nothing--that looks out of place.

This is incredible work, Donny. Simply incredible.

 

[TOMFAN]

Absolutely incredible work, it's amazing it's like looking at a completely new set that I've never seen before, and so many details that I'd never noticed. Even after all these years, I'd never spotted that the Captain's chair was lower!

It's almost as if the TMP bridge was an upgrade of this version, just with a bigger budget!

 

[TOMFAN]

It does go to show how much of a difference the black backs on the chairs make though. Here they just look like normal chairs, but with the backs added later, they really do look much better!

 

[Bernard Guignard]

Thank you Donny great work, If it's not too much trouble could you do a plan view of the bridge?

 

[137th Gebirg]

I remember you pointing this out to me years ago, but as far as I can tell, the bulk of the walls are a flat, non-metallic grey like in the rest of the series. The only parts I can see that appear to be painted a faux-metallic silver are the edges of the command pit, the rail supports attached to those edges, and the turbolift doors (and perhaps the turbolift interior). I could be wrong, of course, but the majority of the walls appear to be very matte to my trained eye.

This is probably the closets view we get of the bulkheads themselves, and they do not appear silver nor metallic in any way:


Compare that to the edge of the command pit, the turbolift doors, and rail supports:

Wow... looks like someone forgot to take off the masking tape around the upper rim. Never noticed that before until now.

 

[Lt. Washburn]

Donny, it all looks absolutely fantastic!

I've seen the videos you made of the sets in the past, but I was curious if you'd viewed any of your sets in a VR headset yet? If so, how'd it look?

I've always wanted to see a matching shot transition from one bridge version to the next...so that could be a cool thing to try if you want!

By the way, I've always been interested in the literal behind-the-scenes of the sets, such as how they were constructed or what they looked like from the outside, etc. I'm sure you're familiar with the few photos that exist of the bridge from outside, in particular from the building of the first pilot version. Would you consider making a few shots from similar perspectives so I can see the "clean" geometry of the set forms and understand all the construction details better? Don't worry about it if it's too much trouble.

 

[Donny]

Thank you Donny great work, If it's not too much trouble could you do a plan view of the bridge?

Unfortunately, there still isn't a good way for me to take quality orthographic renders of my sets in Unreal, as the lighting in orthographic mode seems to be broken. If ever they fix this about their orthographic mode, I'd be happy to take plan views of many of my sets!

Donny, it all looks absolutely fantastic!
I've seen the videos you made of the sets in the past, but I was curious if you'd viewed any of your sets in a VR headset yet? If so, how'd it look?

I've refrained from talking about VR and my work, but yes. I have viewed my creations in VR and it's a surreal experience. However, due to VR being a much more demanding way to view things in terms of PC performance, there are some issues with viewing them with the highest quality rendering. Therefore, you have to drop the quality of the renders to get decent framerates. It's still pretty cool though!

I've always wanted to see a matching shot transition from one bridge version to the next...so that could be a cool thing to try if you want!

That's a great idea! I'll throw that together once I'm done!

By the way, I've always been interested in the literal behind-the-scenes of the sets, such as how they were constructed or what they looked like from the outside, etc. I'm sure you're familiar with the few photos that exist of the bridge from outside, in particular from the building of the first pilot version. Would you consider making a few shots from similar perspectives so I can see the "clean" geometry of the set forms and understand all the construction details better? Don't worry about it if it's too much trouble.

Well, something to note is that these models don't have back-faces to them, nor do they have any unecessary polygons. Basically, if you're never gonna see it, I don't model it. This is an effective way of modeling for game engines, since cutting out unnecessary polygons saves on performance. So the structures of the consoles and walls themselves don't have faces beyond what you see in the screencaps. So while I can take shots like you're requesting, you'll see in the example below how it's kind of wacky...how you can see "through" the geometry in places you normally wouldn't....and I prefer not to take images as such since it breaks the illusion a little too much for my tastes:

 

[GNDN18]

Uncanny. No valley.

 

[Lt. Washburn]

Huh, that's an interesting effect. I would have thought they'd just be texture-less forms. Cool picture, nonetheless!

I look forward to the transition shots, if you do them. Thanks!

 

[Lt. Washburn]

Looks like there needs to be a black line around the circumference of the bridge platform, inside the silver-colored edging?

 

[GNDN18]

Unfortunately, there still isn't a good way for me to take quality orthographic renders of my sets in Unreal, as the lighting in orthographic mode seems to be broken. If ever they fix this about their orthographic mode, I'd be happy to take plan views of many of my sets!


I've refrained from talking about VR and my work, but yes. I have viewed my creations in VR and it's a surreal experience. However, due to VR being a much more demanding way to view things in terms of PC performance, there are some issues with viewing them with the highest quality rendering. Therefore, you have to drop the quality of the renders to get decent framerates. It's still pretty cool though!


That's a great idea! I'll throw that together once I'm done!


Well, something to note is that these models don't have back-faces to them, nor do they have any unecessary polygons. Basically, if you're never gonna see it, I don't model it. This is an effective way of modeling for game engines, since cutting out unnecessary polygons saves on performance. So the structures of the consoles and walls themselves don't have faces beyond what you see in the screencaps. So while I can take shots like you're requesting, you'll see in the example below how it's kind of wacky...how you can see "through" the geometry in places you normally wouldn't....and I prefer not to take images as such since it breaks the illusion a little too much for my tastes:

 

[Donny]

"We're leaving the galaxy, Mister Mitchell!"
And here are the finished renders of the U.S.S. Enterprise bridge as it appeared in the second pilot episode, "Where No Man Has Gone Before"

Note: In WNMHGB, the bridge command platform is rotated 18 degrees, making it not aligned with the viewscreen as it was elsewhere in the series. I believe this was done for framing purposes, and as such I have moved the conn to it's correct orientation in line with the viewscreen.







Now, to point out some differences between the bridge as it appeared in "WNMHGB" from both "The Cage" and the series proper.

1) The most striking difference between "The Cage" and the "WNMHGB" bridge is the color pallette. Color TV was in its infancy in the mid-60s, and between pilots the producers though to take advantage of the popularity of color TV by injecting loads of primary colors into the set to give it a more fantastical feel.

2) There is no carpeting on this set as there was in the series proper, the floor appearing to be a hard surface. It retains the band of the dark blue-black along the perimeter of the bridge and the command pit, although this band does not fill the floor of the turbolift alcove as it does in "The Cage"

3) The faux metallic silver edges of the command pit from and the rail supports from "The Cage" were painted the blue-black that appears elsewhere in set.

4) The grey and green trim colors of the "Cage" set were entirely replaced by the unmistakable macao orange in WNMHGB, which would remain throughout the series run.

5) The large overhead viewscreens above each console were refined from their "Cage" apperance to be of the configuration we're more familiar with from the series. Either one or two large rectangular displays replaced the smaller displays. Many of the overhead displays featured solid colors in WNMHGB. The "Condition Alert" display above the Engineering Sub-Systems Monitor station appears for the first time here. One display of the Engineering station features a print of a painting of the planet Talos IV, which appeared in the briefing room tabletop viewscreen in "The Cage". This print would later go on to be recolored a deep red for use for the Season One overhead displays.

6) The smaller display screens at eye-level of each perimeter station remain unchanged throughout the remainder of the series. These are actually one of the only aspects of the bridge that was not changed throughout the entire run of TOS, including its pilots.

7) The Burke chairs obviously do not have their added leather backs or their 3 planted-on triangular shaped pieces on the rear of the seat, nor are they painted the light blue like they appear in the series proper.

8) Almost every station retains its "gooseneck" viewer from "The Cage" with the exception of the helm and navigator stations. The displays screens of the gooseneck viewers in WNMHGB are greenish in tint, versus their off-white tint in "The Cage". The gooseneck viewers would be completely removed from the set by "The Corbomite Manuever".

10) The bulkheads flanking the viewscreen recieved red-alert indicators in WNMHGB, and in Season One additional control panels were added to these walls as well.

11) Also absent are the colored lights above each perimeter station, and their respectively colored "vents" below each console from the series proper.

12) The bridge railing in "The Cage" only had openings behind the captain and at the front of the viewscreen. In WNMHGB, two additional openings to the left and right of the conn were added.


The captain's chair was placed up on a pedestal in WNMHGB, giving it a more prominent presence. The gooseneck viewer remianed, but the location of it's attachment was slightly altered, and a placard with the alpha-numeric "3C 42" was placed just above. The control panels altered slightly, with some of the small green "lights" being replaced by an orange one and a larger green one. The left hand side panel remained unchanged. Still absent are the flat intercom units and rocker switches. A datacard slot still is not visible in most shots of the episode, even though towards the end of the episode it appears a datacard is inserted into the arm chair, however @feek61 speculates that this was simply a card cut in half and glued to the arm. Anyway, I modeled both versions and can make the slot appear on my model with just a click of a button if I want


10) The viewscreen from "The Cage" was slightly resized to be more compressed vertically. The inner bevel of the viewscreen bulkhead was painted a lighter color. Flashing indicator lights appeared above the viewscreen, and a greeble was added below (which would later appear, in a different configuration, in the corridor set). The viewscreen was replaced by an entirely different viewscreen before the start of the first season, and went on to be a part of the briefing room set and Starbase 11 Courtroom set in Season One, and was then used in the Auxiliary Control Room set in Seasons 2 and 3.



The helm was repainted from "The Cage", this time adopting the macao orange trim color. This trim color would later be refined in Season One. The center red alert indicator light was shorter and more rectangular than it's wedge-shaped series counterpart. The astrogator graphic was the same, but did not have the 3-pronged "course indicator" guide that showed up in Season One. Also missing from the astrogator are rocker switches, flat intercom panels, and the ship's chronometer which were all added when the series began it's first season. The control panels are the same from "The Cage", with rectangular "aircraft-style" buttons instead of the "primsmatic" or "ice-tray" jeweled buttons we saw later on in seasons one and two, respectively. Also missing is the helmsman's pop-up targeting scanner, which appeared in Season 2.



This is the Communications station, which shared a layout similar to most other bridge perimeter stations. The goose neck viewer is present, but notice the lack of rocker switches, flat intercoms, data-card slots and holders. The control panels also follow the "Pilot" scheme, with the aircraft-style buttons instead of primsatic or ice-tray jeweled buttons.


The Science Station got a slight upgrade in WNMHGB, with the additional of the hooded scope. This scope was painted black in Season One, and was upgraded further with a grey paint scheme and additional greebles in Season 2. Also in Season 2, the scope was replicated at the Engineering and Environment stations. Below the scope, rows of black and white buttons were added (probably buttons from an old adding machine). These buttons were removed in Season One, leaving just the glossy black panel.


A close-up of the Engineering station's left-hand control panels, which remained the same from "The Cage". In fact, all control panel surfaces remained the same as they were in the previous pilot, before being upgraded for the first season. Notice the text on the rectangular buttons. A big thanks to @feek61, who was a great help at speeding up my process of making all the unique control panels around the bridge. He put together some great infographics of the panels upon my request for this project, which I used as reference. You can view those infographics on his site!


The stations for Engineering, Environmental, and Engineering Sub-Systems Monitor (ESSM, for short). The ESSM console, which was blank in the cage, recieved a couple of rectangular control panels in WNMHGB. In the episode, these control panels catch fire and explode, and are replaced by beige-colored control panels from the facility on Delta Vega (one of those panels went on to be a wall prop in the corridor set)


The stations for Navigation, Defense, and Defense Sub-Systems. There stations were not seen in either "The Cage" or "WNMHGB", but we can surmise what they appeared like given their later appearances and following the aesthetic of the rest of the Cage bridge. The ship schematic over the DSSM is purely conjecture.



The turbolift alcove changed quite a bit from "The Cage". The door was changed from silver to macao orange, the dedication plaque was added, as well as a red-alert indicator light. The panel at the foot of the door remained from "The Cage" but was omitted after this episode. Something I hadn't noticed before: The door jamb was painted black in WNMHGB, but would be repainted grey by season one.


And, once again, instead of coming up with something elaborate for the ceiling (which we never saw on-screen, save for an episode of TAS), I have just gone with something simple.

 

[Santaman]

Really nice work, keeping the ceiling simple is a good idea and it fits well.

 

[Donny]

Looks like there needs to be a black line around the circumference of the bridge platform, inside the silver-colored edging?

Ah damn you're right! I saw that as shadowing instead. I'll have to correct this soon. Thanks for pointing it out!

 

[GNDN18]

The viewscreen from "The Cage" was slightly resized to be more compressed vertically. The inner bevel of the viewscreen bulkhead was painted a lighter color.

I think that a frame was added to the screen, covering the bevels:

You can see a shadow to the right.

I feel awkward pointing this out because 1) I might be wrong and 2) this is such a minor nitpick in such a grandly perfect project.

 

[Lt. Washburn]

Ah damn you're right! I saw that as shadowing instead. I'll have to correct this soon. Thanks for pointing it out!

Glad I could notice even one thing. It's amazing all the stuff you've pointed out that I hadn't noticed before...some stuff embarrassingly so.

 

[Spaceship Jo]

View attachment 10577
Uncanny. No valley.

I don't know, that Astrogator orange is a bit more vivid in the set picture... and (besides the people) that's the only thing that would indicate to me that these are different at all!