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Star Trek Star Fleet Technical Manual v2-0

This is the preamble I wrote for the fb group. Should serve here as well.

In spring 2015, I began v2.0, just as a side project for myself. The release of The Star Trek Encyclopedia as a deluxe two-volume slipcased hardcover in late 2016 prompted me to put the Tech Manual pages out there to see if anyone would be interested in it.

I got an enthusiastic response from the community and have sent an enquiry to Random House to see if they'd be interested in publishing it. Hopefully, the project will become official, but it is NOT right now.

In order to make the book the best it can be, Trek enthusiasts have been commenting, and it's all valuable.

My own thought is to stick to Star Trek TOS canon (before retcons) as much as possible. The Original Series had its own unique design, language and æsthetic and keeping that as true is possible is – in my opinion – the best way to honour Franz Joseph Schnaubelt's work on the original Tech Manual and Enterprise Blueprints. But this idea would be/will be subject to editorial oversight and could be changed.

http://www.catspawdynamics.com/star-trek-star-fleet-technical-manual-v2-0/

So, as far as discussion goes:

1. I welcome and encourage input. That's why the group is here. I fully admit that I don't know every detail about Trek. No one does. Well, maybe the Okudas, Doug Drexler and Rick Sternbach. But no one else, surely.

2. In the spirit of Trek's egalitarian future, let's remember ignorance is not a sign of stupidity. Ignorance is a lack of knowledge, and that's the easiest thing to correct. We share knowledge, we say thank you and we don't act like the Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons. We all know that guy which is why he's a character. It also makes things a lot less fun for everyone involved. I do my best to not talk down to others, and I'll expect and appreciate the same in return. Let's help each other feel good by accomplishing something together.

3. I want to credit everyone who contributes. If the project goes forward with Random House, I'll be requesting that page be included in the book. I'm not an island unto myself and it takes a number of people to get all the details right.

4. Star Trek is ® and © CBS Studios Inc. The Technical Manual is owned by CBS Studios, Inc., Random House, and Karen Schnaubelt. If Random House says no, this project will revert to a private one. From a sharing point of view, I'd feel like a shmuck asking good people to contribute without being able to legally distribute the content they've helped with.

Thanks for being here.
 
THE NEW CONTENT LIST

Here's what's on the list of things to add, and please feel free to comment if you have something you think needs to be included.

anti-grav cargo lifts
phaser rifle
hypo spray
turbolifts
PADD
food synthesisers
M5 computer
ship assignment insignia
starbase and star fleet command starburst
star fleet boomerang logo
transporter control station
general orders
lt. jg cuff rank braid
 
One of the comments I've received so far on the original manual.

Guy 2: Starfleet should never, ever be referred to as an "armed forces." It's an exploratory and research organization, NOT a military.

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That's a really good point, and an idea that has oscillated back and forth throughout the 50 years of Trek. Lots of discussions to draw upon out there.

Here's a synthesis of that discussion and my own thought:

Starfleet’s primary purpose is exploration and diplomacy. However, there are times when it has been used as an armed force at war, and it is always there to defend UFP worlds and its citizens. Like the Coast Guard, it's a stellar navy protecting the shores and the high seas of interstellar space. And the Coast Guard is one of the branches of military service.

So, how to acknowledge that Star Fleet's primary purpose is exploration, but they'll fight if need be?

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You pointed me to "Court Martial" for a couple of things, and here's part of a scene from that episode where Kirk goes into the Starbase bar:

ANOTHER ANGLE

As the officers at the bar see Kirk, a ruffle of discomfort passes over them. Should they treat him warmly… the fond comrade they have not seen in a long time, or should they try and slough him off gracefully? With mixed emotions, they shake his hand.

KIRK
Timothy… Haven't seen you since the Vulcanian expedition.

TIMOTHY
Hi, Jim…

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From the OED, two of the definitions for expedition:

"A journey, voyage, or excursion made for some definite purpose."

and

"The quality of being ‘expedite’; quick movement; promptness, haste, speed. Also in phr. with expedition; to make, use, expedition.
– Readiness."

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Part of Wikipedia's entry on Expeditionary Forces:

In modern terms, "Expeditionary Force" can refer to a combat-ready military element that is situated away from its home base or country in order to respond rapidly to a combat or humanitarian conflict or crisis.

Humanitarian conflict or crisis. That's like the UN's peacekeepers. Not a force of aggression.

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So, I suggest that by the time Star Fleet comes into being Expeditionary Forces means "We're out here to explore, and please don't shoot at us. We'll try to talk before we shoot, which is more pleasant. What do you have to drink? And your women are very pretty."

That's a far cry from David Marcus calling Star Fleet "the military" in TWOK.
 
Guy 2: I would suggest that, instead of using the silly Franz Joseph "official Starfleet font," you feature the ACTUAL font used by Starfleet in the series (the font used on visual log recordings like in "Court Martial", which also matches the font on the hull).

type1.jpg

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You're absolutely right, Square 721/Microgramma/Eurostile was not used until FJ's Manual and Blueprints in 1975. Here's the entry from Memory Alpha.

type2.jpg


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Here are some modern options for the registry typeface on ship hulls. They're really good and I'm glad to have them on hand.

The problem for the book comes from typesetting for legibility and readability at text sizes. A blocky, all-caps font is great for numbers or the single word of a ship's name to be read from a distance. Like the naval ships Jefferies adapted it from.

It can also be good for headlines, though I wouldn't say so in this case. As I said, it's blocky, and its letterforms don't lead or flow into one another to carry a reader's eye across the page.

There's also only one weight to work with. That's hard on the eyes. As is the IBM Selectric style all-caps typeface on the all-text pages at the front of the book, and the Leroy mechanical drafting lettering on the technical drawings.

type3.jpg


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So, that's why I believe Franz Joseph Schnaubelt did Trek a considerable service by choosing Eurostile, a 1962 update to the previous Microgramma which added lowercase characters to its various weights.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurostile

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Far from silly, Eurostile has multiple weights, roman and obliques, and upper and lowercase. This makes it an ideal typeface family for the many different types of information present in the Tech Manual. Modern, technological, flexible and easy to read when set at text sizes, it evokes the future as we understood it throughout the 1960s. Think of the 1962 Seattle and 1964 New York World's Fairs.

Compare the original pages with the new ones. You'll see the all-text pages at the front of the book united through common design language with the technical illustrations now. That's a definite improvement and it sets up the move into the design language of the TOS movie era, which used the Eurostile family. Those designers knew a good thing when they saw it.

type4.jpg


Finally, using the hull font with Eurostile would be a clash in typestyles, but I'll gladly use it on the new illustrations of the ships.
 
Keith Marshall commented: Along with the Transporter room that is in v1.0 there was a page of the controls console that was put out by someone else. I had it once but over time lost it. It would be a good add. LOVE your work so far.

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Yes, I have a scan of that. If I can connect with the person who did it and get their permission, it will go in as is, otherwise I’ll draw it new from screenshots. Anyone know who drew this?

transporter-controls.jpg
 
Jerry Conner commented: I’m assuming (and hoping) you’ll also take care of spelling and grammatical errors in your update as well. One of the ones that has always stuck in my craw is the misspelled name of the USS HEIMDAL (spelled HIEMDAL in the Heavy Cruisers section).

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Yes, I have already done a copy edit pass on the whole text, and there will be more than one pair of eyes on the proofs. Thanks for the note on Heimdal. Fixed.

heimdal.jpg
 
Yes, the red type. Good spotting. The slab serif appears to be similar to Lubalin Graph (but predates it by the better part of a decade).
 
Scott, it might be easier for you to consolidate several posts instead of making multiple posts in a row.
 
Keith Marshall commented: Along with the Transporter room that is in v1.0 there was a page of the controls console that was put out by someone else. I had it once but over time lost it. It would be a good add. LOVE your work so far.

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Yes, I have a scan of that. If I can connect with the person who did it and get their permission, it will go in as is, otherwise I’ll draw it new from screenshots. Anyone know who drew this?

Not sure if it's important to you but the transporter drawing you posted is not accurate at all. There are very accurate drawings done about 8-10 years ago over at the TPZ.

Also, consider adding the portable computers. I have some details on them at my site (but this may not be what you are looking for):
http://tosgraphics.yuku.com/topic/371/TOS-Computer-props-REVISED-and-in-HD
 
Feek, I abso-freaking-loot-lee want to include the computers. I've already done some research on extending the visuals for duotronic circuits, and your work on the outside hardware is outstanding. Thank you!

(And thanks for the tip on the transporter controls. This is why I put it out there.)
 
Also curious on your thoughts about the uniform patterns. Are you going to keep them as is, or are you going to try and get screen accurate uniform patterns? I'm not sure about the accuracy of the original FJ patterns, but I'm assuming they're not completely accurate.
 
That's a good question. I know nothing about clothing patterns, and have said elsewhere if someone has those details, I'll be happy to include the info. Either way, I do plan on including other uniforms and gear worn by Federation personnel in model view.
 
Thanks very much. I have been on a long road trip throughout the interweb highways. Will see if I've stopped at those waypoints along the journey.
 
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