Screen Accurate Millennium Falcon Cockpit (CG Model)

WOW, I just finished reading through the entire build, and I am entirely completely wonderfully amazed! This is absolutely fantastic, though I'll admit I never thought the Falcon had that much mystery to it . . . "Ship of Riddles" indeed. Here are a few things I noticed/thought of while reading through the thread:

The Dice. What I've heard, more than once If I'm not mistaken, is that these were a reference to a pair of dice on the dash of Harrison Ford's car in American Graffiti (sorry, don't know his character's name) and so were put hanging in the Falcon as a fun easter egg. I can't immediately confirm that, but that's what I've heard, and I really appreciate their inclusion in your build.

At one point in the thread, I thought I saw that you had placed the Blast Shield "But with the blast shield down I can't even see" Helmet in the main hold, but I haven't seen it in your recent renders. Is it still there?

The Nav Chairs do not have the cup shaped pieces on the top behind the headrests in the cockpit, while the one in the main hold does. I'm not sure if this was done purposefully, but I was pretty sure they were in the ANH cockpit. Also, speaking of those chairs, I noticed that there is a ridged disc on them and the gun well chairs that would sit right about between an occupant's shoulder blades. This disc, in case you did not notice, is also found on the backpacks of some of the Sandtroopers, and is commonly referred to as the "radar dish". I don't currently have an image, but I can get one.

One thing I thought would be really fun to add, although of course this is just my opinion and up to you, would be the medal from the throne room somewhere. Just, like, hanging on a pipe or sitting on a crate, because I feel Han wouldn't feel the need to place it prominently but would still have it in the Falcon, assuming he didn't decide to sell it for some repair money. :)

I know you said you aren't going to bother much with the tech bay attached to the main hold (Han and Leia kiss scene) right now, but I do have one recommendation for what you've already made. The piece of equipment Leia is working on in that particular kiss scene has a horizontal bar running through it in the middle of its construction. I would recommend making it larger, as it seemed rather thin to me when you posted your constructions of that area. Of course, if you are basing what you made off of measurements and/or references, as you seem to always do, then never mind. If you need pictures to explain what part I'm talking about, I can get them.

When you posted your animation of the ramp lowering and opening a few pages back, I noticed that a tiny space remains between the top of the ramp and the bottom of the docking ring in that particular area when the ramp is up. I'm sure you've noticed it, but are you going to find a way to close it so the theoretical inhabitants would't suffer the effects of the vacuum of space? :)

You decided quite a bit back to make an interior version that fit into the Falcon exterior both for fun and to help the plans of a full size build. Looking at my innacurate Complete Cross Sections book and the Millenium Falcon illustration within, I noticed that they suggest there would be a cargo hold in the space between the main hold and cockpit, that large area aft of the starboard mandible yet forwards of the boarding ramp. If there was a cargo space there, perhaps a door to that could be on the side of the hallway leading to the cockpit that is never seen in the films to my knowledge, the "left" side if you were walking into the cockpit? Of course, that side of the hallway may be seen in some shot somewhere, or you may not be willing to take that much creative license since it's not in the films, but I thought I'd throw that out there.

Also a bit back was a discussion about the window that the heroes use that overlooks Bay 327 on the DS1, the window where Leia says "You came in that thing?". It was determined that the window could not be in that position due to Luke's comment to 3PO that they were right above him. Perhaps the window could be kept in the same location as the movies, and that could instead be an error on Luke's part (he was being directionally challenged?) or just a general approximation of "Oh yeah, we're on the floor above you".

What was the final determined angle of the boarding ramp? From what I was reading, it sounded like you managed to find an angle for the boarding ramp that didn't have to involve stairs, although was still steeper than the incorrect movie boarding ramp. What was that angle?

"Drive Safely"? Um, what? I loved that included there, but was that in a model? Not that I think it should be removed, but I was just wondering. Also, the numbers below those words, are those the Falcon's serial numbers?

You were also discussing that top hatch a few pages back, and how it couldn't fit both Luke and Lando. Perhaps it was expanded in the years between ANH and ESB? Just a thought, a way that maybe that inconsistency could be accounted for.

If you read all of this, great, you're awesome! Starkiller, thank you SO much again for making this build. I have absolutely completely loved finding and reading through this, particularly because I didn't have to wait for updates and could just speed through the 62 pages. Sorry if I hit you with a lot of questions at once, but I've got a word document with all of those and wanted to make sure I asked them. Hopefully they can help you in some way. Thank you so much again for taking the time and effort to bring this glorious model to life, and say Hi to that girlfriend for us!

- Master Tej -
 
"Drive Safely" was a decal on the 5' model.

The "radar dish" part you refer to was a Tupperware lid.
 
Hey S,

Just catching up after a summer hiatus and your work is as amazing as ever! The engine deck is phenomenal and reminds me of how much work I have cut out for me. Keep up the good work - and let me know if there is anything I can do to help. Always looking for collaborators...

J.
 
Hey, thanks guys!

Well, I tried to keep back on topic with the cockpit, but I got distracted again by the exterior and added a lot of new little stuff.

Re-addressed and textured the boarding ramp so it's more accurate:

9442139235_9910e8c61f_o.jpg


finished off the access pit in the back starboard quarter:

002.jpg


004.png


005.png


textured the blast mark on the starboard docking-ring from a movie screencap, rebuilt the forward quarter access pit from a photomatched screencap ("she may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts"), and finally added the junk under the cockpit access tube.

003.jpg


at this point, virtually every part you see in the "what a piece of junk" master shot is complete... wow, I never thought I'd get there. Render of that shot to follow soon.

and then, the Pièce de résistance, a new video stitching the exterior and interior models (this time scored to a different segment of Holst's Planets Suite):

Millennium Falcon Walkthrough - YouTube

(the ramp details I mentioned with the renders above hadn't been added when I made the video. )
 
Amazing! I was wondering if you ever make a separate thread for the 3d surroundings(like the hangar or the bay 94) with all the details and measurements :)
Keep it up!

-Angel
 
Yes Steve, I was wondering something similar....I was considering photoshopping a composition of my model of RcMQ's Falcon into this painting.....but of course your hanger would be better:D

falconmcquarrie-0000.jpg


John

......EDIT, sorry Steve, just went back a few pages (pg 58)....found the hanger without the Falcon.......lovely!!)
 
Last edited:
Amazing! I was wondering if you ever make a separate thread for the 3d surroundings(like the hangar or the bay 94) with all the details and measurements :)
Keep it up!

-Angel

I haven't done that because I don't want to flood THERPF with more CG threads. What I would do is work with someone to turn plans from my location models into practical builds. Any takers?


Yes Steve, I was wondering something similar....I was considering photoshopping a composition of my model of RcMQ's Falcon into this painting.....but of course your hanger would be better:D

http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k637/jaiteastu/111/RMcQ Falcon/falconmcquarrie-0000.jpg

John

......EDIT, sorry Steve, just went back a few pages (pg 58)....found the hanger without the Falcon.......lovely!!)

Can't wait to see the result! A while ago I actually built a model of that McQuarrie docking bay as a background for a Colin Cantwell prototype Falcon I was working on... don't know what happened to it, but if it turns up in my files, I'll let you know.

Very Nice!

how many man hours would you say...just on the exterior alone?
you are one heluva prolific 3D modeler!

heh, no idea. Probably better that I don't know how many hours. But it's been a number of years now...

Those ramp details and PRETTY! Love it! :)

Thanks! I'm really happy with the new filthy ramp. It was so clean before, it was driving me crazy.
 
WOW, I just finished reading through the entire build, and I am entirely completely wonderfully amazed!

Thanks! you've given me a lot to chew on here.


The Dice. ... and I really appreciate their inclusion in your build.

I think I'd heard the same thing, that they were a reference to American Graffitti. Either way, I love that they're there, and it's kind of a shame they took them out. Actually, as far as I can tell, they are in every shot of the cockpit in ANH, except the one from behind looking out through the canopy as they approach the Death Star. I have to assume that having the dice swinging there took away from the gravity of the scene. You don't ever see them full on after Chewie bumps his head into them, but you can see them in behind the scenes shots of filming the rest of the cockpit scenes, they're just out of frame for the rest of the movie.

At one point in the thread, I thought I saw that you had placed the Blast Shield ..... Is it still there?

Actually, I've never had the helmet in my model. I think it was in someone else's model from a few years ago. I've been meaning to model it for a long time (along with the training remote) to finish off some more of the details in the main hold. Some day....

The Nav Chairs do not have the cup shaped pieces on the top behind the headrests in the cockpit, while the one in the main hold does......I noticed that there is a ridged disc on them and the gun well chairs that would sit right about between an occupant's shoulder blades....

There are some details of the Nav Chairs that I still need to model, all original parts of the Martin Baker ejector seats that are their foundation. Another one of those "some day..." details I need to get to. I had made a model of the missing parts, which is what you saw in the main hold, but I deemed them inferior, so I removed them and plan to get back to them at some point. What I'm really missing from the main hold chair is a pair of giant 70s chrome headphones that are sort of straddling the headrest....

I do have the disc part you mentioned on the chairs, and as Treadwell pointed out, yes they're tupperware lids.


....the medal from the throne room somewhere. ...

that hadn't occured to me, but that might be pretty fun.

I know you said you aren't going to bother much with the tech bay attached to the main hold ....

I agree, there are a lot of innaccuracies I could address in there, but I'm holding off. One day I may actually convert all this to the ESB versions, and then I would really get into that bay. But for now, I'm sticking with ANH. I'm glad I made the bay, but it's way too much to wade into if I'm focusing on the rest of the ANH Falcon.

When you posted your animation of the ramp lowering and opening a few pages back, I noticed that a tiny space remains between the top of the ramp and the bottom of the docking ring ....

hah, I was hoping no one would notice that. The animation plugin I was using didn't allow for me to move multiple parts, so I wasn't able to animate that extension at the base of the ramp. The extension would have folded up and blocked the gap you mention, but I had to omit it.

Also a bit back was a discussion about the window that the heroes use that overlooks Bay 327 on the DS1, the window where Leia says "You came in that thing?". It was determined that the window could not be in that position due to Luke's comment to 3PO that they were right above him. Perhaps the window could be kept in the same location as the movies, and that could instead be an error on Luke's part (he was being directionally challenged?) or just a general approximation of "Oh yeah, we're on the floor above you".

actually what we determined was that the window could be right above where 3PO and R2 are, but that the camera angle used when Leia points down to the Falcon would have been incorrect (it was a recycled shot, and the view from the hangar control room). I did do a render of the angle that would have been right above where 3PO was.

What was the final determined angle of the boarding ramp? From what I was reading, it sounded like you managed to find an angle for the boarding ramp that didn't have to involve stairs, although was still steeper than the incorrect movie boarding ramp. What was that angle?

I did end up figuring out a way to avoid using a short flight of stairs, by using a very short much steeper ramp at the top of the main ramp. All of those angles are up in the air though, they really should be assessed by an engineer before anyone builds anything Full-Scale. My attempts there are more the mock-up/visualization phase of the project.


"Drive Safely"? Um, what? I loved that included there, but was that in a model? Not that I think it should be removed, but I was just wondering. Also, the numbers below those words, are those the Falcon's serial numbers?

as Treadwell also mentioned, yes the Drive Safely decal is on the 5' studio model, and I included it as an in-joke. Same thing with the serial number. As much as possible, I try to avoid getting too caught up making this model feel "in-universe". Yes I'm linking up movie sets that were never physically connected, but I'm a big fan of the behind the scenes of the movies, and I like to reference back to the real world, even if it takes the viewer out of the moment sometimes.


If you read all of this, great, you're awesome! Starkiller, thank you SO much again for making this build. I have absolutely completely loved finding and reading through this, particularly because I didn't have to wait for updates and could just speed through the 62 pages. Sorry if I hit you with a lot of questions at once, but I've got a word document with all of those and wanted to make sure I asked them. Hopefully they can help you in some way. Thank you so much again for taking the time and effort to bring this glorious model to life, and say Hi to that girlfriend for us!

- Master Tej -

Thanks for your comments, I hope I answered your questions!
 
Crazy, That video! That's the first time my brain has totally related the interior with the exterior as one complete circular ship in a viable full-scale scenario - instead of sections on the movie set. Obviously gonna want more of this!! Very very cool!!!
 
Hey S,

Did I notice a small change? Did you add the new style quad tip(s) to the quads? :)

You sure did. I liked the model I made for you way better than the version I'd made based on the miniature version of the quad-laser. I also replaced the barrels in there with IG88 heads, like they used on the full-scale prop. Looks pretty cool. The barrels you made look great, but maybe if you got your hands on some IG88 heads...?

Also, I'm not entirely certain, but I think they may have attached the fullscale quad lasers they used for the TIE battle to the exterior model, but the timing for shooting might not support that. (either that or it's the other way around: they pulled the lasers off the exterior and attached them to the turret set) But all the pictures of the exterior that show the quad-lasers are way too blurry or shadowy to be certain.

- - - Updated - - -

Crazy, That video! That's the first time my brain has totally related the interior with the exterior as one complete circular ship in a viable full-scale scenario - instead of sections on the movie set. Obviously gonna want more of this!! Very very cool!!!

Thanks! Yeah, I feel like this version of the walkthrough gives a much better sense of the interior space related to the exterior. I think I slowed the camera down too much in pervious version, once it entered the Falcon, and you lost a sense of space and scale.

Well, I still have a few more years worth of details to add, and then of course it all needs to be fully rendered. So don't worry, there's definitely more to come!
 
Your work is amazing!

I haven't done that because I don't want to flood THERPF with more CG threads. What I would do is work with someone to turn plans from my location models into practical builds. Any takers?

If I didn't have so much on my stash already, I'd start immediately. But if your offer holds when I found a cheap Mini Kit Falcon, I'd like to come back to you!

Thorsten
 
You sure did. I liked the model I made for you way better than the version I'd made based on the miniature version of the quad-laser. I also replaced the barrels in there with IG88 heads, like they used on the full-scale prop. Looks pretty cool. The barrels you made look great, but maybe if you got your hands on some IG88 heads...?

Also, I'm not entirely certain, but I think they may have attached the fullscale quad lasers they used for the TIE battle to the exterior model, but the timing for shooting might not support that. (either that or it's the other way around: they pulled the lasers off the exterior and attached them to the turret set) But all the pictures of the exterior that show the quad-lasers are way too blurry or shadowy to be certain.

WHOA! Did you rebuild the entire quad or just the barrels? Can you post a quick pic of the IG88 change? Would love to see it. I was looking at the tips of 2 liter bottles the other day and had another one of my "2001: A Space Odyssey" moments... hmmmmm I wonder if those would work?

Attached the quad to the "Exterior Model"? I'm confused...
 
All I did was swap out the old barrels for the heads, so the housing is the same. (I would never dream of making you rebuild the housing on your quad, that is a thing of beauty). It was a pretty nice fit (though now that I think about it, I don't think my IG88 heads are perfectly scaled.) I'll try to get you a close up of the new modifications. 2 Liter bottles with strategic holes and scribing, a nice rusty paintjob, could really look right I think...
 
Hey S,

Check this out... Whether it's good or bad news, I made an interesting "discovery". I was looking over screens grabs from RotS and comparing them to ANH and noticed that the set designers couldn't find the original pilot/indicator lens and bezels when they built the set for the Blockade Runner. Again, I'm not sure whether this is good or bad...

RotS - Note how small the lenses are and their location
Shadow of Reflection: Movie Screencaps R-S: Click image to close this window

ANH - Note their size and location
Shadow of Reflection: Movie Screencaps R-S: Click image to close this window

Note the lights in the black recessed areas :)
Shadow of Reflection: Movie Screencaps R-S: Click image to close this window

Anywho... thought that was interesting :)
 
Nicely done. I just started getting into 3D modeling and I have to say I really admire the work you put into this because I know it takes a ton of time and talent, it requires the same fortitude as doing a physical model.
 
Back
Top