NakedMoleRat
Legendary Member
STAR TREK- TMP wrist communicators (...and now with more TMP goodies!)
- Thread starter Gregatron
- Start date
Benjo
Well-Known Member
These words would suit much more to the assault phaser
The TMP design is yet one of the best representations of Roddenberry's first intent with phasers.
Looking at the Dummy Hero again, and the photos and screencaps seem to indicate that the round and rectangular lenses were actually glossy/reflective. Did they use Perspex or some other translucent/smoked material, a la the working hero? Or were they some kind of glossy tape or other stick-on pieces? Plant-on details or actual lenses?
Either way, flat black decals may not be the way to go, given this observation. I may have to re-engineer the design to have drop-in parts that are either smoky/translucent or painted a glossy black.
Either way, flat black decals may not be the way to go, given this observation. I may have to re-engineer the design to have drop-in parts that are either smoky/translucent or painted a glossy black.
Maybe you’ve already considered this, but what about glossy black vinyl instead of matte black vinyl? Seems much easier than inset acrylic pieces.
Yeah, that was my first thought. I'm just wondering what the originals had. They may well have had the same construction as the working hero, but without the lights.
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Looks like 7mm glossy black dots and 4mm striping tape should be pretty easy to get, and may well be what was used on the originals. Also, a quick glance at the reference material indicates that the round lenses on the electronic hero model had a slightly larger (8mm or so) diameter than the Dummy Heroes.
Checking and re-checking my communicator references so as to make any final tweaks before the next print. The primary dummies seen throughout the film actually do appear quite thin, and so I may well stick with the thinnest of the versions I had test-printed. We’ll see.
Meanwhile, I noticed that the folding-head hero tricorder does not appear to have that lip around the edge of the chip compartment door (which makes it easier to pull open), as the HMS and my model do.
Meanwhile, I noticed that the folding-head hero tricorder does not appear to have that lip around the edge of the chip compartment door (which makes it easier to pull open), as the HMS and my model do.
…so, I test-fitted a strip of 1” chrome tape on the comm test print, when I noticed that the gap between the edges of the tape and the sides of the comm body seem much more noticeable than in the reference images, by around 1-2mm on either side.
I based the dimensions of my model on the Propstore auction photos of the Ilia comm, which had a front view next to a ruler.
There are two possibilities: Either my model is slightly too wide, or the original props used chrome tape which was slightly wider than 1”. Hmmm.
I based the dimensions of my model on the Propstore auction photos of the Ilia comm, which had a front view next to a ruler.
There are two possibilities: Either my model is slightly too wide, or the original props used chrome tape which was slightly wider than 1”. Hmmm.
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Interestingly, the vacuformed dummies appear to be wider, and the gap between the tape and the side of the comm seems equivalent to my model.
This makes me think that either there were different bucks used, or that the resin-cast comms were thinner due to being molded directly from the bucks, and perhaps the vacuformed models were soft pulls/thick plastic, resulting in a greater overall width.
This makes me think that either there were different bucks used, or that the resin-cast comms were thinner due to being molded directly from the bucks, and perhaps the vacuformed models were soft pulls/thick plastic, resulting in a greater overall width.
Modified the design to be only 1 1/4” (31.75mm) wide, rather than 33mm, which looks more on-point compared to the resin dummies, and is also the width of the previous comm builds seen in this thread. It might even stand to be a little thinner, yet.
I also made the panel lines a full 1mm wide (as opposed to 0.75mm), which looks to be a better match for the prominent lines above and below the faceplate in the reference images.
I may yet also tweak the body shape to be more of a compromise between the resin and vacuformed dummies.
Note that the simulated 1” chrome tape is there just for illustration/reference, and wouldn’t be a part of the final model.
I also made the panel lines a full 1mm wide (as opposed to 0.75mm), which looks to be a better match for the prominent lines above and below the faceplate in the reference images.
I may yet also tweak the body shape to be more of a compromise between the resin and vacuformed dummies.
Note that the simulated 1” chrome tape is there just for illustration/reference, and wouldn’t be a part of the final model.
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And here’s the 31.75mm version (left) along with a variant whose bottom edge is closer in shape to the very rounded and pinched look of the resin dummies (right), as opposed to the sharper look of the vacuformed dummies (and my previous models).
In the end, it comes down to whether I want to replicate a specific look, or create an idealized look which combines elements from the different versions used in the film. Since the resin dummies (with their apparently thinner bodies and softer edges) were most prominently featured (even over the Dummy Heroes and Super Hero), it makes sense to start skewing more in that direction.
In the end, it comes down to whether I want to replicate a specific look, or create an idealized look which combines elements from the different versions used in the film. Since the resin dummies (with their apparently thinner bodies and softer edges) were most prominently featured (even over the Dummy Heroes and Super Hero), it makes sense to start skewing more in that direction.
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Tweaks. This newest iteration is merely 30mm wide. Also, the height of the faceplate has looked too thick for a while, now. I’ve adjusted that to make it more slender, as well as altering the proportions of the panel lines in relation to each other.
I think the overall size and shape is now quite dimensionally close to the resin dummies. It’s the shape of the lower edge I’m still working on. Each of the surviving resin comms was clearly finished by hand, and, as such, the shapes vary pretty wildly, with blunt edges and sharp edges and edges which flare out from the main body or edges which mostly follow the rear body’s curvature. I’m pushing toward something close to the “7” comm seen in the previous post—relatively sleek and restrained, compared to the other examples.
I think the overall size and shape is now quite dimensionally close to the resin dummies. It’s the shape of the lower edge I’m still working on. Each of the surviving resin comms was clearly finished by hand, and, as such, the shapes vary pretty wildly, with blunt edges and sharp edges and edges which flare out from the main body or edges which mostly follow the rear body’s curvature. I’m pushing toward something close to the “7” comm seen in the previous post—relatively sleek and restrained, compared to the other examples.
Getting closer to a shape I like. Still need to decide whether to go with the rounder edge or the sharper one. Most people seem to think of these comms as having the sharper edge, but the screenused pieces tend to look rounder.
I also created a version that’s all one piece, without the removable faceplate. That allows for a slightly more accurate look, in terms of the rounded profile of the panel line (left, circled in red), as opposed to the compromise of the removable-plate version (right).
I also created a version that’s all one piece, without the removable faceplate. That allows for a slightly more accurate look, in terms of the rounded profile of the panel line (left, circled in red), as opposed to the compromise of the removable-plate version (right).
Should be getting back to this, soon. The craziness of the holiday season has kept me too busy and too tired.
Perhaps just a little more refinement, and I'll order more prints.
As an aside, I again find myself thinking about just how WEIRD it is that the dummy comms--ironically the most prominent versions seen in the film--don't match the look of the heroes at all.
They just slapped letters or numbers onto the faceplates, used Perscan decals for the buttons, and called it a day.
I get that they needed to mass-produce the dummy props, and therefore couldn't quickly replicate all the hero details, but it's still odd.
Perhaps just a little more refinement, and I'll order more prints.
As an aside, I again find myself thinking about just how WEIRD it is that the dummy comms--ironically the most prominent versions seen in the film--don't match the look of the heroes at all.
They just slapped letters or numbers onto the faceplates, used Perscan decals for the buttons, and called it a day.
I get that they needed to mass-produce the dummy props, and therefore couldn't quickly replicate all the hero details, but it's still odd.
WinstonWolf359
Master Member
I guess I'm not too surprised that the dummies didn't match the heroes; these were made in a simpler time and they must have thought that most wouldn't have any real appearance on screen at all. What does surprise me is how haphazard they were about making sure that a hero prop made it into a featured shot and appeared on the wrist of a star actor.
As far as I can tell, the only appearance of a (dummy) hero in the film is when Decker reconnects V’Ger’s transmitter. And, even then, it swaps back and forth to a standard dummy from shot to shot.
The Nichelle Nichols NASA video appears to be the one and only filmed appearance of the working hero. Of course, they probably shot inserts and whatnot of the heroes during the filming of TMP, but left them on the cutting room floor.
I think the heroes would have presented some problems in-use, due to the battery cords running up the actor’s arm….especially when the actors wore the short-sleeved, Class B variant.
Of course, I suppose that the cord could have been hidden within Shatner’s “gorilla hair” arms that he displayed in the film (the 1970’s were a very hairy time, right Chewbacca?)…
In all likelihood, the working heroes would only be needed for insert closeups. Even in medium shots (as in the lounge scene with Kirk's manly arms), the dummy heroes would have been sufficient.
Yet, they pretty consistently just used the regular dummies.
Benjo
Well-Known Member
It reminds me something Brick Price said in "Return to tomorrow":
"In fact, there were at least two different kind of props that we always made: a "hero prop" or "principal prop" for the close-ups, and the principal dummy prop to stand in for the hero weapons because they were too important to be injured.
To give you an example, for the wrist communicators, we made what we called the principal dummy prop. It was made for principal actors and it looked like the other wrist communicator prop but it was gross in its details, because you wanted to see the details when it was moving around.
Now, when they did the close-ups, they went to the principal props.
It was really stretching the imagination a bit, because the design changed, after a fashion, but the principal props were supposed to look like the principal dummy props, and in fact, they did. But someday, some smart blooper-catcher is going to find out the difference between the two."
Well, here we are.
"In fact, there were at least two different kind of props that we always made: a "hero prop" or "principal prop" for the close-ups, and the principal dummy prop to stand in for the hero weapons because they were too important to be injured.
To give you an example, for the wrist communicators, we made what we called the principal dummy prop. It was made for principal actors and it looked like the other wrist communicator prop but it was gross in its details, because you wanted to see the details when it was moving around.
Now, when they did the close-ups, they went to the principal props.
It was really stretching the imagination a bit, because the design changed, after a fashion, but the principal props were supposed to look like the principal dummy props, and in fact, they did. But someday, some smart blooper-catcher is going to find out the difference between the two."
Well, here we are.
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