Note: I’ve created a Patreon to support my modelling projects. If you’ve found my work useful, have the means, and would like to support my efforts, please give it a look. I will continue to release my designs for free on Cults 3D and Thingiverse, but Patreon members will get early access and in progress updates on my new projects, and it will serve as a central location for announcements. Thanks for reading!

[This kit is also available on my Google Drive mirror: <https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1V5of7E6wKOaKDl0mNiBBgYNI1ZANrIPQ?usp=drive_link&gt;]

Introduction

I like kitbashing Star Trek ships, and have long enjoyed playing with 2d parts kits (like the fine ones from the late Vance and CanisD) to quickly create new ideas for ship designs. However, converting these ideas from 2d to 3d models fit for printing is easier said than done, usually involving cutting up existing models and trying to rearrange them. Getting a printable mesh from the resulting hacked model is often difficult and frustrating.

Previous designs I've posted have been converted from models available elsewhere on the internet, where I’ve converted them and figured out how to generate meshes suitable for printing. I was looking for a project to learn more about creating my own models using Blender, and decided to try recreating my favorite ship, the Constitution class. However, there are many high-quality versions of this ship available, so I decided to focus my efforts on creating parts for this ship, making a 3d toolkit analogous to the 2d part kits long popular in Trek fandom.

Although this kit contains multiple sample ready-to-print ship STL files, it also includes a set of STL part files for both the TOS and Refit versions of the ship. These parts are not meant to be printed by themselves, but instead used to kitbash new ship designs. I’ve also included the Blender source files used to create these parts, as well as Blender files combining these parts used to generate the combined sample ships.

UPDATE 2024-10-06:

-----------

Kit has received a number of minor updates to match changes being made to the upcoming Miranda class update, most notably with a more screen accurate torpedo launchers and streamlined RCS thrusters. These details are unlikely to be noticeable if you intend to print at sub 1/2500 scales.

-----------

UPDATE 2024-09-15:

-----------

A new update to bring the original Constitution class kit up to date with my latest standards. If you mostly print at smaller miniature scales, you probably won’t notice a difference, but if you want to print at 1/2500 and larger you should check out these new files.

First off, windows have been added to the saucer and engineering hulls. In addition, the B/C decks and shuttle bay doors have been modified to better match the original filming model. There have also been numerous small updates and several added variant ship files.

The previous version is still available here.

As with previous updates, these new features will be rolling out to related kits over the next few weeks and months.

-----------

UPDATE 2023-02-28:

-----------

It’s been almost exactly two years since my last update of this kit. While I think the TOS version of the models have held up pretty well, as people have made more use of the movie era models I’ve noticed more and more issues with those models that have bothered me. What started as a modest attempt to smooth out some low-poly parts has turned into a substantial rebuild of most of the refit Constitution parts to better reflect the original studio model. It’s still not perfect, but these parts are much improved and far better suited to the high-detail resin printers that are increasingly common.

Updates include an entirely new saucer and nacelles, along with significant modifications and mesh improvements to the engineering and neck pieces.

All TMP era ship files have been rebuilt using the new parts. In addition, the kit adds the Moncrief class, a movie era variant of the Ptolemy class transport created by Erik “Jackill” Kristiansen, and featuring a new transport pod inspired by a Neale “Vance” Davidson design.

The previous version of the files are all available at this Google Drive location.

Stay tuned, as these updates will be rolled out to other kits that use these parts in the next few weeks to months.

-----------

UPDATE 2021-02-25:

-----------

This kit was one of the first projects I attempted when trying to learn Blender, and it suffered as a result. I’ve learned a great deal in the two years since, and have now updated it with a newly remastered version. This includes wholly remade saucers on both TOS and TMP versions, a new TMP engineering section, as well as highly modified versions of all other parts. In addition, I’ve added hull details such as shield grids weapons and running lights, and other smaller details I’d left off earlier versions of the ship. I’ve also added support for the TOS pilot version of the Enterprise.

It’s essentially a whole new kit, replacing the older version. If for whatever reason you’re looking for the files in the old kit they can still be found at this Google Drive location.

-----------

This kit supports the following core starship classes:

Star Trek TOS pilot “The Cage” version of the Constitution class

The primary TOS Constitution class cruiser.

The movie era refit Constitution.

A Constitution variant with sideways nacelles and saucer cutouts only seen as a desk model in a few episodes of TNG.

Pre-TOS, TOS, and TMP era Saladin class destroyer.

Pre-TOS, TOS, and TMP era Ptolemy class tugs and transport containers.

Moncrief class transport

Kitbash Examples

I’ve also included several sample kitbash ships that were quickly thrown together as examples of how to use the parts to make new designs.

Contents of this kit are broken into several zip files:

• ConstitutionV3a-ship-files_TOS.zip – Print-ready combined ship STL files. TOS variants.
• ConstitutionV3a-ship-files_TMP.zip – Print-ready combined ship STL files. TMP variants.
• ConstitutionV3a-parts-stls_TOS.zip – Individual STL part files for kitbashing (not meant to be printed by themselves). TOS variants.
• ConstitutionV3a-parts-stls_TMP.zip – Individual STL part files for kitbashing (not meant to be printed by themselves). TMP variants.
• ConstitutionV3a-blender-files_TOS.zip – The Blender source files used to generate the ship and part STL files. TOS variants
• ConstitutionV3a-blender-files_TMP.zip – The Blender source files used to generate the ship and part STL files. TMP variants.

Since initially publishing this kit, I’ve subsequently released dozens of additional parts kit, intended to be fully compatible with this one. See my Cults3d Profile for a full list.

Project goals

On a personal level my goal was to learn the basics of 3d modelling. The learning curve was high, but I've enjoyed working on this and hope others find the result useful.

On a wider level I hope to provide a set of resources for users (particularly those like me who are starting off with limited 3d modelling experience) to quickly piece together a custom starship suitable for printing, while possibly learning some skills along the way. I also hope that other users will create remixes and new parts that add to the set of ship components available to the wider community. The more people move from being simple consumers of resources on Thingiverse, Cults3d, or other sites, to being contributors, the better for all of us.

This will continue to be a work in progress as I evaluate quality issues and improve the part set. I remain a relative newbie to 3d modelling, so feedback and criticism is welcome.

Notes on scaling and working with Blender

Although aimed primarily at supporting miniature scale, all source files and output STL files are natively designed at 1:1000 scale. Although these files have not been extensively tested through printing, they are intended to be resized to match common modelling and miniatures scales.

See the following list for conversion factors for various common miniature and modeling scales.

Note: This kit was built using Blender 3.5.

Blender is free, which to be honest was the primary factor in my decision to learn it. There are many fine video and text tutorials available online if you're interested in learning more. See the Blender fundamentals tutorials playlist to get started.

You can use File -> Import -> Stl (.stl) and File -> Export -> Stl (.stl) to load or save STL files in blender.

Post-processing STL output

Although all of the STL files included have been tested as valid watertight meshes, joining the parts together and exporting new STL files can introduce small errors that may cause issues with slicing programs. I recommend any STL files you create are checked using a program like Netfabb Basic free edition. Doing a simple "Close All Holes" repair has fixed all of the issues I've run into so far. If you do run into issues with mesh quality, please let me know.

Parts list

The following lists provide a summary of each of the included parts. For the majority of items, the mesh origin has been set so that when you import these objects into your 3d editor of choice, they are positioned as they would be on the Constitution class. Exceptions to this are objects, like center nacelles, that don't exist on the Constitution.

Combined ship STLs

These files provide sample ships generated using the parts included in this kit. Aside from the three variants of the Constitution class itself, the Saladin, and the Ptolemy, the other sample ships were thrown together in a few minutes as simple proof of concepts. The Constitution class also has variants with no shield-grids and another with lower detail parts that may be easier to print in some circumstances.

Note the TOS ship models also have versions without window details.

Parts

These individual part files are not meant to be printed by themselves. Instead, the intent is for you to combine them in the 3d modelling tool of your choice in order to kitbash new ship designs, which you can then output as a new ship STL file intended for printing.

Some parts will have multiple versions supporting different features and quality levels.

Blender files

There are two types of Blender source files used to generate the kit. “Source” files contain the original Blender objects that are used to generate individual part STL files. The “Parts” files show are used to arranged these STL part files into ships, which are then output to the Ship STL files.

License

I'm releasing this under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license. You're free to distribute and modify these files (even for commercial use), provided you attribute the creator and distribute your contributions under the same license.