Reading Firefly Blueprints by Lance

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Reading Firefly Blueprints

POSTED BY: LANCE
UPDATED: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 19:16
SHORT URL:
VIEWED: 10575
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Friday, April 6, 2007 9:04 AM

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The blueprints are going to be available from QMx in a couple days, but I have
a feeling that I'm not going to be one of the lucky 750 to get a set. So, I have
been trying to read the callouts on the pdf brochure.

Link to the brochure. (see page 7)
http://blog.quantummechanix.com/insider_images/issue_1.1/QMx_Serenity_
Blueprints_bg.pdf

I've been working on Sheet 6 but will probably be able to get Sheet 7 done also.
The other sheets are almost too small to be worth the trouble. The artwork is not
included in this file as I think I'm going out on a limb as it is. I do have a
reasonable version with the color artwork instead of the gray area.

I can't read one of the words on the lower throat it looks like "C____ing Drive,"
and on the Bridge Plan lower left "Deck Gr____." Does anyone have the answers?
I think I have the scale numbers right but I'm not sure.

UPDATED: Fixed the drawing with the two missing callouts. I'm absolutely sure on
the Coupling Drive. I'll start work on Sheet 7, the back half of this view.

Comments? If enough people (or someone in authority) think this is a bad idea,
tell me and I'll remove it. I think it gives a better idea of what's on the
real "blueprints."

If only the ship were real...

Thanks.

Here is what I have so far:

(Removed blueprints and QMx's request.)

-------
If you are looking for perfect safety, you will do well to sit on a fence and watch
the birds; but if you really wish to learn, you must mount a machine and become
acquainted with its tricks by actual trial. - Wilbur Wright

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Friday, April 6, 2007 1:11 PM

I think I figured out the second one is "Deck Grating (Removable)."

-------
If you are looking for perfect safety, you will do well to sit on a fence and watch
the birds; but if you really wish to learn, you must mount a machine and become
acquainted with its tricks by actual trial. - Wilbur Wright

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Friday, April 6, 2007 1:17 PM

Coupling Drive?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://www.bigdamnthankyou.com/

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Friday, April 6, 2007 1:42 PM

I just found out that at this moment KM Collectables still has a few sets of the blueprints
available for pre-order. I hope to still finish the drawing above for after all the sets
are gone, but I'll only use info from the free brochure to make it. It will be a couple
steps better than the pdf file at letter size, but nowhere near the full size picture quality
of course. I actually prefer the clean white background myself.

Here's the link:
http://www.kmcollect.com/servlet/the-105/QMx-Serenity-Blueprints/Detai
l

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Friday, April 6, 2007 7:30 PM

Protect and view your Firefly blueprints with an 18" x 24" portfolio. I will do
this if I get a set. Not that I have anywhere to carry them, but I would like to protect
them and have easy access for study. A tube or envelope would simply not do.

I guess this would also be great for taking to a con for autographs. There is
a sheet of black card for each page that makes a perfect background, so photos
or other flat items could be kept in the case on the back side of each print page. There's
easily enough room on the backs for twenty 8x10's or letter size pages.

http://www.portfolios-and-art-cases.com/fg-fpc0124-s.html

https://www.masterg.com/cgi-bin/dpsmart/ec/more-info.html?L+ec+qnov612
1+_DProd_02ALPCA1824_20_20_20_20_20_20_20_20_20_201_01?L+ec+qnov6121

-------
If you are looking for perfect safety, you will do well to sit on a fence and watch
the birds; but if you really wish to learn, you must mount a machine and become
acquainted with its tricks by actual trial. - Wilbur Wright

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Friday, April 6, 2007 8:21 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by CaptainCoupi:
Coupling Drive?

That looks possible, does anybody know for sure? I thought it looked like
Coasting Drive, but that doesn't make sense.

-------
If you are looking for perfect safety, you will do well to sit on a fence and watch
the birds; but if you really wish to learn, you must mount a machine and become
acquainted with its tricks by actual trial. - Wilbur Wright

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Saturday, April 7, 2007 7:04 AM

I've got a thread going over at the Orbiter Forum...
http://orbit.m6.net/Forum/default.aspx?g=posts&t=13528

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Saturday, April 7, 2007 11:57 AM

I added the aft section above, but it's missing a few words also.

I wanted to get this done before the real thing comes out so it would be obvious that
I did it only from the pdf brochure.

Thanks.

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Sunday, April 8, 2007 9:45 AM

Apparently the blueprints weren't as popular as I thought they would be.
They're not sold out at Qmx yet, maybe it's the price.

http://www.quantummechanix.com/cart/display_cart

I feel like I'm talking to myself. If I can get all those callouts corrected and the
prints get sold out, I might make this low res version of the side cutaway available
on here. Again the picture isn't very clear (it's just a blow up of the brochure) but
it will be readable as above, and gives an idea of where things are for those who
can't get prints.

Maybe this is a stupid idea? Tell me if so. If no one wants this I'll just forget it.

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Sunday, April 8, 2007 9:49 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Lance:
Apparently the blueprints weren't as popular as I thought they would be. They're not sold out yet at Qmx yet, maybe it's the price.

http://www.quantummechanix.com

MIGHT be.. or could be that it is Easter weekend and ppl are spending time with family, rather than on line...

Chindi

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Sunday, April 8, 2007 10:39 AM

NEWOLDBROWNCOAT

I'm very interested in this subject

How-some-ever, while these are a really nice product, they aren't worth 99 bucks to me.

I was hoping for genuine blue on white line drawings, REAL blueprints, with dimensions, honest construction drawings.

If I was to make any use of them, other than just to look at, it would be to build my own set- model type models. So I'd want dimension callouts and detailed floor plans.

That might be worth $100, to me, but I'd probably the only customer.

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Sunday, April 8, 2007 11:36 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by NewOldBrownCoat:
I was hoping for genuine blue on white line drawings, REAL blueprints, with
dimensions, honest construction drawings.

If I was to make any use of them, other than just to look at, it would be to build
my own set- model type models. So I'd want dimension callouts and detailed
floor plans.

There are scales on each print, but I can't read the text under them to tell if they used
a common scale, such as 1/8 inch = 1 foot. That would make it easy to take
measurements off the drawings with an architect's or engineer's scale (ruler). If that's
possible then someone with a lot of motivation and drafting skill could make real
blueprints out of them the way you say.

There are floor plans in the set but they are not huge. Someone would have to
fix that. Then they could build a Firefly in the backyard. I've been thinking about
how that could be done. It would probably have to be inside a 4 1/2 story metal
building, like a film stage. Just like the real set but all in one piece. The building
would not have to be too wide though to just accommodate the fuselage, not the
wings and engines. It would have to be for the inside experience, not the outside,
that's too complicated. Still, if I had a spare million laying around I would try it.

I'll take a stab at figuring the square footage inside it then multiply that by
about $300 (which is probably on the low side) and see how it comes out.
It's over 200 feet long you know.

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Sunday, April 8, 2007 12:08 PM

Just on first glance, to build a Firefly to full scale it would take an enclosing metal
building with a footprint about 200 x 65 feet or 13,000 square feet, and four
to six stories tall. Wow!

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Sunday, April 8, 2007 12:36 PM

NEWOLDBROWNCOAT

I was thinking of scene designer set-model scale model type stuff. I learned to do that back in the Flintstone times at 1/2" = 1'-0" scale, 1/24th size. Thing would still be , what, like 8 feet long? Too big even to fit inside a station wagon.

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Sunday, April 8, 2007 12:37 PM

NEWOLDBROWNCOAT

I was thinking of scene designer set-model scale model type stuff. I learned to do that back in the Flintstone times at 1/2" = 1'-0" scale, 1/24th size. Thing would still be , what, like 8 feet long? Too big even to fit inside a station wagon.

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Sunday, April 8, 2007 12:54 PM

I got that, but I was was just thinking about the full size version and what that would
take. Maybe it could be done in modules or just certain sections. But it just wouldn't be
right if not all in one piece.

This is another item to add to the list of "Things I would do if I won the lottery."

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Sunday, April 8, 2007 7:25 PM

The same drawings in blueprint style. I also added the slight background blue
texture found on the real thing.

**** (Removed blueprints and QMx's request.) ****

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Monday, April 9, 2007 1:50 PM

I like how the blueprint version came out so much that I think I will try to redraw that
whole cross-section in a drafting style, possibly even including some measurements.
I would only fix one thing, that is showing the section of the passenger cabins
on the lower deck instead of fuel tanks. This may not be extremely detailed but is
mostly to get the blueprint look. I'll try to combine the two halves also.

If anyone has printed the above, tell me how it came out.

Any other suggestions?

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Monday, April 9, 2007 2:26 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Lance:
I like how the blueprint version came out so much that I think I will try to redraw that
whole cross-section in a drafting style, possibly even including some measurements.
I would only fix one thing, that is showing the section of the passenger cabins
on the lower deck instead of fuel tanks. This may not be extremely detailed but is
mostly to get the blueprint look. I'll try to combine the two halves also.

If anyone has printed the above, tell me how it came out.

Any other suggestions?

It printed OK. I have a color laser printer on A-size paper. (I'd love to get your finished blueprints on C-size paper.) It does look quite a bit like a diazo-blue print.

(We both use "blueprint" incorrectly, as a blueprint is a blue page with white lines. This is considered a "blue line". But oh well.)

To make this more your own, perhaps you should use a font that looks like hand-lettered upper case for the call-outs.

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Monday, April 9, 2007 3:42 PM

Quote:
(We both use "blueprint" incorrectly, as a blueprint is a blue page with
white lines. This is considered a "blue line". But oh well.)

To make this more your own, perhaps you should use a font that looks like
hand-lettered upper case for the call-outs.

I knew that but forgot about the blue lines name. I used to have blue lines,
black lines and in the process vellums made, since that was the cheapest way
to get a big copy made twenty something years ago.

I had thought about making it the real blueprint color with blue background and
white lines, that might look best. I was also going to try the a drafting font for
labeling and move the labels down onto the drawing rather as callouts. I'll also
add a data block with ship builder, etc... I have a few old aircraft blueprints from
a Constellation, I'll have to dig those out and use them as a guide to style.

I'm not a draftsman, but I've done drawings for a few airlines and a lot of
typesetting in the past. I should be able to get it done.

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Monday, April 9, 2007 4:21 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Lance:
I had thought about making it the real blueprint color with blue background and white lines, that might look best.

Personally I'd stick with blueline. (Even if people generally still call it "blueprint") I think that your example above with very light blue background looks very nice. My guess is that most people would like to see it this way.

Quote:

I was also going to try the a drafting font for
labeling and move the labels down onto the drawing rather as callouts. I'll also add a data block with ship builder, etc... I have a few old aircraft blueprints from a Constellation, I'll have to dig those out and use them as a guide to style.

That would certainly differentiate it from the QM offering.

I don't know the legalities, or how QM would feel. It isn't a color copy of the QM drawings, so it isn't just a copy. It is a derived work, and at least somewhat different from their work. If you were to offer it for sale, or free as it is right now, I'd say that QM would feel copied. But substantially modified to look more like building/aircraft drawing might be OK. I wouldn't offer it for sale or free at least until QM has sold their 750 copies of their work.

Having said that, I would love to print what you come up with at least A-size on my color printer. And perhaps your finished work would be worth sending to a print shop to print full size.

Cool prints! Keep up the good work.

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Monday, April 9, 2007 7:19 PM

I was kind of worried about the derived work thing too. That's why I didn't put any
of the actual artwork on it. As I said above, I think as it is right now it just makes
it possible to read the callouts from the low res PDF file. I never intended to
sell anything, especially under the circumstances and I did intend to wait until
they were sold out at least. It's looking like that could take a lot longer than
I figured originally. I thought they would be gone by now. Also I may not do
more than this cross-section, and certainly not the exterior, so it's not like a
complete copy. Someone could come along and say to knock it off and that would
be the end of it right there. It's really just an experiment to see how it looks.

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Tuesday, April 10, 2007 12:50 PM

Just to butt in. Rear Cross Section. ??? Altenator. In 'Trash' Wash says he's getting no pull from the Aft Altenator.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://www.bigdamnthankyou.com/

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Tuesday, April 10, 2007 2:39 PM

joss mentions in a commentary about the "mystery" room with the stairs leading down from the cockpit. he said it was cool to have a room that no one knows what it does, but perhaps reveal what it was for in a future episode.

do these plans finally tell us what the rooms function was ?

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Tuesday, April 10, 2007 4:59 PM

I would guess that QMx, fellow fans though they are, may not appreciate the derivative copy. Not so much because they'd want to jump on fans but because a) they put a LOT of work into producing these and might not want to see free versions popping up, and b) they paid for the licensing from Universal and have to protect that license.

I'm not a lawyer, though. Just my gut feeling.

_________________
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Tuesday, April 10, 2007 5:05 PM

I agree ... with all the work that went into them, reproducing them online for free is kind of uncool. True, you're not using the artwork, but a big part of the appeal of the blueprints is to figure out what goes where, and discover where all the little nooks and crannies are. If people can find that online, it makes the blueprints much less valuable.

--
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Tuesday, April 10, 2007 6:38 PM

Yeah, Universal has proven to be kind of aggressive about protecting its licensees. I'd think twice about posting blueprints.

Plus, the guys at QMx are fans who went through a lot of effort and paid a lot of fees to get this info out to the Browncoats. Do we really want to screw fellow flans?

I have to admit, I don't know whether I can afford the blueprints, but it's really darn tempting . . .

"Some things stay with you, 'til the day you die."
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Tuesday, April 10, 2007 8:32 PM

Does the blueprint, that you are using as a referance, have the picture of just the hull, or is it like cross sectioned out. showing hallways and etc???

thanks

Keep Flying!!

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Wednesday, April 11, 2007 9:37 AM

Hi Lance,

This is Brian with QMx. Thanks for your offer to remove your recreations of the QMx Official Serenity Blueprints. Please do so.

As an official Universal licensee, part of our job here at QMx is to ensure Universal's intellectual property is only used in a manner approved by the studio. Making the blueprint images blue and obscuring the interior is not an approved use of Universal's property, nor is in respectful of the considerable time and labor QMx and the artists who created them invested in this work.

While your appreciation for our efforts and the fandom is great, it could negatively effect Blueprint sales which could translate into lower license fees. Part of our job as Browncoats is to demonstrate to Universal that Serenity isn't just a great franchise for them, but a profitable one as well. That's what's going to help everyone get more Firefly and Serenity.

Thanks,

Brian

Quote:
Originally posted by Lance:
I was kind of worried about the derived work thing too. That's why I didn't put any
of the actual artwork on it. As I said above, I think as it is right now it just makes
it possible to read the callouts from the low res PDF file. I never intended to
sell anything, especially under the circumstances and I did intend to wait until
they were sold out at least. It's looking like that could take a lot longer than
I figured originally. I thought they would be gone by now. Also I may not do
more than this cross-section, and certainly not the exterior, so it's not like a
complete copy. Someone could come along and say to knock it off and that would
be the end of it right there. It's really just an experiment to see how it looks.

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Wednesday, April 11, 2007 11:02 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by QMxBrian:

While your appreciation for our efforts and the fandom is great, it could negatively effect Blueprint sales which could translate into lower license fees. Part of our job as Browncoats is to demonstrate to Universal that Serenity isn't just a great franchise for them, but a profitable one as well. That's what's going to help everyone get more Firefly and Serenity.

I just checked the QMX web site and there are probably 200+ blueprints left. Had the prints sold out quickly I would have made a suggestion for reprinting. I would have suggested (to QMX) to alter the drawings in the style described in this thread and offer these "bluer" blueprints on lighter stock and for less $.

So the thick, full color prints for $99, limited to 750. A second run of actual diazo blueline prints (mono color) made with a real diazo printer on normal C-size paper. Wouldn't cost QMX much at all, and open up the prints to fans at much less $. That would be cool to own, too.

But the first run didn't sell out, so my suggestion is probably moot.

Thanks for posting, Brian. And thanks for your efforts in making the color prints available.

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Wednesday, April 11, 2007 3:10 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BrownBug:
joss mentions in a commentary about the "mystery" room with the stairs leading down from the cockpit. he said it was cool to have a room that no one knows what it does, but perhaps reveal what it was for in a future episode.

do these plans finally tell us what the rooms function was ?

I think that's the Avionics and Antenna Bay. It shouldn't have to be that big, but that's what they say. It would take less space than that on a current airliner. But, since the control wheel, throttle quadrant and pilots seat seem to have come from a Boeing 737, then maybe the avionics did too. Same thing goes for the controls in Inara's shuttle. It's funny in one scene when she takes off and flies while holding the wheel upside down.

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Wednesday, April 11, 2007 3:26 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Lance:
Same thing goes for the controls in Inara's shuttle. It's funny in one scene when she takes off and flies while holding the wheel upside down.

She's a skilled companion.

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Wednesday, April 11, 2007 3:40 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by QMxBrian:
This is Brian with QMx. Thanks for your offer to remove your recreations of the QMx Official Serenity Blueprints. Please do so.

I have removed the drawings and won't add any others.

I was careful to leave the actual artwork out of this, so I retyped callouts and redrew the lines. That's also why I just put in the gray outline with nothing drawn in thinking that might encourage people to want the real thing without giving it away. But I know better and I shouldn't have done it. It was too enticing to try and read it off the pdf file, and then when I succeeded, share it. I have twenty years experience using Photoshop, so I don't think that everyone could do it, but obviously it is possible. In future if you added a touch of gaussian blur over the text callouts in the brochure picture, then it would still look right but couldn't be read. Sorry for the problem.

P.S. I really thought they would be sold out a few days ago.

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Wednesday, April 11, 2007 3:52 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Tholo:
Does the blueprint, that you are using as a referance, have the picture of just the hull, or is it like cross sectioned out. showing hallways and etc???

Follow the link in the first post and you will get the brochure which shows samples and gives descriptions of all the official blueprints. They do include floorplans of each deck. You can also find them and buy them at QMx's website:

http://www.quantummechanix.com/serenity/blueprints

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Wednesday, April 11, 2007 7:16 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Lance:
I have removed the drawings and won't add any others.
P.S. I really thought they would be sold out a few days ago.

Thanks Lance :-)

Brian

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