Awesome video...makes me wish a big-screen movie would be made of it. One question, though. Aren't the attitude control jets aimed the wrong direction? I was under the impression they were aimed to keep the Ringworld from sliding towards the star. I'll admit, however, that I haven't read the books in awhile.
Hey thanks for the comment...yeah a Ringworld movie would be cool.
Ok, you got me! Yes, the RW thrusters are definitely pointed the wrong way in my video. Put it down to a brain-fart! Next time I do one of these (if there *is* a next time) I'll be sure to fix that, and all the other inaccuracies as well ;)
Thanks again for taking the time to comment. You might enjoy some of my other videos, too, such as "Habitat2" or "Bubbleworld" which is kinda "based" on Niven's work.
That was the only one that stuck out to me. I've only read the Ringworld novels and "Protector," so I'm not well-versed in the design of GP hulls. But I did find the design of the Liar rather sweet.
Ringworld could easily be the basis for the next great science fiction epic movie, just please don't let it be made for the SyFy channel. I wouldn't want to see something this big suffer from a small production budget and get scenes filmed in eastern Europe. Some of the visuals in this animation are really stunning! Keep up the good work!
lets wait for another 500 to 1000 years before this thing is build.we all know this could be built today.but because of war and the arrogance of human race,only our future generations can ever experience them.
@kamikazeboy123 The actual reason we don't have one built is because the tensile strength in the superstructure would have to be stronger than the strong nuclear force in order to hold the whole thing together.
@fragomatik I'm kidding bro. I'm an avid fan of both Ringworld and Halo. In my opinion, Bungie studios ripped off Ringworld in a lot of their concepts such as the Halo rings & Shield worlds (Dyson Spheres 2 AU in diameter with a livable interior).
Aha I was just being an ass. I've read Ringworld a couple of times and own The Ringworld Engineers and Ringworld Throne, but I haven't gotten the time to read them yet.
Hmmm...ok, I accept your explanation, but I still I can't let you get away without some sort of punishment, otherwise it sends the wrong message to all the other little trolls.
This is what you must do:
1. Sometime in the next 6 months you *must* read RW Engineers
2. Today, you must watch a Justin Bieber video & post a positive comment about "how cool" the song is and how it makes you feel all gooey inside, coz you love him so much.
For the record, if you *had* gone ahead with the 2nd part, then your resulting post, slavishly worshipping Bieber and declaring you undying love for him, would have been spread far and wide through the power of teh interwebz. Your shame would have been complete.
As it turns out, you dodged a bullet today my friend...welcome back to the fold, and enjoy your stay...
(fragomatik holds out his arms dramatically in a welcoming gesture)
Hey hamelzz how u doing? What did u think of it? Personally I reckon he has too much Rishathra in it, but w/ever, it was a good read I thought. Oh and by the way, thanks for being such a good sport & having an open mind and sense of humour - kudos to you buddy!
I think it was a typo, and he meant to write "dislikes". He's left a couple of nice comments on my profile page and seems like a nice guy, so yeah I think it's just a typo...
God knows the youTube comment-system doesn't allow for much editing :P
It is truly difficult to adequately comprehend the sheer scale of a structure that has the surface area of several million Earths. By comparison Halo is a tiny fraction of the size.
Imagine a game like an MMO at that scale. Now imagine the entire population of the Earth as players spawned randomly across the surface. No one would ever meet! Even if players had hypersonic vehicles (like in the book) it would take *weeks* to fly a fraction of the width!
I enjoyed this very much. Thanks for a very impressive peek at the Ringworld. The flycycles are a neat touch!
For an alternative soundtrack, I thought immediately of Jan Hammer's classics from Beyond the Mind's Eye, like Brave New World or Leaving the Bonds of Earth starting about 2min into the track. (You can find the videos here.) Funny how important the music is for setting tone, eh!
I think a re-visit of the Niven's Known Space is *very* likely, if not specifically Ringworld itself. First I have to finish the latest in the Habitat series (soon-ish), and then, who knows? Perhaps the Angel's Pencil battling it out with the Kzinti cruiser? Or the Belters encountering the Phssthpok's ramship...? Something like that...maybe :)
...oh yeah I forgot to mention: I love Jan Hammer! Funny you should mention Mind's Eye, etc. because My "Life On Mars" vid is an homage to those vintage CGI vids.
But of course the thing with youTube is that if you use copyright music you have to buy an expensive license, or run the risk of having the vid removed & your account closed. Lately I've mostly used Creative Commons media. There are some truly talented amateurs out there that share it all, for-the-love-of-it!
@fragomatik Yeah, that figures. I just mention Jan Hammer for the flavor of his stuff, and you obviously agree.
Watching the vid again, I just love those tantalizing glimpses of the ship's interior. You did such a nice job with that! Maybe see where else it takes you. Known Space has a lot of wild and wacky worlds. Just beware black holes and antimatter! (g)
Thanks for the comment. Music is the hardest thing for me to source, but personally I *love* Torley's work, so I *love* this track. To each his own, eh?
@fragomatik I liked the soundtrack. I think it worked out well because of the speculative nature of the opening sequence in relation to the story you depicted. Rendering a Kzin sitting in the cockpit would be cool though. I liked the attention to detail. You got the general products hull number three right as well as the fly cycles. Even the right correct equipment inside and outside the hull.
Thx for the nice comments. Yes, I *must* practice more character animation! I did a bit more of that in the BUBBLEWORLD video with the astronauts. Once I feel more confident with it, I think I'll try my hand at modelling the Kzin and the Puppeteer, too.
@fragomatik I agree. The music should make the viewer feel the awe and wonder of Ringworld. I actually like the tune but it simply isn't appropriate to the subject of the video. The tempto alone sets the tone. It's never about personal taste, it's about what works best for the video. I've been editing music for videos for four years and it's very very difficult.
@Auslander999 Man, *please* do this! An animation of The Warriors would be simply awesome. I reckon you'd be surprised - there's lots of Niven fans out there.
I've often thought about doing a digital model of the Angel's Pencil myself, but to do it justice I'd have to do the Kzin ship too, and maybe create a whole 2 or 3 minute sequence with them...aaargghh, just not enough hours in the day!
Hey! You have 60+ vids on ur channel - which ones have the Angel model..?
@fragomatik I saw the one vid so I looked for some more and badabing! frickin RINGWORLD! Way too cool. You ever read Ian Banks' Culture books? There's some great fodder for visuals in them. Likewise with Peter F Hamilton's and Neal Asher's stuff. Hard scifi space opera rocks!
@rsmothersjr Yeh I've read all those guys except for Peter Asher - he's on my list. Just finished "Consider Phlebas" just the other week, and loved it. IMO Banks is right up there with the greats like Larry Niven and Joe Haldeman and Orson Scott Card. I'm kinda over the habitat stuff lately - gonna do something new soon - dunno what exactly, but something with some mega-engineering in it that's for sure!
@fragomatik: I agree, I think Baks is the ultimate combination of high concept and profound human emotion, kinda like Card meets Niven. dan Simmons rocks, too (The Hyperion and Endymion books). Definitely check out Hamilton, too. I eagerly await your forthcoming endeavors!
Well, the Liar looks great, the Ringworld looks exactly as I remember it, and you even made a little Teela and me in the cockpit! This is absolutely fant-
@cadman2300 Yep, it's a genuine classic, well worth reading if you like good, hard science-fiction. The sequels are okay too, but nowhere near as good as the first one.
@cadman2300 Lemme tell you about the book RINGWORLD. When I was running the RPG 25 years ago, one player hadn't read the book. We urged him to read it as backgrounder but he just brushed us off and said, "Yeah, yeah..." Several weeks later he said "THIS IS AN AMAZING BOOK! FANTASTIC! You should have told me to read it!" "We did!" "Ya but you should have FORCED me!"
awesome but just to nitpick, I believe the General Products hull didnt have those engines on the side and just that transparent slim cigar shape you have. Otherwise it'd be pretty accurate
@Alexthehuge The main hull itself is a transparent indestructible General Products hull made by the Puppeteers, guaranteed to let in nothing but gravity and visible light. But humans added reactor drives and sensors and stuff on the outside, through secure apertures. Also a raccoon-tail on the antenna and some BITCHIN' 1950's fins!
But the Meteor Defense System should be shown as firing on the ship for as long as it appears to threaten the Ringworld with its speed, until stopped by crashing.
This is awesome. Much better than the first. Great job. You have to make one where it flies around the ringworld close up, and maybe the shadow squares too. That would be awesome. When does part 2 drop?
@jbportland07 Hi there & thanks for the encouragement!
I'm currently finishing up what will probably be the last of the Habitat Series. That'll be ready in the next 2-3 weeks.
After that I *may* get a chance to do some work on Part-2. No promises :)
You see, Part-1 was really just a collection of clips I made over the last 20 years. To do it justice, Part-2 would need some major updating: new models, new textures. Much work! Which I can't quite justify at the moment...but maybe soon.
Alas, waking up to another artificial star-lit day. Looking out over the expansive, sublime, visually deceivingly flat surrounding landscape makes me yearn for days when I was on a planet nigh 5,000 km from pole to pole. Now I have to deal with the visual chaos of a trillion neighbors bickering and bantering, instead of having a visibility radius of merely 3 to 4 kilometers. I miss you, good green and blue homeworld.
@pkscolax : Well, I see what you're getting at, but I must point out:
1. The sun is a star, so "star-lit day" is a bit redundant.
2. On a structure as big as Ringworld, you'd still have a "visibility radius" of similar distance, due to atmospheric density & dust in the air. You'd see the landscape extending into the vanishing point at the "horizon" & the "arch" over your head disappearing into the glare from the sun.
@chialeux514 Hey thanks for the comment - glad u enjoyed. A small correction though: this is a GP #2 hull, a 100m wasp-waisted cylinder, with sharp-points fore and aft , of approx 8m diameter. The #3 hull is a round-ended, flattened cylinder approx 35m long.
This is just wonderful. I just finished Engineers today and am missing the Ringworld dreadfully. So what a treat to come across this. The Lying Bastard looks terrfific. I agree with the poster who said any Hollywood effort would be inferior to this fragment you've made here. Your heart's in the right place, unlike Hollywood's.
@illustriouschin thanks for the comment! Well, I tried my best but still got a few things really wrong, eg. the attitude jets are pointing the wrong way....but I'm pretty proud of the ship...I think I got that right :)
First book 4 times :) love-this-book. I'll start to read "Ringworld Engineers" in about 5 minutes. Greetings to You fragomatik and all Ringworld fans from Poland.
@David34343 I don't understand the question. Are you talking about this video, or the book? If you're talking about this animation, what time-mark minutes & seconds are you referring to? If it is the book, what scene are you referring to?
The 3-d modelling was done using Imagine-3D (see the info file for a download source).
I'm just a dedicated amateur - what I lack in skill I make up in stubbornness :)
The music was composed by Torley Wong, and this track is called "Chinese Method". I love his work coz its different, doesn't sound like anyone else exactly...
Its under a Creative Commons license, and is available online, just Google the name and you'll most likely find a couple of sources.
@PseudoHuman16 ; hey, i just finished re-reading it for about the 10th time since 1975 LOL. The 2nd one "Ringworld Engineers" is absolutely awesome - well worth the read - you're in for a treat!
@fragomatik First book 4 times :) love-this-book. I'll start to read "Ringworld Engineers" in about 5 minutes. Greetings to you and all Ringworld fans from Lublin - Poland.
Well done. Flycycles are very nice. The stabilization motors need to point in towards the sun though. Also no tube around the spacecraft deceleration system. Beauty though...
eventually a movie will be made out of niven's rw and the effects will be vastly inferior to this video. Imagine only seeing 1.5 second flashes of shapes and shadows and then the camera shakes and 1.5 hours of closeups on actors' sweaty faces. also hollywood will inevitably change the story.
@smarterer: wow, that's a helluva compliment. Thanks! A director like Peter Jackson could do it justice. Maybe in three parts like Lord Of The Rings. But who would play Louis Wu? Some sources have proposed Chow Yun Fat (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) for the role, but he's probably too old... What about Teela? A beautiful brunette that can act - is that too much to ask ? :)
I had the same thought that Chow Yun Fat would be an excellent Louis Wu (he has the aura of being wise and almost ageless, at least in Crouching Tiger). But I agree, he is probably too old now to the part.
God I hope I get too see such a movie. The Fist of God, the Eye of God. Such things are just barely within the scope of the human imagination, and even then, it comes with training. I think such a movie would defenitly help to expand interest in the stars, and strike home just how tiny we are.
@smartererer what a perfect description of modern cinema. People will still be enjoying 2001: A Space Odyssey when we are terraforming planets for real; Terminator: Salvation, not so much.
That's interesting that you suggest Hugh Jackman for Louis Wu, as he is hardly Asian. My casting for Louis Wu would be someone like Daniel Dae Kim, or maybe Shin Koyamada. Ohhhhh, for a Ringworld or Known Space production...
@smartererer I don't see it. Ringworld is far too complex for a film. Plus Rishatha would be rather difficult to explain and yet it is pivotal to the entire series. I can definitely see Fleet Of Worlds. More likely, Crashlander (miniseries) or Protector.
Hi Pablo: the first step is to get the software. There are many different types. Try IMAGINE (see link in the video info). Imagine is free. On the same site there are many tutorials to help you learn how to use the software. If you have no experience using 3D software, then it will take a long time to learn. I have been using this software for more than 20 years, and I am still not an expert. Good luck!
Let's see... Blender3d is free and is supposed to be easy to learn, and can create some great results.
3DVIA (google it) offers free modeling and rendering tools and models.
I'm using IMAGINE 3d - see the info at top left for a download link. Its kind of old-school, but I've been using various versions for about 20 years. It's easy enough to do the basics and for learning general 3d concepts, but takes quite a bit of work to master. Go on, have a go!
Just curiously, how time intensive is it to learn how to use the software associated with making these types of videos? It might be fun to take up as a hobby.
This is excellent. I worked on making my own versions of these ships myself, back before I got too busy, and you did a very good job. Since I see no pilot in the ship close-ups, I can only imagine that Speaker to Animals has taken a quick trip to the litterbox. ;-)
Yes, the famous Liar autopilot is in charge for now :)
Being too busy is something I can relate to. If I had time I would create 3d versions of the characters as well as the hardware...
I can see why Pixar use teams of animators, and acres of render-farms. With one person doing all the modelling and animating, it takes forever to render all the frames :[
Thanks for the kind comments and thanks for stopping by!
Its wonderful to see this kind of creativity. I am a big Niven fan and this visualisation is pretty near the mark. I do hope this serves to inspire someone to GET RINGWORLD MADE INTO A FILM!
Then again, it could be Uwe Boles' production of Ringworld, starring Gary Coleman as Louis Wu and Susan Sarandon as Teela Brown; screeplay by Margaret Atwood. Shudder...
Why Summer though? I'm not sure she could be clumsy...
Very nice! I loved the books, and was a big fan of the RINGWORLD tabletop roleplaying game. Somewhere in there they offered several continuation adventures with Louis Wu and his Motley Crew, but I ran a different campaign where a different crew goes around in search of the first expedition.
@arcticcoconut: cheers! The sheer scale of the ringworld presents lots of problems in rendering it realistically. I cheated and used "artistic license", just to make some of the objects recognizable. So, yeah, its not very realistic or authentic. I reckon I got a lot of details wrong :) and one of those is the relative speed of the shadow squares. Some of the scaling is way off, but if I did it "realistically", the ship itself, for example, would be so small as to be virtually invisible.
Awesome video...makes me wish a big-screen movie would be made of it. One question, though. Aren't the attitude control jets aimed the wrong direction? I was under the impression they were aimed to keep the Ringworld from sliding towards the star. I'll admit, however, that I haven't read the books in awhile.
Revan2908 2 weeks ago
@Revan2908
Hey thanks for the comment...yeah a Ringworld movie would be cool.
Ok, you got me! Yes, the RW thrusters are definitely pointed the wrong way in my video. Put it down to a brain-fart! Next time I do one of these (if there *is* a next time) I'll be sure to fix that, and all the other inaccuracies as well ;)
Thanks again for taking the time to comment. You might enjoy some of my other videos, too, such as "Habitat2" or "Bubbleworld" which is kinda "based" on Niven's work.
fragomatik 2 weeks ago
@fragomatik
That was the only one that stuck out to me. I've only read the Ringworld novels and "Protector," so I'm not well-versed in the design of GP hulls. But I did find the design of the Liar rather sweet.
Revan2908 2 weeks ago
Thank you very much. Because of your help now I can imagine a ringworld more vividly.
scienceTubeful 2 months ago
Who is the music by annd what's the title? I like it, and it's a great match to the video.
TomStormcrowe 4 months ago
@TomStormcrowe
The soundtrack is "Chinese Method" by Torley Wong.
Torley has a channel on youTube, and he has made some of his music available under Creative Commons.
fragomatik 4 months ago
@fragomatik
thanks!
TomStormcrowe 4 months ago
Ringworld could easily be the basis for the next great science fiction epic movie, just please don't let it be made for the SyFy channel. I wouldn't want to see something this big suffer from a small production budget and get scenes filmed in eastern Europe. Some of the visuals in this animation are really stunning! Keep up the good work!
Echo1492 4 months ago 2
I keep toying around with a Ringworld screenplay, & I always come to this video for inspiration!
siskavard 6 months ago
@siskavard
Wow, I am truly humbled - thanks you!
Please, please do the screenplay! I would *love* to see R-World on the big screen :)
fragomatik 6 months ago
@fragomatik Haha, well it's just a hobby, but hey, you never know!
siskavard 6 months ago
@siskavard
That's right, mate, you never know..
It would be cool to say "Yah, I knew Siskavard before he was famous..." :)
fragomatik 6 months ago
@fragomatik Make it fast I am also writing a sci fi that involves something very similiar to a ringworld.
(Not really a ringworld novel)
DNesij 5 months ago
@siskavard Let me know if I can help
abbottaerospace 4 months ago
lets wait for another 500 to 1000 years before this thing is build.we all know this could be built today.but because of war and the arrogance of human race,only our future generations can ever experience them.
kamikazeboy123 6 months ago
@kamikazeboy123 The actual reason we don't have one built is because the tensile strength in the superstructure would have to be stronger than the strong nuclear force in order to hold the whole thing together.
Nix6p 6 months ago
Comment removed
hamelzz 7 months ago
@hamelzz said "all you did was rip off halo"
Hey brother, before you go around accusing people of "ripping off" why don't you do a little bit of research, yeah?
The fact is that Ringworld pre-dates Halo by more than 40 years. Ringworld was written by Larry Niven in 1970.
But by all means don't take my word for it. You obviously have access to the interwebs. Google it yourself!
Then you can come back and apologise. Fair enough?
fragomatik 7 months ago 13
@fragomatik I'm kidding bro. I'm an avid fan of both Ringworld and Halo. In my opinion, Bungie studios ripped off Ringworld in a lot of their concepts such as the Halo rings & Shield worlds (Dyson Spheres 2 AU in diameter with a livable interior).
Aha I was just being an ass. I've read Ringworld a couple of times and own The Ringworld Engineers and Ringworld Throne, but I haven't gotten the time to read them yet.
I'll remove my previous comment, though.
No hard feelings?
hamelzz 6 months ago
@hamelzz
Hmmm...ok, I accept your explanation, but I still I can't let you get away without some sort of punishment, otherwise it sends the wrong message to all the other little trolls.
This is what you must do:
1. Sometime in the next 6 months you *must* read RW Engineers
2. Today, you must watch a Justin Bieber video & post a positive comment about "how cool" the song is and how it makes you feel all gooey inside, coz you love him so much.
Do that and all will be forgiven, my son ;)
fragomatik 6 months ago
@fragomatik I'm fine with reading RW Engineers, but isn't the second one a little harsh?! :C
hamelzz 6 months ago
@hamelzz
Hush now, relax. It was a test...and you passed.
For the record, if you *had* gone ahead with the 2nd part, then your resulting post, slavishly worshipping Bieber and declaring you undying love for him, would have been spread far and wide through the power of teh interwebz. Your shame would have been complete.
As it turns out, you dodged a bullet today my friend...welcome back to the fold, and enjoy your stay...
(fragomatik holds out his arms dramatically in a welcoming gesture)
fragomatik 6 months ago
@fragomatik Oh thank god... That was a close one...
And it's good to be here!
*Opens RW Engineers*
hamelzz 6 months ago
@fragomatik I figured you'd be pleased to know that I have officially served my sentence and finished Ringworld Engineers!
hamelzz 4 months ago
@hamelzz
Hey hamelzz how u doing? What did u think of it? Personally I reckon he has too much Rishathra in it, but w/ever, it was a good read I thought. Oh and by the way, thanks for being such a good sport & having an open mind and sense of humour - kudos to you buddy!
fragomatik 4 months ago
@fragomatik I thought it was a good read, but I agree with the rishathra. It seems like Louis and Hark are having sex every 2 chapters :/
And the end seemed kind of rushed. I feel as if he could have drawn it out more and explained some stuff here and there.
But it was good overall. I enjoyed it. Now I've got to read RW Throne!
And I'm going to try my hand at Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke when I finish the Ringworld series! :3
hamelzz 4 months ago
How many likes? Zero. The way it should be.
Joeaho 7 months ago
@Joeaho Explain.
illustriouschin 7 months ago
@illustriouschin
I think it was a typo, and he meant to write "dislikes". He's left a couple of nice comments on my profile page and seems like a nice guy, so yeah I think it's just a typo...
God knows the youTube comment-system doesn't allow for much editing :P
fragomatik 7 months ago
@fragomatik That's cool. What are your thoughts on the feasibility of a game using a world of this scale and design?
illustriouschin 7 months ago
@illustriouschin
It is truly difficult to adequately comprehend the sheer scale of a structure that has the surface area of several million Earths. By comparison Halo is a tiny fraction of the size.
Imagine a game like an MMO at that scale. Now imagine the entire population of the Earth as players spawned randomly across the surface. No one would ever meet! Even if players had hypersonic vehicles (like in the book) it would take *weeks* to fly a fraction of the width!
fragomatik 6 months ago
@fragomatik Interesting, that gives me something to think about, thanks.
illustriouschin 6 months ago
Liked + subbed. This is awesome.
TharTassakahn 7 months ago
@TharTassakahn
Cheers & thanks for the sub :)
fragomatik 7 months ago
I enjoyed this very much. Thanks for a very impressive peek at the Ringworld. The flycycles are a neat touch!
For an alternative soundtrack, I thought immediately of Jan Hammer's classics from Beyond the Mind's Eye, like Brave New World or Leaving the Bonds of Earth starting about 2min into the track. (You can find the videos here.) Funny how important the music is for setting tone, eh!
I hope you revisit Known Space!
TippetyWhip 8 months ago
@TippetyWhip
Thanks for the encouragement!
I think a re-visit of the Niven's Known Space is *very* likely, if not specifically Ringworld itself. First I have to finish the latest in the Habitat series (soon-ish), and then, who knows? Perhaps the Angel's Pencil battling it out with the Kzinti cruiser? Or the Belters encountering the Phssthpok's ramship...? Something like that...maybe :)
Thnx again for taking the time to comment!
fragomatik 8 months ago
@TippetyWhip
...oh yeah I forgot to mention: I love Jan Hammer! Funny you should mention Mind's Eye, etc. because My "Life On Mars" vid is an homage to those vintage CGI vids.
But of course the thing with youTube is that if you use copyright music you have to buy an expensive license, or run the risk of having the vid removed & your account closed. Lately I've mostly used Creative Commons media. There are some truly talented amateurs out there that share it all, for-the-love-of-it!
fragomatik 8 months ago
@fragomatik Yeah, that figures. I just mention Jan Hammer for the flavor of his stuff, and you obviously agree.
Watching the vid again, I just love those tantalizing glimpses of the ship's interior. You did such a nice job with that! Maybe see where else it takes you. Known Space has a lot of wild and wacky worlds. Just beware black holes and antimatter! (g)
TippetyWhip 8 months ago
good stuff but wrong music which hurts the vid
SuperHardshell 10 months ago
@SuperHardshell said "good stuff but wrong music..."
Thanks for the comment. Music is the hardest thing for me to source, but personally I *love* Torley's work, so I *love* this track. To each his own, eh?
fragomatik 10 months ago
@fragomatik I liked the soundtrack. I think it worked out well because of the speculative nature of the opening sequence in relation to the story you depicted. Rendering a Kzin sitting in the cockpit would be cool though. I liked the attention to detail. You got the general products hull number three right as well as the fly cycles. Even the right correct equipment inside and outside the hull.
seekortry 10 months ago
@seekortry
Thx for the nice comments. Yes, I *must* practice more character animation! I did a bit more of that in the BUBBLEWORLD video with the astronauts. Once I feel more confident with it, I think I'll try my hand at modelling the Kzin and the Puppeteer, too.
fragomatik 9 months ago
@fragomatik I agree. The music should make the viewer feel the awe and wonder of Ringworld. I actually like the tune but it simply isn't appropriate to the subject of the video. The tempto alone sets the tone. It's never about personal taste, it's about what works best for the video. I've been editing music for videos for four years and it's very very difficult.
spacecowboy5000 9 months ago
@spacecowboy5000
Amen brother :)
fragomatik 9 months ago
Apparently, Halo was based on this.
dave8594 11 months ago
@dave8594 a generic shooter borrowing from established Big name sci fi authors?! my god man ! do you know what your saying?
Edgebotv4 9 months ago
Looks like the opening is The Lying Bastard snagging a shadow square mono-filament and heading for the ringworld floor
MsPaleMoon 1 year ago
@Auslander999
Very cool work - thanks for sharing!
fragomatik 1 year ago
@Auslander999 Man, *please* do this! An animation of The Warriors would be simply awesome. I reckon you'd be surprised - there's lots of Niven fans out there.
I've often thought about doing a digital model of the Angel's Pencil myself, but to do it justice I'd have to do the Kzin ship too, and maybe create a whole 2 or 3 minute sequence with them...aaargghh, just not enough hours in the day!
Hey! You have 60+ vids on ur channel - which ones have the Angel model..?
fragomatik 1 year ago
The Pak couldn't have don better, another outstanding bit of work by and unquestinably talented artist. I really enjoy your stuff, man.
rsmothersjr 1 year ago
@rsmothersjr Are you stalking me?! JK :)
Seriously, thanks for the comments & the encouragement
fragomatik 1 year ago
@fragomatik I saw the one vid so I looked for some more and badabing! frickin RINGWORLD! Way too cool. You ever read Ian Banks' Culture books? There's some great fodder for visuals in them. Likewise with Peter F Hamilton's and Neal Asher's stuff. Hard scifi space opera rocks!
rsmothersjr 1 year ago
@rsmothersjr Yeh I've read all those guys except for Peter Asher - he's on my list. Just finished "Consider Phlebas" just the other week, and loved it. IMO Banks is right up there with the greats like Larry Niven and Joe Haldeman and Orson Scott Card. I'm kinda over the habitat stuff lately - gonna do something new soon - dunno what exactly, but something with some mega-engineering in it that's for sure!
fragomatik 1 year ago
@fragomatik: I agree, I think Baks is the ultimate combination of high concept and profound human emotion, kinda like Card meets Niven. dan Simmons rocks, too (The Hyperion and Endymion books). Definitely check out Hamilton, too. I eagerly await your forthcoming endeavors!
rsmothersjr 1 year ago
@fragomatik LOL,I just discovered Banks myself:)
MsPaleMoon 1 year ago
Excellent interpretation of the General Products hull.
exmoagogo 1 year ago
Are those the flycycles at the end?
Navy670 1 year ago
@Navy670 yep
fragomatik 1 year ago
I want a ringworld to retire on.
Corinthian404 1 year ago
Louis Wu, upon seeing this video:
Well, the Liar looks great, the Ringworld looks exactly as I remember it, and you even made a little Teela and me in the cockpit! This is absolutely fant-
Discontinuity. -TANJTANJINGTANJITTANJEDFINAGLINGTANJTANJ!!!!!!1111oneoneone11!!!wanwan!!!!!1111
marocon60 1 year ago
@marocon60 LOL!
fragomatik 1 year ago
I suddenly want to read the book more than anything else. Is it a good read?
cadman2300 1 year ago
@cadman2300 Yep, it's a genuine classic, well worth reading if you like good, hard science-fiction. The sequels are okay too, but nowhere near as good as the first one.
fragomatik 1 year ago
@cadman2300 Lemme tell you about the book RINGWORLD. When I was running the RPG 25 years ago, one player hadn't read the book. We urged him to read it as backgrounder but he just brushed us off and said, "Yeah, yeah..." Several weeks later he said "THIS IS AN AMAZING BOOK! FANTASTIC! You should have told me to read it!" "We did!" "Ya but you should have FORCED me!"
Dracopol 1 year ago
What kind of sound is that? I really like it...
zsoltferencjuhasz 1 year ago
awesome but just to nitpick, I believe the General Products hull didnt have those engines on the side and just that transparent slim cigar shape you have. Otherwise it'd be pretty accurate
Alexthehuge 1 year ago
@Alexthehuge The main hull itself is a transparent indestructible General Products hull made by the Puppeteers, guaranteed to let in nothing but gravity and visible light. But humans added reactor drives and sensors and stuff on the outside, through secure apertures. Also a raccoon-tail on the antenna and some BITCHIN' 1950's fins!
But the Meteor Defense System should be shown as firing on the ship for as long as it appears to threaten the Ringworld with its speed, until stopped by crashing.
Dracopol 1 year ago
Go Go Meteor Defense! Also, a very nice take on the Lying Bastard with the aftermarket delta wing. Love those GP hulls.
DoctorMadu 1 year ago
@DoctorMadu Thanks 'Doc!
fragomatik 1 year ago
This is awesome. Much better than the first. Great job. You have to make one where it flies around the ringworld close up, and maybe the shadow squares too. That would be awesome. When does part 2 drop?
jbportland07 1 year ago
@jbportland07 Hi there & thanks for the encouragement!
I'm currently finishing up what will probably be the last of the Habitat Series. That'll be ready in the next 2-3 weeks.
After that I *may* get a chance to do some work on Part-2. No promises :)
You see, Part-1 was really just a collection of clips I made over the last 20 years. To do it justice, Part-2 would need some major updating: new models, new textures. Much work! Which I can't quite justify at the moment...but maybe soon.
fragomatik 1 year ago
There's a fanboi out here Praising some Serious Bob, and it's all in the Name of FRAGOMATIK!!!! YYEEAAHH BAY-BEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!
scdevine 1 year ago
@scdevine I'm not sure what that means, but .... YEEEEEHAAAAH! PRAIZE THE LAWD AND PASS THE AMMUNITION!!!
fragomatik 1 year ago
Alas, waking up to another artificial star-lit day. Looking out over the expansive, sublime, visually deceivingly flat surrounding landscape makes me yearn for days when I was on a planet nigh 5,000 km from pole to pole. Now I have to deal with the visual chaos of a trillion neighbors bickering and bantering, instead of having a visibility radius of merely 3 to 4 kilometers. I miss you, good green and blue homeworld.
pkscolax 1 year ago
@pkscolax : Well, I see what you're getting at, but I must point out:
1. The sun is a star, so "star-lit day" is a bit redundant.
2. On a structure as big as Ringworld, you'd still have a "visibility radius" of similar distance, due to atmospheric density & dust in the air. You'd see the landscape extending into the vanishing point at the "horizon" & the "arch" over your head disappearing into the glare from the sun.
3. There's lots of blue & green
...but thanks for taking the time to comment!
fragomatik 1 year ago 4
@fragomatik Haha, thanks for responding, and that was excellent rendering. You should cg as a day job if you don't already.
pkscolax 1 year ago
@pkscolax, hey no worries, you took the time to write some lovely poetry, the least I could do was respond :)
fragomatik 1 year ago
@pkscolax Earth's diameter is 12,700 km at the poles. Were you talking about some other planet in Known Space? Canyon? Margrave?
Dracopol 1 year ago
I wish James Cameron to make RINGWORLD a movie.
pacificd01 1 year ago
@pacificd01
Well there was talk of a Halo movie.. doesn't come close to the Ringworld saga but it reminds people such habitats could exist.
pkscolax 1 year ago
Cool ! A General Products #3 hull ! Thanks for posting !
chialeux514 1 year ago
@chialeux514 Hey thanks for the comment - glad u enjoyed. A small correction though: this is a GP #2 hull, a 100m wasp-waisted cylinder, with sharp-points fore and aft , of approx 8m diameter. The #3 hull is a round-ended, flattened cylinder approx 35m long.
fragomatik 1 year ago
acabo de leer el cuarto y ultimo libro, Los hijos de mundo anillo y este vid es increible!!!!!!! big fan of Niven,, Gran trabajo!!
drzoorgical 1 year ago
@drzoorgical
Muchas gracias! Me alegra mucho que haya disfrutado! Es maravilloso conocer fans Niven tantos de todo el mundo.
/google-translate
fragomatik 1 year ago
This is just wonderful. I just finished Engineers today and am missing the Ringworld dreadfully. So what a treat to come across this. The Lying Bastard looks terrfific. I agree with the poster who said any Hollywood effort would be inferior to this fragment you've made here. Your heart's in the right place, unlike Hollywood's.
CultureJudge 1 year ago
@CultureJudge
Why thanks, Judge! (there's a phrase I've never used before!) I'm truly humbled by your generous comments.
Yes, I love this book, and I can only hope that whoever *does* eventually end-up making a movie/series out of it, does it justice.
fragomatik 1 year ago
pretty accurate model of the Puppeteer's ship too, nice.
illustriouschin 1 year ago
@illustriouschin thanks for the comment! Well, I tried my best but still got a few things really wrong, eg. the attitude jets are pointing the wrong way....but I'm pretty proud of the ship...I think I got that right :)
fragomatik 1 year ago
Wow, lots of fun, good job.
taiqiman 1 year ago
First book 4 times :) love-this-book. I'll start to read "Ringworld Engineers" in about 5 minutes. Greetings to You fragomatik and all Ringworld fans from Poland.
Bohuni 1 year ago
@Bohuni hey thanks bohuni, greetings to you from Australia
fragomatik 1 year ago
first book: awesome
sequels: progressively involving more sex
VideoHunter13 1 year ago
@VideoHunter13 "progressively involving more sex"...with aliens"
FTFY
:)
fragomatik 1 year ago
When they are in lightspeed are all the planets and the ship coming along with them???????
David34343 1 year ago
@David34343 I don't understand the question. Are you talking about this video, or the book? If you're talking about this animation, what time-mark minutes & seconds are you referring to? If it is the book, what scene are you referring to?
fragomatik 1 year ago
That was so perfect that i can't believe my eyes! I loved it!
HalfJawArbiter166 1 year ago
@HalfJawArbiter166 - hey there, thanks for the kind comments - glad you enjoyed!
fragomatik 1 year ago
@fragomatik Kind comments?
HalfJawArbiter166 1 year ago
@HalfJawArbiter166
Well, you wrote:
"That was so perfect that i can't believe my eyes! I loved it!"
...which I thought was nice, so I replied:
"...thanks for the kind comments - glad you enjoyed!"
fragomatik 1 year ago
@fragomatik Ah, ok. I thought you said "kid comments"...
Like i was a child. (I really am)
HalfJawArbiter166 1 year ago
@HalfJawArbiter166
LOL! Oh I see...no problemo! I though maybe you commented on the wrong video ha ha.
Do you like to read? You'd probably love the science-fiction book that this video is based on: "RINGWORLD" by Larry Niven. Brilliant book!
Anyway, welcome to my channel...have a look around...you might enjoy my HABITAT-2 video, too.
fragomatik 1 year ago
Beautifully done, truly great. I wish I had your talent of computer modelling. What program did you use?
And what is the name of the song? It's a weird song but is kinda "enchanting".
PseudoHuman16 2 years ago
@PseudoHuman16 : thanks!
The 3-d modelling was done using Imagine-3D (see the info file for a download source).
I'm just a dedicated amateur - what I lack in skill I make up in stubbornness :)
The music was composed by Torley Wong, and this track is called "Chinese Method". I love his work coz its different, doesn't sound like anyone else exactly...
Its under a Creative Commons license, and is available online, just Google the name and you'll most likely find a couple of sources.
fragomatik 2 years ago
Thank you for the quick reply.
PseudoHuman16 2 years ago
@fragomatik
Just finished reading Ringworld one. Brilliant, hope to read part 2 soon.
PseudoHuman16 1 year ago
@PseudoHuman16 ; hey, i just finished re-reading it for about the 10th time since 1975 LOL. The 2nd one "Ringworld Engineers" is absolutely awesome - well worth the read - you're in for a treat!
fragomatik 1 year ago
@fragomatik First book 4 times :) love-this-book. I'll start to read "Ringworld Engineers" in about 5 minutes. Greetings to you and all Ringworld fans from Lublin - Poland.
Bohuni 1 year ago
@PseudoHuman16 my advice is to stay away from Ringworld 3...it's pointless hominid porn
I'm reading book 4 at the moment, and it's good so far.
MalamuteKid 1 year ago
@MalamuteKid
What about it then? Change of characters?
PseudoHuman16 1 year ago
@PseudoHuman16 the plot is kinda like:
nothing, rishahra, rishathra, nothing, rish rishity rish rish, nothing, rish, nothing
MalamuteKid 1 year ago
Fantastic! I am reading the latest series ending with Destroyer of Worlds. Have always loved this author!
Be fun to see the Lying Basterd hit , bounce and land, too! Needs to be silver with soap bubbly effect... then turn black? LOL
MrSynapsid 2 years ago
@MrSynapsid : thanks for the comment!
Niven's my frakkin' hero. Loved his work since I was a teenager (yep, I'm *that* old!)
I'd love to do a full crash-landing sequence for the Liar someday...we'll see...time is such a rare commodity for me these days.
fragomatik 2 years ago
Well done. Flycycles are very nice. The stabilization motors need to point in towards the sun though. Also no tube around the spacecraft deceleration system. Beauty though...
GeorgeOlduvai 2 years ago
@GeorgeOlduvai Oh BTW I love the Protector reference in your handle. You're obviously a *big* Niven fan. Nice to meet you, sir!
fragomatik 2 years ago
I'm reading Ringworld right now, and I've only gotten to page 14... It's already gotten me hooked!
Treldman 2 years ago
Very cool.
Elidoransgar 2 years ago
cool visuals, i had trouble picturing the scenes as the descriptions are... quite elaborate.
cassandra5322 2 years ago
Wow. Great job! I always dreamed of doing a simulaiton of Ringworld, but never had the skill. I think you nailed Lair and fly-cycles
chmee 2 years ago
@chmee: thnks for the comments - good to know there are some Niven fans lurking about :)
fragomatik 2 years ago
so beastly it's surface area is larger than our sun's
Treldman 2 years ago
It's larger than that of every celestial body in our solar system put together.
vp21ct 2 years ago
eventually a movie will be made out of niven's rw and the effects will be vastly inferior to this video. Imagine only seeing 1.5 second flashes of shapes and shadows and then the camera shakes and 1.5 hours of closeups on actors' sweaty faces. also hollywood will inevitably change the story.
smartererer 2 years ago 3
@smarterer: wow, that's a helluva compliment. Thanks! A director like Peter Jackson could do it justice. Maybe in three parts like Lord Of The Rings. But who would play Louis Wu? Some sources have proposed Chow Yun Fat (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) for the role, but he's probably too old... What about Teela? A beautiful brunette that can act - is that too much to ask ? :)
fragomatik 2 years ago
I had the same thought that Chow Yun Fat would be an excellent Louis Wu (he has the aura of being wise and almost ageless, at least in Crouching Tiger). But I agree, he is probably too old now to the part.
chmee 2 years ago
God I hope I get too see such a movie. The Fist of God, the Eye of God. Such things are just barely within the scope of the human imagination, and even then, it comes with training. I think such a movie would defenitly help to expand interest in the stars, and strike home just how tiny we are.
vp21ct 2 years ago
@smartererer what a perfect description of modern cinema. People will still be enjoying 2001: A Space Odyssey when we are terraforming planets for real; Terminator: Salvation, not so much.
illustriouschin 1 year ago
@smartererer Starring Hugh Jackman, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, and as Nessus, award-winning actress Courtney Cox. In Ringworld, Hugh Jackman, is...Louis Wu. "Larry Niven's...Ringworld".
BrandonTsia 1 year ago
@BrandonTsia
That's interesting that you suggest Hugh Jackman for Louis Wu, as he is hardly Asian. My casting for Louis Wu would be someone like Daniel Dae Kim, or maybe Shin Koyamada. Ohhhhh, for a Ringworld or Known Space production...
TippetyWhip 8 months ago
@smartererer I don't see it. Ringworld is far too complex for a film. Plus Rishatha would be rather difficult to explain and yet it is pivotal to the entire series. I can definitely see Fleet Of Worlds. More likely, Crashlander (miniseries) or Protector.
seekortry 10 months ago
i want to learning to make this , teach me please.
pablo1835rigel 2 years ago
Hi Pablo: the first step is to get the software. There are many different types. Try IMAGINE (see link in the video info). Imagine is free. On the same site there are many tutorials to help you learn how to use the software. If you have no experience using 3D software, then it will take a long time to learn. I have been using this software for more than 20 years, and I am still not an expert. Good luck!
fragomatik 2 years ago
Awesome! Where can I download to possess?
oneredball 2 years ago
Let's see... Blender3d is free and is supposed to be easy to learn, and can create some great results.
3DVIA (google it) offers free modeling and rendering tools and models.
I'm using IMAGINE 3d - see the info at top left for a download link. Its kind of old-school, but I've been using various versions for about 20 years. It's easy enough to do the basics and for learning general 3d concepts, but takes quite a bit of work to master. Go on, have a go!
fragomatik 2 years ago
Just curiously, how time intensive is it to learn how to use the software associated with making these types of videos? It might be fun to take up as a hobby.
xanet602 2 years ago
This is excellent. I worked on making my own versions of these ships myself, back before I got too busy, and you did a very good job. Since I see no pilot in the ship close-ups, I can only imagine that Speaker to Animals has taken a quick trip to the litterbox. ;-)
HsvSciFiGuy 2 years ago
Yes, the famous Liar autopilot is in charge for now :)
Being too busy is something I can relate to. If I had time I would create 3d versions of the characters as well as the hardware...
I can see why Pixar use teams of animators, and acres of render-farms. With one person doing all the modelling and animating, it takes forever to render all the frames :[
Thanks for the kind comments and thanks for stopping by!
fragomatik 2 years ago
Its wonderful to see this kind of creativity. I am a big Niven fan and this visualisation is pretty near the mark. I do hope this serves to inspire someone to GET RINGWORLD MADE INTO A FILM!
algoyo 2 years ago
@algoyo : thanks for the kind comments! Always great to hear from other Niven fans.
I too would love to see someone competent make Ringworld into a movie.
I can just see the trailer now:
"Peter Jackson's production of 'Ringworld', starring Chow Yun fat as Louis Wu, and Summer Glau as Teela Brown"
That wouldn't be so bad, but it could be much, much worse:
"Michael Bay's production of 'Ringworld: The Movie', starring Toby McGuire as Louis Wu, and Megan Fox as Teela Brown"
Can you imagine?
fragomatik 2 years ago
Then again, it could be Uwe Boles' production of Ringworld, starring Gary Coleman as Louis Wu and Susan Sarandon as Teela Brown; screeplay by Margaret Atwood. Shudder...
Why Summer though? I'm not sure she could be clumsy...
GeorgeOlduvai 2 years ago
@algoyo Seems Cameron only likes to make movies that HE writes, so I doubt that it will happen. His ego is too big to do a movie of a novel.
lonstar70 1 year ago
Very nice! I loved the books, and was a big fan of the RINGWORLD tabletop roleplaying game. Somewhere in there they offered several continuation adventures with Louis Wu and his Motley Crew, but I ran a different campaign where a different crew goes around in search of the first expedition.
Dracopol 2 years ago
Very nice! I particularly liked your visualization of the Lying Bastard!
WMGPresents 2 years ago
nice!!! loved it
imagesk8r6969 2 years ago
that would be the lying bastard, correct
steelfist93 2 years ago
Yep! That's the Liar - or at least its *my* idea of what it looks like :)
fragomatik 2 years ago
Loved the book since I read it 32 years ago. Fantastic visualisation. Well done!
euroscripts 2 years ago
Very nice!
... is it just me, or are the shadow-squares revolving way too fast?
I hope to God the scifi channel doesn't rape this great storyworld.
arcticcoconut 3 years ago
@arcticcoconut: cheers! The sheer scale of the ringworld presents lots of problems in rendering it realistically. I cheated and used "artistic license", just to make some of the objects recognizable. So, yeah, its not very realistic or authentic. I reckon I got a lot of details wrong :) and one of those is the relative speed of the shadow squares. Some of the scaling is way off, but if I did it "realistically", the ship itself, for example, would be so small as to be virtually invisible.
fragomatik 3 years ago
Do it! Lets see the thousand mile high walls to scale man.
ATiredDogsMouth 2 years ago
Lol! Exactly! I'm sure it can be done, but not with the dated software I'm using now...god I wish I had the time to learn a new 3d suite!
fragomatik 2 years ago
I mm in 1 metre
1000 miles high Ringworld 1,000,000 wide
looks right.
oneredball 2 years ago
quality (and much better than the other jumpy version) - nice one mate
mikelea1 3 years ago
Well, I'm corious about the looks on Chmee and the pupeteer :))
Great work!
Mythopoeikon 3 years ago
i wanna move to ringworld...=(
starecrow 3 years ago
Yes, this one is better. Not that the other one was bad, mind you, but this is better.
SailorBarsoom 3 years ago
Have you read Fleet of Worlds?
samuraix47 3 years ago
Not yet...interesting premise, its next on my shopping list :)
Niven's conception of the Klemperer Rosette was always controversial. It'd be fun to try and illustrate something like that...hmmmm, maybe one day...
fragomatik 3 years ago
Great work. All it lacks is Fist-of-God and the Eye Storm...
tuttt99 3 years ago
Cheers! Yeah, maybe in Part-2 :)
fragomatik 3 years ago
If you could do it, a first person view from inside the flycycle you be great.
FizzyMcPhysics 3 years ago
Fantabulous!
FizzyMcPhysics 3 years ago