Method to the Madness

The deck plans continue to go well, although I’ve run into issues with some of them. Usually this is solved by just walking away for a while or taking a nap. Since walking away sounds too much like exercise, I prefer the napping strategy.

I thought I’d talk about how I create each plan. It’s pretty dry stuff, but someone might find it useful. FYI, I got the original idea from Section IV of this article written by Randy Tyler.

First, using the volumes of each component, I create boxes in Photoshop. In the image, I have a grid of squares so each box will be consistently sized.

Next, I start arranging the different component boxes in the general shape of the ship. To figure out exactly what the ship will be shaped as, I usually take the top-down silhouette of a vaguely ship-shaped object. (For example, the Lembu Cargo Barge plans are actually in the shape of a grav car (page 93, Basic Rules) that I’ve turned 180 degrees.) I can then take that shape and shrink or enlarge it to fit all the different components.

After making a rough arrangement of the components, I start drawing in the bulkheads and other interior walls. At this time, I also include other compartments like airlocks, storage areas, etc. Then I add hatches and doorways.

Finally, to make the plans more visually pleasing, I add color to the major components, using a consistent color scheme. For example, avionics (computers, radars, and comm systems) are green, while thrusters and drives are orange.

So that’s the basic method I use. It actually goes very quickly once you do it a couple of times. I’ve been able to complete about one deck plan per day this way.

Speaking of the Lembu, here’s what it currently looks like. Keep in mind that it’s a cargo barge, so most of the hull is empty inside (for all the cargo containers):