2nd Edition

(Revision 3F)

Sim Pern Chong

Through the eyes of a fictitious space traveller, I realise my mind's visions.

Copyright 2010 Sim Pern Chong. All rights reserved. Storyline and artworks by the author.

This book is permitted for free distribution as a digital PDF file, provided the following terms and conditions are adhered to: 1. It must be distributed in its entirety. 2. It must not be modified 3. It must not be sold No designs or ideas presented in this book is to be duplicated without prior written agreement with the author.

About the Author

Sim Pern Chong has been in the design profession since 1995. Traditionally, his training background is in the field of Industrial Design. As part of the training, industrial design exposed Pern Chong to the wonderful world of 3D graphics and modelling. Since then, digital 3D creation has grown into a passion. Pern Chong is available to provide 3D-graphics and product design related services. He is also available to teach 3D modelling. As of this writing, he has extensive teaching experience having taught in Singapore as well as overseas (in China). Phone: +65 97101546 (Singapore) Contact Info: sim@studiorola.com Website: www.studiorola.com

Introduction ................ The equipments .......... The Journal..... Planet Taikro .............. Planet Bellovix ........... Concept Development Sketches .................... Bonus Chapter ...........

6 7 15 17 39 57 65

The World of perception. Is it really outside of oneself? Could it be occurring in one's consciousness?

Uncommon Paradigm

Introduction
Uncommon Paradigm documents the photographic captures of Tacharia. Tacharia is a Space Traveller. This book captures the images as seen through his travels to other worlds. The photos are accompanied by his narrations.

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The equipments
This section describes some of the machinery and gadgets used for the exploration.

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Flight Machines
The flight inventory consists of 2 main machines. They are the Interspace Transporter and Cloud Splitter. The Interspace Transporter is designed to cover vast distances of space. On the other hand, the Cloud splitter is a jet and rocket propelled aircraft that is primarily designed to travel within a planetary environment. The Interspace Transporter's engine is not physical-based. Instead, it works on the Holographic Reality level energetics. Physical-based engines rely solely on brute force and will not be able to break through the light-speed barrier. For long distance galactic travel, the Cloud Splitter docks onto the Interspace Transporter. The Interspace Transporter works by moving from one vacuumed spatial location to another. As such, it will not work within an environment with an atmosphere such as a planet. Once it has arrived at the designated location in space near the destination planet, the Cloud Splitter will be put into action for planetary entry.

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Space Travel Configuration

Interspace Transporter

Cloud Splitter

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The Cloud Splitter is my personal craft for travelling within an environment with atmosphere.

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Cloud Splitter
This Cloud Splitter is not the standard off-the-shelf model. It is modified and optimised for performing photographic role. Unlike most jets of your time, this machine is capable of landing and taking off in a vertical manner.

Atmospheric Test Probe

Camera

Camera

Storage compartment

Air Intake Shield

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Hands-free Camera

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No, what you are seeing is not eyewear. It is a handsfree camera. In our time, electronics have shrunk, allowing many gadgets to become truly hands-free. The camera detects the eyes' focus to determine its own focusing parameters. There are a pair of camera lense system, one on each side of the frame. Camera can be programed to shoot either by voice command or eye-blink sequence.

Camera Lens

Sensor monitors eye's focus

Flash

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Holographic Navigation Device

This handheld Navigation Device consists of a main body and a holographic overlay. The holographic overlay superimposes graphical imageries over the field-of-vision to provide directional indications and important data. Although it is entirely possible to navigate using only the screen on the main body, the holographic overlay provides a more indicative way of doing so.

Holographic Overlay

Touchscreen Interface

Line-of-sight gauge

Screen Scroller

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The screen can be used to plot travelling route as well as provide visual feedbacks on positions.

When not in use, the two flexible antenae-like light emitters of the Holographic Overlay can be retracted as shown below. To withstand wears and tears, the navigation device is padded with a ruggedized shock absorber.

Retracted Holographic light emitter

Ruggedized Shock Absorber

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The Journal

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X Interspace Gate 2

The first two planets that I will be visiting are PlanetsTaikro and Bellovix respectively. The planets reside in Solar System 6041 which consists of a main star and a minor twin star.

Bellovix Anteinix
X Interspace Gate 1

Taikro

Minor Twin Star

The Ship will use Interspace Gate 1 & 2 respectively for entry to Taikro and Bellovix.

System 6041 Main Star

Overview of Solar System 6041

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Exiting from Interspace Gate 1, the craft enters the vicinity of Planet Taikro. Here's the view before entry into the Planet's atmosphere.

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Being heavily-polluted, the once pristine atmosphere of the Planet is now unbreathable to its inhabitants. Because of the atmospheric toxicity, all residents must live within self-contained enclosures. studiorola.com

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The spikey formations are the results of a huge blast that laid this place an aesthetically interesting (but toxic) wasteland.

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Few people venture out into the exposed environment without a vehicle. To do that, you will have to wear heavily insulated suits that offer protection from the atmospheric toxicity.

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Close up view of an unmanned reconnaisance craft.

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As the atmosphere is largely toxic, some of the crafts that perform reconnaissance functions are unmanned. Here, a pair of such craft is warming up for an early dawn mission.

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What once stood as land civilisations are now part of the ocean. In place of some of these civilisations are floating cities. Because of the scarcity of resources, each city operates like a fortress that is defended against other similarly-structured cities.

The photo above shows one of the floating cities, as its patrolling craft approach my aircraft. This particular city is call Pikodo.

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Pikado Fortress as seen from the inside. The city is of immense height and stretches deep below the sea level.

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My next stop was Musa. It is a port connecting the land settlements to the ocean-based floating cities. Musa is a massive structure spanning 15 kilometres in diameter.

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Sleeping pods are a common sight. Anti-gravity technologies allow the user to sleep in an upright position.

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Much of Taikro is made up of just large man-made structures and barren lands.

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The crafts that ventures into the outer atmosphere must be air-tight and pressurised. The most common form of such transport is a hover craft that operates by interacting with the planet's gravitation field. They are used to ferry travellers from one domed structure to another.

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How is my craft able to cover vast distances of space ?

In my time (which is your future) the way the physical universe is understood is vastly different from yours. In my time, the Universe as a Holographic Reality is a known fact. In your time, you understood the Universe as having distance, location, space and time. In my time, the Universe is understood as having no real distance, location, space and time. Instead, whatever that appear as physical and solid is mere appearance of being such. Let me elaborate a bit further. All the realms that comprises the universe, in actuality, are manifesting simultaneously. However, because our senses are human-based in terms of characteristics, we only see the human world as well as those of other Beings that shared 'similar' resonating conditions. But nevertheless, the other realms of existences are not located apart elsewhere in some other places. In reality, what we think of as places or localities are really just consciousness. Furthermore, there is no solidity in any realm whatsoever. Even our touch sense is just that. The touch sense gives an impression of feeling something that is physical and three-dimensional. But there is really no solid self-existing object there. Instead, it is simply the sensation that gives the impression of physical solidity and form. The Principle of Holographic Nature is what enables my space craft to cover apparently vast distances. For in truth, no distance has been covered.

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Interestingly, Taikro consists of 2 ancient continents: Muloria and Taikroin. For millenia, the inhabitants of the two pieces of land developed independently.

Taikroin

Ocean

Muloria

However, with the degradation of the atmosphere by the inhabitants of Taikroin, the living conditions of the people on both continents have became similarly affected.

Illustration of Planet Taikro

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This planet has a unique case of twin evolution. The planet houses 2 indigenous types of intelligent sentient Beings. One is of the typical humanoid form while the other is an amphibian-type Being known as Mulorians. Unlike Earth, Taikro had 2 ancient continents. Mulorians are said to have evolved on one of the ancient continent which had a marshy biotope. This continent had no humanoid inhabitants and the predecessors of the amphibious Mulorians evolved unmolested. As a culture, Mulorians follow a strictly hierarchical social structure.

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As the surface atmosphere of the Planet is bad, modern Mulorians live in underground settlements. Here is the watery entrance to one of their underground towns.

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Coming out of the watery entrance, one is greeted by the alien spendour of a Mulorian Town.

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Being amphibious, Mulorians start life as aquatic babies. Here, a Mulorian shares a telepathic communion with his baby who looks on through the transparent wall of the nursery tank.

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Deep into Mulorian Territory. What a sight !

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In the past, inhabitants on one continent cannot interact with those on the other due to limitation in transportation technology. They are able to do so now thanks to intercontinental flights.

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The Cloud Splitter is now on its way to re-join with the Interspace Tranporter. Here's the view in outer space. The dimming twin star of the solar system loams ahead.The next destination is Planet Bellovix.

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Space Port where Interspace Gate 2 is situated

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Bellovix is a planet residing in the same solar system as Taikro. Unlike Taikro, Bellovix never loses its lushness and pristine purity.

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Bellovix has some really stunning natural landforms that are vaguely symmetrical and geometrical. Could these landforms be the remains of some glorious civilisations of an ancient time?

The 5 structures below are mud huts belonging to the indigeneous population

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Here a Tribesman is kind enough to allow me to take photos of him while he is hunting for fishes the way he knows best, the instinctive way.

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A common animal found around the household of these natives is the Fire-back Dragonite. It is a palmsize animal that somewhat resembles a dragon. Back on Earth, its equivalent will be the house lizard.

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A female recce scout. The role of scouts is in finding new places of settlement for the tribe.

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The effort of scouts enable the exploration of seemingly hostile terrians as potential places of residence. Here an entire town is built upon rocky terrians.

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A precariously suspended bridge provides a surrealistic view between two rocky formations.

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The Natives on Bellovix have a saying: " Nature is the best designer" Their culture revolves around this concept. The rationale is that Nature will always evolve into the most optimum design for any given condition. Any human intervention aka invention will never be able to compete with nature in terms of thoroughness of integration.

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Bellovixian classifies 2 types of Technological development paths. 1. Nature-opposive technology. 2. Nature-harmonising technology. Nature-opposive Technology extracts resources from Nature, modifies them but do not return elements in a form that is usable by Nature. Judging by outer appearances, Nature harmonising Technology can look primitive as compared to nature-opposive technology. However, the Heart of the technology lies in its inner and intrinsic beauty. Nature-harmonising Technology places 'Integration with Nature' within its consideration throughout its developmental process. As a result, this kind of Technology may appear to look like it is a part of Nature and thus can appear 'primitive'. However, there are generally more sustainable. Societal Architects of Bellovix have sophisticated methods of plotting potential effects from causes. Because of this, Nature-harmonising Technology is also known as Causality-based Technology. It appears that despite its rural and backward-looking appearance Bellovix may have gone through a period of heightened (but wanton) technological development but eventually evolved into the current developmental condition.

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The colourful underwater world of Lake Tungomika.

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An iridiscent-coloured Deva fish is being surrounded by juvenile blue tedras. Deva fishes are slow moving creatures exuding a refined gracefulness. Both Deva and Blue Tedra are native fishes of Lake Tungomika

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The underwater night scene of this Lake glows with luminous lifeforms.

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A Mini village. These folks are not the original inhabitants of Bellovix. Their ancestors were stranded on this planet generations ago. At only half-a foot tall, they are a stark contrast in term of size to the indigenous tribal people. As the ancestors were spacefaring, these folks inherited some of their predecessor's technology. For example, the luminous green tubular network is really an irrigation technology.

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Uncommon Paradigm This is a sacred shrine for the mini villagers. Behind this wall is the remnant of the original spaceship that brought their ancestors onto this planet.

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This place is littered with gigantic bones and skeletons. Judging from the size of the skeletal remains, very large creatures must have once roamed this region.

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This pretty pendant caught my attention. It is worn by some of the local tribesmen and women. It appears to be made of some kind of casted metal.

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Bidding the Locals a fond farewell, I made the ascending climb towards the outer atmosphere of the planet, towards the Interspace Transporter hovering above the planet. Below me, lies the amazing arial view of the Bellovixian land formations.

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Inter Global Mass Crossing

An interplanetary Passenger Liner heading towards the Bellovixian land below. Bellovix should remain untouched and its pristine purity be a demonstration of natural balance.

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Concept Development Sketches

This section takes a peep into some of the initial developmental works done prior to the 3D modelling stage.

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Bonus Chapter

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One of the aims of this project was to demonstrate the feasibility of using free and/or low-budget software for the creation of compelling 3D art. During the course of making the Uncommon Paradigm, I did not invest much in software acquisition. The bulk of the 'investment' was in learning the tools and creating the concepts. Many people think that in order to produce sophisticated artworks, costly 3D software must be used. In the past, this may be true. However, it is not so nowadays. There are even free 3D software available through the internet. One such program is Blender 3D. It is a powerful 3D applications that is opensource and free. In fact, much of the artworks in Uncommon Paradigm are created using this piece of software. For instance, the main character, Zacharia was created inside Blender (as shown below).

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However, Blender really does have a formidable learning curve. If you want to easily create natural landscapes, pose and use ready-made human characters, Carrara Pro is a good tool. Carrara, to a great extent, make its very easy to create entire worlds filled with stuffs such as plants, trees, awesome landforms, oceans and realistic skies. Many of the landscape scenes in Uncommon Paradigm were created using Carrara Pro. Click here for more information on Carrara Pro.

Carrara Pro screenshot

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Now, creating 3D humans is one of the most difficult part of 3D modelling. Fret not ! There are in fact free 3D software that enables the user to easily and quickly populate his/her artwork with digital people. One of the best of such software is DAZ Studio. Click here to get the free DAZ Studio !

DAZ Studio screenshot

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As of this writing, DAZ Studio is from the same maker as Carrara. As such, there is some integration between the two. For instance Carrara can load and manipulate 3D contents and models being shared with DAZ Studio. Beside 3D programs, a good image editor is also indispensible for digital 3D artwork creation. You will need the image editor for texture-making as well as post-render image editing. GIMP is one of the best of the free image editors and is the one being used for all the 2D bitmaprelated works. For creating 2D vector-based illustrations, a good open source/free program is Inkscape. Inkscape was used to make diagrams for this book.

Well, that's all. Hope that it is of help to you.

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The making of Uncommon Paradigm

Work on Uncommon Paradigm started in 2001. It was created during the spare times. The idea was to produce scifi imageries as seen through the eyes of a fictitious space traveller. Most of the illustrations were created using the following software: Blender 3D Sculptris Mypaint Carrara Pro Inkscape Mandelbulber GIMP

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To bring added realism to some of the pictures, external rendering engines were used. Many of the image created within Blender are rendered using Yafaray. Yafaray is an open-source rendering engine that sports Global Illumination capabilites. Some of the older images are rendered using POV-ray. Below screenshot shows Yafaray integrated with Blender 3D.

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Thanks for reading

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