This website was established to showcase The Nautilus, as described by Jules Verne in his novel, 20,000 leagues under the sea.
I began the effort to develop a complete set of detailed source files for the Nautilus in 2001, when I acquired my first computer, and my first copy of modeling software, Bryce4, followed by the addition of 3dStudio in 2003...I would estimate conservatively that to date I have invested a minimum of 5000 hours in the project over the past 9 years; not all of that on creating the basic file sets, but rather a lions' share spent on constantly updating/improving/adding detail to the original files, which took roughly 3 years to create. It's a labor of love, inspired by the Disney movie 20,000 leagues under the sea, and nurtured over the decades since by repeated readings of Verne's novel to glean every nuance possible of the vessel's design and construction, along with insights into Nemo's personality and motivations.
The Disney version of the Nautilus was woefully lacking in versimilitude with the letter of the text, but it fired the imaginations of an entire generation nonetheless.
These images are 'renders' taken from digital files, created wholly by me, using Bryce5 and 3DStudioMax software. They were not 'made in Photoshop'. The software utilized allows the creation of 'virtual 3-d'objects', which can be colored, textured, lit,merged and 'carved' to create the desired content, through the use of Boolean operations. The finished 'objects' have volume and dimension and can be viewd in any angle/perspective/size/distance, and modified/updated at any future point to suit. Think of a c.a.d. program on steroids. Colors and textures can be applied from lists of pre-sets, or created from scratch using filters and waveform generators. Renders can be saved as bitmap or jpeg files, and produced in resolutions as large as4500 pixels across.
Verne wrote that the Nautilus was 70 meters l.o.a. with a 8 meter beam; establishing a scale in my software of one inch per unit, I have been carefull to 'build' a version of the boat as described byVerne in regard to size and proportions of compartments ,machinery, and features of the Nautilus; ( see the section on 'The single-deck problem' )for instance, Verne not only notes the placement and dimensions of Nemo's Salon, but lists the specific paintings Nemo hung there, and you will find these works included in my scene files. Unfortunately there are gaps/omissions in Verne's account re. some details of the vessel, and so I have exercised 'creative license' in attempting to fill in the blanks. Nemo was a gifted inventor and visionary engineer, and I have included details that I am sure he would have been capable of originating and implementing. An example would be the 'machine shop'...something any large ocean-going vessel would have to have, but Verne never mentioned in his account, nor did he relate the descriptions of an engineering section,( vital for co-ordinating control commands and the performance of the submarines various electro-mechanical systems ) or the dive-lock dimensions or location, although it's use is implied; one can only study the vessels layout as given and attempt to logically place these elements within the general plan.
For expansion on the Nautilus theme, visit Micheal Crisafuli's large and well-organized website, http://www.VernianEra.com/Nautilus
For those of you who are also digital artists, I encourage you to visit renderosity.com and browse their wonderful website. Forums, resaources, galleries, and a store of objects/textures for use in a variety of software applications. It is the finest website of it's type I have encountered. Among the marketplace items can be found a few of my Nautilus source files for sale.
Enjoy your journey through the Nautilus!
